Gilkey Appointed to City Tree Advisory Committee

Sarasota, Florida (December 11, 2017) – The City of Sarasota has appointed Michael Gilkey Jr. for the landscape architect position on their newly established Tree Advisory Committee. The Committee was designed to make recommendations to the City Commission regarding the City’s Tree Protection Ordinance. The group of seven held their first official meeting earlier this month. 

Gilkey brings to the Committee fourteen years of experience as a licensed landscape architect practicing in the City of Sarasota. He is also president of Michael A. Gilkey, Inc, a design-build landscape architecture studio. The design-build approach gives him a unique perspective on the feasibility of working within the City’s Tree Protection Ordinance.

“As a forward thinking and passionate advocate for the trees of Sarasota, I believe my experience working within the guidelines of the current tree code, for the benefit of our discerning clients and the City, makes me a valuable asset to this discussion,” Gilkey said.

The Committee will primarily be looking at potential ways to amend and improve the City Tree Protection Ordinance. They will advise the Commission about issues pertaining to tree health within the City, such as how to handle requests of residents who would like to remove healthy trees on privately owned properties, unsafe conditions caused by healthy trees in public spaces, damage to public infrastructure, permitting for tree removal, mitigation standards, and advice on other directives pertaining to trees, such as the Canopy Tree Ordinance. 

Gilkey’s appointment is for one year of service. Other members of the Tree Advisory Committee are Neighborhood Representatives Mary Fuerst and Rob Patten, Development Interest Representatives Michael Halflants and Chris Gallagher, Downtown Core Resident Trevor Falk, and Chamber of Commerce Representative Shawn Dressler.