A landowner on a historic Punchbowl property has until mid-July to get a permit from the city to cut down about 50 trees that he’s already chopped down.

Raymond Kang, a 65-year-old general practice doctor, told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Wednesday that he did not know that he needed a permit to cut trees on his new $1.6 million property along Prospect Street that used to belong to painter Madge Tennent.

Now that the city issued him a notice of violation dated June 16 to get a tree-cutting permit within 30 days, Kang said he will obtain the permit.

Kang said four city officials watched crews cut down trees on his property and said nothing about needing a permit in what’s known as the Punchbowl Special District, a designation that’s clearly noted on Kang’s property records.

“They didn’t ask me to stop,” Kang said.

So he was surprised that the city issued him a notice of violation, he said.

“I didn’t know anything about the special permits for the area,” Kang said. “I thought it was the same as any other home in the area.”

Curtis Lum, spokesman for the city Department of Planning and Permitting, said Kang faces possible fines that could range from $50 to $1,000, plus daily fines if he still does not have a permit by July 16.

Kang plans to restore Tennent’s former home into a single-family house that he might live in. The two-story, 4,144-square-foot home was later turned into the Tennent Art Foundation Gallery and has been nominated to be included in the National Register of Historic Places.

Tennent’s works featuring Native Hawaiians hang in galleries from London to San Francisco to Honolulu.

Kang said he also plans to build an unknown number of single-family homes on the property.

Betty Gearen, executive director of the The Green House sustainability program, Wednesday visited the property that used to be covered by a canopy of trees.

Gearen was stunned that the city’s response is to require Kang to get a permit for work that was already improperly done.

“I’m astounded that you can actually cut down trees and then get permission after,” Gearan said. “To me that’s unacceptable. Why do we have the laws then?”

Property records show that on March 28, Kang, as trustee of the trust that bears his name, bought the property from Hawaii Preparatory Academy for $1.6 million.

Under the heading of “lot restrictions,” property records show the inclusion of an “exceptional tree,” which enjoys special protection from the city.

Kang insisted that he left alone two trees that have been designated by the city as “exceptional.”

“For him to say he didn’t know anything, then how come he didn’t cut down the two ‘exceptional trees’ if he didn’t know anything?” Gearan asked. “His actions show that he did know and that he’s treating the rules as if they don’t apply to him. They certainly apply to all of the rest of us, so why don’t they apply to him? I’m sick about it, that’s for sure.”

The Outdoor Circle in 1975 helped the city initiate the Exceptional Tree Act and Outdoor Circle President Alexandra Avery said her group is willing to help all tree trimmers understand city ordinances, especially about cutting trees in special districts.

The Outdoor Circle would like to help Kang replant any trees on his property but has not spoken to him, Avery said.