Planning Commission October 5, 2011 URBAN FORESTRY TITLE 13 CODE UPDATES

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1 Planning Commission October 5, 2011 URBAN FORESTRY TITLE 13 CODE UPDATES 1

2 URBAN FORESTRY PROGRAM BACKGROUND 2008-First full time Urban Forester hired in over 8 years 2010-Urban Forest Policy (UFP) Element- Chapter 10-of the Comprehensive Plan adopted 2011-Urban Forestry Program moved to Surfacewater 2011-Implementation of the UFP 2

3 SURFACE WATER AND URBAN FORESTRY 3

4 URBAN FORESTRY PROGRAM OVERVIEW 4

5 URBAN FOREST MANUAL - IN DEVELOPMENT Urban Forest Manual Overview for the Urban Forestry Program Standards and specifications for projects Standard operating procedures for City Staff Technical guidance for tree planting and growing EDUCATION & OUTREACH - ONGOING Urban Forest Manual Urban Forest Management Plan Urban Forest Project, 2011 Anti-topping campaign Website Free workshops Informational brochures Envirotalk, utility bill inserts PROGRAM ELEMENTS Education & Outreach 5

6 INCENTIVES & ASSISTANCE - ONGOING Tree risk assessment Financial assistance for removal of high risk trees in the right-ofway Surface water credit for planting/retaining trees Other items we will explore: Rebates on utility bill Coupons for trees or supplies More free workshops Sidewalk replacement Incentives & Assistance IMPLEMENTATION - FUTURE Implementation Street trees on street improvement projects Reforestation/restoration on city-owned lands Demonstration projects in business districts/downtown Community orchards PROGRAM ELEMENTS 6

7 PROGRAM ELEMENTS Urban Forest Management Plan NBDs complete, City-wide in 2012 Emergency/storm response plan Fire management Recommendations for management of: Rights-of-way and city-owned properties Other properties Planting plans Education and outreach plan 7

8 PROGRAM ELEMENTS Inventory & Assessment 19% city-wide canopy cover Regulations Update Title 13 Proposed Title 18 Canopy goal 30% Current canopy cover- 19% Measured using satellite imagery and LIDAR, leaf on, from edge to edge of crown, multiple tree crowns = canopy Assessment-includes condition of trees and identifying needed treatments (pruning, removal, etc.) Title 13 updates and Proposed Title 18 as discussed previously 8

9 WHAT DOES 30% CITY-WIDE CANOPY COVER LOOK LIKE? To achieve the 30% canopy coverage goal for the City of Tacoma, approximately miles 2 of land will need to be covered by tree canopy in total. This is an increase of 5.44 miles 2. This needed increase in canopy cover is an area approximately 5 times the area of Point Defiance Park (1.01 miles 2 ). 9

10 HOW MANY TREES DOES IT TAKE? If we were to attempt to reach the canopy cover goal of 30% coverage by only prescribing tree quantity, it would take 1,931,955 Flowering Pear trees (or trees of an equivalent size) to add 11% to our existing 19%. 10

11 HOW MANY TREES DOES IT TAKE? To accomplish the canopy cover goal of 30% coverage by exclusively planting Red Oaks or a species of similar size it would take 120,651 trees (or trees of an equivalent size) to add 11% to our existing 19%.. 11

12 What is right-of-way? Area of land that the City has an easement for public transportation purposes. This includes public streets and alleys, as well as the border area, which includes, but is not limited to, any sidewalks and/or planting strips. The City of Tacoma requires abutting property owners to maintain adjoining rights-of-way. There are several places in the Tacoma Municipal Code where these obligations are stated: Chapters 9.17, 9.18, 8.30, 8.31, and Rights-of-way are the second largest land use at or 26% (12.8 miles 2 ) 9.15% current canopy cover (1.17 miles 2 ) If the goal is 100% (not easily accomplished), the total City-wide coverage to 45.74% (22.6 miles 2 ) CAN STREET TREES ALONE ACCOMPLISH THE 30% GOAL? 12

13 CURRENT CANOPY COVER Land Use Sq MI %of city Actual Cover (%) Canopy ROW Goal only Canopy Cover Goal (%) Canopy Goal (Sq Mi) Commercial/Mixed Use (CM) % 3.7% 3.7% 15% 0.54 Downtown (DN) % 3.1% 1.4% 10% 0.05 Developed Park (DP) % 28.7% 28.7% 35% Major Institution (MA) 3 6.1% 6.8% 6.8% 20% 0.6 Multi-Family (MF) % 19.0% 19.0% 25% 0.55 Manufacturing/Industrial (MI) % 3.7% 3.7% 10% 0.56 Parks Natural Area (PN) % 74.6% 74.6% 80% 3.36 Single Family (SF) % 23.0% 23.0% 35% ROW/Non-Parceled Areas % 9.2% 50.0% 25% % 19% 30% 30%

14 OTHER TITLE 13 MODIFICATIONS Flexibility on placement, land use based Quantity as well as quality (by canopy cover, tree units or other measure) Requiring irrigation Landscape Management Plans Triggers/ thresholds Code based credits/incentives for mature tree retention Protect intended canopy/tree function Enforcement 14

15 Crown width at maturity (in feet) Sq. ft of crown Acreage

16 1. Canopy-based landscaping code approach 2. Incorporating more flexible approaches What issues warrant a more prescriptive approach? 3. Review code triggers and exemptions In particular, residential zones/land uses 4. Code-based credits/incentives approaches CODE CHANGE DISCUSSION KEY DIRECTIONS 16