[Ord. No. 1-532 §1, 5-24-2010; Ord. No. 1-535 §1, 10-18-2010]
A.
Creation And Establishment Of A City Tree Board. There is
hereby created and established a City Tree Board for Farmington, Missouri,
which shall consist of the Chairman of the Park and Recreation Advisory
Board, a member of City Council appointed by the Mayor, a member of
the Planning and Zoning Commission appointed by the Commission, the
Parks and Recreation Director, and three (3) citizen members as appointed
by the Mayor.
B.
Duties And Responsibilities. The Board shall advise the
City in the care, replacement, maintenance and removal or disposition
of trees and shrubs in parks, along streets and in other public areas.
1.
It shall be the responsibility of the Tree Board to study, investigate,
counsel and recommend updates to the City of Farmington Comprehensive
Landscape Master Plan. The Tree Board shall consider all existing
and future utility, public works and environmental factors when recommending
improvement for each street, park and other public lands of the municipality.
2.
The Tree Board shall recommend amendments or additions to the Comprehensive
Landscape Master Plan at any time for consideration by the Planning
and Zoning Commission.
3.
The Tree Board, when requested by the City Council, shall investigate,
make findings, report and recommend upon any special matter or questions
relating to trees.
C.
Operation. The Tree Board shall choose its own officers,
make its own rules and regulations and keep journals of its proceedings
according to law. A majority of the members shall be a quorum for
the transaction of business.
[Ord. No. 1-532 §1, 5-24-2010]
Street Tree Species To Be Planted. The Tree
Board shall maintain an extensive list of recommended trees for planting
in public areas. The purpose of this listing will be to maintain diversity
in the total tree population. This list shall be available to residents
of the City upon request to aid in the selection of trees for private
and public properties. The list of recommended trees shall be updated
periodically by the Tree Board to reflect new developments or species
that will affect the population of the community forest.
[Ord. No. 1-532 §1, 5-24-2010]
As used in this Chapter, the following terms shall have these
prescribed meanings:
The diameter of a tree six (6) inches above ground.
Professional consultant retained by the City to advise staff
on the care and maintenance of landscaping throughout the City as
well as implementation of the Comprehensive Landscape Master Plan.
A written document that guides the work of the Tree Board
and Park Board. The plan was established in 2003 with extensive community
input and provides short- and long-term landscaping recommendations
throughout the City.
A tree that is typically evergreen such as pine, spruce,
fir or hemlock.
The diameter of a tree at breast height which shall be measured
at four (4) feet above ground.
A tree that typically loses its leaves or needles in the
fall (autumn).
The performance of any building activity or the making of
any material change to any structure or natural surface of land to
include activities that change or disturb the natural surface of the
land such as clearing, excavating and filling; or any change in the
use or appearance of any structure or land; or the division of land
into two (2) or more parcels for the creation or termination of rights
of access.
A tree in fair or better condition which equals or exceeds
these diameter sizes:
Large hardwoods (oaks, hickories, etc.) — twenty-four
(24) inches DBH.
Large hardwoods (pines, spruces, etc.) — twenty (20) inches
DBH.
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"Fair or better condition" is defined as a
tree having a normal life expectancy, a relatively sound and solid
trunk with no extensive decay, no more than one (1) major and several
minor dead limbs (hardwoods only) and no major insect or disease problems.
A lesser sized tree can be considered a landmark tree if it is a rare
or unusual species, of exceptional quality or of historical significance.
Landmark trees may be designated by the City of Farmington Tree Board
or the CFM.
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Trees attaining a mature height of forty-five (45) feet or
more and/or a mature spread of thirty (30) feet or more.
A line as shown on the site plan and tree preservation plan
that identifies the limit of construction, grading or excavation activity
of any kind. This line will typically delineate the tree preservation
area.
To plant, mulch, water, trim as necessary and remove if dead
or diseased.
Trees attaining a mature height of thirty (30) to forty-five
(45) feet and/or a mature spread of twenty (20) feet or more.
A channel formed in the existing surface topography of the
earth prior to man-made changes.
