The City of Olivet Planning Community Design Commission on Aug. 7 reviewed a proposed ordinance to require tree inventories, set on‑site protection standards during residential construction and establish tree replacement and minimum‑planting requirements.
Carlos Trejo, Olivet director of planning and community development, said the draft narrows the scope to three priorities: establishing a uniform arborist inventory, adopting enforceable protection standards inspectors can use, and defining replacement criteria. "We need the arborist report. We need to make sure that the reports come in uniform," Trejo said.
The commission discussed technical details of the draft ordinance and asked staff to revise several items before returning it for commission action. Key draft provisions discussed included: an arborist report and tree inventory plan for any demolition of single‑family homes, significant additions and accessory structures over 1,200 square feet; inclusion of all trees with a 4‑inch caliper or larger in the inventory; a minimum replacement size of 2‑inch caliper trees; and a credit system that reduces required plantings when significant trees (defined in the draft as DBH of 8 inches and above) are preserved.
Members pressed staff on enforcement mechanics and gaps. Commissioners sought clarity on how the law would treat trees that sit partly on adjacent property, how inspectors would verify trees on neighboring lots when owners do not grant access, and who pays for planting and warranty obligations when a developer sells a lot before plantings are complete. Trejo noted the city can withhold escrow and final permit closure until required plantings are complete.
Commissioners and staff debated operational details: a recommended one‑year warranty for newly planted trees, whether routine arborist inspections should be defined in the ordinance or left to professional judgement, and a possible cap on how long an active building permit can remain open before requiring permit reapplication. One commissioner proposed an automatic reapplication or inspection requirement after 18 months to address multi‑year, slow permits.
Public commenter Stephanie Todd of Heather Hill urged language to promote species diversity and recommended referential guidance from botanical authorities. "My first really big 1 that I think is missing, something about diversity," she said, asking for a limit on how many replacement trees can be the same species to reduce risk from pests and disease.
On enforcement and fees, commissioners discussed offering an in‑lieu payment option when a lot cannot physically accommodate required trees and directing those funds to park tree programs. Staff cautioned that any fee would need a legal nexus and policy for use; commissioners suggested the Parks Foundation could be a vehicle for park tree work but agreed formal rules and accounting would be needed.
Jack Carswell, planning and zoning administrator, walked commissioners through lot‑size tables that tie the minimum required trees to parcel area instead of the previous point system; the table credits preservation of large, healthy trees toward the minimum. Commissioners generally favored the lot‑size approach as simpler to apply but asked staff to test the table against local parcel data and return numbers at the next meeting.
The commission did not take a formal vote. Staff were directed to revise wording (including renaming the "replacement" section to make clear it also sets minimum tree additions), to provide parcel counts by lot‑size category for the next meeting, and to bring a redrafted ordinance back for further review and a potential recommendation to city council. Trejo said staff will seek to codify the inventory and protection sections first and consider bringing those to council ahead of a more expansive ordinance.
The commission scheduled further review at its next meetings and flagged the need for future council discussion and possible budget decisions to hire arborist expertise if Olivet moves toward a broader, citywide tree ordinance.