(a) In order to prevent undue erosion of the soil, pollution of the atmosphere and natural oxygen, no person, occupant or owner on an existing industrial or commercial lot of record, shall remove or destroy, by cutting, burning, bulldozing or by any other means, one or any number of viable trees having a diameter of nine inches or more measured at a distance of fifty-four inches above ground level on any existing lot in the corporate limits of the City of Hudson, except in connection with a site plan required by the City of Hudson Code regulations, without first securing a permit from the Department of Public Works.
(b) Any application properly before the City, related to areas other than in Zoning Districts 6 and 8, that proposes or would entail the clearing of an area of two acres or more and which entails the removal of twenty-five trees or more, shall be forwarded to the Tree Commission for comment and recommendation prior to the approval of the application by the appropriate board or commission within the City. For purposes of this subsection, the following procedures and requirements shall apply:
(1) The trees referred to in this subsection shall be only those trees of six inches in diameter or greater measured at a height above ground level of four and one-half feet;
(2) The Tree Commission shall have thirty days from the date of referral of the application to it to make its comments and recommendations in writing on the referred application back to the referral source;
(3) The appropriate board or commission shall consider any written comment and recommendations of the Tree Commission prior to taking any action on the subject application; and
(4) Any necessary procedures and any meanings given to the terms set forth in this subsection which are not set forth in this subsection shall be governed by the City's Land Development Code procedures and definitions.
(c) Should the applicant for a permit for tree removal be denied a permit from the Department of Public Works, the property owner may request an appeal through the City Manager's office to the Tree Commission. The Tree Commission shall hear appeals within thirty days of receipt of the request for appeal from the City Manager's office.
(Ord. 00-53. Passed 7-5-00; Ord. 06-24. Passed 3-15-06; Ord. 09-48. Passed 6-17-09.)