Street trees shall be required wherever a proposed subdivision shall average three or more lots per gross acre or where the proposed subdivision is adjacent to any existing or recorded development having street trees. Trees shall be required for proposed parking lots and commercial developments.
Before starting any construction or installation of improvements, the developer shall notify the municipality of the intention to initiate such work. The municipality shall authorize the Municipal Engineer to monitor and inspect the installation of improvements during their construction as authorized by the Beautification and Arbor Commission or its representative.
Street trees to be provided pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 181, Subdivision and Land Development, shall be in accordance with these specifications and approved plans. Specification shall abide by the standards specified in ANSI A300.
A. 
Preferred tree species.
(1) 
Trees shall be nursery grown and dug meeting the American Standard for Nursery Material ANSI Z60.
(2) 
All plant material used shall be selected from the following plant list. If the developer is confronted with an unforeseen problem pertaining to tree species, the Beautification and Arbor Commission shall be consulted for advice and recommendations.
(3) 
Trees are subject to restricted volumes of soil, which generally have poor structure and drainage; bathed with spray laden with deicing salts; subject to rapidly fluctuating temperatures and intense insensitivity to the needs of a living organism. All trees will be selected based on an evaluation of plant site to include soils, overheads/underground utilities, and corner and sign visibility. No tree is perfect for every location or situation. With these factors in mind, the following list of street trees was developed:
Small Trees, Less Than 30 feet
Genus and Species
Common Name
Acer compestre
Hedge maple
Acer grinnala
Amur maple
Acer tataricum
Tatarian maple
Amelanchier laevis (tree form)
Shadblow serviceberry
Amelanchier laevis
Allegheny serviceberry
Cornus kousa
Chinese kousa dogwood
Crategus x lavallei
Lavalle hawthorn
Crataegus monogyna (selected varieties)
Crabapple
Crataegus phaenopyrun
Washington hawthorn
Halesia carolina
Carolina silverbell
Malus cultivarus
Crabapple: Adams, snowdrift, white angel, hupenhensis, sugar time, prairie fire, red jewel, spring snow (fruitless) and Beverly
Prunus sargentii, common variety columnar
Columnar Sargent's cherry
Prunus serrulata, common variety amanogaws
Amanogawa cherry
Prunus yedoensis
Yoshino cherry
Syringa amurense japonica
Japanese tree lilac
NOTE: Additional trees can be found in "Landscape Fact Sheets" but must be submitted to the Beautification and Arbor Commission for approval.
Medium Trees, 30 Feet to 45 Feet
Genus and Species
Common Name
Carpinus betulus
European hornbeam
Carpinus betulus, common variety fastigiata
Upright European hornbeam
Cercidiphyllum japonicum
Katsura tree
Chionanthus virginicus
White fringetree
Koelreuteria paniculata
Golden rain tree
Phelodendron amurense
Amur corktree
Prunus serrulata, common variety kwanzan
Kwanzan cherry
Pyrus calleryana, common variety chanticleer
Chanticleer pear
Pyrus calleryana cultivars
Callery pear; aristocrat
Ulmus parvifolia
Chinese elm
Quecus acutissima
Sawtooth oak
Sorbus alnifolia
Korean mountain ash
Sorbus aucuparia
European mountain ash
NOTE: Additional trees can be found in "Landscape Fact Sheets" but must be submitted to the Beautification and Arbor Commission for approval.
Large Trees, Over 45 Feet
Genus and Species
Common Name
Acer rubrum (selected cultivars)
Red maple
Acer saccharum (selected cultivars)
Sugar maple
Corylus colurna
Turkish filbert
Ginkgo biloba (male selections only)
Ginkgo
Metasequoia glyptostroboides
Dawn redwood
Quercus alba
White oak
Quercus rubra
Red oak
Quercus imbriacaria
Shingle oak
Quercus phellos
Shumard oak
Sophora japonica
Japanese pagoda tree
Taxodium distichum
Common bald cypress
Tilia cordata
Littleleaf linden
Tilia euchlora (selected cultivars)
Crimean linden
Tilia tomentosa
Silver linden
Zelkova serrata (selected cultivars)
Japanese zelkova
NOTE: Additional trees can be found in "Landscape Fact Sheets" but must be submitted to the Beautification and Arbor Commission for approval.
(4) 
The use of any tree other than those listed above requires the approval of the Beautification and Arbor Commission.
(5) 
Not all trees on this list are suitable for all situations. Suitability shall be determined by the Municipal Arborist/Beautification and Arbor Commission. Additionally, as new varieties are developed and existing ones improved, this list should be amended.
B. 
Acquisition of trees. Only plant material grown in nurseries shall be procured for shade tree planting and comply with ANSI Z60. Trees should be true to form and typical of the species.
