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Saratoga council advances tree ordinance, renames ‘Zone 0’ and requires ember‑resistant perimeter for some removals
Summary
After extensive questioning and public comment, the Saratoga City Council voted to introduce and waive first reading of an amended tree ordinance that replaces “Zone 0” with an ember‑resistant zone, limits permit notice/appeal for trunks within 5 feet and changes replacement‑tree calculations for development projects in the WUI.
Saratoga — The City Council on Jan. 21 advanced an amendment to Article 15‑50 of the municipal code that substitutes the term "ember‑resistant zone" for the state‑referenced "Zone 0," narrows procedural protections for certain tree removals close to buildings and changes replacement‑tree requirements for development projects in the wildland‑urban interface (WUI).
Planning staffer Christina Fusco presented three changes she said are intended to help homeowners create defensible space and to reduce long‑term wildfire fuels: extending a five‑foot ember‑resistant buffer around structures beyond the WUI for homeowners who want it, waiving public notice and the right to appeal for trees whose trunks are within five feet of a building while still requiring permits and replacement trees, and replacing the value‑based replacement…
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