Developers

Areas of Expertise

Permitting and Compliance

Tree issues have become a significant factor in the success of many developments. These issues are mandated by codes, ordinances, or the motivation of clients to preserve trees as an asset to their developments' amenities. Trees have become a crucial matter to the development community.

Developers face an ever increasing awareness that they need a key player to best represent their interest. Joe manages issues relating to trees including tree ordinance resolution and compliance, tree preservation, public relations, and the environment. He is a loyal team member from the planning process to project completion.

More info (Link to Permitting and Compliance page)

Dispute Resolution

Sometimes mistakes occur and trees are removed when they should not have been. These mistakes cost developers money. Mandatory costs of permitted tree removals can also be prohibitive due to tree ordinances. Often a development is delayed due to issues of required variances. Frequently there is an emotional reaction by citizens and their representatives to significant or special trees.

In each of these conflicts a unique approach to arboreal problem solving is needed.

Joe’s ability to mediate and strike an accord among divergent sectors is well documented. His ability to produce an agreement that best represents the ideals of tree ordinances and the long range goals of the development have become a model for numerous agencies.

Tree Preservation

“A tree cannot be preserved without a professional engineer. A professional engineer cannot preserve a tree without a consulting arborist.” Joe Samnik, recipient of the Edward W. Bok Award for recognition of lifetime achievement in the excellence in arboriculture.

Tree ordinances, development agreements, zoning, and public awareness contribute to the strong emphasis being placed on trees and tree preservation issues.

Many site development issues relating to tree preservation arise in the planning stages and during the submittal process.

The owner or developer’s representative most often defers to the expertise of a professional engineer to solve these tree conflicts. The professional engineer in turn is able to defer to the expertise of the consulting arborists to deal with these conflicts.

More information.

Qualifications

Joe is a certified and consulting arborist with 38 years of experience in arboreal consulting, with a strong emphasis on preservation issues and dispute resolution.

He has been recognized as an expert witness in over 500 tree-related litigation matters in small claims, civil, criminal, and eminent domain courts of law. This unprecedented professional background brings to a development team a unique approach to problem solving found with no other consulting arborist.

Other Qualifications

Trade Accomplishments

He reduced a tree assessment from $3.2 million to $193,000 by understanding and interpreting nuances in tree ordinance language.
He reduced another tree assessment from $346,000 to 19,000 by his expert knowledge of tree species.

Educational Seminars

Joe was chosen in a partnership with the University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences to present seminars on tree preservation and other tree-related issues to the Society of Professional Engineers for continuing education units (CEUs).

Joe’s tenure as education chair for the Florida Chapter, International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) and for the Association of Eminent Domain Professionals (AEDP) provided the basis for educational competence for all members and non-members seeking to maintain their expertise in trees.

For more information on Educational Seminars

Clientele Includes

Turn to a trusted resource. Joe has combined his skills with many professional engineers and developers resulting in the most successful, profitable and permitted jobs.

Hard copy of curriculum vitae available upon request.