“City arborist” means the person employed by the city as the city arborist responsible for making recommendations in the care, planting, pruning, trimming and removal of all trees in the city.

“Development” means any subdivision or other action requiring a building permit or any discretionary permit or approval by the city.

“Diameter” means the circumference measured at DSH (diameter shoulder height) or four feet, six inches as per ISA standards.

“Director” means the public works director or his or her designated representative.

“Discretionary development permit” means a permit issued for any project which requires the exercise of judgment or deliberation by a public official to approve or disapprove an activity, as distinguished from merely determining whether there has been compliance with applicable laws or regulations.

“Downtown district” means the area between Palm and Pacific and Santa Rosa and Nipomo, and extending south between Higuera and Marsh to where Higuera and Marsh meet, including both sides of each street.

“Establish” means to plant and maintain trees during the first years of their life to ensure their survival.

“Heritage tree” means any tree existing within the city limits, which has been so designated by resolution of the city council. Heritage trees shall be trees with notable historic interest or trees of an unusual species or size.

“ISA” means International Society of Arboriculture.

“Maintain” or “maintenance” means the entire care of trees as well as the preparation of ground and fertilizing, mulching, trimming and watering.

“Major streets” means those streets identified in the city’s current engineering standard, “Street Trees—Major Streets.”

“Master list” means those trees identified in the city’s engineering standard, “Street Trees—Master List.”

“Ministerial development permit” means a construction or development permit required to be issued by the city upon confirmation that the project application meets minimum statutory or code requirements and other adopted, uniform standards, the review of which requires little or no personal judgment by the reviewing public official as to the wisdom or manner of carrying out the project, such as the review and issuance of most building permits. For purposes of this chapter, the discretionary act of issuance of a tree removal permit does not redefine an otherwise ministerial development permit into a discretionary development permit.

“Native” means the following listed trees:

“Planting” means new planting and replacement planting.

“Public traffic” means all motorized vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, and personal mobility devices in and along the public right-of-way.

“Public utility” means any company doing business as a public utility under the jurisdiction of the Public Utilities Commission of the state and any duly constituted public agency authorized to provide and providing utility service.

Right-of-Way for Street Trees. See diagram.

“Site plan” means a map or diagram which will include all buildings, driveways, streets, sidewalks, utilities, trees by size and species and any proposed changes, additions or removals.

“Street tree” means a tree accepted by resolution of the city council and growing adjacent to dedicated roadways and within the city’s right-of-way or within a street tree easement accepted by the city.

“Tree” means a woody, perennial plant with one main stem or trunk which develops many branches; most trees are over ten feet tall. This definition shall include any tree planted by or required to be planted by the city which may attain the stated size at maturity. (Ord. 1664 § 2, 2019; Ord. 1544 § 1 (part), 2010)