The following regulations shall apply to existing plant material:
A. Consideration of existing elements in the landscape design.
In instances where healthy plant material exists on a site prior to its
, the
may permit substitution of such plant material in place of the requirements set forth previously in this section, provided such substitution is in keeping with the spirit and intent of this article and the Ordinance in general.
Existing hedges,
, walls, or other landscape elements may be used to satisfy the requirements set forth previously, provided that such
is in conformance with the requirements of this section.
B. Preservation of existing plant material.
Site plans shall show all existing trees which are located in the portions of the site that will be built upon or otherwise altered, and are five inches or greater in caliper, measured 12 inches above
.
Trees shall be labeled “To Be Removed” or “To Be Saved” on the site plan. If existing plant material is labeled “To Be Saved” on the site plan, protective measures should be implemented, such as the placement of fencing or stakes at the drip line around each tree. No vehicle or other construction equipment shall be parked or stored within the drip line of any tree or other plant material intended to be saved.
In the event that healthy plant materials which are intended to meet the requirements of the Ordinance are cut down, damaged, or destroyed during construction, said plant material shall be replaced with the same species as the damaged or removed tree, in accordance with the following schedule, unless otherwise approved by the Planning Official based on consideration of the site and
configuration, available planting space, and similar considerations:
Damaged Tree Size | Replacement Tree Size | Replacement Ratio |
Less than 6 inches caliper | 2 ½ to 3 inches caliper | Tree-for-tree |
Greater than 6 inches caliper | 2 ½ to 3 inches caliper | One replacement tree for each 6 inches caliper (or fraction thereof) of damaged tree |
**Tree caliper is to be measured at 12 inches above
for damaged and replacement trees. | ||
(Ord. passed 7-9-2013)