TOWN OF CONCORD TREE PRESERVATION BYLAW RULES AND REGULATIONS

Transcription

1 TOWN OF CONCORD TREE PRESERVATION BYLAW RULES AND REGULATIONS January 9, 2018

2 Contents 1. Purpose Wh en do es th e Tree Preservation B y law App ly? Identifying P ro tected Trees Submission Requirements Protected Tree Impact and Removal Permit Tree Protection and Mitigation Plan Absence of Protected Trees Affidavit Tree Preservation and Mitigation Alternatives Tree Retention and Protection T r e e R e m o v a l a n d M i t i g a t i o n v i a Replanting Tree Removal and Mitigation via C o n t r i b u t i o n to the Tree Fund Combination of Options Administration and Penalties Tree Permit Final Inspection P e r f o r m a n c e G u a r a n t e e P r o v i s i o n s R e i m b u r s e m e n t o f T r e e P r e s e r v a t i o n F u n d s S u s p e n s i o n o r R e v o c a t i o n I r r e p a r a b l e Damage Non-C r i m i n a l Fines... 9 Appendix A: Tree Inventory and Mitigation Table Appendix B: Contribution Rate Schedule...11 P age 2

3 1. Purpose The Town of Concord Tree Preservation Bylaw, approved at the 2017 Town Meeting, encourages the preservation and protection of trees on residential lots during significant demolition and construction activity. It designates areas of a lot where trees must be protected, and requires property owners to compensate for any Protected Trees that are removed, either by planting new ones or by contributing to a fund that supports the Town s tree planting and maintenance efforts. This document lays out the rules and regulations that Concord s Building Inspections Division and Reviewing Agent will use to administer the bylaw, including: The criteria that determine when a project is subject to the Bylaw How to measure Protected and replanted trees How and when to submit a Protected Tree Removal Permit Required elements of a Tree Protection and Mitigation Plan What to do if a property does not have any Protected Trees How to complete the mitigation process How to make changes when needed Enforcement procedures If any requirement of these Rules and Regulations conflicts with a provision of the Concord Zoning Bylaw (ZBL), the latter shall govern. 2. Wh en do es th e Tree Preservation B y law App ly? A project is subject to the Tree Preservation Bylaw if all of the following statements are true: 1. The lot is located in a Residential Zoning District (AA, A, B, C) 2. The project involves any of the following: Demol i shi ng a s tr uct ure wit h a f oot pri nt of 250 sq. ft. or gr eat er 1 Const r ucti ng a building or s tr uct ure on a vacant l ot Const r ucti ng a s tr uct ure or an addit ion t hat i ncr eases t he G r o s s F l o o r A r e a 2 by 50% or mor e 3. There is at least one Protected Tree on the lot (see Section 3. I d e n t i f y i n g Protected Trees) P rot ect ed Trees rem oved w it hi n t he past 12 m ont hs pri or t o an appli cat i on f or any of t he proj ect s listed in #2 above are also subj ect t o t he requirem ents of t he Tree Preservation B yl aw. I f n o P r o t e c t e d T r e e s h a v e e x i s t e d o n t h e s i t e w i t h i n t h e p a s t 1 2 m o n t h s, t h e p r o p e r t y o w n e r m u s t s i g n a n A f f i d a v i t a t t e s t i n g t o s u c h, a n d n o p r o t e c t i o n o r m i t i g a t i o n w i l l b e r e q u i r e d ( s e e S e c t i o n 4. 3 : A b s e n c e o f P r o t e c t e d T r e e A f f i d a v i t ). 3. Identifying P ro tected Trees The Bylaw defines the Tree Yard to be equal to the minimum front, side, and rear yard setbacks as specified in Table III and sections 6.2.6, and of the Town of Concord Zoning Bylaw. Any t ree wit h a Di amet er at Br east Hei ght ( DBH) of 6 or gr eat er wi t hi n t he T r ee Yar d i s considered t o be a Prot ect ed T r ee, unless it is an invasive species (as defined in the Bylaw). 1 Demolition and re-construction of a structure in the same footprint that does not require the removal of a protected tree shall not trigger this bylaw (e.g. re-constructing a deck) 2 Gross Floor Area is defined by the Town of Concord Zoning Bylaw Section P age 3

