Tree planting equivalency credits.

Houston Code of Ordinances § 33-123

in effect

Sec. 33-123. - Tree planting equivalency credits. (a) The following credits may be claimed against the total tree requirement under this division: (1) Credit for planting trees exceeding the minimum caliper required. Credit toward the total tree requirement shall be given for the planting of trees that exceed the minimum caliper required by this division at the rate of two trees for each tree with a caliper of four inches or more that is planted. (2) Credit for depositing with the city's department of parks and recreation a sum of money equal to the cost of planting the required trees. Money so deposited shall be placed in a special fund designated for the purposes of planting street trees in city parks or public street rights-of-way that are located within the park sector in which the removed trees were located. The credit shall be calculated based on a planting cost per tree of $500.00 per fifteen-gallon container-grown tree, planted and maintained for a year, subject to a cost adjustment from January 2002 in accordance with the formula established in the definition of the term "cost adjustment." The maximum allowable credit under this option shall not exceed 30 percent of the total tree requirement. (3) Credit for preserving existing on-site trees. Credit for the preservation of existing on-site trees (including any to be transplanted) may be granted when requested and depicted on the landscape plan in accordance with section 33-122. In order to be eligible for credit, an existing tree to be preserved on the site shall have a minimum caliper of 1½ inches, shall be in good condition, and shall be true to species habit and form. Credit for preserving existing trees shall be granted based upon the caliper of the trees preserved, with a credit of one tree to be allowed for each 1½ total caliper inches of eligible trees that are preserved, subject to the limitations otherwise provided in this division. This item (3) shall not apply to trees situated in the abutting street right-of-way. (4) Credit for preserving existing right-of-way street trees. Credit for the preservation of existing trees situated within the abutting street right-of-way that are designated on the street tree list may be granted when requested and depicted on the landscape plan in accordance with section 33-122 of this Code. In order to be eligible for credit, an existing street tree to be preserved shall have a minimum caliper of 1½ inches, shall be situated in the street right-of-way, be in good condition, and be true to a species listed on the street the list in habit and form. Credit for preserving existing street trees shall be granted on the basis of one street tree preserved for each street tree otherwise required to be planted in the same blockface under this article, with no additional credit being allowed for preservation of a street tree that exceeds 1½ inches in caliper. Preservation methods for the tree must be at a minimum those specified in section 33-130 of this Code. Provided, however, that: (5) The combined credit under items (1) and (2) above may not exceed 50 percent of the total tree planting requirement, and (6) The total number of street trees, whether planted or preserved, shall never be less than 50 percent of the number required in section 33-126 of this Code as applied separately to each side of the property that abuts a street right-of-way and, if any side abuts two or more block faces, then separately to each block face. (b) A credit may be claimed for up to the entire protected tree replacement requirement for preservation of existing trees in the same manner provided in subsection (a)(3), above, except that the credit shall be based upon one caliper inch of tree preserved for one caliper inch of tree removed. However, a tree or caliper inch portion of a tree preserved may only be used for credit against the total tree requirement or the protected tree replacement requirement, but not both. (c) Any owner who proposes to plant trees when no planting requirement exists under this division or desires to plant trees in excess of the requirements of this division may, at the time of filing of a landscape plan, request future credit against tree requirements upon the same building site. Upon completion of the work and verification of the unrequired planting or excess in planting by the planning official, a certificate of credit shall be provided by the planning official to the owner. (Ord. No. 03-159, § 5, 2-12-03; Ord. No. 04-1015, § 25, 9-27-04; Ord. No. 09-84, § 9, 2-11-09)

Source: City of Houston, Code of Ordinances and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/tx/houston/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_CH33PLDE_ARTVTRSHSCFE_DIV2BUSI_S33-123TRPLEQCRFetched: 10/26/2026