CITY OF SIGNAL HILL
STAFF REPORT
2175 Cherry Avenue • Signal
Hill, California 90755-3799
2/28/2023
AGENDA ITEM
TO:
HONORABLE MAYOR
AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM:
THOMAS BEKELE
PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR
SUBJECT:
ADOPTION OF THE 2023 STREET TREE MASTER PLAN, APPROVAL OF AN
UPDATE TO THE STREET TREE POLICY AND INTRODUCTION OF AN ORDINANCE AMENDING A PORTION OF CHAPTER 12.05 OF THE SIGNAL HILL
MUNICIPAL CODE
Summary:
The Public Works Department presents for City Council consideration the completed 2023 Street Tree Master Plan, an update to the existing 2010 Street Tree Master Plan. Staff proposes amending the Street Tree Policy and Section 12.05.040 of the Signal Hill Municipal Code to conform to the standards and procedures set forth in the 2023 Street Tree Master Plan.
Recommendations:
1. Receive, file, and adopt the 2023 Street Tree Master Plan.
2. Amend the existing Street Tree Policy.
3. Introduce an ordinance, entitled:
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SIGNAL HILL, CALIFORNIA, AMENDING SECTION 12.05.040 OF CHAPTER 12.05 OF THE SIGNAL HILL MUNICIPAL CODE
RELATING TO NEW STREET TREE PLANTING
Fiscal Impact:
While there is no direct fiscal impact with the adoption of the Street Tree Master Plan, the plan recommends updates to the street tree maintenance budget and amendments to maintenance contracts which may be brought to City Council for consideration at a future date.
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Strategic Plan Objectives:
Goal No. 4: Maintain and improve the public infrastructure.
Goal No. 5: Ensure an enhanced quality of life for the residents.
Background:
Street Trees are defined as City-owned trees planted within the public street right-of-way. The City currently maintains approximately 3,000 street trees, most of which are located within parkways and sidewalk tree wells. Throughout the years, the City has received many requests from residents to trim, evaluate, and/or remove street trees. In order to adhere to a consistent procedure for the planting, maintenance, replacement, and removal of streets trees, the City established and adopted the following documents in 2009-2011:
· 2010 Street Tree Master Plan
· Street Tree Ordinance
· Street Tree Policy
The 2010 Street Tree Master Plan consists of a street tree inventory including growth trends, identification of trees suitable for replacement, and the City’s street tree palette and planting schedule.
In 2011, Ordinance No. 2011-11-1441, or the “Street Tree Ordinance”, adopted Chapter 12.05 of the Signal Hill Municipal Code. This Chapter establishes the procedures for maintenance, removal, and or replacement of existing street trees and guidelines for the planting of new street trees.
The City developed the Street Tree Policy in 2009 and later revised the document in 2011 to integrate the Street Tree Ordinance and the 2010 Street Tree Master Plan. Collectively, these documents provide staff with the necessary procedures to follow when addressing street tree related concerns from residents. One of the goals of the Street Tree Policy is to create a cost effective and viable street tree planting and replacement program concurrent with the Street Tree Master Plan.
The standards and procedures set forth in these documents are intended to provide City Council, staff, and contractors with the guidelines necessary for the responsible management of the City’s Street Tree assets while creating a sense of community and pride in the City’s neighborhoods among residents and visitors to the City. These documents identify standards exclusively for street trees and are not intended to be applied to trees located within City parks or private property.
Analysis:
On April 26, 2022, the City Council approved a Professional Consultant Services Agreement with landscape architecture firm SWA Group Inc. (SWA) and their specialty arborist subconsultant Rincon Consulting, Inc. to review and update the 2010 Street Tree Master Plan and amend the existing Street Tree Policy and Ordinance documents (“Project”). The goal of the Project was to update these documents in order to address resident concerns and propose a long-term and sustainable plan for the maintenance of existing street tree assets, restoration of vacant tree wells, and continued involvement of the community.
In June of 2022, SWA commenced the services as specified in the contract agreement for the CITY OF SIGNAL HILL Page 2 of 6 Printed on 2/23/2023
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In June of 2022, SWA commenced the services as specified in the contract agreement for the Project. Phase one involved identifying the relevant existing City documents, auditing existing street tree asset records, reviewing Geographic Information System (GIS) data, and meeting with staff to develop the project schedule and establish deliverables. In the second phase, the consultant visited field sites to verify the accuracy of existing street tree records.
