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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1696STANDARDS FOR LANDSCAPING AND SCREENING 1TWITIMMYRIM PT-Tarow, M) Tree Preservation and Planting Standards for Landscaping and Screening. 1) Purpose. The City of Columbia Heights recognizes the great value trees, landscaping, and screening provide to all residents of the City. A healthy, resilient, and robust urban forest enhances the aesthetic, environmental, and economic well-being of the City. Tree preservation and planting standards, landscaping and screening requirements are established to buffer non -compatible land uses, screen unsightly views, reduce noise and glare, minimize storm water runoff, and generally enhance the quality and appearance of development within the community. a. Preserve and increase the tree canopy cover of Columbia Heights by protecting mature trees throughout the City. b. Protect and enhance property values by conserving trees. c. Improve quality of life for all stakeholders, including residents, visitors, and wildlife. d. Preserve and increase the environmental services provided by the urban forest including sequestration of CO2, erosion and stormwater mitigation, reduction of air pollutants, reduction of the urban heat island effect, and reduction of noise pollution. e. Protect and maintain healthy trees in the development and building permit process. Protect and maintain healthy trees by ensuring best tree protection practices during construction and development. 2) Preservation, protection, and replacement of Protected Trees: a. This ordinance applies to all demolition, building permit applications, and land alteration permits, public or private, that require a survey. b. Definitions: i. Protected Tree: Any tree variety on the List of Protected Tree Varieties as maintained and published by City staff with a diameter of 6" or greater as measured at 4.5' above ground (DBH, Diameter at Breast Height). The List of Protected Tree Varieties may be amended from time to time. ii. Removable Tree: Any tree not defined as a Protected Tree. City -Owned Tree: Any tree originating within the City right-of-way or originating from a City park or City -owned property. c. Demolition and building permit applications must include a construction tree inventory plan indicating the location, species, and diameter of the trunk at 4.5' above the ground DBH) for all Protected Trees on the property and City -Owned Trees on or adjacent to the construction site. The plan must also indicate any Protected Trees that are proposed to be removed, as well as their replacement tree(s) location, species, and size. Applications must also include 8tree protection plan describing in detail how Protected Trees and City -Owned Trees will be preserved and protected during construction. The tree protection plan shall follow the standards as presented in the most recent version Vfthe following publications: i ANSI A3OOPart 5-Management ofTrees and Shrubs During Site Planning, Site Development, and Construction ii. |SABest Management Practices- Managing Trees During Construction d. The construction tree inventory plan and tree protection plan must be reviewed and approved by the City Forester. Approved tree protection measures shall be fully installed and inspected by City staff prior to commencement of any construction activities or vehicular traffic on site. e. During the demolition and building process, the permit holder shall not leave any Protected Tree or adjacent City -owned tree without sufficient guards and protections to prevent injury totheprotectedtreeduringc0nstruction.TreeprotectiunshaUfoUovvthe standards as presented in the publications listed above /3.bl City Forestry Staff monitoring i3required for all projects vvithaffeotedProtectedTreesand/ornep|acennent trees. Replacement trees will be monitored for three (3) years to ensure proper establishment. f. Protected Tree varieties that are less than 6" in caliper must be moved to another location on the property if possible. Exceptions must be granted in writing bythe City Forester. 8. If a Protected Tree is removed, except as allowed for in paragraph 5 below, it is subject toasize-based replacement policy. i. Protected trees with D8H 6"- 15" are subject to a 2:1, "two for one" replacement requirement. ii. Protected trees with DBH 15''- 20" are subject to a 3:1, "three for one" replacement requirement. iii. Protected trees with DBH 20"- 25" are subject toa 4:1, "four for one" replacement requirement. v. Protected trees with DBH >25" are subject toa 5:1, "five for one" replacement requirement. V. Replacement trees must be varied by species and are subject to approval by the City Forester. vi. Replacement trees are subject tothe size and diversity requirements as outlined below. vii. Apayment of$4OUfor each tree may bemade tothe City inlieu ofplanting replacement trees where sufficient space does not exist Onthe property. Payments will support the planting of replacement trees by City staff on City property. viii. Replacement trees shall be planted according to the standards set forth in the K4W Department of Natural Resources publication "A Pocket Guide to Planting Trees". All replacement trees are subject to inspection by City staff for a period of 2 years beginning the day of planting. Any trees determined to be unhealthy orpoorly established during this period shall besubject toreplacement. 