4 Use the f oll owi ng f or mul a t o det er mi ne t he diamet er: T ree circumference at br east h e i g h t π = di amet er Exampl e: T ree ci rcumf er ence at br east hei ght = 32 π (i.e., ) = DBH How to measure Diameter at Breast Height (DBH): F i g u r e 1. S t a n d a r d T r e e T he standar d measure of t ree s i ze for t hose tr ees exi st ing on a s it e t hat ar e at l east s i x ( 6) i nches i n di amet er at a hei ght of f our and one -hal f ( 4.5) feet above t he existi ng gr ade at t he bas e of t he t r ee. If located on a slope, measure on the uphill side of the tree. Figure 2. Tr ee h as b ran ch es or swelling w h ich in terf eres w ith DB H measu r e men t at 4.5 ft Me asur e DBH bel ow t he branch or swelling immedi at el y below the poi nt where swelling or br anches cease to aff ect di amet er of t he st em. Reco rd t he hei ght at whi ch t he di amet er w a s measur ed. Figu re 3. Multi-Stemmed Trees If a t r ee spli ts i nt o mul ti ple t r unks bel ow four and one-hal f ( 4.5) f eet above t he existi ng gr ade, t he DBH sha l l be consi dered t o be t he measur ement t aken at t he nar r owest poi nt beneat h t he spli t. The hei ght of t he DBH measur ement and t he f or k should be not ed ( e.g., 3 f t di amet 2 f t [ 4 f t ]). P age 4

5 4. Submission Requirements If the Bylaw applies to your project, you will need to obtain a Protected Tree Impact and Removal Permit and submit a Tree Protection and Mitigation Plan to the Reviewing Agent Protected Tree Impact and Removal Permit You must submit a Protected Tree Impact and Removal Permit (Tree Permit) application and pay the associated fee to the Building Inspections Division before you apply for a Demolition Permit or Building Permit. It is strongly recommended that you submit the Tree Permit application prior to requesting other permits. You may not file a Building Permit application without a sign-off from the Reviewing Agent on the Building Inspections Division Building Permit Sign-off Sheet REVIEW OF PERMIT APPLICATIONS: The Town s designated Reviewing Agent reviews Protected Tree Impact and Removal Permit applications in accordance with the provisions of the Bylaw. The Reviewing Agent shall record the f i l i n g date of each application and complete the review no later than thirty (30) business days after you submit a complete application. If the Reviewing Agent fails to act within 30 days, work may proceed as outlined, but in no case shall that relieve you from the requirements of the Bylaw PERMIT ISSUANCE: After the Reviewing Agent issues the Tree Permit, you must provide written notice to the Reviewing Agent confirming that the Tree Save Area has been installed and is consistent with the approved plans SITE INSPECTION: The Reviewing Agent will inspect the Tree Save Area fencing and other tree preservation measures included on the Approved Tree Protection and Mitigation Plan at any frequency that he or she deems necessary to assure compliance Tree Protection and Mitigation Plan You must submit a T ree Prot ecti on and Mit i gati on Pl an t o the Reviewing Agent a l o n g wi th your Protected Tree Impact and Removal Permit application. This plan may be par t of a l andsc ape pl an, or a separ at e document that shows t he l ocati on and size of Prot ected T rees on the property. Your T ree Pr otecti on and Miti gat i on Pl an m u s t be pr epar ed by qualified professionals (a Regi st ered Land Surveyor t o g e t h e r w i t h a C e r t i f i e d A r b o r i s t o r a Regi st ered Landscape Archi t ect ), a n d i n c l u d e t h e s t a m p ( i f a p p l i c a b l e ), p r o f e s s i o n a l c e r t i f i c a t i o n n u m b e r, d a t e a n d s i g n a t u r e o f a l l p r o f e s s i o n a l s i n v o l v e d i n i t s p r e p a r a t i o n. 3 Al l pl ans must be drawn to a unif or m s cal e (pr ef er abl y 1 = 10, 1 = 20, or 1 = 30 ). Al l pl ans shal l be a mi ni mum s i ze of 11 x 17 ( pr ef err ed) and a maxi mu m si ze of 24 x 36, wi t h ¾ borders. Let ter si zes on pl ans s houl d be no smal l er t han 1/ 8. Your plan needs to include the following elements: BASELINE PROPERTY INFORMATION AND PROTECTED TREE INVENTORY Boundari es of t he pr oper t y, i ncl udi ng all pr oper t y l i nes, easement s, a nd publi c and pr i vate r i ght s -of -way The property s Zoning District designation and the location of applicable zoning setbacks per ZBL Table III (or Section of the Bylaw, when applicable) T he l ocati on of al l exi sti ng bui ldi ngs, dr i veways, r et aini ng wal l s and ot her i mpr ovement s, and the f eat ures t o be r et ained, remo ved o r demol i she d. 3 I f y o u r p l a n d e s i g n a t e s a l l P r o t e c t e d T r e e s f o r r e m o v a l, a n A r b o r i s t o r L a n d s c a p e A r c h i t e c t d o e s n o t n e e d t o b e i n v o l v e d. P age 5