The third phase focused on community outreach to promote public awareness and receive community feedback. The City held the first outreach event on August 10, 2022, at the City’s Summer Concerts in the Park. This pop-up event provided an overview of the Street Tree Master Plan Project and an opportunity to address questions related to street trees. On September 15, 2022, the City hosted an open-house event to report findings from the field site visits and present the updated street tree counts. On October 22, 2022, the City’s consultant attended the Fall Mayor’s Cleanup event to provide general information on the project and encourage the community to complete the street tree survey. The survey was presented at a hybrid workshop on October 27, 2022, hosted in the City Council Chambers. Survey data was collected from residents until closure of the online survey on January 4, 2023.
Based on the survey responses and overall outreach, respondents generally agreed on the value of street trees in a community and conveyed their interest in increasing the existing street tree canopy.
Results showed that respondents do not value views over trees and would rather have an increase in the number of street trees planted in the City. When asked about desired tree types, respondents considered water use and aesthetics to be key factors for tree selection. In conjunction, respondents considered having a tree canopy consisting of more native and climate-adapted trees as a significant component for the street tree palette. Input from the community was of particular importance as it served a fundamental part in guiding the goals and objectives for this latest plan update.
Phase four consisted of incorporating the survey responses, GIS data, and latest records to draft the 2023 Street Tree Master Plan. Given the feedback from the community and after evaluating street tree conditions, staff set the following guiding goals and objectives for the 2023 Street Tree Master Plan:
1. Increase the City’s tree canopy by filling vacant street tree sites and advocating for new treeplanting programs.
2. Ensure the long-term health and prosperity of the City’s street tree canopy by selecting a diversity of trees that are well-adapted to the local environment and direct re-planting efforts to areas of most need.
3. Establish high maintenance standards and a sustainable care regimen for the City’s street trees.
4. Promote public awareness and involvement in community forestry care and benefits. 2023 Street Tree Master Plan
Along with updating the 2010 tree inventory records and tree palette selection; this latest plan recommends various funding options and resources for planting new trees and recommends strategies to implement new planting and maintenance programs. The following are some of the key components included in the 2023 Street Tree Master Plan:
· An introduction of street trees, the City’s historical data, native ecologies, and tree shade CITY OF SIGNAL HILL Page 3 of 6 Printed on 2/23/2023
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equity scores for regions in the City.
· The tree inventory process quantified 2,859 live street trees and total of 971 vacant sites where trees could potentially be planted. The total number of street trees declined over the years due to several factors including trees dying, vandalism, drought, accidents, and lack of irrigation infrastructure. Subject to funding and resource availability, the plan sets the goal of planting a total of 250 trees per year for a period of five years to restore the City’s street tree canopy.
· Based on the community outreach survey responses, the community expressed interest in seeing more street trees planted in the City. The survey performed is attached to the plan in the Appendix.
· The plan includes an updated street tree palette to support the goal to increase the street tree canopy percentage. Factors considered when selecting trees for the new palette included root damage potential, native species, climate-adapted species, maintenance costs, and trees with low-to-medium water needs.
· In contrast with the 2010 plan, the 2023 Street Tree Master Plan provides a comprehensive procedure for selection of street trees ideally suited for specific site conditions. · Tree Planting Program guidelines for planting and watering new trees and recommendations for funding opportunities such as the CAL FIRE Urban Forestry Grant. · Tree Maintenance Program that specifies pruning methods, pest-monitoring protocols, and the concept of including a street tree report card to keep records up to date, subject to fund availability.
· Updated Planting and Maintenance guidelines to reflect the City’s goals and provide standards for the new palette. Recommended revisions to the planting guidelines are summarized as follows:
o Tree spacing requirements shall be updated to allow closer planting of smaller tree size species. Small trees shall be spaced at between 15 to 20 feet apart, medium trees from 20 to 30 feet apart, and large trees at a distance between 30 to 40 feet apart. o Trees shall be spaced at a distance between 5 to 15 feet apart from bus stops in efforts to provide shade near the bus stops.
