(A) No person shall permit any natural or artificial gas, salt, brine, water, oil, liquid dye or any other substances deleterious to trees to come in contact with the soil surrounding the roots of any tree upon any public place in the city in such a manner as to kill, injure, deface, destroy or affect the growth of such tree.
(B) No person shall place or maintain upon the ground in an public place any stone, concrete, brick or other impervious material or substance in such a manner as may obstruct the free access of air and water to the roots of any tree upon any public place without first having obtained written permission from the Superintendent of Parks, Lands, and Trees. Unless otherwise provided for, there shall be maintained about the base of the trunk of each such tree at least nine square feet of open ground for a tree three inches in diameter, and for ever two inches of increase in such diameter there shall be an increase of at least one square foot of open ground.
(C) No person in charge of or responsible for the erection, alteration or removal of any building or structure in the city shall permit any tree upon any public place in the vicinity of such operation to stand without a good and sufficient guard or protection as shall prevent injury, damage, or defacement to such tree arising out of, in connection with, or be reason of, such operation. The quality of the guard or protection shall be determined by the Superintendent.
(D) No person shall interfere with the Superintendent or his subordinates or assistant while engaged in or about the carrying out of the provisions of this chapter or the doing of any work ordered by the Director of Public Service-Safety to be done hereunder.
(E) Any tree upon private property in the city, in such close proximity to any public place in the city as will permit the roots of such tree to penetrate through or under the surface of any public place, excluding sidewalks, in the city, is hereby declared a public nuisance and may be abated forthwith by the Superintendent.
(Ord. 14-2007, passed 6-26-07)