Photo: Russell Bates, February 1, 2012. Bates said "The Semi Tropic trees have come down in a big way." (Click on photos to enlarge.)
Photo: Russell Bates, February 1, 2012. If you enlarge this photo, those are not dead trees cut down on the slope. They are the native Black Walnuts that had dropped their leaves for winter. All were cut down today. Compare it to the photos below from September.
Photo: Diane Edwardson, September 28, 2011. All those trees are gone today. The developer won another round of bait & switch. Protected native tree removal permits were issued for the controversial 16-lot subdivision. However, tree removal permits were granted contingent upon issuing of grading and building permits.
As of this afternoon, a check of the City's Building & Safety Website https://www.permitla.org/ipar/index.cfm for 2055 ELMORAN showed NO grading or retaining wall permits issued for the site.
Photo: Diane Edwardson, September 28, 2011.
Somehow, B&S issued 2 model home permits which seemed to say they were not final building permits. Last time I checked, you needed a grading permit before you could get your building permits in Hillside.
One experienced hillside builder I spoke to today said, "I could never get away with something like that. I don't even know how you could get building permits without first getting your grading permits, especially on those lots!"
