Street Tree Program

Requests for tree planting will be evaluated in the order in which they are received. Priority shall be given to 1) replacement trees, 2) requests from individuals, 3) requests from neighborhood groups, 4) areas of town that have a relative scarcity of trees, and 5) where high visibility along busy streets makes trees desirable for aesthetic and/or traffic-calming reasons.

Requests are currently being accepted until November 1, 2008.

Requests received after November 1 will be accepted if time permits and trees are still available.

The City of Albany maintains the authority to select the least costly tree and size that is appropriate for each site under consideration for tree planting.

Tree Planting Standards

Selection, provision, planting, and maintenance of street trees shall comply with the standards contained in this section. These standards are intended to ensure that new trees planted within the public right-of-way are of the highest quality, require low maintenance, and will not compromise public safety.

1. STREET TREE SELECTION
   The species of trees to be planted shall be selected from the City of Albany’s Approved Street Tree Species List or as specifically approved by the City Forester.
2. STREET TREE QUALITY AT TIME OF PLANTING
   The tree shall have a straight trunk perpendicular to the ground with a minimum branching height of four feet above the ground for trees 1½-inch in caliper to a minimum of six feet above the ground for trees two inches in caliper.
        Plant material shall be grown to the current standards and specifications of the American Association of Nurserymen, American Standard for Nursery Stock. Plant material shall be of standard quality or better, true to name and type of their species or cultivar.
        Trees shall be provided reasonably free, as defined by nursery industry standards for street trees, from insects and disease, decay, major structural defects, and damage to the trunk, branches, and root system.
        Trees’ structural scaffold branches shall be well proportioned where they attach to the main trunk, with an average spacing of at least six inches.
   The City shall be notified and will have the right to inspect all trees and shrubs before they are planted. The City reserves the right to reject any materials at any time.
3. STREET TREE SIZE AT TIME OF PLANTING
   Trees for residential classed streets shall be a minimum of 1½ inches in caliper, measured six inches above mean ground level, eight – ten feet in height.
        Trees for collector or arterial streets and abutting commercially zoned properties shall be a minimum of two inches in caliper, measured six inches above mean ground level, 10 – 12 feet in height.
4. STREET TREE CONDITION AT TIME OF PLANTING
• BALLED AND BURLAPPED AND IN WIRE BASKETS
  • Trees shall have a sound ball with a firm attachment of the trunk with the root ball. The trunk shall not be loose, but firmly held within the root ball.
  • The size and condition of root balls shall conform to the current standards and specifications of the American Association of Nurserymen and the American Standard for Nursery Stock.
  • Root balls of trees shall not be allowed to dry out at any time from the nursery to final planting.
  • Trees shall have a well developed root system and not be root bound or have circling/girdling roots.
• IN A CONTAINER
  • The trees shall be free of circling, girdling roots.
  • The trees shall have been grown in the container for a maximum period of one year.
• BARE ROOT
  • Trees in a bare root condition shall not exceed 1½ inches in caliper, measured six feet above mean ground level.
  • The roots shall not be allowed to dry out and shall be kept moist at all times from the nursery to final planting.
  • The roots shall be well-established and full of live and vigorous fibrous roots along with the larger structural roots.
5. STREET TREE PLANTING LOCATION

   GENERAL
   On public streets without sidewalks, trees shall be located so as to accommodate future sidewalk placement and with regard to current and future utility line corridors. Trees and shrubs (which attain a height of eighteen inches (18”) or more) that may form a hedge or screen shall not be allowed within the “Clear Vision Zone” of a street or alley intersection so as to obscure required traffic sight distances. The clear vision area consists of a triangular area, two sides of which are lot lines or a driveway and a lot line for a distance specified in this section, or, where the lot lines have rounded corners, the lot lines extended in a straight line to a point of intersection and so measured, and the third side of which is a line across the corner of the lot joining the non-intersecting ends of the other two sides. The following measurements shall establish the clear vision areas:

   Type of Intersection

   • Controlled Intersection (stop sign or signal) 20 feet
   • Uncontrolled Intersection (60’ right-of-way) 30 feet
   • Uncontrolled Intersection (less than 60’ right-of-way) 30 feet
   • Commercial and Industrial District driveways 20 feet

6. MINIMUM STREET TREE PLANTING CLEARANCES

Feature	Small Tree (up to 35’ height)	Medium Tree (up to 60’ height)	Large Tree (over 60’ height)
Sidewalks	2 feet	3 feet	4 feet
Driveways	5 feet	5 feet	10 feet
Fire Hydrants	5 feet	5 feet	5 feet
Intersections	35 feet	35 feet	35 feet
Water Meters	5 feet	5 feet	5 feet
Utility Boxes	5 feet	5 feet	5 feet
Utility Poles	5 feet	10 feet	10 feet
Street Lights	10 feet	20 feet	30 feet
Stop Signs	35 feet	35 feet	35 feet
Regulatory Signs	Not to block sign

