A. Purpose: Street trees help maintain and enhance the appearance of the City, contribute to pedestrian safety and comfort and offer environmental benefits by allowing the infiltration of stormwater, reducing urban heating and improving air quality.
B. Applicability: The street tree planting requirements of this section apply to all the following, except as otherwise expressly stated:
1. Construction of any principal building or non-accessory parking;
2. Any addition to or enlargement of an existing principal building when the addition or enlargement exceeds twenty percent (20%) of the building's existing floor area; and
3. Any increase in impervious coverage on the subject lot that exceeds twenty percent (20%) of the lot's existing impervious coverage.
C. Requirements:
1. Number: At least one large tree is required per lot or per fifty feet (50') of street frontage, whichever results in more trees. If large trees are not appropriate due to the presence of overhead lines or other obstructions, small trees may be substituted.
2. Location:
a. Required street trees must be installed in front of the subject property between the curb or outer edge of street where there is no curb and the sidewalk. When no sidewalk exists, required trees must be installed on the subject property within twenty feet (20') of the street right-of-way.
b. The Community Development Director is expressly authorized to approve the installation of street trees in alternative locations when circumstances prevent tree planting within the areas described in subsection C2a of this section or when compliance with subsection C2a of this section would result in a poor growing environment for the tree or damage to public or private improvements.
c. Required street trees must be located within pervious landscape areas or within tree wells.
3. Spacing: Street trees are not required to be evenly spaced, but the distance between street trees may not exceed seventy five feet (75').