Ord 2009-073 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Section 5.5.2.1 General Tree Preservation Requirements for- New ,.TOnFesidentie • (a) Application. The provisions of this Section apply to all new fienfesidenti ' and residen+ development within the City and not within the ETJ. The responsible official shall be the Planning Director. (b) Preservation of Existing Landscape. The existing natural landscape character, especially native oaks, elms, madrone, and pecan trees, shall be preserved to the maximum extent reasonable and feasible. For example, in an area of the street yard containing a stand of trees, the developer, and the builder shall use best good faith efforts to preserve such trees. Celtis Occidentalis (Hackberry), Juniperus Virginiana, Juniper-us Ashei (Common Cedar), Chinaberry, mesquite and Ligustrum with a caliper of less than 12 inches are excluded from this provision. Indiscriminate clearing or stripping of natural vegetation on a lot is prohibited. Any part of a site not used for buildings, parking, driveways, walkways, utilities, on site septic facilities(OSSF) and approved storage areas shall be retained in a natural state, or reclaimed to its natural state, to the greatest extent feasible, or attractively landscaped in a manner that adds aesthetic value to the development. (c) Protected and Specimen Trees. (l) For the purposes of this Article, the caliper of a single-trunk tree shall be • measured in accordance with the definition of "caliper" in Chapter 8 of this Code. The caliper of a multi-trunk tree shall be measured by the following equation: The caliper of the largest tree trunk, plus 1/2 the caliper of all other tree trunks. For example, a tree that has three trunks with calipers of 7", 6", and 4" would have a caliper of 12", or 7" + ( 1/2 x 6") + ( 1/2 x 4"). (2) The removal of any tree with a caliper of nine inches or larger must be specifically requested by the applicant and approved in writing by the designated responsible official prior to any action being taken to remove the tree or to damage or disturb the tree in any way. (3) The removal of specimen trees, which for the purposes of these requirements are trees with 24-inch caliper or greater, must be specifically requested by the applicant and approved in writing by the designated responsible official prior to any action being taken to remove the tree or to damage or disturb the tree in any way. If the request is not approved by the designated responsible official, the applicant may appeal the decision to the Planning and Zoning Commission. Any specimen tree that is removed shall be replaced caliper-for-caliper (a ratio of one-to-one), even if the tree removed is within the building footprint area. (4) The location of all trees over nine inches in caliper to be preserved or •