(a) During the course of development of a single lot or a subdivision, excepting for heavily wooded sites, the developer or owner shall be required to replace major trees removed pursuant to Section 1173.03 in accordance with the following schedule with trees having a trunk diameter of at least three inches, measured six inches above the ground level:
(1) Major trees having a trunk diameter up to twelve inches are to be replaced on a one-for-one basis;
(2) Major trees having a trunk diameter of twelve inches up to eighteen inches are to be replaced on a two-for-one basis;
(3) Major trees having a trunk diameter of eighteen inches up to twenty-four inches are to be replaced on a three-for-one basis;
(4) Major trees having a trunk diameter of twenty-four inches up to thirty inches are to be replaced on a four-for-one basis; and
(5) Major trees having a trunk diameter of thirty inches and over are to be replaced on a five-for-one basis; and
(b) Replacement Schedule for Heavily Wooded Sites. In lieu of the provisions in Section 1173.04(a) above, the developer or owner of a heavily wooded site shall, during the course of development, be required to retain or replace major trees pursuant to Section 1173.03 in accordance with the following provisions:
(1) A minimum of forty percent (40%) of the development site shall remain under canopy coverage.
(2) At the conclusion of development and installation of landscaping, a sufficient number of large canopy trees shall have been planted or retained so as to return the development site to the percentage of canopy coverage existing prior to development. The canopy coverage shall be achieved over a thirty year period.
A. For calculation purposes, a canopy tree will achieve a canopy spread at maturity of forty feet (40') or more in diameter--a radius of twenty feet (20') or more. The canopy coverage for one mature tree will be
π
r2 or 3.1416(20)2 = 1,257 square feet. Total canopy coverage on one acre is equal to 43,560/1257 = 35 large canopy trees per acre.
B. The requirement for tree canopy coverage shall be considered as being in addition to any other landscaping required by Section 1173.07.
(3) Replacement canopy trees shall have a trunk diameter at planting of at least three inches, measured six inches above the ground level.
(4) In the event that the developer or owner of a heavily wooded site is unable to plant the number of trees required to achieve the canopy outlined above, said developer or owner shall replace such trees in compliance with (c) below.
(c) Where it is impractical or not feasible to replace all of the trees on the affected lot or within the affected subdivision, staff may approve one, or any combination of, the following alternatives as a means of meeting the tree replacement requirements:
(1) Replace as many trees as is practical on the affected lot;
(2) Replace as many trees as is practical within this affected subdivision phase;
(3) Replace as many trees as is practical within the affected subdivision;
(4) For those trees that cannot be replaced through steps one through three above, the developer or owner shall be required to replace the trees elsewhere in the City; or
(5) Pay a fee per tree in accordance with the fee schedule adopted and approved by the City Council to support the City's effort to replace the trees.
(6) Use larger caliper replacement trees to achieve a planting of equal or greater value with fewer numbers. This option would require approval of the Planning Commission or Board of Zoning Appeals.
(d) Failure to replace a major tree as required by subsection (a) or a canopy tree as required by subsection (b) hereof within one year of the approval of the application referred to in Section 1173.03 is a violation of the Zoning Ordinance, subject to the penalties described in Section 1107.99 or bond forfeiture provisions of Section 1173.05 below.
(Ord. 02-55(A). Passed 3-4-03; Ord. 09-16. Passed 4-21-09.)