Secondary and Cumulative Impacts Master Management Plan - 2014

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Article 5: Development Standards
Section 5.4. Tree Protection
5.4.4. Tree Canopy Retention
June 2013 Morrisville, NC
Page 5-6 Unified Development Ordinance - Public Hearing Draft
B. Required
A tree survey shall be prepared and submitted as part of any application for development subject to
this section except for development of a single-family detached, duplex, or manufactured home
dwelling on an existing lot.
C. Contents
The inventory shall include:
1. The latest available aerial photograph of the development site;
2. A plan depicting:
a. The location, area, predominant species, general health, estimated tree number, and
average DBH of stands of trees;
b. The location, species, general health, and DBH (diameter at breast height) of all individual
specimen trees on the site;
c. Known dead or diseased trees, where practical; and
d. The percentage of the development site area (excluding proposed street rights-of-way,
existing utility easements, and natural water surface areas) that is covered by existing tree
canopy.
5.4.4. Tree Canopy Retention 295
A. Minimum Percentage
1. Applicability
Except as exempted by subsection or otherwise allowed and mitigated in accordance
with Sectio existing tree canopy cover on a development site
outside the Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) or Main Street (MS) District shall be retained
and protected in accordance with Table Existing Tree Canopy Retention Standards,
based on the proposed type of development. The table represents a sliding scale in which
minimum percentage of existing tree canopy that must be retained varies inversely with the
percentage of existing tree canopy. Where the existing tree canopy cover falls between two
percentage points shown on the table, the minimum required tree canopy retention shall be
prorated between the corresponding percentage points for minimum required tree canopy
retention. (See example in the table.)
2. Exemptions
The following development is exempt from the requirements of this subsection:
a. Development exempt from the standards of this section by Section
b. Development of a single-family detached, duplex, or manufactured home dwelling on an
existing lot.
295 As recommended in the Assessment Report (p. 24), this subsection requires a percentage of a development site‘s existing tree
canopy cover to be retained, based on the type of development. The formulas reflect the approach that the sparser the existing
tree canopy, the more of what there is should be retained. Differentiating residential from nonresidential and mixed-use
development reflects the greater lot coverage typical of nonresidential and mixed-use development.