(a) Departmental Planting Program. The Department shall continue its program of appropriate street tree planting along major traffic routes and commercial streets throughout the City.
(b) Neighborhood Planting Program. The Department shall continue to encourage and support neighborhood planting programs. Support may include, but need not be limited to, provision of trees and materials, sidewalk cutting and removal, planting labor, technical advice, and organizational assistance. The Department is hereby authorized to donate such funds, materials, and labor to neighborhood planting programs as are deemed by the Director to be in the public interest and in the interest of the promotion of the urban forest.
(c) Public Education. The Department shall undertake an on-going program of public outreach and education in order to promote public understanding of the City’s urban forest and public adherence to the standards and procedures established under this Article 16.
(d) Authority over Site Development Plans.
(1) The Department shall have the authority to review and comment on site development plan applications received by the City’s Central Permit Bureau that pertain to the planting, alteration, or removal of street trees. The Department shall also have the authority to review and comment on site development plan applications that pertain to the alteration or removal of landmark trees designated pursuant to Section 810(a) of this Article 16 and significant trees pursuant to Section 810A of this Article. Protection of such trees during construction shall be required in accordance with Section 808(c) of this Article. Removal of such trees shall be subject to the applicable rules and procedures for removal set forth in Sections 806, 810, or 810A of this Article.
(e) Public Works Adopt-A-Tree Fund. Pursuant to Section 10.100-227 of the Administrative Code, the Department shall maintain the Public Works Adopt-A-Tree Fund to enhance the urban forestry program.
(f) In-Lieu Planting Program. The Department shall develop and implement an In-Lieu Planting Program to offset the loss of street trees, significant trees, and landmark trees due to removal, destruction, or death. The In-Lieu Planting Program also shall compensate for the loss of trees required to be planted by Section 806(d), unless the Director has modified or waived such requirements under subsection 806(d)(4). The Department shall impose an in-lieu fee in accordance with a fee schedule adopted by the Director where a street tree is destroyed, removed, or is excused from planting where otherwise required by Section 806(d). The Department also shall assess an in-lieu fee or such other penalty as set forth in Section 811 as mitigation for violation of the requirements of this Article 16. The Department shall follow the requirements set forth herein for payment of an in-lieu fee unless it makes written findings detailing the basis for waiving said requirements. As set forth in Section 811, in lieu fees shall be deposited in the Public Works Adopt-A-Tree Fund.
(g) Tree Adoption Program. The Department shall develop and implement a tree adoption program to allow persons to donate money for the purpose of tree planting and maintenance. Money donated to the City and County for the purpose of tree planting and maintenance shall be deposited into the Public Works Adopt-A-Tree Fund.
(Added by Ord. 165-95, App. 5/19/95; amended by Ord. 17-06, File No. 051458, App. 1/20/2006; Ord. 84-10, File No. 091453, App. 4/22/2010; Ord. 310-10, File No. 101194, App. 12/16/2010; Ord. 245-17, File No. 170985, App. 12/22/2017, Eff. 1/21/2018)