Wilmington Tree Ordinance Review Committee October 14, 2026

The Wilmington Tree Ordinance Review Committee met on October 14, 2026, for a subject-matter discussion on potential amendments to the city’s land development code to improve tree-canopy quality and retention in new development and redevelopment. Members and invited participants—including developers, landscape professionals, a nursery representative, arborists, utility representatives, and housing and environmental advocates—discussed barriers in the current rules and ways to balance tree preservation with housing affordability, stormwater management, infrastructure needs, and development feasibility. Suggestions included context-sensitive standards for infill and larger sites, prioritizing contiguous natural areas and groups of trees, clearer and locally available plant lists, and greater coordination among development, utility, and stormwater requirements. Participants also discussed possible flexibility in critical-root-zone encroachment under certified-arborist review and incentives for preserving tree groupings; no amendments were adopted.

The committee approved the prior meeting’s minutes by motion and adjourned. No procurement activity, contract awards, vendor selections, purchasing decisions, or spending approvals were identified. Staff said they would prepare a recap, keep participants informed, and invited attendees to continue contributing to the amendment process.