Goleta Municipal Code Art. II Street Trees

The purpose of this article is to regulate and control all street trees along City roads in order to protect and preserve the existence thereof and thereby protect the public welfare.

(Ord. 02-01 § 1)

For the purpose of this article, the following terms, phrases, words and their derivation shall have the meaning given herein. When not inconsistent with the context, words used in the present tense include the future; words in the plural number include the singular number, and words in the singular number include the plural number.

A.

Maintenance or Maintain.

Pruning, planting, spraying, watering and staking, and similar acts necessary to promote health, growth and beauty to trees.

B.

Road Right-of-Way.

That area of land on which the road is built and that land on each side of the road for the specified distance covered by City road easements or by City owned land acquired for road purposes and within the City maintained road system.

C.

Street Tree.

Any perennial plant with a woody trunk, branches and leaves growing in any road right-of-way as defined herein.

(Ord. 02-01 § 1)

In addition to the regulations contained in this article, the City may from time to time adopt additional regulations establishing fees for permits hereunder, regulating planting and care of street trees, and otherwise providing for protection and perpetuation of street trees, which shall have the full force and effect of law.

(Ord. 02-01 § 1)

No person shall place, or cause to be placed, any stone, cement or other substance about any tree planted along any road, or on other City-owned property, which shall impede the free entrance of water or air to the roots of such tree, without leaving an open space of ground around the trunk of such tree of not less than 16 square feet.

(Ord. 02-01 § 1)

Replacement trees shall be planted by City, itself or by contractor, during the proper season of each year. No trees shall be planted by any other persons except with the prior written approval of the City. Replacement trees shall be of the same variety and size where applicable. If a variety change is requested, such request must be in written form and submitted to the City.

(Ord. 02-01 § 1)

Trees located within the road right-of-way or in any publicly owned property shall not be removed, cut down, mutilated or otherwise injured, except upon the approval of the City.

(Ord. 02-01 § 1)

No person shall place or cause to be placed any chemical, material, or object or substance deleterious to trees in a location where it will kill, injure or otherwise harm any tree within a road right-of-way or in any publicly owned property, nor to impede the free access of water and air to such trees, including necessary parts of the root system without the approval of the City.

(Ord. 02-01 § 1)

Special written permits may be issued by the City to remove or cut down trees within the road right-of-way or on public property, in appropriate cases, including, but not limited to, dead, dying or diseased trees and trees that are, or are likely to become, hazards to vehicular or pedestrian travel on public roads. Such permits may contain reasonable conditions, including but not limited to, provisions for replacement of such removed or cut down trees, with other trees, initial maintenance of such replacement trees, protection of the traveling public and the road improvements, reasonable time limits, and a fee to be paid to the City to defray the cost of any necessary inspections.

(Ord. 02-01 § 1)