CITY OF CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA
                 CITY COUNCIL AGENDA



 Agenda Date:        March 6, 2023

 Action Required:    Approve wood donation by motion

 Presenter:          Steven Gaines, Urban Forester

 Staff Contacts:     Steven Gaines, Urban Forester

 Title:              Approving disposition of wood from Downtown Mall trees


Background
Parks and Recreation removed 9 hazard trees from Charlottesville’s Downtown Mall January 10-20,
2023. The wood (22 sawlogs and additional wood segments) has been stored at the Community Lab
School (Albemarle County Public Schools) since the conclusion of the operation. Parks and
Recreation hopes to donate the wood to the Charlottesville Downtown Association and the
Community Lab School so that the wood can get sawn into rough lumber, dried in a solar kiln, and
fashioned into wood products that will benefit the city (benches for downtown mall, bus stops,
etc.). The City’s Procurement Office has assessed the wood at $300 and will likely auction the wood
pieces as firewood if it remains in city ownership. Parks and Recreation seeks approval from City
Council to donate the wood so it can be recycled for future use.

Discussion
Parks and Recreation wishes to donate the wood to the Downtown Business Association and the
Community Lab School. The Community lab school is part of the Albemarle County Public School
System and works closely with the UVA School of Architecture. If approved, the wood will be
processed (milled into rough lumber and dried in a solar kiln) by the Community Lab School, and
lumber assigned to local craftspeople via the Downtown Business Association. The City’s
Procurement Office has appraised the wood at $300 for auction price and has suggested that the
donation of this wood is the most productive outcome from the tree removals.

Charlottesville Parks and Recreation performed tree work on Charlottesville’s Downtown Pedestrian
Mall on January 10 – 20, 2023. The City’s tree work contractor (Big O Tree and Lawn) worked
efficiently to prune deadwood out of all the mall trees and removed nine (9) standing trees. All of the
usable wood from the project (including sawlogs, large branches, and union pieces) has been saved
from the project.

As Phase I of the project (tree work/removals) has been completed, Phase II will be utilizing the
leftover wood. As the trees are historic, there has been quite a lot of interest from local craftspeople
to turn the wood into usable products that will be recycled back into the mall (either as fixtures on the
mall such as benches/tables) or to be used to fashion products. Additionally, there are plans to
organize a public demonstration where members of the public can visit the work site (Community Lab
School) to observe the wood being milled, turned, and carved.

Most of the wood (22 sawlogs) is currently housed with the UVA Sawmill group at the Community
Lab School on Forest Avenue. As seating has been a continuing issue on the mall, there is
willingness from local specialists to fashion the rough lumber into benches or other types of
seating. The leftover wood (extra sawn lumber boards, branches, trunk unions, or sections of wood
too small to be milled) will be used for wood turning and carving projects (making bowls, pens, rolling
pins, cutting boards, etc.). The Downtown Association will plan to host a public event to showcase
the products and perhaps auction the items off, with generated funds being donated back to the
City’s Tree Planting Fund. The Community Lab School (UVA Architecture School affiliated) will host
demonstrations for the public for observation of the wood being milled with a portable bandsaw,
turned into wood lathes, and carved by local craftspeople on a specified future date(s).

Alignment with City Council's Vision and Strategic Plan
Green City, Applications of Climate Action Plan – This effort will help educate the public on natural
resources management and recycling of wood materials.

Community Engagement
The Community Lab School plans to host demonstration days in which the public will be invited to
observe the wood being worked (milled, turned, carved) by local specialists. The Downtown
Business Association plans to host a public event to showcase any and all fashioned products
created from the mall tree wood.

Several members of the public have offered their expertise to help with woodworking
projects. Overall objectives for the wood involve the construction of benches to be used as seating
for the downtown mall. There has been discussion of showcasing fashioned wood products at a
public event or auction – if this does occur, generated funds will likely be donated to the Tree
Planting Fund for Charlottesville’s Parks and Recreation Department.

Budgetary Impact
Report only, no budget impact.

Recommendation
Approval of Wood Donation to the Charlottesville Downtown Association and Community Lab School
(Albemarle County Public Schools/UVA Architecture School)

Alternatives
Allow wood to stay in City Ownership and be auctioned off as firewood

Attachments
None