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Hart Planning Commission forwards landscaping standards update to council
Summary
The Planning Commission voted 5-0 to recommend revisions to landscaping provisions, including buffer strip requirements, parking-area plantings, tree removal limits and a structured replacement schedule.
On Feb. 6, 2025, the City of Hart Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend proposed landscaping zoning amendments to the City Council.
The draft updates (presented as Chapter 1243.22) set minimum standards for landscape buffer strips, require tree and shrub plantings for certain buffer lengths, and add parking‑area landscaping standards (tree counts and landscape islands). The draft also describes limits on removing existing trees, exemptions (routine maintenance, emergency removal, public utilities, public agencies and tree farms), and a replacement schedule that quantifies how many replacement trees are required based on replacement tree species and size.
Planning Commission member Diane LaPorte moved to recommend the landscaping amendments; Andrew Mullen supported the motion and the recommendation passed 5‑0 (one absent). The ordinance language before the commission specifies minimum sizes for replacement trees (for example, coniferous trees minimum 8 feet at planting; deciduous trees minimum 2.5 inches DBH where applicable) and allows the Planning Commission or Zoning Administrator to modify landscape requirements in certain site‑specific circumstances.
The recommendation will be transmitted to the City Council for consideration and any subsequent public hearing or adoption.