6 T he l ocati on of al l planned bui ldi ngs, dr i veways, r et aini ng wal l s and ot her i mpr ove ment s Proposed changes in grade A n i n v e n t o r y o f a l l P r o t e c t e d T r e e s a n d al l Prot ect ed T rees t hat wer e r emoved wit hi n t wel ve ( 12) mont hs prior t o appl i cati on. Your plan must note tree locations graphically on the plan, and provide a key to the species of individual trees and any prior or planned removals. In addition, you must provide a table (see the example in Appendix A) that indicates: The l ocati on, DBH, and s pecies of al l existi ng Prot ected T rees within 50 feet of the limit of work, as well as any other trees (both Protected Trees and any invasive species) on the lot that are to be removed. The limit of work and the 50 foot exclusion zone shall both be shown on the plan The disposition of each Pr ot ect ed Tree (whether the tree will be r emoved or r et ai ned and protected) Any P r o t e c t e d T r e e that should be considered exempt from mitigation requirements because it interferes with existing structures, utilities, streets, sidewalks or other existing improvements, and whose interference, in the arborist s professional opinion, can only be corrected by removal. (Photos and a description from a Certified Arborist must be provided in this case.) Any Protected Tree that may be exempt from mitigation requirements because it is dead, imminently hazardous, or infested with a disease or pest of a permanent nature. (A Certified Arborist s written confirmation must be provided in this case.) ADDITIONAL MATERIALS: The Reviewing Agent may request that the applicant submit additional materials or explanation for consideration before issuing a permit REVISIONS TO THE PLAN DURING CONSTRUCTION: If it becomes necessary during the course of construction to remove Protected Trees marked for Retention and Protection on the approved plan, you may submit a revised Tree Protection & Mitigation Plan to the Reviewing Agent. The revised plan shall clearly indicate any additional removals, and associated additional mitigation measures proposed If you want to propose additional new planting in lieu of approved contributions to the Tree Fund, you may submit a revised Plan showing additional new planting and indicating the corresponding reduction in total contribution due to the Tree Fund (see section 5.3 below) Absence of Protected Trees Affidavit If you propose any demolition or construction activity covered by the Bylaw, and there are not any trees meeting the provisions of Section 3, nor have any such trees been removed on your lot within the past 12 months, the property owner must sign an affidavit attesting to this fact prior to the issue of Demolition or Building Permits. In this case, no application fee shall apply and you will not be required to submit a Protected Tree Impact and Removal Permit or a Tree Protection and Mitigation Plan. 5. Tree Preservation and Mitigation Alternatives 5.1. Tree Retention and Protection If you propose to retain and protect one or more Prot ected T r ees, you must specify the P age 6

