(A) When a land disturbing activity requires issuance of a Development Permit, and there is no other active development application in process pursuant to this Ordinance (e.g. Major or Minor Site Plan, Major or Minor Subdivision, Single Family Development) perimeter buffer yards must be established per this Section. Planting credits may be used to satisfy buffer yard requirements per 9.5.1.4(D) using existing qualifying trees.
Location | Number of Required Trees |
Front Buffer Yard | 1 qualifying tree per 25 linear feet of street frontage |
Side Street Buffer Yard | 1 qualifying tree per 25 linear feet of street frontage |
Side Buffer Yard | 1 qualifying tree per 35 linear feet |
Rear Buffer Yard | 1 qualifying tree per 25 linear feet |
Planted Tree Type | Minimum Planting Height | Minimum Planting Caliper |
Evergreen Trees | 6 feet | 2 inches |
Tall Trees from Appendix F | 8 feet | 2 inches |
Short Trees from Appendix F | 6 feet | 1.25 inches |
(B) The number of required trees shall be measured in whole numbers. The applicant may round down when calculating the number of trees.
(C) Driveway Allowance. Each parcel shall be provided a deduction for one (1) 20 (twenty) foot wide driveway connection. In the event a driveway intersects two different yards, the property owner shall select which yard receives the credit. This deduction shall be applied by subtracting twenty (20) feet from the linear foot calculation for number of required trees as shown in Table 9.5.1.4 for the yard through which the connection is made.
125' - 20' =105'
105'/25' = 4 trees required for Front Buffer Yard
(D) Tree Planting Credits. To promote maintenance of the existing tree canopy and preservation of specimen trees, planting credits may be provided toward the requirements of Table 9.5.1.4 for qualifying trees as follows:
(1) Tree planting credits apply to the buffer yard in which the tree is located.
(2) One additional tree planting credit may be granted for every four (4) inch increase in tree girth above twelve inches (12") DBH in the buffer yard where the tree is located.
Example: The front buffer yard is one hundred twenty-five (125) feet in length and requires five (5) trees to comply with buffer yard planting requirement. The front buffer yard contains a healthy twenty-four inches (24") oak tree that will be retained per the landscape plan. Preservation of this tree grants four (4) planting credits of the five (5) required trees. Note: Maximum spacing requirements still apply within the front and side street buffer yards.
(3) Trees subject to the planting credit may be grouped and are not required to meet spacing requirements in the side and rear yards. In order to ensure adequate street yard buffer and to maintain street tree canopy, trees may be grouped in the front and side street buffer yards, however, there shall be no distance less than one tree per every fifty (50) linear feet across the frontage of the buffer yard.
(E) Planting Credit for Trees Less than eight (8) inches DBH. Where there are insufficient trees present on the property to meet the requirements of Table 9.5.1.4, planting credit may be provided for trees smaller than eight (8) inches DBH but not less than three (3) inches DBH.
(F) Minor Modifications for Alternate Spacing and Grouping. The Village Planner may authorize modifications to encourage preservation of existing trees in lieu of planting subject to the following standards:
(2) To allow preservation of trees within a building envelope within a distance no greater than the required buffer yard depth when insufficient trees are available for preservation.
(Ord. 21-06, passed - -)