So, you're planning a development. Maybe its' a new addition to your dwelling, or a new pool for the family. Maybe it's a full tear down and rebuild to create the home of your dreams. Whatever your development ambitions may be, where you need a building permit you'll need to make an application under the Tree Bylaw(s) in place in your community.
Often this portion of the development application process can seem simple on it's surface, but without a proper planning around the trees on and adjacent your property your application will be bounced on the review. This leads to plan changes and unnecessary revisions that cost time and money, making your development application more stressful and anxiety inducing than it needs to be.
Follow our ten tips for successful tree protection planning below and enjoy your next application for development without the added stress of tree bylaw related revisions.
- Don't Wait Until the Last Minute to Call a Certified Arborist
In my career I can't begin to tell you the number of times I've got a call that said "We've already applied and then they bounced our application because we don't have an Arborist Report and Tree Protection Plan. We need this done ASAP, it's the last item remaining!". I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if this is you, you're already in trouble and likely in for time delays.
Get the arborist involved early in the planning and design phase. They are a valuable member of the design team, and their knowledge and expertise can save you time and money throughout the application process.
- Make Sure Your Arborist has all the Information They Need
Seems simple enough. They’ll just need an address and a site plan, right? Well, they’ll need a bit more than that. Make sure you provide the arborist with all of the plans for development in place, including proposed services, grading and drainage features, as well as any construction details. Don’t forget elevation views, so your arborist knows that there’s a full basement proposed beneath that rear porch.
With a clear picture of the proposed construction your arborist can effectively identify any areas of trouble with trees and implement strategies to prevent and minimize tree impacts across your site.
- An Accurate Tree Survey of All Trees is Essential
The first step to any Arborist Report and Tree Protection Plan is performing the Tree Survey for the site. From location and identification to all the measurements of tree size and assessment of condition, this Tree Survey data forms the bones of everything going forward. I cannot stress enough how crucial it is for this to be done right the first time, and for ALL trees to be included. This should include all trees 10cm DBH and up that are on the property of course, but don’t forget to get those trees on adjacent properties where a protection zone area might cross to the property line.
A good rule of thumb to use for including neighbor trees is that if the canopy extent of a neighbor tree crosses or it comes up to the property line, include that tree! Remember, it’s always better to have additional information then it is to be missing information when submitting your tree related application. A missed tree will guarantee you an otherwise avoidable revision.
- A Preliminary Tree Inventory and Protection Zone Drawing Can be Invaluable.
Just as you would have mapped out the areas limiting development for your site (setbacks/building envelope limits/etc.) to use as reference during the design process, your Arborist should be able to provide you with the tree protection zone limits for each tree in the project drafted on to the existing site survey of the property for your reference. This resource can be invaluable, as with this in hand and a quick call to your arborist to discuss, you’ll know exactly which trees to avoid in your design to keep out of trouble in the review, which trees are going to be impacted or require removal, and can plan how to perform your construction with minimal tree impact.
In my experience over the years, the smoothest projects were those that used a Preliminary Tree Inventory and Protection Zone Drawings for planning their development around the trees on the site. These sites had approval of their tree bylaw related application far sooner than those that got the arborist involved after the design plans had been finalized.
- Sometimes and Encroachment into a Tree Protection Zone Is Unavoidable. Don’t Fret, Use Your Arborists’ Expertise!
Even with the best planning to minimize tree impacts on a site, encroachments within a Tree Protection Zone (TPZ) are sometimes unavoidable. Couple that with trees around the site that simply cannot be removed or significantly impacted (e.g. Neighbor Trees/Public Trees/Heritage Trees/etc.), and you can wind up in a bit of planning trouble! Whether it be from excavation overdig required for the foundation of your dream home affecting a neighboring tree, or services required for the site needing to be connected to public laterals within a Municipal Trees’ TPZ area, get your Arborist on the case. Trust their expertise in tree impact assessment and mitigation and be flexible with your building methods. It might be that a small shift in foundation design, or a clever way of installing that service line, can minimize the impact to that tree if not prevent it entirely.
- Demand a Drafted and to Scale Arborist Drawing
Does your Tree Protection Plan Drawing from your Arborist show all the info you need to scale? Is it easy to use in coordinated works? Or does it look like a red line drawing of a line of hoarding on the existing survey done up in MS paint? If the later is what you’ve received, get a new Arborist. Trust me, you’ll thank me later.
