3.2.400 Street Trees.
A. Applicability. This section sets standards and requirements for planting trees along all streets. Except for BDC 3.8.400(A), Mid-Block Development, and 3.8.1000, Shared Courts, street trees must be planted for developments subject to BDC Chapter 4.3, Land Divisions and Property Line Adjustments, for residential land divisions and BDC 4.2.500, Site Plan Review.
B. City of Bend Approved Tree List. The City has developed a list of trees for planting along streets in three size classes: low, medium and tall. Choices of trees are limited to the following list. Exceptions may be granted by the Planning Manager or designee. Multi-trunk and weeping varieties are not appropriate as street trees.
Street trees must be those species suitable for the location in which they are placed. Typically, trees with a hardiness rating for zones 1 through 5 will survive in Central Oregon as long as irrigation is provided. Approved tree species include:
1. |
Trees With Low Mature Tree Height (25 feet or less), For Use in Areas Under Power Lines: |
|
Approved Street Tree |
Estimated Tree Canopy Diameter at 15 Years After Planting |
|
Amur Maple/Acer ginnala |
15 feet |
|
Canada Red Cherry/Prunus virginiana “Shubert” |
15 feet |
|
Eastern Redbud/Cercis canadensis |
15 feet |
|
Flowering Crabapple/Malus “variety” (choose fruitless varieties) |
20 feet |
|
Hawthorn/Crataegus “variety” |
20 feet |
|
Japanese Lilac Tree/Syringa reticulata |
12 feet |
|
Serviceberry/Amelanchier |
15 feet |
|
2. |
Trees With Medium Mature Tree Height (30 to 45 feet): |
|
American Hornbeam/Carpinus caroliniana |
35 feet |
|
Callery Pear/Pyrus calleryana |
15 feet |
|
Hackberry/Celtis occidentalis “variety” |
40 feet |
|
Hedge Maple/Acer campestre |
25 feet |
|
Mountain Ash/Sorbus acuparia “variety” |
20 feet |
|
3. |
Trees With Tall Mature Tree Height (50 feet or larger) to Be Used Along Collector and Arterial Streets to Create a Canopy Over the Roadway: |
|
Green Ash/Fraxinus pennsylvanica |
40 feet |
|
Honey Locust/Gleditsia tricanthos “variety” |
50 feet |
|
Littleleaf Linden/Tilia cordata |
20 feet |
|
Norway Maple/Acer platanoides ‘variety’ |
30 feet |
|
Green Beech/Fagus sylvatica |
35 feet |
|
Pin Oak/Quercus palustris |
40 feet |
|
Red Maple/Acer rubrum ‘variety’ |
20 feet |
|
Red Oak/Quercus rubra |
60 feet |
|
4. |
Where the City has adopted a street tree master plan, those trees identified in the master plan must be used. |
C. Spacing and Location.
1. Street trees must be planted within existing or proposed planting strips or in City-approved sidewalk tree wells on streets without planting strips. Where the landscape strip and/or tree well is not wide enough to accommodate street trees, the street trees may be planted within five feet from the back of the sidewalk. Root barriers are required with street tree planting to protect the City’s curb and sidewalk. Existing trees located in the proposed planting strip or within five feet from back of sidewalk can count towards this requirement.
2. Trees with low mature height must be planted no further than 25 feet apart; trees with medium and tall mature height must be planted no further than 35 feet apart, except where planting a tree would conflict with existing trees, retaining walls, utilities and similar physical barriers. A random spacing of trees may be approved for the equivalent number of trees required for the length of the frontage.
3. Trees must be planted no closer than 35 feet from a stop sign.
4. New trees are not permitted within the clear vision area.
D. Where sidewalks are being constructed with a development the street trees must not be planted until the sidewalks are completed.
E. Sidewalk Tree Wells. Street trees planted within sidewalk tree wells must be installed with a City-approved tree grate.
F. Assurances. If the street trees are not otherwise covered by a maintenance bond for public infrastructure, then the Planning Director may require the owner/developer to provide a performance and maintenance bond in an amount equal to 120 percent of the actual cost to purchase, plant and maintain for a minimum of one full growing season, to ensure the planting of the tree(s) and care during the first year after planting.
G. Utility Easements. All street trees must be placed outside utility easements unless the utilities can be placed in a conduit for maintenance. If the existing planter strip contains such easements and is not wide enough to also accommodate street trees, the street tree location requirement in subsection (C) of this section may be adjusted as approved by the Planning Manager. [Ord. NS-2488, 2023; Ord. NS-2445, 2022; Ord. NS-2423, 2021; Ord. NS-2389, 2020; Ord. NS-2353, 2019; Ord. NS-2303, 2018; Ord. NS-2016, 2006]