3) Removal ofProtected and Removable Trees: a. Protected Trees may heremoved inthe following areas: i Within the footprint 0fthe building pad ofanew orremodeled building, or within m 10' radius of the footprint. ii Within driveways and parking areas meeting all other City ordinance requirements. b. Protected Trees removed in accordance with sections (i.) and (ii.) above are required to be replaced at rate of 1:1, "one for one." Replacement trees are subject to all requirements listed in paragraph (].)above. c. Removable Trees may be removed for any development or building permit without replacement. d. If Protected Trees are dead, diseased, or hazardous their removal must be approved in writing by the City Forester before removal. Dead, diseased, or hazardous trees are not subject to replacement requirements. Exemptions from Tree Preservation Ordinance: Tree removal on property with an existing building urstructure that is not being modified isexempt from this ordinance. Standards for Newly Planted Trees and Replacement Trees a. Landscaping and screening. i. Landscape plan required. Alandscape plan isrequired for all new commercial, industrial, institutional, and multi -family development. For development having an anticipated construction value in excess of $750,000, the landscape plan must be prepared by a landscape architect registered in the State ofMinnesota. Said landscape plan shall include the location, size, quantity, and species ofall existing and proposed plant materials. ii. Design considerations. The following design concepts and requirements should be considered when developing a landscape plan for submittal to the city: I. Tothe maximum extent possible, the landscape plan shall incorporate existing vegetative features onthe site. Z. The overall composition and location 0flandscaped areas should complement the scale ofthe development and its surroundings. 3. The use ofnative species ispreferred inall landscaping choices, and a rnininnurn of8O96 of all plants used shall be native to MN. 4. The City nfColumbia Heights iscommitted toenhancing the diversity and resiliency ofits urban forest. Avariety oftrees and shrubs shall beused toprovide visual interest year-round and meet diversity requirements. 0omore than 2SY6ofthe required number Vftrees or shrubs may becomprised ofany one species Qrgenus. Noless than 5O96Qfthe required number oftrees shall beover-story deciduous trees and noless than 1OY6shall be coniferous. New trees and replacement trees shall beplanted according tothe standards set forth inthe MNDepartment nfNatural Resources publication "A Pocket Guide to Planting Trees". All replacement trees are subject to inspection byCity staff for aperiod of3years beginning the day of planting, Any trees determined tobeunhealthy orpoorly established during this period shall besubject toreplacement. 5. Final slopes greater than 3:1vviU not be permitted without special treatment such asterracing, retaining walls orspecial ground covers, WFIRM-M EM, 6. All plant materials shall meet the minimum size standards listed in Table 1; all planting locations shall meet the soil volume requirements for the plant material listed in Table 2. Soil volume requirements must be met by contiguous, uncompacted soil suitable for the plant type. Soil depth beyond 3 feet shall not be counted towards soil volume requirements. Landscaped areas should be of adequate size to allow proper plant growth, protect plantings from both pedestrian and vehicular traffic, and provide adequate area for plant maintenance. Definitions and rules for calculating soil volume provided in Appendix B. All exceptions to soil volume requirements must be approved by the City Forester in writing. 