Any person required to plant parkway trees pursuant to the provisions of Section 17-11-0100 of the City's Zoning Code shall do so in compliance with the following conditions:
(1) Each parkway tree shall have a minimum caliper of two and one-half inches or a minimum of four inches within the Central Area (an area bounded by North Avenue; Lake Michigan; Cermak Road; and Ashland Avenue) as measured at a point six inches above grade level and shall be balled and burlapped. Curbs and low railings shall be installed around parkway planters (i.e. a raised planting area constructed to contain soils, plants and trees) within the Central Area for the purpose of protecting landscaped areas from heavy pedestrian traffic consistent with recommendations in the Guide to the Chicago Landscape Ordinance.
Where the deputy commissioner of the bureau of forestry determines it is not feasible to install parkway trees due to inadequate sidewalk widths or other limiting conditions, he/she may require the installation of sidewalk planters of a size and type described in the Guide to the Chicago Landscape Ordinance. The sidewalk planters installed in lieu of parkway trees shall be provided in an amount equal to no less than two square feet of planter area per linear foot of lot area as measured at the front lot line or the front and side lot lines on corner lots.
(2) The number of parkway trees installed shall not be less than one tree for each 25 lineal feet of property frontage, or any fraction thereof greater than one-half, along all parkways contiguous to such property. The type, size and location of such trees shall be subject to the rules and regulations promulgated by the deputy commissioner;
(3) Any existing parkway tree of two and one- half inch caliper or more located within the parkway contiguous to such property which is preserved may be counted toward satisfaction of the requirements of this section; and
(4) Every parkway tree shall be planted in conformance with the provisions of any regulations issued regarding the use of the public way including, without limitation, the "Manual of Tree Planting Standards", as it may be amended from time to time.
(5) All parkway trees shall be installed and maintained in compliance with the following requirements: 1) tree grates shall be required where trees are planted in sidewalk openings; 2) black lava rock mulch shall be required in trees pits below trees grates and shall be installed to a level flush with the bottom of the tree grate; 3) curbs and low railings to protect plantings shall be required on busy pedestrian retail and commercial streets within the Central Area (an area bounded by North Avenue; Lake Michigan; Cermak Road; and Ashland Avenue) consistent with recommendations in the Guide to the Chicago Landscape Ordinance.
The soil volume and composition for required parkway trees or planters shall meet the following requirements: 1) soils shall have a three-foot minimum depth; 2) planting areas shall have a minimum of 24 square feet of surface area with no dimension less than three feet; 3) soil composition (soil types, acidity and organic content) and soil percolation rates shall follow the recommendations of the Guide to the Chicago Landscape Ordinance. The deputy commissioner may require the addition of structural soil below sidewalk slabs in order to permit root growth beyond a small pit or sidewalk cut in those circumstances where the new construction involves the replacement of existing sidewalks.
(Added Coun. J. 2-6-91, p. 30591; Amend Coun. J. 7-21-99, p. 9425; Amend Coun. J. 10-27-21, p. 39525, § 13)