Sugar Hill › Buffer, Landscape and Tree Ordinance

Article 6 — Plan and Plat Specifications

current as of 2014-12-30verified current · checked 2026-08-24Officialofficial source ↗3 sections · full chapter

§ 6.1

WATER-EFFICIENT DESIGN CONSIDERATION

It is the policy of The City of Sugar Hill to encourage individuals or firms who prepare the plans and plats required by this Ordinance to consider the use of water-efficient landscaping principles and techniques as one of the criterion to be used in plant selection and design.

6.1.1 Principles and Techniques of Water-Efficient Landscaping

The recommended principles and techniques to be considered are as follows:

a.Proper Location and Design - locating plants where

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they   will       naturally        thrive      and    not  require         excessive

water     and  maintenance            to   survive,       as  well     as  grouping

plants    by   water     needs,          and   limiting       and  concentrating

high water using plants.

b.Turf Selection - selecting turf grasses that can survive the variable rainfall conditions in this region, and limiting turf areas.

c.Efficient Watering - once plants are established,

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avoid     watering      during        periods       of  normal      rainfall        and

during    droughts,            watering        every    week    to     10  days     or

less      depending         on      the       drought      tolerance         of     the

plants.

d.Soil Improvements - loosening and breaking up the soil beyond the immediate planting area to allow better water absorption and to promote deep roots.

e.Mulching - using mulch to hold moisture in the soil which helps maximize the benefits of watering as well as preventing weeds.

f.Plant Selection - selecting plants according to their watering requirements and optimum locations.

g.Maintenance - maintaining the landscape to maximize water conservation such as increasing mowing heights and avoiding fertilizing during dry spells.

City of Sugar Hill 6.1

§ 6.2

BUFFER AND LANDSCAPE PLAN SPECIFICATIONS

The following subsections and paragraphs outline the required elements of the plans and plats mentioned throughout this Ordinance.

6.2.1 A Buffer and Landscape Plan shall be prepared for any project

wherein buffer areas or other landscaping areas or treatment are required by this Ordinance, the Zoning Ordinance, conditions of zoning, special use or variance approval, or other regulations of The City of Sugar Hill, and shall be approved prior to issuance of a Development Permit. While the Plan shall cover, at a minimum, the required buffer and landscape areas, the Plan can be combined with a general landscaping plan for the entire project and/or a Tree Preservation/Replacement Plan (if required), at the developer's option.

6.2.2 The Buffer and Landscape Plan shall be shown on a Site Plan

or boundary survey drawn to the same or a larger scale as the other plan documents prepared for the Development Permit Application and shall cover the same area.

6.2.3 The Buffer and Landscape Plan shall contain but need not be

limited to the following:

a.Project name and Land District, Land Lot, and acreage.

b.Developer's name and telephone number.

c.The name, address, and telephone number of the

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Registered         Landscape         Architect,     Urban        Forester,      or

Arborist     responsible         for      preparation       of   the    plan,   and

the   Seal     or  statement         of   professional          qualifications

of   said    person      (which      may      be   attached         separately).

The     performance          of      professional        services         in    the

preparation         of   plans       required       herein       shall     comply

with    Georgia         Law      governing         the   practice         of    the

applicable profession.

d.Boundary lines of each buffer or other landscape area, appropriately labeled.

e.Delineation of undisturbed buffer areas, and any other areas wherein trees are proposed to be retained to meet City requirements, along the City of Sugar Hill 6.2

6.2.3 (Cont.) driplines of the trees or groups of trees contained

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        therein.      These       areas    shall       be   treated      in   accordance

        with   the    Tree   Protection           Area     requirements        contained

        in   this     Ordinance,       and     labeled       as  such.        Protective

        barriers      and    signage       as     required       by     this    Ordinance

        shall     be  shown   as     to  location       and    detailed.

f.      General       location       of       all     proposed         trees,   shrubs,

        vines,     groundcovers,            mulching,          and     other    features

        proposed      within      the    buffer/landscape            area.      A   scale

        sufficient       to  clearly          indicate      all      details    shall    be

        used,     along  with     a  north     arrow.

g.Within areas involving or adjacent to land form changes, existing and finish grade topographic lines at an interval of no more than 2 feet may be required.

h.For new plant materials to be installed, a plant material list including but not limited to:

(1)Common and botanical names of all proposed plants.

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(2)    Plant       quantities.

(3)    Size     and       condition         of  plants.         (Example:

       1"     caliper,          6    feet       height,       balled    and

burlapped).

(4)Spacing.

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(5)    Remarks          as      necessary         to     insure      proper

       plant            selection             upon         installation.

       (Example:           Specimen,         multi-trunked).

§ 6.3

TREE PRESERVATION/REPLACEMENT PLAN SPECIFICATIONS

6.3.1 Tree Preservation/Replacement Plans shall be prepared by a

professional Landscape Architect, Urban Forester, or Arborist in accordance with the specifications for such plans contained herein.

