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Stafford planners to draft tree canopy ordinance and send changes to planning commission
Summary
Staff presented options to require tree canopy for new development and redevelopment. The board supported drafting regulations (using state permissive code limits), asked staff to protect small businesses in exceptions, and referred the DCSL amendments for planning commission review.
Staff presented a proposal to adopt local tree canopy requirements for development and redevelopment and the Board of Supervisors on Oct. 1 asked planners to draft an ordinance and send it to the planning commission for review.
Brian Gooch, principal planner, said state code allows localities within the Chesapeake Bay watershed to require canopy minimums by land use and density and described a range of possible thresholds — for example, up to 10% canopy for many commercial properties and up to 15–20% for denser residential zones — measured as a 20‑year projected canopy. Gooch described options for calculating the required percentage (whether to subtract building footprints or impervious area), waivers and exceptions for constrained sites, and a tree selection guide to project future canopy cover.
Gooch said staff’s sample analysis of recent projects showed commercial developments often achieved roughly 9–11% canopy where landscaping standards applied, while some industrial sites produced as little as 2% canopy. “A 20% canopy, which compared to commercial is relatively high, could go a long ways,” he said when discussing residential clustering.
Supervisors agreed the ordinance should focus on higher‑impact development (industrial, high‑density residential) and include reasonable exceptions so small businesses are not unduly burdened. Supervisor Vaneuch asked staff to prioritize conservation inside the urban services area and consider smaller parcels for protection when feasible. Board members directed staff to draft regulations and incorporate the canopy rules into the county’s Design and Construction Standards Manual (DCSL) updates so both sets of changes can be reviewed together by the planning commission.
Gooch estimated a draft ordinance could be ready in early 2025 and said staff would work with the county’s consultant and the planning commission to refine metrics, preservation incentives and administrative waiver language.
