The Salisbury Township Board of Commissioners, convening as the township Shade Tree Commission, chaired by Atty. John W. Ashley, Salisbury Township solicitor, and with commentary by Sandy Nicolo, Salisbury Township code enforcement officer, voted narrowly, 3 to 2, to reject an appeal March 23 by Stephanie and Michael Schawb to replace a tree.

At the half-hour hearing, with a court stenographer recording the proceedings, it was noted the tree was removed prior to the purchase of the property in July 2011 by the Schawbs.

“It wasn’t our decision to remove that tree. That’s why we appealed it,” Stephanie Schawb testified.

“It may set precedence as to how we deal with this,” Nicolo said.

Ashley ruled that based on the township Shade Tree Ordinance, a property owner is responsible to replace a tree even if it was removed by a previous owner.

Nicolo issued his letter to the Schawbs Jan. 17.

“I’ve been systematically going through the township based on concerns by some residents about disappearing trees in the township,” Nicolo said.

Commissioners, convening as the Shade Tree Commission, reviewed three appeals and voted 5-0 at the Feb. 23 township meeting to:

•Approve an exception to the appeal of Ann Marie Sarubin, for the planting of an evergreen tree rather than the required type of street tree.

•Approve an exception to the appeal of Atty. Richard Orloski, for plantings instead of replacing a shade tree.

•Table the appeal of Mathew and Eleanor Urban, for a tree cut down and not replaced following a storm, with the matter to be heard at a future commissioners meeting.