7. MINIMUM DISTANCE FROM SIDEWALKS AND CURBS
   Trees shall be centered in the planting strip between the sidewalk and the street curb. If centering within the planting strip is not possible or desirable due to design considerations, the tree must be located at least two feet from the sidewalk edge or the curb edge.
8. MINIMUM DISTANCE FROM BURIED UTILITY LINES THAT TRAVERSE THE PLANTING STRIP
   8”-10” water and sewer line 10 feet
   12”-16” water and sewer line 15 feet
   18” + water and sewer line 20 feet
   All other services 10 feet
9. OVERHEAD UTILITY LINES
   No tree with the potential of reaching a mature height of more than thirty-five feet (35’) shall be planted in the right-of-way under “primary” overhead wires.
10. MINIMUM RECOMMENDED DISTANCE FROM BUILDINGS
    Small trees (potential growth of up to 35’ height) 10 feet
    Medium trees (potential growth of up to 60’ height) 10 feet
    Large trees (potential growth of over 60’ height) 15 feet
    Shrubs 3 feet
    Any tree planted ten feet (10’) or closer to a building shall have an impenetrable root barrier installed near the building. The root barrier shall run the length of the planting area or the structure, and reach a depth of at least eighteen inches (18”).
11. VEHICULAR AREA
    Provisions shall be made to prevent any parts of the vehicles from touching trees.
12. SHRUBS PLANTED IN THE STREET-SIDE RIGHT-OF-WAY
    Shrubs shall follow the minimum distance requirements for trees for curbs, sidewalks, and utilities. No shrub shall be planted within three feet (3’) of a building.
13. LINEAR SPACING
    Trees shall be placed an average of every thirty feet (30’). Depending on the size, species, and variety, the City Forester may approve planting distances which may be as close as ten feet (10’) and as far as forty feet (40’) to fifty feet (50’) based on the size and growth habit of the tree.
14. WIDTH OF PLANTING AREA WITHIN CITY RIGHTS-OF-WAY ( I.E., DISTANCE BETWEEN THE CURB AND SIDEWALK)
    Trees shall not be planted where the rooting space is less than four feet (4’) in width without prior approval of the City Forester.
    The minimum width of a planting site for each tree will be governed by the approved street tree list.
    Trees that commonly produce a large-buttress root system shall be planted in a site greater than eight feet (8’) wide (i.e., Quercus phellos, Acer macrophyllum, Liquidambar styraciflua).
15. WIDTH OF MEDIANS
    No tree shall be planted in any median that is less than ten feet (10’) in width. On state rights-of-way, Oregon Department of Transportation’s “Guidelines for Planting Within Highway Right-of-Way” apply.
16. EXEMPTIONS TO THE TREE LOCATION STANDARDS
    Where special conditions exist, the City Forester may waive these tree planting location standards. Such a waiver will be on a case-by-case basis and will require written approval of the City Forester.
17. STREET TREE PLANTING PROCEDURES
    Planting Season - Bare root trees may be planted only between October 15th and March 15th unless otherwise approved by the City Forester. Balled and burlapped or container grown trees may be planted only between September 15th and April 15th unless otherwise approved by the City Forester.
18. PREPARATION OF TREE PLANTING HOLES
• BALLED AND BURLAPPED AND CONTAINER GROWN TREES
  A shallow, broad, tree planting hole at least 1½ times the diameter of the root ball shall be excavated to a depth that will position the trunk flare level with finish grade.
  The inner surfaces of the excavation shall be scored or roughened to the extent necessary to encourage rooting in the existing native soil.
• BARE-ROOT STOCK
  Tree-planting holes shall be one foot wider than the spread of the roots. Holes shall have sufficient depth to position the trunk flare level with finish grade.
  A mound of native soil shall be left in the center of the hole to support the roots. The roots shall be draped and spread in their natural position over the mound.
19. SEATING OF TREES
    Trees shall be set plumb, upright, and faced for best appearance. Broken branches shall be pruned after planting.
    The hole shall be backfilled one-half full with original soil and the hole flooded with water to remove any air pockets. After backfilling is complete, the entire planting area shall be thoroughly saturated with water to remove any remaining air pockets.
    Mulch shall be applied to a depth of two – four inches around the tree. Mulch shall be kept free of an area within two inches of trunk.
    A continuous three-inch high raised berm shall be constructed around the planting hole to direct water to roots. The berm shall be removed after one year.
20. STAKING
    Hardwood stakes shall be driven firmly into the ground outside of the hole. Care shall be taken to avoid driving the stakes through the root structure.
    Trees shall be attached to the stakes at knee height using nonbinding tree ties or tree ties that are at least one inch wide to prevent damage to the tree trunk. Ties shall be attached to the tree in a manner that will allow the tree to move but still be held firmly in place.
21. ESTABLISHMENT STANDARDS
    • ESTABLISHMENT PERIOD
      The establishment period for an original tree or replacement tree shall begin on the date the tree is initially installed, or the date it is replaced, and extend for a two-year period from that date.
    • MAINTENANCE
      During the establishment period, the Resident shall be responsible for care of the planting to maintain a vigorous growing condition by watering, cultivating, repairing, adjusting tree stakes, spraying for pest control, removing dead trees or trees not showing vigorous growth, and replacing missing or damaged plants.
22. MULCHING
    During the establishment period a minimum three-foot by three-foot planting area around each tree shall be maintained with a layer of bark mulch two – four inches in depth. The mulch shall be kept at least two inches away from the trunk of the tree, and the mulched planting area around the tree shall be kept free of weeds.

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