This is a huge issue in the industry, as not all Arborists draft their Tree Protection Plan Drawings. That isn’t to say that you can’t have success with a sketch done by the Arborist if they give you accurate and detailed measurements for all the information needed to be placed on the plan, but you’ll be looking at extra time for drafting by other consultants to create that Tree Protection Plan you just paid for as a drafted and to scale drawing for use in both coordination with other drawings and in application. That cheap Arborist Report and Tree Protection Plan you just received will quickly turn in to a more expensive bill from your other consultants, and if there is a revision after the fact, the whole cycle will start over again!
Get an Arborist that can draft your tree protection plan in CAD, and provide you with not only the published pdf drawings, but also the CAD file or layers needed for easy coordination with your other consultants drafting plans. Although this arborist isn’t likely to be your low bidder on the project, this one seemingly small benefit of CAD drafted drawings will save you time and money over the course of your project!
- A Detailed Arborist Report is Key
Many times I’ve heard a client ask, “We just need a letter from you for our application, right?”, and my answer is always the same. Except for the rare property where there are no tree impacts or removals, you’re going to need more than just a letter, you’re going to need a properly prepared Arborist Report to go with your Tree Protection Plan Drawing.
This report must be more than a letter for a development application and should be detailed. Its purpose is to give you and the reviewer all the information needed to efficiently assess and review not only the trees on or adjacent the site, but the proposed impact of the development to those trees. It shouldn’t just mention trees being removed and what pruning needs to be done for future maintenance but should detail the proposed tree impacts from the development, and how to minimize those impacts too.
Make sure that the Arborist Report you contracted is going to include all the information needed by the reviewer for a successful application and give you the information needed to successfully protect your trees throughout your construction!
- A Cheaper Arborist Report and Tree Protection Plan Won’t Save You Money
So you’ve got yourself three quotes for your upcoming project. One is $1500, one is $1800, and one is….$600! Wow, that’s less than half the price of the other guys! They must be gouging, right?
Wrong!
Trust me when I say that the cheap Arborist Report and Tree Protection Plan may seem like a good idea to save a few bucks but when it comes to the end of the day you’re going to pay more in total for all the delays, revisions, and extra coordination needed with the low bidder. When it comes to your application, trust an expert in tree protection planning and hire an Arborist that regularly consults on tree protection for development. They should have all the tools needed to do the job right and make the next steps easier for you; from the appropriate site tools for assessment, to CAD software for drafting your tree protection plan to scale and providing the layers for coordination. Often the firm that specializes in tree protection for development will have a higher quote up front but will be able to save you money throughout the development application. When the properly prepared Arborist Report and Tree Protection Plan saves you just one revision or plans, it will have more than saved you the difference in cost from that quoted by the low bidder.
- Revisions Are a Natural Part of Any Application for Development – Stay Patient and Stay Flexible
Whether it be a variance application that didn’t get approved, an existing public lateral that can’t be reused for connecting the new services, or just a change in what you want to include in your dream rear yard oasis, revisions to your plan will happen throughout the development application process. These are natural and shouldn’t be too great a worry, assuming you’re flexible and willing to work with your team around the issues at hand.
If the item is tree related, Your arborist can direct your team in how to solve the issue, however, you may need to be open to changes in design or the orientation of features. Remember that the goal isn’t to ruin your design or dream yard but is to adjust the extents so that they effectively protect your trees and satisfy the requirements of your application review. Often just a small change to the location of a feature can solve all your tree protection issues.
Even when the revisions aren’t tree related, remember to keep your Arborist in the loop! Changes to the site plan or grading and servicing plans often result in needed updates to the Tree Protection Plan to adjust hoarding, and at minimum ensure that the proposal in the Arborist Report and Tree Protection Plan matches the latest plans. Remember to send them any plan revisions and updates so that they can reassess the construction impacts proposed, protections required, and update your Arborist Report and Tree Preservation Plan to give your trees the best protection possible.
- Communication and Coordination is Key for a Successful Application
If you’ve followed our tips above, you’ll be well positioned for a successful application, but don’t forget this last and most important tip. Communication and Coordination is Key!
Just the same as any team endeavor, throughout the design and application process consultants should be organized and in communication to ensure that everyone is on the same page and working toward the same goal. Normally, coordination of the team is handled by the project manager, but make sure they don’t forget to include the Arborist on design changes, or revisions needed. It’s far too often that plans or changes to plans get to sent to the arborist last minute after all other plans have been changed without thought to tree protection. This can lead to revisions being needed to accommodate the tree protection or can lead to otherwise unnecessary and avoidable tree impacts resulting in more application revisions on review. Keep your arborist in the loop and coordinating with the team, and you’ll find that they can be an invaluable resource at steering you clear of trouble with trees throughout the design and application process.
Looking for an Arborist to prepare an Arborist Report and Tree Protection Plan for your next development application? Visit our website at www.glnconsulting.com for find out how GLN can help!