The Daily Tar Heel from Chapel Hill, North Carolina • Page 10

10 The Tar Heel July 8, 1976 Rosemary Street crees chopped down for new Sizzler Steak House in KstwftiL 10-s i taw raw WORLD FAMOUS CHINESE CANTONESE FAVORITES by Susan Orcutt Managing Editor Some of the oldest and stateliest trees in Chapel Hill stand along Rosemary Street trees that have shaded the street since it was a dirt path over 100 years ago. Now, where one of the largest firs in town once grew, there is a broken stump. The tree is laying on the plowed-under ground, the raw wood exposed. A hand lettered sign has been placed on the stump, an eloquent comment on the scene. "Rape" is all it says.

Two weeks ago, the tree and several others on the lot next to Amity Court on Rosemary Street were chopped down and the lot was leveled to prepare the way for a Western Sizzler Steak House. Residents of the area were upset, and some of them called Chapel Hill Alderman Robert Epting, a local attorney who maintains his office a block from the site, and how now has become the spokesman for Chapel ill's 1 If You Have Some Time To Browse, You Might Find Some Paperback Texts At Prices Less Than $1.00 The ild Oooh'Corner 137 A EAST ROSEMARY STREET OPPOSITE CCNB BUILDING trees. "I checked into it and found that Western Sizzler had a permit to level off and blacktop that lot," Epting said. A town ordinance requires all commercial businesses in the downtown development area to construct a sidewalk at the place of business, "which is fine and as it should be," Epting said. Tm just not satisfied that they had to cut down oak and fir trees.

They were just wanting to keep as much parking space and incur as little expense as possible." However, there is presently no ordinance in Chapel Hill that calls for the Planning Office or the Appearance Commission to review a business' construction proposal. If Epting had his way, he would ask that there be such an ordinance. "There's nothing to prevent, say, a fraternity house from cutting down a valuable tree if they wanted to expand," he said. At next Monfay's meeting of the Board of Aldermen, Epting intends to ask the Planning Board to review the possibility of adding an ordinance that would protect Chapel Hill's trees. The review would see if the rule could legally be put into effect, study how other towns had dealt with the situation and generally make a statement on the feasibility of such a rule.

"The concept stretches back to Supreme Court Justice Douglas," Epting said. "To him, trees, mountains, rivers and streams are possessors of civil rights too, and shouldn't be violated. They are of public benefit. "It's a philosophical matter. Chapel Hill is a special town and an innovative one.

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