ON-SITE LANDSCAPING AND REQUIRED TREES

1503 ON-SITE LANDSCAPING AND REQUIRED TREES

• A. General Requirements

• 3. Nothing in this section prohibits tree pruning to promote the health of a tree or for public safety purposes.

• • B. Significant Tree Preservation

    1. A significant tree is any tree that measures 32 inches or more in diameter at four and one-half feet above the ground. No significant tree may be removed without the permission of the City Forester. Removal of a significant tree without City Forester approval is a violation of this ordinance.

• 2. Any person wishing to remove a significant tree shall file a request with the City Forester. In order to grant permission to remove a significant tree, the City Forester shall make one or more of the following findings within 30 days of receipt of the request: a. The tree is in poor health or diseased with an expected life span less than two years.

• • b. The removal of the tree is unavoidable because the tree poses a danger to property or human health, safety, and welfare.

• • c. The tree prevents the property owner from developing the property in conformance with this ordinance, and there are no alternatives to removal of the tree. In this case, the City Forester shall not approve removal of the tree until a permit for new construction has been approved.

• 3. When a significant tree is removed with City Forester approval under 2.a or b above, the property owner shall plant at least one large tree to replace it on the same property or in a location to be determined by the City Forester. When a significant tree is removed with City Forester approval under 2.c above or without City Forester approval, the property owner shall plant at least three large trees to replace it on the same property or in a location to be determined by the City Forester.

• • C. Required Tree Canopy

    1. Required Tree Canopy Percentage Sufficient trees shall be retained and/or planted on a lot so that the square footage of vegetative canopy of such trees, when mature, equals a certain percentage of the square footage of the lot. This required percentage is established by district as follows: a. All residential districts, and the PS, OS, and CD Districts: 30% of the square footage of the lot b. I-1 and I-2 Districts: 30% of the square footage of the lot c. D-1 District: 15% of the lot area not occupied by a structure d. All other districts: 15% of the square footage of the lot 2. Calculation of Tree Canopy Coverage The total canopy coverage for a lot is the sum of the canopy, at maturity, of the individual trees located on the lot. The square footage of canopy cover varies according to tree species. The City Forester maintains a list of trees species and the expected size of the canopy for each species, at maturity, when planted. Trees are classified as small, medium, or large and the canopy coverage credit for each classification is as follows: a. Large: 1,000sf b. Medium: 700sf c. Small: 300sf 3. Tree Retention Bonus Additional credit for canopy coverage may be granted for the retention of healthy trees of appropriate species and in the proper location, subject to the approval of the City Forester. The following thresholds and associated coverage bonus is as follows: a. Tree diameter at four and one-half feet above the ground is between 10 and 19 inches: 300sf of canopy coverage credit b. Tree diameter at four and one-half feet above the ground is 20 inches or greater: 700sf of canopy coverage credit 4. Street Tree Accommodation Existing or planned street trees located in the public right-of-way directly adjacent to the lot line may be counted toward the canopy coverage for the lot.

• 5. Landscaping for Multiple Lots For developments that encompass more than one lot, the percentage is calculated for the total canopy for the total area of all of the lots. For developments that span multiple blocks, the percentage required is calculated separately for each contiguous area of the development within a block.

• 6. Off-Site Planting Permission Where existing conditions or other provisions of this Ordinance make it impracticable to meet the canopy coverage requirement on or adjacent to the site, the applicant shall plant sufficient trees to make up the shortfall in public rights-of-way within one-quarter mile of the lot, with the location to be determined by the City Forester.