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Tree protection ordinance rewrite

A draft ordinance would require permits to remove large trees and set retention minimums for development sites.

Updated Mon, June 22· Decided by: City Council, after Planning Commission recommendation
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What is happening

The city is rewriting its 1994 tree code. The draft requires a permit to remove any tree over 24" diameter on private property, sets a 30% canopy retention floor for development sites, and creates a fee-in-lieu fund for street trees. The Planning Commission reviews the second draft on July 28; council adoption is tentatively expected in October.

Why it might matter

Alder Creek lost about 8% of its tree canopy between 2015 and 2024 (city LiDAR analysis). The ordinance decides how much of that trend continues, what homeowners must do to remove a big backyard tree, and how much canopy development projects like Granite Flats must keep. It is quietly one of the most consequential rules for how the town looks in 30 years.

What is known

  • Canopy fell from 38% to 30% citywide, 2015–2024 (LiDAR study, March 2026).
  • Draft 2 exempts hazard trees verified by an arborist letter, and fruit trees under 30".
  • The fee-in-lieu is drafted at $2,400 per significant tree removed and not replaced.
  • Second Planning Commission review: July 28. No formal comment deadline yet — comments accepted continuously until council first reading.

Still uncertain

  • The vesting question: which pending applications (notably Granite Flats) the ordinance would apply to. Draft language is ambiguous and staff have flagged it for legal review.
  • Enforcement capacity — code enforcement currently has 1.5 FTE for the whole city.
  • Whether the density exception survives; two commissioners want it removed, two want it broadened.

Open questions are listed on purpose. Treat certainty claims you see elsewhere against this list.

Who or what may be affected

Homeowners with large trees

Removal of trees over 24" would need a $75 permit and a replanting or fee-in-lieu condition — with exemptions for hazard trees.

Developers and builders

A 30% canopy retention floor changes site layouts and pro formas on wooded parcels.

Renters and future residents

Retention requirements can trade off against unit count on constrained sites — the draft has a density exception that planners flag as untested.

Thoughtful actions available

Comment while the draft is soft

Written comment · 30 minutes

Now is when wording actually changes. Comments on specific sections (vesting, the density exception, the 24" threshold) get incorporated into staff's next draft.

Draft this with help

Compare draft 2 against draft 1

Get oriented · 15 minutes

The redline shows what shifted after the first round of feedback — a good read on where the commission is heading.

Sources

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