Source: https://www.ecode360.com/32591398
Timestamp: 2020-08-07 18:12:16
Document Index: 183825076

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 133', '§ 133', '§ 133', '§ 133', '§ 133', '§ 133', '§ 133', '§ 133', '§ 133', '§ 133', '§ 133']

City of Dover, NH Trees and Vegetation
Division 1 City Ordinances
Ch 25 Financial Matters
Ch 29 Property, City
Ch 37 Seal
Ch 41 Adult-Oriented Establishments
Ch 45 Alarms and Security
Ch 49 Amusements
Ch 53 Bicycles and Play Vehicles
Ch 61 Building Demolition
Ch 81 Fire Prevention and Life Safety
Ch 85 Food Service Establishments
Ch 97 Licensing
Ch 101 Manufactured Home Parks
Ch 109 Peddlers and Vendors
Ch 113 Plumbing
Ch 117 Scenic Roads
Ch 133 Trees and Vegetation
§ 133-1 Purpose.
§ 133-3 Authority of City Arborist.
§ 133-4 Permits required.
§ 133-5 Standards for issuance of permits; notice of completion.
§ 133-6 Pruning of trees and plants bordering streets.
§ 133-7 Abuse of public trees.
§ 133-8 Improper planting.
§ 133-9 Necessary removal.
§ 133-10 Protection of trees.
§ 133-11 Violations and penalties.
Ch 137 Vehicle Registration Exemption for Prisoners of War
Ch 145 Waste Management
Division 2 Planning Board Regulations
Ch 153 Site Review Regulations
Ch 157 Land Subdivision Regulations
City of Dover, NH / Division 1 City Ordinances / Part II: General Legislation
Chapter 133 Trees and Vegetation
[HISTORY: Added by the City Council of the City of Dover 11-13-2013 by Ord. No. 2013.10.09-013 as Ch. 163 of the 2013 Code. Amendments noted where applicable.]
The purpose of this chapter is to enact provisions to protect and enhance the administrative procedures with regard to the planting of or removal of trees and vegetation within the City of Dover.
CITY ARBORIST or ARBORIST
The authorized person employed or appointed by the City of Dover by the City Manager to oversee all related tree and vegetation issues.
All public parks owned by the City.
The person owning such property as shown by the City's Assessor's plats.
Includes all streets, highways, parks, cemeteries, easements or other grounds owned by the City.
Includes shade, ornamental and forest trees or shrubs now or hereafter growing on any street, park, cemetery, or public place.
The application of pesticides, herbicides or any material used in plant care; also to include any granular material for such uses.
The entire width of every public way or right-of-way when any part thereof is open to the use of the public as a matter of right for purpose of vehicular or pedestrian traffic.
Plant life, collectively.
The City Arborist shall have the authority to regulate the planting, maintenance, preservation, spraying and removal of trees and shrubs in all public places for the benefit and the welfare of the public and to protect and preserve the symmetry and beauty of such trees and public places.
The City Arborist shall have the authority to order the trimming, spraying, preservation or removal of trees or plants upon private property when he shall find such action necessary to public safety or to prevent the spread of disease or insects to public trees and places. The cost of such work may be billed to the property owner.
No person shall plant, spray, fertilize, prune, remove, cut or otherwise disturb above or below the ground any tree on any street, park or public place without first filling an application and procuring a permit from the City Arborist.
No person shall apply pesticides or herbicides on a for-hire basis without first filling an application and procuring a permit from the City Arborist.
The City Arborist shall issue such a permit if the proposed work is desirable and the proposed method and workmanship thereof are in accordance with reasonable arboricultural specifications and standards of practice.
Any permit granted shall contain a definite date of expiration and the work shall be completed in the time allowed on the permit and the manner as therein described. Any permit shall be void if its terms are violated.
Notice of completion shall be given within five days thereof to the City Arborist for his or her inspection. Notice of completion may be waived at the discretion of the Arborist.
In order to obtain a permit, the person filing must provide a certificate of insurance, professional license and information of where said work will be done. Pesticide applicators must provide a State of New Hampshire pesticide applicator's license.
Generally, it shall be the duty of any property owner or person occupying real property upon which there may be trees or plants bordering on any street to prune such trees or plants in such a manner that they will not obstruct or shade the streetlights, obstruct the passage of pedestrians on sidewalks, obstruct vision of traffic signs, obstruct the view of any street or alley intersection, or will not create any other hazard to the public. The minimum clearance of any overhanging portion thereof shall be 10 feet over sidewalks and 12 feet over all streets except truck thoroughfares, which shall be 16 feet.
Notice to prune or remove. Should any property owner whose property is bordering on any street fail to prune trees or plants as hereinabove provided, the City Arborist shall order such person, within 10 days after receipt of written notice, to prune or remove such trees or plants.
[Amended 2-12-2020 by Ord. No. 2020.01.08-001]
Order required. The order required herein shall be served by mailing a copy of the order to the last known address of the property owner by certified mail, return receipt requested.
Failure to comply. When a person to whom an order is directed shall fail to comply within the specified time, it shall be lawful for the City to prune or remove such trees or plants, and all costs thereof shall be charged to the property owner thereof.
Unless specifically authorized by the City Arborist, no person shall damage, prune, transplant, or remove any public tree; attach any rope, wire, nails, advertising posters, or any contrivance to any tree; allow any gaseous, liquid or solid substance which is harmful to such trees to come in contact with them; or set fire or permit any fire to burn when such fire or the heat thereof will injure any portion of any such tree. The City may recover the cost of repair or replacement of such mutilated tree.
Whenever any tree shall be planted improperly in any public place in violation of the provisions hereof, the City Arborist may remove or cause removal thereof, or may take such other action deemed necessary to rectify such improper planting, and the cost thereof may be charged to the property owner or planter thereof.
No person or property owner shall remove a tree from any public place for the purpose of construction, or for any other reason, without procuring a permit as required by § 133-4 and without replacing the removed tree. Said replacement shall meet the standards of size, species, and placement as provided for in the permit issued by the City Arborist. The person or property owner shall bear the cost of removal and replacement of all trees removed.
All trees on any street or public place near any excavation or construction of any building, structure, or street work shall be guarded with a good, substantial fence, frame or box of such reasonable dimensions as required by the City Arborist. All building materials, unless otherwise approved by the City Arborist, or other debris shall be kept outside the barrier. No person shall excavate any ditches, tunnels or trenches or lay any drive within a radius of 20 feet from any public tree without obtaining a permit from the City Arborist.
No person shall deposit, place or maintain upon any public place any vehicles, stone, brick, sand, concrete or other materials which may impede the free passage of water, air and fertilizer to the roots of any tree growing therein, except by written permit of the City Arborist, except for emergencies.
Violations of any provision of this chapter shall be subject to a fine as provided in the City Fine Schedule. The violator shall be liable for the cost of restoration of the affected vegetation to a condition which conforms to the provisions of this chapter to the satisfaction of the Community Services Director. If a violator fails to ensure that the above-said conformance is accomplished within 30 days of receiving written notification from the City Arborist, the restoration shall be accomplished by the City and charged to the violator.