Agenda - Planning Commission - 10/04/2012

Home

® Trees help to stabilize streambanks from erosion. Canopy Tree Size (square feet) Small z5o Medium 500 Canopy Approximate Cost per Credits Dimensions $375/credit 16 x 16 $375 2 22.5 X 22.5 $750 Trees/acre per 5o percent Canopy 87 Minimum size at planting (inches) 1.5 43.6 2 to 2.5 Large 1,000 4 31.5 X 31.5 $1,500 21.7 2 to 2.5 City of Sandy Springs, Georgia ® This table shows the compensation requirements for removing trees in Sandy Springs, Georgia. exceptional value, including historic or landmark trees and specimen trees. Historic trees are usually defined as hav- ing notable historic value and interest be- cause of age, size, or historic association. Specimen trees apply to certain species of trees that provide particular value to a location. Communities with historic or specimen tree regulations typically prohibit their removal unless the tree is considered a nuisance or hazard. To discourage re- moval or destruction of special trees, some communities require extensive compensa- tion for a lost tree. Sandy Springs, Georgia, requires replacement of a historic tree with a comparable species and with a canopy potential of 1.5o percent of the canopy of the removed tree. Preservation and Planting Requirements When developing tree preservation require- ments, cities and counties typically avoid trying to preserve all trees everywhere in order to maximize benefits by balancing environmental goals and economic im- pacts. To this end, communities must de- termine which trees are worth protecting. That is, does a tree provide benefits greater than the cost of maintaining it, and is the tree a public safety risk? Communities must also consider the cost/benefit ratio when requiring replacement trees to compensate for removal. Most tree ordinances include a list of tree species that are acceptable replacement options for removed trees. Tree species must be selected to remain healthy and perform well in specific con- ditions and environments (i.e., climate conditions, soil conditions, and the built environment). Planting requirements also need to consider proper planting and main- tenance procedures to ensure that trees will survive to maturity. This includes deter- mining appropriate depths for planting and proper pruning, watering, and fertilization standards. Tree Maintenance Requirements Tree ordinances often mandate that planted trees must be maintained over a limited period of time, usually one to three years, and require replacement of trees that die within that time frame. Because of the limi- tations that can be placed on developers or landowners for maintenance respon- sibility, some communities partner with nonprofit or volunteer tree organizations to ensure ongoing tree maintenance. One example is Ithaca, New York's Citizen Pruner program, a partnership between the city, Cornell Cooperative Extension, and Cornell University. Under the program, volunteer citizen pruners receive free training in ex- change for assisting the city forester with maintaining public trees, shrubs, and other landscape beautification projects. Fee -In -Lieu of Tree Replacement Option Good ordinances incorporate flexibility to address sites that are physically constrained and cannot accommodate the required tree coverage. In such cases, a fee -in -lieu option is an effective approach that allows developers to compensate for lost trees by paying into a tree fund, which can be used by the municipality for a variety of urban forest management functions, such as planting and maintenance of trees, admin- istrative enforcement, and even education and outreach programs. The fee -in -lieu of replacement option places a monetary value on removed trees and the deficit of trees that are not replaced. Most ordinances ap- ply a cost -per -caliper -inch or cost -per -tree fee. Sandy Springs, Georgia, takes a more progressive approach by basing the mon- etary replacement formula on the potential canopy coverage (estimated size at maturity) of planted trees rather than on a per -tree or per -caliper -inch basis. This approach avoids applying a one -size -fits -all cost formula to trees with different values. Enforcement Enforcement is critical to successfully fulfilling the purpose and intent of the tree preserva- tion ordinance. No matter how advanced and progressive the regulations, without proper and consistent enforcement, the municipality will not achieve its urban forestry goals. When developing tree preservation codes, munici- palities should revisit their goals and deter- ZONINGPRACTICE 9.12 AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION I page 5