Crews with Stanley Martin Homes are preparing to build about four dozen single-family houses in the Fry’s Spring neighborhood on land currently covered by a forest. The first step in the Azalea Springs project is to remove mature trees that nearby residents say are critical to the city’s environmental health.
“This isn’t about opposing growth,” said Emily Sloan, a homeowner who lives near the Azalea Springs development. “It’s about whether Charlottesville’s environmental protections have meaningful influence when irreplaceable natural resources are at stake.”
With tree removal imminent, Sloan and others sent a press release on July 10 intended to raise awareness of neighbors’ concerns, including the hope that two mature American-Asian hybrid chestnut trees be spared…