Developer,village settle on tree fine

(from the Chicago Tribune Northwest Suburbs Community Briefing June 14, 2007)

SCHAUMBURG

Developer, village settle on tree fine

An Elk Grove Village developer and Schaumburg officials settled on a $12,600 fine for unauthorized tree removal after nearly three years of negotiations.George Gullo Development Corp. cut down 190 trees on 1.5 acres it owns at the southeast corner of Basswood and Remington Roads, and the company was fined $500 per tree that was 4 inches or larger in diameter, or $95,000, in September 2004.The fine was initially reduced to $19,000 because the property had not been developed, officials said."It's probable we would have allowed removal of many of the trees [during development]," said senior landscape planner Martha Dooley, "so we felt we could compromise on 20 percent of the fee."As to the discrepancy in tree numbers, Dooley said the initial count was live and dead stumps, and the most recent count, with an arborist hired by Gullo, was live stumps only."Over three years the site can change," Dooley said. "The grass is so tall we may have missed some [in the recent count]."The fine stayed at 20 percent of $500, or $100 per tree, in a deal approved by trustees Tuesday.Because the site remains undeveloped village officials also waived a requirement for replacement plantings.Company President Mario Gullo did not return calls seeking comment.Graydon Megan