(a) Tree Replacement Plan. A tree replacement plan prepared in consultation with the City shall be required as part of the applications for a tree removal permit and/or a certificate of zoning compliance. Tree replacements shall be indicated on a plan, drawn to a scale of not less than 1" = 50', which shows proposed locations and a plant list that specifies quantity, species, installation size, and total replacement caliper inches. This plan shall be approved by the Community Development Department or designee, and shall include:
(1) The location, common name, and size of all replacement trees to be planted on the site. If all required replacement trees cannot be accommodated on site, the plan shall indicate where and how the applicant will replace the balance of the required trees as outlined by this section.
(b) Protected Trees. Protected trees shall be replaced in accordance with the following schedule and with trees described in (c) below:
(1) Protected trees having a trunk diameter breast height up to twelve (12) inches are to be replaced on a one-for-one basis;
(2) Protected trees having a trunk diameter breast height of twelve (12) inches up to eighteen inches are to be replaced on a two-for-one basis;
(3) Protected trees having a trunk diameter breast height of twelve (12) inches up to eighteen inches are to be replaced on a two-for-one basis;
(4) Protected trees having a trunk diameter breast height of twenty-four (24) inches up to thirty inches are to be replaced on a four-for-one basis; and
(5) Protected trees having a trunk diameter breast height of thirty (30) inches and over are to be replaced on a five-for-one basis.
(c) Replacement Trees. All replacement trees should be of a deciduous species which is indigenous to the region and shall be made with new trees of not less than two-and-one-half inch caliper, measured six (6) inches above the ground level. Replacements shall be made within one year of the date of the removal of any trees for which such replacement is required. All replacement trees shall otherwise conform to the Landscape Code, Section 1151. See Section 1151.13, Table 25 for Prohibited Trees.
(d) Replacement Options. The intent of replacement of removed trees overall is to maintain an equivalent tree canopy citywide before and after removal/construction.
(1) On-Site Replacement Option. A minimum of fifty percent (50%) of the required replacement trees shall be replanted in a location on the site from which the original trees were removed to maintain the remaining natural distribution of tree cover in the City.
(2) Tree Bank Fund Option. If On-Site Replacement, (d) (1) above, cannot accommodate the required replacement trees, a payment in lieu of replanting may be utilized, with fee rate to be determined by the City of Zanesville. The replacement fee for each tree shall be allocated to the Tree Bank Fund according to the schedule of fees established by Council. Tree Bank Funds shall be used only for the planting and installation of trees on public property at any location within the City, including in the right of way as determined by the City in its sole discretion. Planting and installation may include purchase, transportation, mulching, watering, and labor associated with the replacement tree(s) for up to one year from the date of planting. An Applicant who chooses this Replacement Option shall have no right of decision in the location, type, or method of installation or maintenance of trees, as the payment is a voluntary payment in lieu of planting the required caliper inches of trees on site as given in replacement Option (d) (1).
(3) Replacement Schedule for Heavily Wooded Sites. In lieu of the provisions in the Section above, the developer or owner of a heavily wooded site, as defined herein, shall, during the course of development, be required to retain or replace protected trees in accordance with the following provisions:
A. Any lot with a minimum of seventy percent (70%) canopy coverage is considered a heavily wooded site.
B. A minimum of thirty percent (30%) of the development site shall remain under canopy coverage.
C. 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.
(4) Additional Requirements. The requirement for tree canopy coverage shall be considered as being in addition to any other landscaping required.
A. Failure to replace a protected tree or a canopy tree within one year of the approval of the application is a violation of the Zoning Ordinance, subject to penalty.
(5) Tree Replacements and Landscape Code. The tree replacement requirements of this Chapter shall be in addition to the landscaping and screening requirements of the Landscape Code. All replacements shall be installed and maintained in accordance with the Landscape Code.
A. The required tree replacement plan shall be coordinated with all landscaping required by the Landscape Code to achieve a cohesive landscape treatment for the entire site.
(Ord. 19-91. Passed 9-9-19.)