A Lafayette resident’s proposal to remove a dozen trees so he can build a home is controversial enough in town.

But when the city decided to let the Planning Commission review the application at a virtual meeting next week instead of postponing the matter until everyone can show up in person after the coronavirus pandemic subsides, it turned the controversy up a notch.

A virtual meeting would stifle public comment, some neighbors complained.

In a letter sent Tuesday to the Planning Commission and other city officials, residents Pam and Jeff Swarts said they and neighbors didn’t have enough time to type up emails to register their objections.

The Swarts also pointed out residents have emailed multiple letters to the commission with questions and concerns about the project, yet most commissioners haven’t responded.

“It should be fully vetted in a proper forum that allows all parties to be heard,” the Swarts wrote. “Another four-week delay is nothing” considering the applicant “has been trying to build for more than a decade,” they added.

The applicant, former planning commissioner Richard Holt, is seeking permits and a variance to remove 12 trees to build a 2,212-square-foot, single-family residence near the intersection of Sierra Vista Way and Sessions Road. The project has been before the city for more than a decade.

City officials say they can’t postpone the meeting because — coronavirus or not — state laws dictate strict deadlines must be followed in development issues.

Lafayette spokesman Jeffrey Heyman said in an email that cities are required to comply with state laws and “Failure to act within these time limits could result in a project being deemed approved.”

He noted that Gov. Newsom hasn’t suspended the deadlines despite the shelter-in-place orders imposed throughout the state in an effort to curb the spread of coronavirus.

“Therefore, the city is still required by law to meet those deadlines and to continue reviewing and processing development applications,” Heyman said.

Because a City Council meeting held March 20 through the videoconferencing app Zoom caused some embarrassing moments when a couple of callers made vulgar comments, the city has decided to hold future meetings on its YouTube channel at http://bit.ly/LoveLafayetteYouTube. Members of the public won’t be able to participate directly but can watch or listen to the meeting.

The public can send an email to cityhall@lovelafayette.org and questions will be read aloud at the meetings.

Lafayette isn’t alone when it comes to holding virtual meetings. A check with the League of California Cities showed that many are doing so, including Concord, Emeryville, Hayward, Livermore, Mountain View, Palo Alto, San Rafael and Walnut Creek.

“City councils throughout the state are doing everything they can to prioritize the health and safety of their residents during this global pandemic, and to also ensure government transparency, access, and public participation,” Kayla Woods, executive communications specialist with the League of California Cities, said in an email.