§ 14-150. Definitions.

The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this article, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:

Abut or abutting means having property lines in common.

Buffer yard means the required installation of landscaping and/or screening materials between certain uses.

Buffer zone. See Buffer yard.

Canopy tree means a medium or large deciduous tree, Live Oak, or Monterrey Oak with a mature height of more than 25 feet at maturity.

Clear vision area means the triangular area adjacent to the intersection of any street within which no obstruction may be placed which would block the sight lines for vehicular traffic.

DBH means diameter at breast height, which is specified herein as 4½ feet or 54 inches.

Deciduous means plants that lose their leaves annually.

Deciduous tree means a tree which sheds or loses foliage at the end of the growing season.

Hedge means a row of nondeciduous plants or shrubs that, when mature, form an opaque barrier or visual screen.

Heritage tree means the tree species specified in Table 5 herein which are of such size as to deserve special consideration during mitigation. Table 5 herein specifies the tree species and their corresponding DBH size requirements to qualify for heritage tree designation.

Landscaping means the process or product of site development, including grading, installation of plant materials and seeding of turf or ground cover.

Large shrub means any plant, deciduous or evergreen, which is generally multistemmed and reaches a height of ten feet or more upon maturity.

Large tree means a tree of a species which normally reaches a height of 30 feet or more upon maturity.

Medium shrub means any plant, deciduous or evergreen, which is generally multistemmed and reaches a height of five to six feet or more upon maturity.

Medium tree means a tree of a species which normally reaches a height exceeding 15 feet, but less than 30 feet upon maturity.

Mitigation means the process of alleviating, abating or diminishing something of a harmful, severe or calamitous nature.

Mitigation tree means a tree used for the purpose of mitigating the destruction or removal of a protected tree or heritage tree pursuant to the requirements of this article.

Plant means trees, shrubs, grasses, vines, ground cover, ferns, mosses.

Protected tree means the tree species of a minimum size specified in Table 5 herein that must be accounted for and dealt with per the various requirements of this article.

Small tree means a tree of a species which normally reaches a height of less than 15 feet upon maturity.

Street yard means the area of a lot or parcel which lies between the property line along a dedicated public or private street and the actual exterior wall of the enclosed building, exclusive of steps, porches or other attachments.

Understory means the general term used to describe a wide range of native natural vegetation, including grasses, groundcover, wildflowers, shrubs, bushes and trees.

Understory tree means a tree of a species which normally reaches a height of 15 feet to 35 feet upon maturity.

(Ord. No. 600-149-05, § 3, 1-18-2005; Ord. No. 0-2015-009 , § I, 3-23-2015)