C. 
Tree speciation.
(1) 
Each tree shall be at least eight feet in height and shall have a diameter caliper of at least 1 1/2 inches, measured at a height of six inches above the finished ground level.
(2) 
Plant material shall be containerized or nursery-prepared bare root or balled and burlapped with native soil in which the material had been growing (no manufactured balls).
(3) 
The relationship between tree caliper, tree height and diameter of the root ball shall be as follows:
Caliper
(inches)
Height Range
(feet)
Minimum Ball Diameter
(inches)
1 1/2 to 1 3/4
8 to 10
22
1 3/4 to 2
10 to 12
24
2 to 2 1/2
12 to 14
28
(4) 
Trees with larger-caliper trunks shall have ball diameters in proportion to their size and in accordance with accepted nursery practices.
D. 
Soil amendments. As different trees required different soil conditions, it may be necessary to add organic mater to the existing soil prior to planting. The Beautification and Arbor Commission should consult with experts such as those from the cooperative extension service. The appropriate soil mixtures for the various trees should become part of the regulations.
A. 
Planting locations.
(1) 
The actual location of each individual tree shall be determined considering views, proximity of utility poles, overhead and guy wires, driveways and subsurface utility installations (in new subdivisions, all utility lines should be underground).
(2) 
Trees shall be planted at least 40 feet from street intersections, at least 15 feet from streetlights and at least 10 feet from utility poles.
(3) 
Spacing of trees should be determined by the Municipal Arborist or Beautification and Arbor Commission according to local conditions, the species, cultivars or varieties used and their mature height, spread and form. Generally, all large trees shall be planted 40 feet to 60 feet on center; all medium-sized trees shall be planted a minimum of 35 feet on center; and all small trees shall be planted a minimum of 25 feet on center. Trees shall be spaced without regard to property lines.
(4) 
The cross-sectional location of street trees shall be as follows (as a guide):
(a) 
There shall be no overhead utility wires; trees shall be located within the right-of-way, on center between the curb and sidewalk.
B. 
Utility wires overhead. Trees shall be located between the sidewalk and building setback line and at least five feet from the sidewalk.
C. 
Planting specifications.
(1) 
Tree pits shall be at least two times the diameter of the root ball. Unless building debris is encountered, the hole shall be excavated to a depth no greater than to permit the top of the ball to be level with the rim of the hole. All encountered debris should be removed to a minimum depth of 30 inches.
(2) 
Planting time. Balled and burlapped material may be planted in the spring and fall.
(3) 
The burlap and twine covering the upper half of the ball shall be rolled back or cut away after the plant has been set. The top loop and 1/3 of wire baskets shall be cut away.
(4) 
Trees shall be staked if needed with no less than two-inch by two-inch stakes, driven 2 1/2 feet to three feet into the ground. Two stakes shall be required for trees less than two inches in caliper and three stakes for trees greater than two inches in caliper. The trunk shall be protected by placing a short piece of three-fourths-inch diameter, two-ply, reinforced hose around the guy wire where it comes in contract with the tree (see Figure A).[1] All stakes shall be of the same height for uniform appearance and support. Stakes must be removed in one year after planting.
[1]
Editor's Note: Figure A is on file in the Borough offices.
(5) 
All trees shall be watered at the time of planting with 20 gallons of water.
(6) 
Upon completion of the transplanting operation, a wood chip or bark mulch, two inches deep, shall be placed over the planting area. Wood chip or bark mulch shall not be piled on the stem of the tree and should be two inches from the stem.
(7) 
All unused soil or other debris resulting from the planting or plant material shall be removed from the project area.
A. 
Maintenance.
(1) 
Plant maintenance shall begin immediately after each plant is satisfactorily installed and shall continue until final inspection by the Beautification and Arbor Commission, Municipal Arborist or their representative.
(2) 
Plant maintenance shall include but need not be limited to replacing mulch that has been displaced by erosion or other means, maintaining stakes and guys as originally installed (stakes shall be removed after one year after planting), watering when needed or directed and performing any other work required to keep the plants in a healthy condition. An adequate moisture supply is estimated to be the equivalent of one inch of water per week, delivered at weekly intervals in the form of rain or augmented as required by periodic watering.
(3) 
The developer shall remove and replace all dead, effective and rejected plants as occur during this period.
B. 
Guaranty in addition to other standard provisions, the developer's improvement bond shall also provide for the following:
(1) 
Maintenance necessary during a minimum of one year.
(2) 
Replacement in kind or with a substitute acceptable to the Municipal Arborist or Beautification and Arbor Commission of all plant material which is not of a healthy growing condition, which has died back or which is beyond normal pruning limits.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
All ordinances or parts of ordinances which are inconsistent herewith are hereby repealed.