Removing Dead, Fallen Trees Becomes Easier in Saratoga

The Saratoga City Council has made the removal of dead and fallen trees easier for residents.

On March 6, the body voted to amend the city code to waive the application fee for a permit to remove a fallen tree, refund the application fee for a permit for a dead tree and shorten the processing time to obtain a permit for all applicants.

The amendment was considered by the Saratoga Planning Commission.

Neighbors will still be notified when trees are proposed for removal and a 15-day appeal period will remain in effect, according to a staff report about the issue.

In addition to a Tree Preservation Plan, the city requires a security deposit for the protection of trees on projects where the canopies of protected trees extend within five feet of proposed construction.

The amount of the tree protection security deposit is to be equal to 100 percent of the combined value of all protected trees potentially impacted by the work, according to a staff report.

The city believes that applicants are more likely to adhere to the Tree Preservation Plan for a project when they know that the city is holding funds and can retain them if trees are damaged during construction, the report said.

The average amount of tree protection security deposits in 2012 was approximately $42,000, the report stated.