11 =- Plant Type Minimum Size at Planting Trees Evergreen -over -story 6 feet in height Ever2reen —ornamental 6 feet in height Deciduous —over -story 2.5 inches diameter, measured 2 feet from base Deciduous —ornamental 2 inches diameter, measured 2 feet from base Shrubs Evergreen 2 feet in height Deciduous 2 feet in height Screening shrubs —either 3 feet in height 11MOTNUM =- Expected Tree Size at Maturity Minimum Soil Volume Requirement (ft3) Small trees: 10-25 ft crown spread, 8-12" 300 mature DBH Medium trees: 25-35 ft crown spread, 12-18" 700 mature DBH Large trees: 35+ ft crown spread, 18"+ mature 1100 DBH I Common Name I Botanical Name I rainmr, = I Birch Betula spp. Buckeye, Ohio Aesculus glabra Catalpa, Northern Catalpa speciosa Cedar, Eastern Red Juniperus virginiana Cedar, Northern White Thuja occidentalis Elm (except Siberian/Asian elms) Ulmus spp. (Except U. pumila) Fir, White Abies concolor Hackberry Celtis occidentalis Hemlock, Eastern Tsuga canadensis Hickory Carya spp. Honey locust Gleditsia triocanthos Ironwood Ostrya virginiona Kentucky coffee Gymnocladus dioica Linden Tilia spp. Maple, Black Acer nigrum Maple, Red Acer rubrum Maple, Sugar Acer saccharum Mountain ash Sorbus spp. Oak Quercus spp. Pine, Red Pinus resinosa Pine, White Pinus strobus Spruce, Norway Picea abies Spruce, White Picea glauca Walnut, Black Juglans nigra IriT*T*M- It W] IM- ff 1110 BY E4 M.1 s' 111116: 1 1 111 1!11111 ,"1 1 Available open soil. The uncovered length by width of a planting bed, multiplied by depth of qualify as available. Covered soil. Soil volume provided below hardscape or paved surfaces in the form of suspended soil cells or structural soil. Only 25% of the volume of structural soils may be counted towards soil volume reauirements. All covered soil used in cell-tv Qe s stems or susDended pavement sMstems shall be loam. Shared soil. Soil media shared by more than one tree in a planting bed sharing open soil, or an individual tree in a planting bed that is connected to other open soils via Soil Cells or Structural Soil. Areas of shared soil must have a continuous root path that does not restrict to less than 4 feet wide or 2 feet deep, Trees in shared soil spaces received a 30% credit towards total soil volume re Connected soil. Two or more areas of open soil that are connected below hardscape with either soil cells or structural soil. These connected beds can now qualify as shared soil. 1) The total soil volume provided for a tree shall be calculated in cubic feet by adding the availablt open soil volume to the available covered soil volume within a 50-foot radius of the tree. 2) When total soil volume consists of more than one planter bed or open soil area, those areas mus) be connected by continuous root paths at least 4 feet wide and 2 feet deep. 3) Soil volumes for covered soil shall be calculated by using only the space available to roots and may not include the components providing structure. 90% of the volume of cell -type hardscape suspension systems may be counted towards total soil volume; 25% of the volume of structural soils may be counted towards total soil volume. A maximum depth of 36" may be used when calculating total soil volume; depths beyond 36" may not be counted towards soil volume requirements. Trees in shared soil spaces receive a 30% credit towards total soil volume 6) Landscaping requirements. Landscaping shall be provided in accordance with the following requirements: a. All required setbacks shall be landscaped with turf grass, native grasses, trees, shrubs, vines, perennial flowering plants, or other pervious ground cover. b. A minimum of one tree shall be planted for every 50 feet of street frontage or fraction thereof. The trees shall be planted within the front yard and may be arranged inacluster orplaced atregular intervals tobest complement existing landscape design patterns inthe area. c. A minimum of four trees shall be planted for every one acre of lot area covered by buildings, parking areas, loading areas, exterior storage areas and other impervious surfaces. d. Parking areas shall have a minimum of 100 square feet of landscape area and one over- story tree for each 2Ospaces or, fraction thereof. The remainder ofthe landscape area shall becovered with turf grass, native grasses, trees, shrubs, vines, perennial flowering plants, orother pervious ground cover. 7) Screening requirements. Screening shall be provided in accordance with the following requirements: a. All off-street parking areas containing six ormore parking spaces and located adjacent to a residential or residentially zoned property, the parking area shall be ROME =_ screened along the boundary with the residential use. Where any commercial or industrial use is located adjacent to or across a public alley from a residential or a residentially zoned property, the commercial or industrial use shall be screened along the boundary with the residential use. b. Exterior storage of materials or equipment, except for allowed retail sales and temporary placement of equipment, shall be screened from all adjacent non- industrial uses and from the public right-of-way. c. Required screening shall consist of a fence, wall, earthen berming and/or vegetatior no less than six feet in height and no less than 80% opaque on a year round