The Village of Cornwall-on-Hudson tree preservation law has undergone six revisions, despite it being modeled after the Town of Cornwall’s law.

Mayor James Gagliano said the uptown law doesn’t totally apply to the village, which has more green spaces. While the town’s law protects single family and mother-daughter properties, the board will continue to discuss with counsel to add language to protect trees on these parcels as well.

Case in point, MaryAnne O’Dell, a Duncan Avenue resident, spoke at the Oct. 21 business meeting to share with the board how two property owners clearcut about 70 to 75 trees, 25 of which were over 100 years old.

She explained she lives across from a private road which has four houses, two in the front and two in the back. A new owner took a two-bedroom, one-bath single family home and removed 60 trees to build a seven-bedroom, seven-bath single family home. Adjacent to that property is a multifamily apartment complex which had 10 to 15 trees removed. O’Dell said there’s no buffer around the property, she’s now exposed to the western sun, and can hear sound from Painter’s Tavern and even the middle school during football games. She also mentioned the habitats which were destroyed, leaving the animals to find new homes.

The public hearing will remain open as the board seeks to include language to address the clearcutting of trees from single and two-family lots.