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Council directs staff to draft updated tree ordinance to protect canopy and clarify permits
Summary
Planning staff outlined a staff-initiated rewrite of the city’s tree and landscape code; council members and the planning commission asked for stronger removal permits, mitigation, longer plant establishment periods and clearer enforcement.
City planning staff presented a staff-initiated project to rewrite Zephyrhills’ tree and landscape ordinance, and the City Council asked staff to bring a draft ordinance back that strengthens tree removal permitting, expands mitigation and improves enforcement.
Todd Vandenberg, planning director, told the council the rewrite follows public concerns and planning commission recommendations. He requested direction on several items, including whether residential property owners should require a tree-removal permit, thresholds for protected trees (the staff draft uses a 6-inch DBH threshold but noted Safety Harbor’s ordinance uses 4 inches), mitigation formulas, and longer maintenance guarantees for newly planted material.
Council members and planning commissioners who spoke supported requiring residential tree-removal permits for protected trees (with statutory exemptions for dead, diseased or hazardous trees), raising penalty amounts for unauthorized removals, and extending plant establishment/guarantee periods to two years rather than one. Council members also urged more proactive pre-application arborist review so applicants and staff identify high-quality trees early in design, and suggested the city use a consultant arborist for technical reviews where needed.
Staff outlined that the current code includes a table that ties allowable removals to the average number of trees per acre; planning staff said that strict application of the existing table would make some pending developments difficult and that a new ordinance should balance tree preservation with development feasibility. Council also asked staff to consider open-space requirements and minimum preserved-canopy standards for larger residential projects.
No ordinance was adopted at the meeting. Council gave direction to staff to prepare a proposed ordinance incorporating the planning commission’s recommendations (permit thresholds, mitigation for large trees, expanded enforcement language and a two-year planting guarantee) and to consult with an arborist and the city attorney before returning the draft for a public hearing.