7 m e a s u r e s ( following accepted industry practices and standards) t h a t w i l l b e t a k e n t o mai ntai n t h e P r o t e c t e d T r e e s i n good heal th f or at least t went y -f our ( 24) mont hs f rom t he date of Tree Permit Final Inspe ct i on. In this case, you must indicate the following additional items on your plan and in the table TREE SAVE AREA: Indicate the proposed T ree Save Area f or all Prot ected T rees t o be ret ai ned. The Tree Save Area shall be based upon the minimum Critical Root Zone of each Protected Tree to be retained based on the following formula: Every 1 inch of Diameter at Breast Height (DBH) = 1 foot radius of Tree Save Area) F o r e x a m p l e : F o r a P r o t e c t e d T r e e w i t h a D B H o f 1 5 i n c h e s, t h e T r e e S a v e A r e a w o u l d e x t e n d a m i n i m u m o f 1 5 f e e t o u t f r o m t h e t r u n k i n a l l d i r e c t i o n s. T h e T r e e S a v e A r e a s h o u l d e n c o m p a s s t h e e n t i r e C r i t i c a l R o o t Z o n e i f p o s s i b l e T R E E P R O T E C T I O N M E A S U R E S : P r o v i d e a d e s c r i p t i o n o f t h e t r e e p r o t e c t i o n m e a s u r e s t o b e i n s t a l l e d. A t a m i n i m u m, T r e e S a v e A r e a f e n c i n g s h a l l b e 4 w e l d e d w i r e f e n c e s e c u r e l y a t t a c h e d t o m e t a l s t a k e s a m a x i m u m o f 1 0 a p a r t. E a c h f e n c e d a r e a s h a l l i n c l u d e s i g n s r e a d i n g, T R E E S A V E A R E A K E E P O U T / A R E A D E A H O R R O D E A R B O L E S E N T R A D A P R O H I B I D A, i n b o t h E n g l i s h a n d S p a n i s h P R O H I B I T E D A C T I V I T I E S W I T H I N T H E T R E E S A V E A R E A : W i t h i n T r e e S a v e A r e a s, t h e f o l l o w i n g a c t i v i t i e s a r e p r o h i b i t e d : p a s s a g e a n d p a r k i n g o f v e h i c l e s ; m a t e r i a l s l a y d o w n o r s t o r a g e ; b u r n i n g ; w a s h o u t f r o m p a i n t, c o n c r e t e, o r o t h e r s u b s t a n c e s ; f i l l i n g, e x c a v a t i o n, g r a d i n g o r t r e n c h i n g UTILITY TRENCHING: If utility trenching is required through the Tree Save Area, you must note any special provisions for the completion of this work in the table and indicate the location of trenching on the plan. Your plan must limit access within the Tree Save Area to the minimum working area for the necessary machinery, and maintain that Tree Save Area prior to and immediately following completion of this work. All excavations within the Tree Save Area shall be backfilled within 24 hours A L T E R N A T E T R E E P R O T E C T I O N M E A S U R E S : W h e r e i t i s n o t p o s s i b l e t o i n c l u d e t h e e n t i r e C r i t i c a l R o o t Z o n e w i t h i n t h e T r e e S a v e A r e a, y o u m u s t s p e c i f y a l t e r n a t i v e p r o t e c t i o n, p r e s e r v a t i o n, a n d m a i n t e n a n c e m e a s u r e s i n t h e t a b l e f o r e a c h a f f e c t e d t r e e T r e e R e m o v a l a n d M i t i g a t i o n v i a Replanting Y o u m u s t i n c l u d e t he following pl an elements and submi t t al r equi rement s for a n y t r e e s t h a t y o u pr opose t o pl ant t o mitigate t he r emoval of a n y Pr otect ed Tree s, in addition to the requirements listed above. In this case, the Tree Table (see Appendix A) must include all new planting proposed as mitigation DESCRIPTION: Indicate the location, caliper, and species of new trees to be planted to mitigate the removal of Protected Trees. One-hal f ( 0.5) i nches of cali per of new tr ees is needed t o mi t i gat e 1 DBH i nch of Pr ot ect ed Tr ees removed MINIMUM SIZE: Each new t ree must have a mi ni mu m cal i per of 2 i nches EVERGREENS: Evergreen Trees (measured in feet of height; i.e., 8 ft. high or tall) must be a minimum of 8 feet to count towards mitigation. Hedges DO NOT COUNT towards mitigation totals. The height of evergreen trees in feet shall be multiplied by 0.25 to calculate the corresponding contribution value in caliper inches. For example, a 10-foot Spruce would count as a 2.5-inch caliper tree for mitigation purposes MULTI-STEMMED TREES: Multi-stemmed trees (measured in feet of height; i.e., 10 ft. high or tall) must be a minimum of 8 feet to count towards mitigation. The height of P age 7