Trees located within City-owned public parks.
All trees within municipal boundaries but not owned by the
City.
A tree located on privately owned property (i.e., not owned
by the City of Farmington).
All street and park trees and other trees owned by the City
as a total resource.
Trees attaining a mature height of up to thirty (30) feet
and a mature spread of approximately twenty (20) feet or less.
Trees located on City-owned right-of-way along public streets.
The total area of a parcel, site, lot or ownership of land
upon which development or land disturbance is proposed irrespective
of the actual limits or size of the proposed development or land disturbance
activity.
A woody plant that grows mostly upright as a single stem
(rarely multi-stem) that may eventually attain a height of fifteen
(15) feet or more.
The area in square feet of a tree's branch spread. Existing
tree canopy is determined by measuring the ground surface area that
is covered by the branch spread of a single tree or clump or grove
of trees.
The drastic removal or cutting back of large branches in
mature trees leaving large, open wounds which subjects the tree to
disease and decay. Topping causes immediate injury to the tree and
ultimately results in early failure or death of the tree.
An accumulation of water that is large enough to maintain
ten thousand (10,000) square feet of surface area throughout the year.
Any area over five thousand (5,000) square feet of tree canopy
coverage having thirty percent (30%) or more of its trees two and
one-half (2½) inches in diameter (DBH) or greater.
[Ord. No. 1-532 §1, 5-24-2010]
A.
Standards. All work on public trees will be consistent with
American National Standard Institute A300, Standards for Tree Care
Operations.
B.
Tree Topping. It shall be unlawful as a normal practice
for any person, firm or City department to top any street tree, park
tree or other tree on public or private property. "Topping,
rounding off or pollarding" is defined as the systematic
cutting back of limbs within the tree's crown to such a degree as
to remove the normal canopy and disfigure the tree. Trees severely
damaged by storms or other causes or certain trees under utility wires
or other obstructions where other pruning practices are impractical
may be exempted from this Section at the determination of the Tree
Board.
[Ord. No. 1-532 §1, 5-24-2010]
A.
Standards. It shall be unlawful for the owner of any lot
or parcel of ground in the City to maintain or allow to stand upon
such lot or parcel of ground any tree or tree limb which, due to a
diseased, decayed or hazardous condition or for any other reason,
endangers or is likely to injure any person or property in and upon
a street or any adjacent property in the City, or is likely to cause
damage to any tree of other landowners by the spread of a contagious
disease.
B.
Lot Owner's Responsibility. It shall be the duty of the owner of any lot or parcel of ground in the City to properly cause such trees or tree limbs as are described in Subsection (A) of this Section to be cut down and no tree or tree limb in the City which has been cut down or which has fallen or been broken down shall be permitted to remain in or upon any sidewalk, street or adjacent property in the City or so near thereto as to endanger any person thereon, and it shall be the duty of the owner of such lot or parcel of ground to cause the same to be promptly removed and it shall be unlawful for any such owner to fail so to do.
C.
Nuisances. Trees or tree limbs on private land that cause
obstructions, present insect or disease problem or otherwise present
a danger to public health or safety are hereby declared to be a nuisance.
The City may order such trees to be pruned, removed or treated. This
includes, but is not limited to, trees diagnosed with Dutch elm disease
or oak wilt.
[Ord. No. 1-532 §1, 5-24-2010]
A.
It
shall be unlawful for any person who owns, manages or occupies any
premises within the City to allow trees, shrubs, plants or other vegetation
to be planted or allowed to grow in such a manner as to materially
obstruct vision in the street right-of-way or sight triangle as determined
by the Public Works Director. Plantings and landscaping less than
thirty (30) inches in height shall be exempt from these provisions
unless declared a nuisance.
B.
Owners
shall trim all vegetation that obstructs the view or passage on any
street, sidewalk or bike path. Street tree limbs shall be pruned to
fourteen (14) feet or more in height above the road elevation. Dead
limbs shall be removed to prevent becoming a hazard to the motoring
and pedestrian public. All vegetation shall be trimmed so it shall
not obstruct any street or traffic sign.
