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Charlotte Lawmaker Calls for Pause on Tree Removal Near Billboards After 40 Permits Issued
State Sen. Caleb Theodros is urging an immediate halt to tree clearing near billboards across the Charlotte area after learning that permits have been issued for 40 locations, following a 2024 state law that allows billboard companies to remove trees for visibility.
CHARLOTTE â State Sen. Caleb Theodros is calling for an immediate pause on tree removals near billboards across the Charlotte area after learning that permits have been issued for 40 locations, his office said Thursday.
Theodros wants future cutting halted at least until local property and business owners can be consulted, according to a statement. The request comes as aerial views show additional sites marked for removal stretching from Matthews to Huntersville, following tree cutting that has already taken place in Plaza Midwood.
The removals stem from a 2024 state law that allows billboard companies to clear trees to make their signs more visible to drivers. Under this year's state budget, the permit fee for removing trees near billboards is set at $400.
In Plaza Midwood, business owners were left upset after trees in the neighborhood were cleared. Todd Huber, owner of Undercurrent Coffee, said seeing the local trees fall was unexpected and troubling for the community.
"I have to admit I didn't realize what we had here until it was gone," Huber said. "I certainly knew how special this neighborhood and the people were. But to start to see those trees fall startled me in a way that I didn't expect."
Residents living near major transit corridors expressed similar concerns about losing natural buffers. Behind one home in the area, removed trees had served as the sole barrier separating the house from railroad tracks and traffic along Brookshire Boulevard.
A local resident voiced concern over the loss of sound insulation and the resulting increase in noise pollution.
"We could hear the traffic from Brookshire already," the resident said. "So, without the tree buffer, I could imagine that it's going to be kind of bad."
The resident also expressed broader anxiety about the overall decline in tree coverage throughout Charlotte.
"I'm really concerned about our tree canopy in Charlotte," the resident said. "Because it's disappearing right before our eyes."
The dispute highlights growing tensions over the state law and its impact on Charlotte's tree canopy, which residents and local officials have long valued for its environmental and quality-of-life benefits. Theodros's call for a pause adds a political dimension to the debate, pitting billboard visibility against neighborhood character and environmental concerns.