The City of Decatur, Georgia, has adopted a revision to their current tree ordinance. This revision is intended to close a 'loophole' whereby a property owner or contractor could potentially remove trees from a residential site prior to obtaining a demolition or building permit, thereby avoiding having to pay recompense as part of plan submittal.
Section 86.82. (1) “The terms and provisions of the ordinance shall apply to the yard areas of all R60 and R85 zoned properties that are pending real estate sale or title transfer or have been sold or title transferred in the past 18 months. The terms and provisions of the ordinance shall apply to all areas of a R60 and R85 zoned properties that are pending demolition or have had a dwelling on the site that has been demolished in the past 18 months.”
Another key provision (and most significant) is the requirement of a Certified Arborist, Registered Landscape Architect, or Registered Forester as part of building plan submittal. The change states:
Section 86-83 (b). All tree protection and tree placement plans must be prepared and signed by a certified arborist, landscape architect, or registered forester.
The revision is effective as of May 2013.
