On July 14, 2020, the City Council directed staff to review the City’s tree preservation and landscaping standards as a part of the 2020 UDC Annual Review Cycle. The purpose of these revisions is to address ambiguity, conflicts with other code sections, and challenges found in its implementation on several development projects. Tree Preservation standards are part of the City’s development standards for subdivisions and development of property to protect the City's natural and ecological resources essential to its health and community character. Landscaping standards as part of the City’s zoning standards for development of property to protect and enhance the character and wellbeing of Georgetown’s residences and visitors.

Relevant sections of the UDC that contain tree preservation and landscape standards, include but are not limited to:

• Section 3.16, Administrative Exceptions
• Section 3.23, Heritage Tree Removal Permit
• Section 4.11, Gateway Overlay Districts
• Section 8.02, Tree Preservation & Protection
• Section 8.03, Residential Landscaping
• Section 8.04, Non-Residential Landscape Requirements
• Section 8.05, Review & Approval Process
• Section 8.06, Plant Selection, Installation, & Maintenance
• Section 11.02, Impervious Cover 
• Section 16.02, Definitions

To facilitate the review process for this amendment, issues identified by the public, the UDC Advisory Committee and City staff were grouped into three (3) focus areas:

• Tree Preservation, Removal and Mitigation;
• Street yards, Gateways and Parking landscape standards; and
• Screening and Water Conservation.

For each of these focus areas, we executed an Action Plan that consisted of the following steps:

1. Identify and discuss specific issues related to each focus area:
   • What we are trying to resolve
   • Background on how we got here
   • What we can do to resolve each issue;
2. Discuss current terms and code requirements;
3. Discuss possible solutions and proposed terms; and
4. Validate the recommended solutions.
   • Direction to draft code changes.

The specific list of issues reviewed and proposed to be amended for each of these three (3) focus area was finalized by the UDC Advisory Committee at their September 9, 2020 meeting (Attachment I). The proposed terms recommended to address each issue were discussed and finalized at the UDC Advisory Committee meetings on October 14, November 11 and December 9, 2020, and January 13, 2021 (Attachment II). Attachment III includes a list of each issue identified, along with the current and proposed terms, and applicable sections that will be revised. 

The purpose of this item is to discuss the proposed amendments to the UDC to address each issue. The proposed amendments have been included as Attachment IV.