For the purposes of this chapter, terms defined in Chapter 8.04 shall have the same meanings in this chapter, and the following terms shall have the meaning ascribed to them in this section:
(a) "Basal flare" means that portion of a tree where there is a rapid increase in diameter at the confluence of the rootcrown and trunk.
(b) "Buildable area" means that area of a parcel:
(1) Upon which, under applicable zoning regulations, a structure may be built without a variance, design enhancement exception, or home improvement exception; or
(2) Necessary for construction of primary access to structures located on or to be constructed on the parcel, where there exists no feasible means of access which would avoid protected trees. On single-family residential parcels, the portion of the parcel deemed to be the buildable area for primary access shall not exceed ten feet in width.
(c) "Building footprint" means the two-dimensional configuration of a building's perimeter boundaries as measured on a horizontal plane at ground level.
(d) "Designated arborist" means an arborist certified by the International Society of Arboriculture or another nationally recognized tree research, care, and preservation organization, selected by the urban forester for inclusion in a list of approved arborists to be:
(1) Hired by an applicant at their own expense, or
(2) Chosen by the city at an applicant's expense, if a project includes a public hearing.
(e) "Development" means any work upon any property in the city which requires a subdivision, planned community zone, variance, use permit, building permit, demolition permit, or other city approval or which involves excavation, landscaping or construction within the tree protection zone of a protected tree or is subject to requirements of the California Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO).
(f) "Director of planning and development services" means the director of planning and development services or their designee.
(g) "Director of public works" means the director of public works or their designee.
(h) "Discretionary development approval" means planned community zone, subdivision, use permit, variance, home improvement exception, design enhancement exception, architectural review board approval, or any proposal or application that requires the discretion of the authorizing person or entity.
(i) "Excessive pruning" of a protected tree means any of the following:
(1) Removal of more than twenty-five percent of the functioning leaf, stem, or root area of a tree in any twenty-four-month period.
(2) Removal of more than fifteen percent of the functioning root area of any Quercus (oak) species in any thirty-six-month period.
(3) Any removal of the functioning leaf, stem, or root area of a tree so as to cause a significant decline in health, increased risk of failure, or the unbalancing of a tree.
(j) "Hazardous" means an imminent hazard which constitutes a high or extreme threat to the safety of persons or property as defined by American National Standards Institute A300, Part 9.
(k) "Protected" tree means any of the following:
(1) Any locally native tree of the species Acer macrophyllum (Bigleaf Maple), Calocedrus decurrens (California Incense Cedar), Quercus agrifolia (Coast Live Oak), Quercus douglasii (Blue Oak), Quercus kelloggii (California Black Oak), or Quercus lobata (Valley Oak) which is eleven and one-half inches in diameter (thirty-six inches in circumference) or more when measured four and one-half feet (fifty-four inches) above natural grade.
(2) Any Coast Redwood tree (species Sequoia sempervirens) that is eighteen inches in diameter (fifty-seven inches in circumference) or more when measured four and one-half feet (fifty-four inches) above natural grade.
(3) Any tree, other than a Coast Redwood Tree, fifteen inches in diameter (forty-seven inches in circumference) or more when measured four and one-half feet (fifty-four inches) above natural grade of any species except those invasive species described as weeds in Section 8.08.010 and those species classified as high water users by the Water Use Classification of Landscape Species list (WUCOLS) approved by the California Department of Water Resources.
(4) Any tree designated for protection during review and approval of a current or previously completed development project. On parcels zoned other than single-family (R-1) or low density (RE, R-2, or RMD) residential, species exempted under subsection (3) of this Section may be designated as a protected tree.
(5) Any tree designated for carbon sequestration and storage and/or environmental mitigation purposes as identified in an agreement between the property owner and a responsible government agency or recorded as a deed restriction.
(6) Any heritage tree designated by the city council in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.
(7) Any replacement mitigation tree or other tree designated to be planted due to the conditions listed in Section 8.10.055.
(l) "Protected tree removal permit" means a permit issued to allow a person to remove a protected tree.
(m) "Right tree in the right place principles" means the set of principles that determine if a tree is located in an appropriate location for its specific species requirements and characteristics, in accordance with the factors listed in the Tree and Landscape Technical Manual.
(n) "Remove" or "removal" means:
(1) Complete removal, such as cutting to the ground or extraction, of a tree; or
(2) Taking any action foreseeably leading to the death of a tree or permanent damage to its health; including but not limited to excessive pruning, cutting, topping, girdling, poisoning, overwatering, underwatering, unauthorized relocation or transportation of a tree, or trenching, excavating, altering the grade, or paving within the tree protection zone of a tree.
(o) "Retrenchment" means the process in which trees may reconfigure as they age and deteriorate, often continuing to grow in trunk diameter while branches die and fail.
(p) "Tree Protection Zone" means the area defined by a circle with a radius ten times the diameter of the trunk when measured four and one-half feet (fifty-four inches) above natural grade.
(q) "Tree Report" means a report prepared by a designated arborist.
(r) "Tree and Landscape Technical Manual" means the regulations issued by the city manager to implement this chapter.
(Ord. 5612 § 2 (part), 2024: Ord. 5557 § 4 (part), 2022: Ord. 5494 § 3, 2020: Ord. 4680 § 2, 2001: Ord. 4568 § 1 (part), 1999)