Littleton planning commission recommends code changes to raise tree-canopy minimums, increase in-lieu fee

On Oct. 13, 2025, the Littleton Planning Commission voted 3–2 to recommend that City Council adopt amendments to Title 10 of the Unified Land Use Code that raise minimum tree‑canopy requirements in several zone districts and change the tree‑canopy in‑lieu fee structure.

The proposed text changes would increase minimum canopy coverage in multiple zone districts and replace a flat $500 fee with a per‑caliper‑inch fee of $250 per inch per replacement tree, staff said. Andrea Vaughn, senior planner in the city’s Community Development department, and Mary Dancer, Urban and Community Program Specialist (formerly Littleton’s city forester), presented the technical background and the draft ordinance language to commissioners.

Staff and the consultant framed the changes as part of the city’s 2023 Forestry Management Plan, which set a long‑term goal of increasing citywide canopy toward 50 percent by 2090. Mary Dancer told the commission that Littleton’s urban tree canopy fell in a recent assessment: “We saw from a 2013 study compared to a 2022 study that Littleton had a 5% canopy loss at the time.” She emphasized public‑health…