basis. Said screening shall be located as close to the property line as practicable and no closer than 15 feet from the edge of a public right-of-way. 8) Installation and maintenance. The following regulations shall govern the installation and maintenance of landscaping and screening materials. a. All landscaping materials and screening materials shall be installed in conjunction with site development and prior to issuance of a final certificate of occupancy. b. A letter of credit or other security as acceptable to the city shall be deposited with the Zoning Administrator, in an amount equal to 100% of the estimated cost of landscaping and/or screening. The letter of credit or other security as acceptable to the city, or portions thereof, shall be forfeited to maintain and/or replace materials for a period of time to include at least two growing seasons. A portion of the letter of credit or other security as acceptable to the city may be released after one growing season as determined by the Zoning Administrator. The property owner shall be responsible for continued maintenance of landscaping and screening materials to remain in compliance with the requirements of this section. Plant materials that show signs of disease or damage shall be promptly removed and replaced within the next planting season. c. The property owner shall be responsible for continued maintenance of landscaping and screening materials to remain in compliance with the requirements of this section. Plant materials that show signs of disease or damage shall be promptly removed and replaced within the next planting season. 9) Screening of parking areas from adjacent properties. All parking and loading areas including drive -through facilities, pump island service areas and stacking spaces) abutting a public street or sidewalk shall provide: a. A landscaped frontage strip at least five feet wide along the public street or sidewalk. If a parking area contains over 100 spaces, the minimum required landscaped frontage strip shall be increased to eight feet in width. b. Screening consisting of either a masonry wall, fence, berm or hedge or combination that forms a screen a minimum of three feet in height, a maximum of four and one half feet in height, and not less than 50% opaque on a year-round basis. For reasons of personal safety and security, parking lot screening should allow clear visibility of pedestrians above the three-foot high viewing range. c. Trees shall be planted at regular intervals of no greater than 50 feet within the frontage strip. City of Columbia Heights - Ordinance This Ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and after 30 days after its passage. First Reading: May 13, 2024 Offered by: Jacobs Seconded by: Buesgens Roll Call: All Ayes, Spriggs Absent Second Reading: June 10, 2024 Offered by: Jacobs Seconded by: Spriggs Roll Call: All Ayes Date of Passage: June 10, 2024 Attest: E Sara Ion, City Clerk/Council Secretary Page 8 SUMMARY OF ORDINANCE NO. 1696 BEING AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 9.106 OF THE CITY CODE OF 2005 TO AMEND GENERAL DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS AND INCLUDE TREE PRESERVATION AND PLANTING STANDARDS FOR LANDSCAPING AND SCREENING The City Council for the City of Columbia Heights, Minnesota adopted Ordinance No. 1696 on May 28, 2024. The purpose of this ordinance is to establish, upon passage, tree preservation and planting standards for landscaping and screening. The ordinance amends Chapter 9 of Columbia Heights City Code creating tree preservation and planning standards while establishing industry standards and agency best practices to preserve trees during the construction process, ensure that trees are healthy and grow to maturity, and include the Urban Forester on development review to protect trees during construction. The ordinance establishes definitions for protected, removable, and city -owned trees and adopts the most recent standards of the ANSI A300 Part 5, ISA Best Management Practices, and MN DNR "Pocket Guide to Planting Trees". These include protect tree varieties, soil volumes, definitions and calculations for soil volumes. Tree replacement is determined through a size -based replacement policy which is then reviewed by the Urban Forester to make an individualized determination after applying the policy and assessing the site. The ordinance includes revisions to the letter of credit or other financial security language to reflect the estimated cost of the landscaping plan. This is a summary of Ordinance No. 1696. A copy of the entire text of the Ordinance is available for public inspection during regular office hours at City Hall, by standard or electronic mail, or at www.columbiaheightsmn.gov Attest Sara Ion, City Clerk/Council Secretary kWR_A0-jji Ordinance No.1696