The performance of professional services in the preparation of plans required herein shall comply with Georgia Law governing the practice of the applicable profession. Other licensed professionals (e.g.

architects, engineers, etc.) may be authorized by the Director to prepare Tree Preservation Plans, but not City of Sugar Hill 6.3

6.3.1 (Cont.)

Tree Replacement Plans, provided that they demonstrate, to the satisfaction of the Director, competency and knowledge in the principles and practices of arboriculture.

6.3.2 The Tree Preservation/Replacement Plan shall be shown on a

copy of a Preliminary Plat, Concept Plan or Site Plan, with the exception of a permit to conduct tree thinning, as appropriate to the proposed development, drawn to the same scale as the other plan documents prepared for a Land Disturbance Permit application on the property, and shall cover the same area. The plan may be combined with a required Buffer and Landscape Plan for the project, at the option of the developer.

6.3.3 The Tree Preservation/Replacement Plan shall provide

sufficient information and detail to clearly demonstrate that all applicable requirements and standards of this Ordinance will be fully satisfied.

6.3.4 The Tree Preservation/Replacement Plan shall contain but

need not be limited to the following:

a.Project name, Land District, Land Lot, north arrow and scale.

b.Developer's name, address, and telephone number.

c.The name, address, and telephone number of the professional Landscape Architect, Urban Forester,

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Arborist          or    other      authorized      individual        responsible

for      preparation           of  the   plan,     in    accordance       with    the

requirements            of     Subsection     6.3.1,     above,      and  the     Seal

or       statement      of      professional       qualifications         of     said

person       (which        may  be   attached      separately).

d.Delineation of all minimum yard areas, buffers, and landscape areas as required by the Zoning Ordinance or conditions of zoning, special use or variance approval.

e.Total acreage of the site and total acreage exclusive of all zoning buffer areas.

f.Delineation of all areas located within a 100-year flood plain.

City of Sugar Hill 6.4

6.3.4 (Cont.)

g.Existing Trees to be retained in Tree Protection Areas:

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       Trunk     location         and      size     (to     the     nearest       inch     in

       diameter       at      or  below        diameter        breast        height),      of

       individual      trees      proposed          to  remain      for  credit       toward

       meeting       the      minimum       tree        density       standard     on      the

       property.       Groups         of   3   or   more    trees      whose    driplines

       combine       into     a   single        Tree    Protection          Area      may  be

       outlined       as   a     group     and      their     number,     by   diameter,

       shown     in   the     Summary      Table.        If    the     number     and   size

       of   all   existing        trees        to   remain     on   the     site   exceeds

       the   required         tree      density         standard       for    the     entire

       site,     only  those      trees        required        to     meet   the   minimum

       tree    density        standard          must       be     shown.        All     Tree

       Protection      Areas      are      to  be   outlined        and  labeled.

h.     Tree   Protection          Measures:

       (1)    A   detail      or      description        of    the     protective       tree

              fencing,         staking,         or      continuous       ribbon       to   be

              installed,          and      the      location       of   such   measures,

              which       at  a   minimum       shall      follow      the   dripline      of

              all     trees       to   be   retained        along      adjoining       areas

              of      clearing,           grading,       or       other     construction

activity.

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(2)    Measures        to  be      taken     to  avoid      soil   sedimentation

       intrusion           into     Tree     Protection          Areas,     and     the

       location        of  such      devices.

(3)    Proposed            location          of   temporary          construction

       activities          such     as   equipment         or   worker     parking,

       materials           storage,              burn       holes,       equipment

       washdown        areas,       and     entrance       pads.

(4)    Proposed        type     and     location       of   any   tree   save    area

       signs       or  other       pertinent      signage.

i.If replacement trees are proposed to be planted in

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order     for   the    property         to   achieve        the   required       Tree

Density       Standard,         the         replacement         trees      shall    be

shown     and   their      spacing          and  diameter        identified,        to

the       extent           needed        to      achieve          the       minimum

requirements.                  Trees        grouped        together        in    tree

planting       areas      may   be     listed    on     the    Summary     Table    by

total   number      in     the   grouping,       by     size.

City of Sugar Hill 6.5

6.3.4 (Cont.)

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j.     A   Summary     Table     of  the     number      of  existing       trees    to

       remain     and  new     trees     to  be    planted,       by   diameter      to

       the   nearest       inch     at   or    below     dbh,     shall     be   shown

       along     with      calculations        showing       the      tree   density

       achieved     for    the   site.       Additional        credits      shall    be

       noted      where        applicable          (see      Subsection         5.3.2,

       paragraph    c.).       Groupings       of   trees    in   Tree   Protection

       Areas   and  areas      for   new   tree     planting      may   be  keyed    to

       the   Summary       Table     by   area     rather    than      having       each

       tree   individually         labeled     on  the   plan.

6.3.5 The plan sheet which shows the grading plan, including

existing and proposed contour lines, shall indicate the dripline location of all Tree Protection Areas through the use of shading on the plans. The exact location of each tree is not desired to be shown, only the limits of the Tree Protection Area and any other areas which are not to be disturbed.

City of Sugar Hill 6.6 ARTICLE 7 COMPLIANCE