40 Charlotte-area sites have permits for tree removal near billboards
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Undercurrent Coffee on Commonwealth Avenue is among the businesses that lost a tree and noise buffer. Photo: Ashley Mahoney/Axios
Of 154 permits issued statewide for tree-clearing near billboards, 40 are in Mecklenburg County, Sustain Charlotte founder Shannon Binns tells Axios.
Why it matters: Residents, business owners and local leaders are concerned this could lead to more tree removal throughout the county after a stretch in Plaza Midwood was removed in October for an Adams Outdoor Advertising billboard.
The latest: Sustain Charlotte and North Carolina State Sen. Caleb Theodros (D-District 41 Mecklenburg County) shared the list of 40 Mecklenburg County locations at a press conference Thursday in Plaza Midwood along with local leaders and business owners.
- Permit data was obtained from the North Carolina Department of Transportation Roadside Environmental staff, per NCDOT.
The big picture: There's now an empty hill behind several local businesses in Plaza Midwood. Trees previously kept Highway 74 from view behind several businesses along Commonwealth Avenue.
- State law allows those with a permit to "remove all vegetation except dogwood" trees, per NCDOT. Said vegetation has to be within a 500-foot perimeter of the billboard and along the state's right-of-way, according to a 2024 state law.
- A permit is valid for a year, and NCDOT must be notified 48 hours prior to work taking place.
What they're saying: Michelle Castelloe, owner of Moxie Mercantile, Betty and Bev shared how she opened Bev behind Moxie Mercantile last year. Bev, she says, relied on the peace and quiet of Plaza Midwood.
- "Now our customers are subjected to very loud traffic," Castelloe told reporters.
The bottom line: Local leaders called on Adams Outdoor Advertising and Lamar Outdoor Advertising "to pause all further removal or cutting of vegetation on these permitted sites," Binns tells Axios.
- What the Plaza Midwood site will look like in the future is unclear, but Binns hopes to see a sound barrier wall put in place and the site replanted.
Editor's note: Adams Outdoor did not respond to Axios' request for a comment.