Saratoga Urban Forest Master Plan - Sustainable Saratoga

Urban and Community Forest Master Plan

City of Saratoga Springs, New York DRAFT Issued for Public Comment 5/07/2013

City of Saratoga Springs Mayor Scott Johnson

Public Works Commissioner Anthony Scirocco Finance Commissioner Michele Madigan

Commissioner of Public Safety Chris Mathiesen Commissioner of Accounts John Franck

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Table of Contents

Table of Contents ____________________________________________________________________ I. Introduction____________________________________________________________________ 1

1. The Vision ___________________________________________________________________________1 2. The DEC Grant ________________________________________________________________________2 3. The Benefits of Trees __________________________________________________________________3 4. The Master Plan Process________________________________________________________________4 II. The Urban Forest of Saratoga _______________________________________________________ 5 1. Saratoga's Urban Forest: A Brief History ___________________________________________________5 2. Saratoga's Urban Forest: Today ? The Tree Inventory ________________________________________7 3. Saratoga's Urban Forest: The Condition in 2012 -- Analyzing the Tree Inventory Data ______________9 4. Costs and Benefits of the City's Trees ___________________________________________________ 15 III. Review of Current Tree Management and Planning - Practices and Regulations _____________ 16 1. 2001 Comprehensive Plan ____________________________________________________________ 16 2. Open Space Plan, 1994 (The City in the Country), ________________________________________ 16 3. City Code, Chapter 220: trees ________________________________________________________ 16 4. City Charter: Title 5. The Commissioner of Public Works______________________________________ 17 5. Zoning Ordinance _____________________________________________________________________ 17 6. Subdivision Regulations______________________________________________________________ 19 7. Land-Use Board discretion __________________________________________________________ 19 8. Standard Details - Construction Practices, Section L-01_____________________________________ 20 9. Operating Budget: Line 8560, Trees ____________________________________________________ 20 10. Climate Smart ____________________________________________________________________ 21 11. Complete Streets Policy ____________________________________________________________ 21 IV. Action Strategies for Preserving and Expanding the Urban Forest ________________________ 22 1. ACTION STRATEGY ONE. Use planning, legislation, and enforcement to integrate trees more fully into Saratoga Springs' infrastructure____________________________________________________________ 22 2. ACTION STRATEGY TWO. Appoint City Arborist, Update inventory information regularly and review plans and adjust strategy annually. _________________________________________________________ 26 3. ACTION STRATEGY THREE. Develop and Implement Best Management Practices. _______________ 28

4. ACTION STRATEGY 4. Identify, commit, and leverage more resources for the urban forest. _______ 31 5. ACTION STRATEGY 5. Promote & cultivate citizen involvement. _______________________________ 33 V. Implementation Timetable: Goals to be accomplished in the short term, medium term, and long term_____________________________________________________________________________ 35 SHORT-TERM ACTIONS ___________________________________________________________________ 35 MEDIUM-TERM ACTIONS _________________________________________________________________ 37 LONG-TERM ACTIONS ____________________________________________________________________ 38 VI. Planting Priorities _______________________________________________________________ 39 The Commercial Core ____________________________________________________________________ 40 Washington Street and Congress Square Neighborhood ________________________________________ 42 Vanderbilt Terrace ______________________________________________________________________ 44 Southwest Neighborhood_________________________________________________________________ 44 APPENDIX A ? Tree Inventory Data Sheet _________________________________________________ i APPENDIX B - Chapter 220 Update ? Sample Tree Ordinance ________________________________ ii APPENDIX C ? Proposed Revisions to Subdivision Regulation Appendix H ____________________ xviii APPENDIX D ?Best Management Practices Summary _____________________________________ xix

Selecting Street Trees _____________________________________________________________________________xix Standard Planting Details and Practices _______________________________________________________________xxi Tree Size _______________________________________________________________________________________ xxiv Tree Care, Mulching, Watering, Fertilization __________________________________________________________ xxv Regular Tree Maintenance ________________________________________________________________________xxvi Tree Removal and Replacement ____________________________________________________________________xxvi

APPENDIX E - Site Assessment for Tree Selection ________________________________________ xxvii APPENDIX F - Planting Checklist ____________________________________________________ xxviii APPENDIX G? Heritage Tree Program Overview ________________________________________ xxix APPENDIX H ? Recommended Tree List ________________________________________________ xxxii APPENDIX I ? Public Comments _____________________________________________________ xxxiii

Received Via Email Correspondence ______________________________________________________ xxxiii Public Comment Summary _______________________________________________________________ xxxv The Public Survey Results _______________________________________________________________ xxxvii APPENDIX J ? References to Trees in Zoning Ordinance _________________________________ xxxviii Saratoga Springs Zoning Ordinance ______________________________________________________ xxxviii

Saratoga Springs Subdivision Regulations _____________________________________________________ xl APPENDIX K ? New York Urban Tree Resources __________________________________________xliii

A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING APPLICATION TO THE NYS DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION FOR GRANT ASSISTANCE TO PREPARE AN

URBAN AND COMMUNITY FORESTRY PROGRAM (Passed unanimously by the Saratoga Springs City Council, June 3, 2008)

WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Saratoga Springs recognizes the inherent value and benefits of preserving, maintaining and improving its urban forest, and

WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Saratoga Springs proposes to develop a comprehensive Urban and Community Forest Master Plan designed and intended to guide the preservation, maintenance, improvement, expansion and long term stewardship of the City's tree cover and canopy within the urban core, and

WHEREAS, this City Council finds and declares that the preservation and expansion of the Urban Forest will serve the public interest by improving the community's physical, social, cultural and economic environment, and

WHEREAS, the project has the following specific objectives: air quality improvement, expansion of the clean air shed, reduction of storm water runoff, mitigation of urban `heat island' effects, streetscape and structure heating & cooling improvement, reduction of energy use and urban noise abatement, and

WHEREAS, this City Council also finds and declares that the development and implementation of a sustainable community level urban forestry program will positively impact climate change and promote Environmental Justice, and

WHEREAS, the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation has invited communities to seek up to $20,000 in grant assistance to prepare and administer an urban and Community Forestry Program, and

WHEREAS, said communities must provide an equal match in cash and/or in-kind services, and WHEREAS, a proposed application has been prepared, now therefore, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Mayor be authorized to submit, consistent with state and City requirements, said application for assistance in an amount not to exceed $20,000, and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that up to $10,000 in matching funds be made available from City contingency funds and up to $10,000 in City matching services be authorized upon application approval.

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