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Flower Mound, Atmos at odds over tree removal
By Chris Roark, croark@starlocalnews.com
Plans by Atmos Pipeline-Texas to remove a large number of trees in Flower Mound drew the ire of Texas Senator Jane Nelson (R-Flower Mound) this week.
And just wait until more tree conservationists in Flower Mound hear the plan.
Monday, representatives from Atmos Pipeline-Texas explained to the Flower Mound Town Council why they are proposing to clear a large number of trees throughout the town to enhance safety and to better survey part of its high-pressure transmission pipeline system.
The pipeline itself runs 6,000 miles, spanning from the Red River to Houston and from West Texas to Carthage in East Texas. It provides natural gas to Atmos Energy Corporation Mid-Tex Division customers and CoServ customers.
Flower Mound's portion of the pipeline equates to about 12 miles. The path starts near the Lakeside Business District in the southern end of town, and travels north through The Sanctuary, the Wellington subdivision and Tour 18 Golf Course. The Sanctuary is the first conservation neighborhood the town created and contains many old trees.
The original plan called for clear cutting to begin Nov. 1, and after breaking for the holidays, tree removal would continue after the first of the year.
After hearing concerns from the council, Charles Yarborough, vice president of rates and regulatory affairs for Atmos Pipeline-Texas, said Atmos would postpone its plans until discussions between his company and the town staff could take place to try and find a middle ground.
But before that agreement, tensions were high over the idea of so many trees being destroyed.
Yarborough said the tree removal is necessary to allow utility officials access to the pipeline, which is 24 inches in diameter and operates with a pressure up to 602 psi. He said the tree removal would make it easier to patrol and conduct gas leak surveys.
"We need to get to that pipeline in case it needs maintenance quickly," Yarborough said. "Taking time to cut down the trees could hinder a response to an emergency situation by days as opposed to hours."
Yarborough said the plan would also keep the pipeline intact, since he said tree roots can bend or often break a pipeline.
Sherry Kelley, vice president of operations for Atmos Pipeline-Texas, said the state's Pipeline Safety and Hazardous Material Administration has linked right-of-way trees to pipeline damage.
"Damage to the coating can corrode the pipeline, or the tree's roots can grow into the pipeline itself," Kelley said.
Mayor Tom Hayden said he was first notified of Atmos' plans when he received a phone call from Nelson, who voiced her concerns Monday.
"I could not believe that Atmos was going to come here and clear cut the beautiful trees that we have in Flower Mound and that we so cherish," Nelson said. "We lost 300 million trees in the state last year because of the drought. Now we're going to cut down perfectly healthy trees?"
Nelson said she understands the need for resident safety but suggested there are alternatives.
"This is not necessary," Nelson said of the plan. "It is necessary to protect the safety of our residents, but there are other ways to do that."
Yarborough said it's also necessary to remove the trees because they often get in the way of aerial surveying of pipeline leakage by the use of a laser.
Yarborough said surveying can be done on foot, though it's more difficult and costly. He said a ground survey can cost about $176 per mile with obstacles, or $101 per mile with a clear path, though he added Flower Mound has a lot of trees in the way.
By contrast, he said an aerial survey costs about $109 per mile.
Yarborough said spending more money to conduct the surveys would ultimately cost customers more money.
"The law requires us to patrol and perform leakage surveys," Yarborough said.
He also said according to record plats and the town's tree ordinance, Atmos has the authority to clear its right-of-way areas. Yarborough said often times developers and HOAs plant trees without looking at the replats, which he said is one reason this situation has happened.
Hayden, however, argued that Atmos isn't exercising a moral obligation.
"What's Plan B?" a visibly angry Hayden said. "All I've heard you say is that we're going to cut down these trees because we can."
Other council members, who agreed that resident safety is important, questioned documents involved. Mayor Pro Tem Kendra Stephenson said an agreement from 2005 prohibits clearing the easement in The Sanctuary.
"It's hard to imagine Flower Mound with 50-foot bald spots," Stephenson said. "This would reduce property values throughout the town. Trees are what make Flower Mound a desirable location."
Yarborough reiterated that Atmos has the right to maintain its pipelines despite a dispute on an easement document and whether a homeowner is required to sign an encroachment document before tree removal takes place.
"We need the right-of-way to do that," he said.
Council members were also displeased with how quickly this situation came about. In addition to Hayden finding out about the plan from Nelson, he said he also learned of a FAQ list being distributed to area HOAs before the council was even made aware of the plan. Stephenson said the FAQ list stated Atmos had discussed the issue with the council, which Stephenson said never happened.
Yarborough said Atmos intended to talk to state leaders, including Nelson and State Rep. Tan Parker (R-Flower Mound), first before talking to the council. But he admitted that the communication process was flawed.
Part of the pipeline located in west Flower Mound has been exposed for about two years. This discovery only angered the council more about Atmos' communication system. Yarborough admitted the communication could have been better and expressed an interest in working with the town after council members expressed their concerns.
He said that the width of the clear cutting, and the timing of the activity, is something that can be discussed, though he indicated Atmos would likely not be in favor of performing surveys and patrols solely on foot.
If and when the trees are cleared, Yarborough said the stumps would be grinded and the tree waste would be offered to the town's Parks and Recreation Department for manicured areas, such as trails. He said trees in the forested areas would be shredded and distributed on the rights-of-way unless an effected homeowner requests the remains.
The two sides are in the process of scheduling a time to meet to discuss alternative plans.
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