Dear Members of the Malvern Hall Executive Board:

This petition is in regard to the proposed tree removal as mentioned in Carol Schramek's letter to the ownership, dated 3/4/16. As owners, we very much appreciate the efforts of the board to improve property, and we feel that these decisions are important enough to warrant involvement of the ownership in the decision-making process. Thus, we are writing to request a special owner’s meeting (the bylaws state that an owner’s meeting shall be called at the request of 25% of the ownership, to be held within 15 days of receipt of the letter).

We understand the urgency of resolving this matter so that the repair of the front stairs can begin; thus, we would like this meeting to happen as soon as possible.

We would like to cover the following agenda items during this meeting:

We request a presentation on the Board's comprehensive plan regarding the courtyard and steps, including the identification and advice of relevant professionals, including landscaping, engineering and masonry. We would like a presentation by the chosen arborist to discuss details of the proposal, including information regarding the health of the trees and the potential damage to the retaining walls from keeping the trees. We would like this presentation to include information regarding staging and costs of the proposed project. Following the presentation and questions, we would like to discuss the options.

We would like to learn more about whether a civil engineer has been or needs to be consulted to determine if the trees' roots are truly having a negative impact on the retaining wall and if so, to determine if there is a way to preserve the wall without removing the trees. We would also like to understand the effect that removal of these large trees might have on the current drainage issues.

The removal of these beautiful trees will have a significant impact on the look and feel of the Malvern Hall Courtyard. For many of us, these trees are one of the most beautiful features of the building and their removal will be a loss. Thus, we feel that it is important for the ownership to come together to make a decision.

We look forward to your response and to a productive meeting.