o Tree well size shall be changed to a minimum size of 6 feet long by 4 feet wide by 3 feet deep for all new street wells, where sufficient right-of-way exists. Existing tree well sizes shall be updated to new standards as trees are replaced. 2023 Street Tree Policy (Section 4.6 of the 2023 Street Tree Master Plan) While most goals and objectives of the 2011 Street Tree Policy remain, this update recommends the following revisions to the Street Tree Policy:
· The goal to ensure that the right tree is planted in the right place should be included to promote the long-term health and prosperity of the City’s tree canopy. To meet this goal, species selection based on site conditions shall be implemented. · Provide a tree species palette suitable for the environment. · Update the planting and maintenance guidelines with regards to tree spacing and tree well size standards as updated in the 2023 Street Tree Master Plan. · Provide guidance to home and business owners advising of their responsibility for watering street trees that are planted adjacent to their properties. · Incorporate a budget for regular street tree planting initiatives and maintenance subject to CITY OF SIGNAL HILL Page 4 of 6 Printed on 2/23/2023
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funding availability.
· Implement a five-year budget plan for new tree planting in efforts to reach a 100% street tree stocking level.
Ordinance
To comply with the latest recommendations noted in the 2023 Street Master Plan, staff and SWA recommend amending Section 12.05.040 of the Signal Hill Municipal Code.
Section 12.05.040(C) would now read as follows, with deletions shown as strikethroughs and additions/modifications underlined:
C. New street tree placement. Features that may be unique to an individual street parkway will be taken into consideration by the Director of Public Works when placing a new street tree.
These include width of parkway, width of sidewalk, existence of sidewalk, utility poles, street lights, bus stops, traffic signs, ADA accessibility, utility boxes, and fire hydrants. Therefore, the following planting guidelines must be followed by the Director of Public Works to optimize street tree planting opportunities.
1. Street trees shall have an approximate spacing range between 30-foot minimum spacing to a 50-foot maximum spacing. correspondent to the following mature plant sizes:
Small trees: 15 to 20 feet apart
Medium trees: 20 to 30 feet apart
Large trees: 30 to 40 feet apart
Refer to the street tree palette of the latest Street Tree Master Plan when determining plant sizes. Street trees shall be planted in accordance to the above range while considering proximity to street lights, power poles, driveways, meters, fire hydrants, drains, overhead and underground utilities.
2. Street trees shall be placed 20 feet from a street light, or power pole or bus stops where possible.
3. Street trees shall be placed a minimum of 15 feet from the start of a street curb return.
4. Street trees shall be placed a minimum of 10 feet from a fire hydrant, utility meter, or driveway approach and a minimum of 5 feet from a utility meter where possible.
5. Street trees shall be centered in the parkway between the sidewalk and curb unless near a bus stop. Street trees shall be spaced at a distance between 5 to 15 feet apart from bus stops where possible.
6. Street tree well sizes must be a minimum of 30 inches 4 feet wide by 6 feet long by 3 feet deep and provide enough sidewalk clearance to meet ADA access requirements.
7. Tree species must be listed in the Street tree Palette of the latest Street Master Plan.
Staff recommends approval of the 2023 Street Tree Master Plan, Street Tree Policy, and proposed CITY OF SIGNAL HILL Page 5 of 6 Printed on 2/23/2023 powered by Legistar™
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Staff recommends approval of the 2023 Street Tree Master Plan, Street Tree Policy, and proposed Ordinance amendment. Adoption of these documents would benefit the City by establishing clear administrative guidelines and procedures regarding the responsible management of its street tree assets.
Upon introduction of the Ordinance, the City Clerk’s office will cause to be posted a summary of the Ordinance pursuant to Signal Hill Municipal Code Section 1.08.010 at City Hall, Discover Well Park, Reservoir Park, and the Signal Hill Library on or before March 3, 2023. A summary of the Ordinance will also be published in the Signal Tribune newspaper per Government Code §65091(a)(4) on March 3, 2023. Adoption of the Ordinance will be agenized for the March 14, 2023 City Council meeting.
Waive the Reading of All Ordinances
Wherein the titles appear on the public agenda, said titles shall be determined to have been read by title, and further reading is waived. The purpose of waiving the reading of ordinances in full and authorizing reading by title only is to help streamline the Council meeting process, to avoid unnecessary delay and to allow more time for substantive discussion of items on the agenda.
Reviewed:
_________________________
Sharon del Rosario
Approved:
_________________________
Carlo Tomaino
Attachments:
A. Street Tree Ordinance
B. 2023 Street Tree Master Plan
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