(A) Permit procedures. Property owners abutting the public right-of-way may be granted permission to plant street trees administratively upon review by the assigned City Planner or designee if street tree(s) are proposed on an existing tree lawn and an established road right-of-way with curb. The following information must be provided to the city:
(1) A request in writing is provided in the form of a city public works permit application;
(2) A plot plan of area referencing water and sewer lines, power lines, driveways and intersecting streets is provided;
(3) Approval, if granted by the city, shall be required in the form of an approved city public works permit prior to planting of the tree or trees. Fees for the permit shall be paid prior to approval by the abutting property owner; and
(4) A permit fee for the planting or removal of a street tree shall be established by resolution and incorporated into the land use fee schedule.
(B) The diagrams contained in Appendix A to this chapter display general instructions on how to plant a bare-root tree and a containerized tree.
(C) Tree species to be planted and minimum tree planting dimensions. The official city street tree list of acceptable species of trees, shrubs, bushes and other woody plant material, as modified below in the listings under minimum planting dimensions, shall be compiled by the Council, reviewed and adopted by the City Council in a resolution and made available to the public.
(1) No person, without the written permission of the city, through a city public works permit shall plant a street tree or park (monument) tree of a species other than those included on the list.
(2) Street tree (identified in divisions (C)(2)(a) through (C)(2)(d) below) and park (monument) tree (identified in division (C)(2)(e) below) plantings shall be restricted to the following guidelines unless division (C)(2)(k) applies:
(a) The following small street trees are allowed in a minimum three-foot wide parking strip, or a minimum three-foot by three-foot tree well in the Commercial Districts, with the exception of the Town Center Commercial District, with minimum 20-foot spacing between trees:
Common Name | Scientific Name |
Common Name | Scientific Name |
Almira Norway Maple | Acer Platanoides “Almira” |
Chinese Dogwood | Cornus Kousa |
English Hedge Maple | Acer Campestre |
Full Moon Maple | Acer juponicum |
Green Leaf Maple | Acer Palmatum |
LaValle Hawthorne | Crataegus Lavellei |
Manchurian Maple | Acermanchuricanum |
Paper Bark Maple | Acer griseum |
Red Leaf Maple | Atropurpuraum |
Snake Bark Maple | Acer laxiflorum |
Thundercloud Plum | Prunus “Thundercloud” |
These trees will grow from 18-30 feet in height. | |
(b) The following small street trees are allowed in a minimum four-foot wide parking strip, no closer than two feet from any curb, curb-line or sidewalk, with minimum 30-foot spacing between trees:
Common Name | Scientific Name |
Common Name | Scientific Name |
Northern Red Oak | Quercus rubra |
Pyramidal European Hornbeam | Carpinus Betulus “Pyramidal” |
Pyramidal Sycamore Maple | Acer Pseudo Plantanus |
Rancho Little Leaf Linden | Tilia Cordata |
Red Maple Species | Acer rubrum species |
Scarlet Oak | Quercus coccinea |
These trees will grow from 20-35 feet in height. | |
(c) The following medium street trees are allowed in a minimum six-foot wide parking strip, no closer than three feet from any curb, curb-line or sidewalk, with minimum 40-foot spacing between trees:
Common Name | Scientific Name |
Common Name | Scientific Name |
Black Tupelo | Nyssa silvatica |
Crimean Linden | Tilia Echlora |
Flame Ash | Fraxinus Pennsylvania “Atropurpurea” |
Ginkgo | Ginkgo biloba |
Mongolian Linden | Tilia |
Norway Maple Species | Acer platanoides species |
Purple Beech | Fagus riversii |
Purple European Hornbeam | Carpinus |
Royal Crimson Maple | Acer Platanoides “Royal Crimson” |
Ruby Red Horse Chestnut | Aesculus Carnea |
Shade King Red Maple | Acer Rubrum “Shade King” |
Vineleaf Sycamore Maple | Acer Pseudo Plantanus “Vineleaf” |
These trees will grow 35-40 feet in height. | |
(d) The following large trees are allowed in a minimum eight-foot wide parking strip, no closer than four feet from any curb, curb line or sidewalk, with a minimum 50-foot spacing between trees:
Common Name | Scientific Name |
Common Name | Scientific Name |
Blue Ash | Fraxinus quadrangulata |
Linden Species | Tilia species |
