You may think of that band of thick brush and trees as an extension of your Peachtree City backyard and thus subject to your personal landscaping preferences. That could become an expensive mistake now that cutting trees in city-owned greenbelt areas is a city-ordinance violation with a misdemeanor charge and a $500 fine.
The Peachtree City Council on Feb. 16 voted to give illegal tree-cutters and brush whackers a police-enforced trip to City Court and a minimum $500 fine as the penalty for removing trees and undergrowth from city-owned greenbelts.
The council unanimously approved the proposal that will result in violators appearing in municipal court and paying a fine of not less than $500 per tree removed.
The individual will also be responsible for replacing the total caliper-inches of vegetation removed.
With a land mass of more than 15,600 acres, Peachtree City has approximately 3,500 acres of city-owned greenbelt space, much of those vegetated strips abutting residential properties.
A part of the discussion dealt with the issue of residents cutting underbrush from greenbelt areas which is not measured in caliper inches. City Manger Jon Rorie noted that the topic of bushes “is subjective and we will consider how to address underbrush.”
