Conroe takes billboard giant to court over trees

Clear Channel cuts 15 trees

David Crossley, Nov 15, 11.

The city of Conroe has taken billboard company Clear Channel to court over the removal of approximately 15 healthy trees by the company, according to a story in The Courier:

A complaint against Clear Channel Outdoor was filed by a city building official after Conroe resident Ron Saikowski observed a work crew cutting down pine trees Monday near a billboard at Interstate 45 just south of South Loop 336, according to City Attorney Marc Winberry.

Conroe’s tree preservation ordinance prohibits clear-cutting of trees within the city by developers. Violators can face fines up to $500 per incident.

Based on 15 trees, Clear Channel could face a maximum of $7,500 in fines in Municipal Court, if the company was found in violation of the ordinance..

Lee Vela, vice president of public affairs for Clear Channel, said Thursday that the billboard giant was “unaware” of any violations it might have committed.

“If there are any violations we will rectify the situation,” he said. MORE

Earlier story (more information):
Ron Saikowski, a Conroe citizen who caught the crew cutting the trees: “Cutting down perfectly healthy trees that are 60 to 70 feet tall so someone can see a billboard better is insane. It’s not right and something should be done about it.”

Comments

.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) said:

Billboards are ugly eyesores that should be outlawed and removed immediately and permanently. Clear Channel is a despicable company with no civic values.

Posted on Nov 16, 11 at 12:21 am

.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) said:

Unfortunately $7,500.00 is nothing to a corporate giant like Clear Channel. They have no conscience, and this will not deter them from doing it again. Take away their rights to the billboard at that location and make them replant the area.
Don’t let them put up another billboard in the location. Then they might think twice.

Posted on Nov 16, 11 at 9:59 am

.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) said:

25 years ago my then brother-in-law was a US National Park Ranger assigned to patrol the George Washington Parkway on the Potomac. One of his duties was citing people on the park’s borders who cut down trees so they could see the Potomac from their windows. As I recall, the fees were many times what Conroe charges. Maybe $10,000 per tree if it was more than a few years old plus they had to pay for full restoration. Conroe needs to increase its fees for this to reflect the true cost of replacing them.

Posted on Nov 21, 11 at 3:16 pm

Page 1 of 1 pages