8 multi-stemmed trees in feet shall be multiplied by 0.25 to calculate the corresponding contribution value in caliper inches. For example, a 12-foot multi-stemmed River Birch would count as a 3-inch caliper tree for mitigation purposes USE OF ABUTTING PROPERTY: You may plant on land abutt ing y o u r l and, wi th t he expr ess wr i tt en appr oval of t he abutt i ng pr opert y owner. Approximate locations on the adjacent property shall be shown on the Tree Protection & Mitigation Plan. You must provide a signed acknowledgement by the abutting property owner of approval for such planting at the time of application INVASIVE SPECIES: In vas i ve t r ee spe ci es i denti fi ed i n the Tree Preservation Bylaw shal l not be r epl ant ed as mitigation for t he r emoval of a Pr otected T ree OPTIONAL ADDITIONAL PLANTINGS: If additional new planting is proposed beyond that required to mitigate for Protected Trees removed, the plan shall indicate required new trees versus those included as optional additional planting TIMING: You must complete repl ant ing pr i or t o Tree Permit Final Inspe cti on or provide a Performance Guarantee for mitigation. (See Section 6.2 below.) MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS: All new trees planted to satisfy mitigation requirements m u s t b e mai ntai ned i n good heal th f or a peri od of no l ess t han t went y - f our ( 24) mont hs f rom t he date of Tree Permit Final Inspe ct i on. Periods of unusual weather (including drought) shall not relieve this obligation Tree Removal and Mitigation via C o n t r i b u t i o n to the Tree Fund If you choose to contribute to the Town of Concord Tree Preservation Fund to mitigate the removal of any Protected Trees, your Tree Table must indicate the aggregate DBH of Protected Trees removed and not otherwise mitigated, with the associated contribution based upon the most recent Contribution Rate Schedule Combination of Options You can use any co mbi nati on of T ree Ret ent ion and Protection, T ree Repl ant ing, or T ree Removal wi t h Contr i but ion t o t he T ree Fund. You must clearly identify mi t i gat i on f or t hose Protected T rees r emoved on t he submi t ted Tree Protection & Mitigation Pl an and in the table accounti ng f or each DBH inch of Pr ot ected T rees r emoved and t he mi t i gati on pr opose d. T hi s i s not r equir ed for T ree Re tenti on and Protection. 6. Administration and Penalties 6.1. Tree Permit Final Inspection You must complete all required tree plantings prior to the Reviewing Agent s final inspection and within 90 days of the issuance of a certificate of occupancy. If your Tree Protection & Mitigation Plan included any alternate tree preservation and maintenance measures required under Section 5.1.2, you must also submit a letter from the Certified Arborist verifying that they have been performed. Provided that you have completed the required mitigation, t he Reviewing Agent s sign-off on t he Tree Permit Final Inspe ct i on wi ll ser ve as veri fi cat i on t hat y o u h a v e m e t the r equi r ement s of t he Tree Preservation Byl aw P e r f o r m a n c e G u a r a n t e e P r o v i s i o n s If weat her condit ions prevent t he install at i on of r epl acement t r ees with 90 days of issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy, y o u ma y cont act the Building Inspections Division at least 30 days pr i or to t he Tree Permit Final Inspe ct ion to post a performance guarantee i n an amount equal t o m i t i g a t i o n v i a c o n t r i b u t i o n t o t h e T r e e F u n d. T he Town wi ll hol d the performance guarantee f or no l onger t han 12 mont hs. Af t er 12 mont hs, if you have not installed the specified replacement trees, the performance guarantee sha ll be r el ease d t o t he Tree Fund as P age 8

