Whenever a property owner wishes to remove a tree from a lot which is not exempt and the removal is not part of the development plan, he must first obtain approval from the Building Department. Stringent remediation and penalties are required if trees are removed without having prior approval. Even in the case of dead, diseased or damaged trees which do not pose an immediate danger, an approval letter must be obtained. In general, there must be a legitimate reason for removing a tree.
Exemptions
Certain situations are exempt from tree replacement. They are:
- Trees removed during an emergency
- Trees located in the area of proposed buildings
- Trees on existing developed single family lots
- Trees < 12" on lots < 20,000 s.f, except those which were planted as part of a development landscape plan
- Dead or diseased trees as verified by the Building Department.