05-08-2000 Regular Meeting•
CITY OF CLERMONT
MINUTES
ORDINANCE REVIEW BOARD
MAY 8, 2000
The meeting of the Ordinance Review Board was called to order Monday, May 8, 2000
at 7:00 P.M. Members present were Council Member Liaison Hope Lamb, Elaine
Renick, Howard Barry, Robert Stroble, and Carl Palmisciano. Member George Wood
was absent. Also in attendance were Barry Brown, Director of Planning and Mimi
Ogden, Planner I.
Director of Planning Brown, introduced Charles Fedunak, Environmental Horticulture
Agent for Lake County, Alan Heinrich, Horticulturist, with Cherry Lake Farms, James
Warner, Landscape Architect, Tina Carter with Marian Gardens Tree Farm and Bill
Kyle, landscape installer.
Director of Planning Brown explained that the method of measuring trees in the City's
landscape ordinance is at 4'/Z feet dbh, which is the diameter breast height (dbh) at 4'/Z
feet above grade. DBH is a method of measurement used in forestry, but is not the
method used by the nursery industry. The method used by the nursery industry is a
caliper measurement, 6" above grade for trees 4" in diameter and less, and 12" above
grade for trees over 4".
Council Member Liaison Lamb stated that she would not support reducing the size of
the trees. The City's regulations presently require a minimum tree size of 3" dbh at 4'/z
feet above grade, which is approximately equivalent to a 4" caliper tree measured at 6"
above grade.
Mr. Warner concurred that a 3'/z` to 4" tree, depending on the species, would be
equivalent to the City's present requirement of 3" dbh at 4'/z feet above grade.
Regarding containerized versus non-containerized trees, Mr. Heinrich explained that
with a containerized tree 100 percent of the roots are planted in the hole. With a balled
and burlapped a lot of the roots are left in the field, however, there are some balled and
burlapped companies that will harden off their trees before they are shipped.
Discussion followed regarding regulations for maintaining landscaping and for enforcing
such regulations and the possibility of the City allowing streetscaping in the future.
Planning Director Brown noted that streetscaping is being investigated. The major
concern is the infrastructure that is in the right-of-way and the long term maintenance of
the lines and therefore the long term cost to the citizens of Clermont. Apparently there
is a new type of barrier that can be placed around water and sewer lines that will
encourage the roots to grow around and not into the lines.
Discussion followed regarding the availability of 4" trees in 95 gallon containers and the
cost of the tree. The cost was estimated to be approximately $400 for the tree only and
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ORDINANCE REVIEW BOARD
MAY 8, 2000
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approximately $400 to install. The cost of a tree in a 65 gallon (3" tree) was estimated
at $250, a 2 to 2 Y2" caliper tree (30 gallon) about $90 and a 1 '/z" tree $50. Tina Carter
noted that the supply of the larger trees would go up with the demand for the larger
trees.
Elaine Renick suggested that the City have different tree size requirements for
residential and commercial property.
Council Member Liaison Lamb suggested that residential lots that already have 3 or
more trees that are 4 inch or greater caliper, be given credit for those trees.
There was a consensus of the Board that the method of measuring should be changed
from diameter breast height to caliper according to the Florida Grades and Standards.
Council Member Liaison Lamb asked if there was a consensus among the members as
to the tree size that should be required.
Member Robert Stroble stated he felt it would be to onerous to require 3 trees with a 4"
caliper for residential. He felt perhaps one tree should be 4" in caliper and the other
two should be smaller and the City should require at least one tree in front.
Member Carl Palmisciano was also concerned (for residential uses) with the cost of a 4"
caliper tree and installation of the tree, which was estimated to be approximately $700
to $800 per tree.
Bill Kyle stated that if you were to plant two trees at the same time, one being a 30
gallon tree and the other a 100 gallon tree, and if the trees are watered and fertilized
properly, within a few years after planting you would not be able to tell which tree was
smaller than the other at the time of planting. This is because the larger tree takes
longer to become established than the smaller tree.
It was the consensus of the Board that the minimum tree size should be 3'/z" caliper for
commercial. Discussion followed regarding the number of trees and size to require for
residential.
Discussion followed regarding increasing landscape buffer widths and island sizes for
commercial developments. Charles Fedunak and Alan Heinrich explained that large
trees in a parking lot aid in keeping the parking lot cooler and noted that the landscape
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ORDINANCE REVIEW BOARD
MAY 8, 2000
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islands should be approximately 250 s.f. to give the trees the room necessary to grow.
Mr. Fedunak suggested that the landscape islands should be spaced further apart and
have larger islands, rather than having smaller islands every 10 parking spaces.
The next Ordinance Review Board meeting was scheduled for Monday, June 12, 2000
at 7:00 p.m.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:05 p.m.
Chairman
ATTEST:
Mimi Ogden, Planner I