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County proposes simpler tree mitigation and lower fees to encourage compliance and protect canopy
Summary
Staff proposed a comprehensive rewrite of tree mitigation and landscape rules to reduce current inch-for-inch mitigation, introduce a four-tier tree rating, and set payment-in-lieu rates to encourage participation in the permit process and preserve large, high-quality trees.
Pinellas County development services on Thursday proposed a comprehensive revision to the land development code sections that govern tree removal, mitigation and residential lot tree requirements, saying the current rules produce outcomes that discourage permitting and, in some cases, lead owners to rely on statutory exemptions.
The presentation matters to homeowners, builders and neighborhood groups because the county's new approach would lower some replacement counts, change mitigation math and set new payment-in-lieu rates intended to make compliance feasible on small residential lots while preserving the largest, healthiest trees.
Stacy Tippens, environmental division manager, and Kevin McCandrew, director of Building and Development Review Services, described recurring problems under the current code: inch-for-inch mitigation and a separate landscape minimum…
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