Norway Maple Cultivars | Acer platanoides |
Oriental Plaintree | Plantanus orientalis |
Pin Oak | Quercus palustris |
Red Maple | Acer rubrum |
River Birch | Betula nigra |
Sugar Maple | Acer saccharinum |
Tupelo | Nyssa sylvatica |
These trees will grow 60-120 feet in height. | |
(e) The following monument trees are recommended to be planted in city parks and other public places:
Common Name | Scientific Name |
Common Name | Scientific Name |
Bald Cypress | Taxodium distichum |
Balsam Fir | Abies balamae |
Big Leaf Maple | Acer macrophyllum |
Chinese Birch | Betula albo-sinensis |
Dawn Redwood | Metasequoia glyptostroboides |
English Oak | Quercus robur |
Fraser Fir | Abies fraserii |
Grand Fir | Abies grandis |
Honey Locust | Gleditsia triacanthos |
Japanese Cedar | Cryptomeria japonica |
Japanese Snowbell Tree | Styrax japonica |
Korean Fir | Abies koreana |
Lacebark Pine | Pinus bungeana |
Magnolia Species | Magnolia species |
Noble Fir | Abies procera |
Nordmann Fir | Abies nordmanii |
Northern Red Oak | Quercus rubra |
Oriental Spruce | Picea orientalis |
Pin Oak | Quercus palustris |
Sourwood | Oxydendrum arboreum |
Swamp White Oak | Quercus bicolor |
Weeping Alaska Cedar | Chamaecyparis nootkatensis |
Whitespire Birch | Betula platyphylos |
Witch Hazel Cultivar | Hammamelis xintermedia species |
Yellow Birch | Betula lutea |
Yoshino Cherry | Prunus xyedoensis |
Zelkova | Zelkova serrata |
(f) The diagram contained in Appendix B to this chapter is an example of planting the right trees in the right place.
(h) Small tree species within the list in division (C)(2)(a) above of acceptable species may be planted under overhead utilities.
(i) No trees shall be allowed within five lateral feet of underground utilities, sewer and water lines.
(j) In new subdivisions or when the development of commercial property occurs, the City Planner and Public Works Director shall review landscaping plans and may require street trees and monument trees to be planted in any of the streets, parking lots, parks and other public places abutting land henceforth developed and/or subdivided, prior to division (C)(2)(k) below.
(k) No person, without the written permission of the City Council, shall plant a street tree or a monument tree of a species other than those included on the list.
(1) The following trees are illegal and may not be planted in dedicated street rights-of-way or utility easements:
Common Name | Scientific Name |
Common Name | Scientific Name |
Box Elder | Acer Negundo |
Catalpas | Catalpa Species |
Elms | Ulmus |
Hickory | Carya Species |
Holly | Ilex Species |
Horse Chestnut | Aescules Hippocastanum |
Lilac Species | Syringa Species |
Locust Species | Robinia Species |
Pines | Pinus Species |
Poplar Species | Populus Species |
Silver Maple | Acer Saccharinum |
Spruces | Picea Species |
Tree of Heaven | Ailanthus Altissima |
Walnuts | Juglans Species |
Willow Species | Salix Species |
In general, no conifers or fruit-bearing trees may be planted in the right-of-way as street trees. | |
(D) Landscaping credit for street tree planting.
(1) The retention of trees shall be considered in the design of partitions, site plans, subdivisions or planned developments; the placement of roads and utilities shall preserve trees wherever feasible.
(2) The preservation of trees shall provide a basis for consideration of a landscaping credit, which can reduce the landscaping requirements described in § 152.055.
(3) The planting of trees in the public right-of-way shall provide a basis for consideration of a landscaping credit, which can reduce the landscaping requirements described in § 152.055.
(E) Tree Technical Manual. The City Council may adopt a Tree Technical Manual, and revise its contents from time to time. The Tree Technical Manual shall contain specialized, arboricultural reference materials; establish procedures and design standards required for installation, planting, grating, pruning, thinning, removal and maintenance of trees; and establish or preserve the tree and root protection zone. Any person who is required under this code or pursuant to a condition of approval of a development permit to undertake those activities or to comply with the tree and root protection zone shall comply with the requirements and procedures set forth in the Tree Technical Manual.
(Prior Code, § 93.05) (Ord. 1266, passed 4-16-2012; Ord. 1303, passed 9-8-2015)