9 mi t i gat i on f or t he Protected Tr ee r emoval(s) E X T E N S I O N : T he Building Inspections Division ma y ext en d t he performance guarantee f or no mor e t han 6 mont hs f rom t he ori gi nal 12 mont h per i od at their discretion COMPLETION: Once the planting is complete, you may request a Tree Permit Final Inspection by the Reviewing Agent. Upon approval of all conditions, the performance guarantee will be returned to you within 30 days R e i m b u r s e m e n t o f T r e e P r e s e r v a t i o n F u n d s In some cases, you may decide to contribute to the Tree Fund pursuant to Section 5.3 at the start of your project, but find at the end of construction, the planting of additional trees is preferable PROCEDURE: Prior to the issuance of a Tree Permit Final Inspection for a project subject to the Tree Preservation Bylaw, you may propose a revised Tree Protection & Mitigation Plan that shows a corresponding number of additional new plantings, and request that contributions made to the Tree Fund pursuant to Section 5.3 be reimbursed LIMITATIONS: Once a Tree Permit Final Inspection has been completed for a triggering project, no further reimbursement will be allowed S u s p e n s i o n o r R e v o c a t i o n The Reviewing Agent may suspend or revoke your Tree Permit at any time if you fail to comply with either the Bylaw or the conditions of the permit. Notice may be made via certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, or hand delivered. It must provide you an opportunity to correct the non-compliance. This may include remediation or other requirements identified by the Reviewing Agent. You may apply for a renewal of the Tree Permit once the project is returned to compliance or remediation completed, where practicable. Note that if your Tree Permit is suspended or revoked, the Building Inspections Division may issue fines until you correct the noncompliance and your Tree Permit has been renewed or reinstated I r r e p a r a b l e Damage If the Reviewing Agent determines that you damaged a tree approved for Retention and Protection during construction to an extent that may significantly compromise its survival and future health, he or she may require that you provide mitigation per the terms of the Bylaw Non-C r i m i n a l Fines If the Reviewing Agent or Building Inspector identifies any issues of non-compliance, you will accrue fines per the Bylaw if you do not correct them within 30 days. Each consecutive day the non-compliance continues is considered a separate offense. P age 9

10 Appendix A: Tree Inventory and Mitigation Table A p p e n d i x A p r o v i d e s an exampl e of a P r o t e c t e d T r e e i n v e n t o r y t a b l e a n d p r o p o s e d m i t i g a t i o n that combines proposed t ree pl anti ng and contr ibut ion opt i ons to compens at e f or t he r emoval of Prot ect ed T rees. In t hi s exampl e, f i ve Pr ot ect ed T rees e x i s t o n t h e p r o p e r t y. T he appli cant chose to r e t a i n a n d p r o t e c t t h r e e o f t h e t r e e s, a n d t o r epl ant f o u r tr ees tot al ing 10.5 cal i per inches. Since t r ee r epl anti ng i s r equi r ed at a rate of 0.5 f or ever y DBH i nch r emoved, t he 10.5 of new trees accounts f or 21 DBH i nches of Prot ected T rees r emoved; ther ef ore, the appli cant woul d have 7 DBH i nc hes r emai ni ng t o compens at e f or, whi ch was done thr ough a contr ibuti on t o the T ree Fund, totaling $2, P age 10

11 Appendix B: Contribution Rate Schedule Pe r S ec tion 5.3, an d f oll ow in g a p ubli c m e e t i n g, the Select Board voted to establ ish th e f oll ow in g con trib u tion rate sched u le at a me eting h eld on November 13, 2017: Contribution per inch of DBH not otherwise mitigated Contr i but i on Rat e Schedule $375 per i nch Exampl e: Tot al DBH t o be rem oved and not otherwise mitigated = 10 : contr i buti on of $3,750 ( 10 x $375) P age 11