The terms and phrases used in this chapter shall have the following meanings:
“Landscaping”
means an area in which plants and/or landscape features or hardscape elements have been placed or constructed, and may include mounds and berms but does not include turf.
“Right-of-way”
means the land covered by and adjacent to the roadway that the municipality maintains, is used as legal access and is reserved for the purposes of maintenance or expansion of existing services. This also includes easements on lands over which power lines and other utilities extend (e.g., utility easements).
“Roadways”
means any highway, street, alley, or lane.
“Tree topping”
means removal of the leader stem of a tree or the severe cutting back of limbs larger than three inches in diameter within the tree’s crown to stubs to such a degree so as to remove the normal canopy and disfigure the tree.
“Turf”
means a surface layer of soil containing a dense growth of grass and its matted roots, including sod or lawn.
“Urban forest or street tree”
means trees, shrubs, bushes and all other woody vegetation located in named municipal parks and rights-of-way and on municipal building grounds and/or identified in the parks division’s tree inventory.
“Woody vegetation”
means a plant that produces wood as its structural issue. It may have one or many hard, woody stems and includes trees, shrubs or bushes.
(S.G.C. 23.40.010; Ord. 15-34 § 4, 2015)
The purpose of this chapter is to guide the planting and maintenance of trees and landscaped areas in the city and borough of Sitka’s urban forest. The chapter establishes guidelines and standards for the care of and the installation of trees and landscape materials on municipal projects.
(S.G.C. 23.40.020; Ord. 15-34 § 4, 2015)
Tree and landscape planting requirements shall be based on standards set out in this chapter and shall apply to new or existing landscaping and any associated with publicly accessible municipal buildings that are constructed or renovated.
(S.G.C. 23.40.030; Ord. 15-34 § 4, 2015)
A. 
Trees and landscaping for municipal projects shall be planned in consultation with parks and recreation division staff. Installation and maintenance shall be directed by the public works director or designee and according to the Sitka urban forest management plan and associated best management practices and standards for tree planting and care outlined in this document.
B. 
The municipality shall encourage at least one staff person to be a certified arborist.
(S.G.C. 23.40.040; Ord. 15-34 § 4, 2015)
Consultation with municipal parks and recreation division staff will occur during project planning and implementation including changes. Landscaping and turf for municipal projects shall be installed according to standards established in the Sitka urban forest management plan and industry standard best management practices.
(S.G.C. 23.40.050; Ord. 15-34 § 4, 2015)
The municipality shall have the right to plant, prune, maintain and remove trees, plants and shrubs along all roadways and on municipal land as may be necessary to ensure public safety and for municipal purposes. Consultation with the parks and recreation division staff should occur prior to removal of any urban tree, insofar as practicable.
(S.G.C. 23.40.070; Ord. 15-34 § 4, 2015)
A. 
The city and borough of Sitka will continue to maintain ROW and utility easements to ensure public safety and to protect CBS infrastructure which at times does include removal of hazardous trees.
B. 
Tree topping. Tree topping on municipal property is not permitted.
(S.G.C. 23.40.080; Ord. 15-34 § 4, 2015)
Pruning shall be conducted according to this chapter.
A. 
Tree pruning on municipal property shall conform to standards established in the Sitka urban forest management plan for tree care operations and under the general supervision of the parks and recreation staff person who is a certified arborist.
B. 
No one other than qualified utility employees or contractors shall prune any plant within 10 feet of an overhead utility line.
C. 
Any person growing a tree adjacent to municipal roadways, sidewalks or within access rights-of-way is:
1. 
Responsible for removing all dead, diseased or dangerous trees, or broken or decayed limbs, which constitute a menace to the safety of the public.
D. 
The municipality shall have the right to prune any tree or shrub on private property when it interferes with visibility of any traffic control device or intersections or to ensure public safety.
(S.G.C. 23.40.090; Ord. 15-34 § 4, 2015)