Planners Put Trees Front-And-Center In Quest To Spruce Up Dixon’s Special Aura and Ambience
Planners Put Trees Front-And-Center In Quest To Spruce Up Dixon’s Special Aura and Ambience
Special Report By Ben Edokpayi, Staff Writer ©
https://arboretum.ucdavis.edu/
Word Count 1228
Dixon, Calif: What tree goes on where was the front-burner topic for Planners at their Tuesday session, convened to update Dixon Street Trees List and Creation of Front Yard Tree List.
Before their deliberations on the matter, Community Development Director Raffi Boloyan and Associate Planner Scott Greeley informed Planners that it was important to bring the list up to code because the last update was in 2012.
In his presentation Greeley told the Commissioners that Street trees are planted within the City’s public right of way or on private property within 5 feet of the public right of way (DMC13.05.020).
The City’s Street Tree Ordinance gives the Planning Commission the authority to approve the City’s Street Tree List.
The following are key sections from the Dixon Municipal Code (DMC) that address street trees: DMC Section 13.05.030 (Recommended Street Trees for New Development) states: “The Planning Commission shall adopt by resolution a list of recommended tree species to be planted in the street tree area.
He added that the updated list shall be provided to developers of new development projects as a recommendation in those instances where the Planning Commission conducts a landscaping design review consistent with DMC 18.23.150.” DMC 13.050.030 (Certain Trees Prohibited) states: “A. It shall be unlawful to plant in the street tree area the following trees: blackwood acacia, black walnut, eucalyptus, elm, European hackberry, palm, poplar, sweet gum, tree of heaven, sycamore, locust, fruiting mulberry. B. It shall be unlawful to plant willow, cottonwood or poplar trees anywhere in the City unless the City Engineer or Public Works Director approves the site as one where the roots will not interfere with a public sewer.”
DMC section 18.23.150 (Functions of Design Review) states: “The function of design review are to review the following: “Landscaping, fencing, and other screening as designed on a landscape or irrigation plan featuring all existing trees and shrubs and proposed plantings
The Community Development Director and Associate Planner advised that the update include two lists One for street trees and one for front yard trees (areas in front of the property, outside the 5 ft street tree area). The reason for this, they advised, is that new front yard tree list is, historically, the Street Tree List has been utilized for more than just street tree recommendations. It was also used in making recommendations on appropriate trees for private development for non-residential landscape buffers and parking lots, as well as for front yard trees in residential subdivisions.
The latter (residential) has a greater degree of flexibility that is otherwise allowed, whereas the former (non-residential) as with typical street trees needs to be more restrictive, due to the increased risk of dropping of fruit and sidewalk litter as well as potential impacts to citywide utilities, including street lights and storm drains. The recommended tree lists for both street trees, as well as front yard trees, are attached as part of the resolution.
The List is advisory only and applies only to those development projects which require landscaping Design Review by the Planning Commission. The Commission last updated the list in 2012. At that time, the following changes were made: 1. The Trident Maple was added to the list. 2. The Western Redbud was deleted from the list due to low branch canopy that could create sight distance obstructions.
In collaboration with experts and arborists, the Public Works/Engineering Departments and Community Development Department worked to update the 2012 list. The Community Development took the lead in this process and found a volunteer, Jennifer Baumbach, Program Coordinator for Solano and Yolo Counties, UCCE Master Gardener Program, to assist in the review and update. The draft was then brought to the Public Works Department (Louren Kotow, Public Works Director and Dave Horigan, Parks and Building Maintenance Supervisor) for their review and comment. Following consultation with Public Works, the list was updated. The notable changes include: • Modifications and expansion to the number and type of allowed trees; • Establishment of selection criteria for how to consider species selection; • Identification of some key features, including water usage, height at maturity and Deciduous/Evergreen characteristics.
According to Scott Greeley the following trees have not been carried over from the earlier list to the proposed street tree list, but are still found on the front yard tree list. They are 1. Western Catalpa 2. Chinese Hackberry 3. Chinese Fringe Tree 4. Chilean Lily-of-the valley 5. English Hawthorn 6. Washington Hawthorn. The following trees have not been carried over from the earlier list to either of the proposed tree list: 1. Chanticleer Ornamental Pear 2. Blue Oak 3. Idaho Locust
The Commissioners looked to former Community Development Director Janet Koster, now on the commission, for guidance on the matter and she expertly delivered with these suggestions: Enhanced Air Quality Ratings for The Tree Lists, Replacement of the Western RedBud with the Oklahoma RedBud Species, Return of the Blue Oak Species Back To The Street Tree List and Diversity in the selection of Trees for the City’s Urban Forest Area.
Koster had some weighted comments on the Chinese Fringe Tree and Chilean Lily of the Valley, a species that flourishes in the southern part of that south American Nation, especially in the city of Concepcion.
She asked Greeley why both trees were removed from the Street Tree List and Put on the Front Yard List.
“ Unfortunately I need to refer to my notes. I think it was a recommendation from the Public Works Department. We would have to confirm that,” added Greeley.
Koster provided more insight about the uniqueness of both trees. “The Chinese Fringe Tree has no known pests or diseases associated with it so it is kind of unusual and not common for landscapers … The Chilean Lilly of The Valley is another UC Davis Arboretum All-Star for Doing well in this area,” she informed.
https://chile.gob.cl/estados-unidos/en/
At the end of the session which ended at the 55:59 hour mark, the six Planners Jack Caldwell, Randy Davis, Baudelio Diaz, Loraine Hernandez-Covello, Janet Koster And Rubi Medrano voted in favor of the adoption of the resolution.
Commissioner Mark Cooley was absent.
This is the front page lead in the July 15 Dixon Tribune edition. The Tribune is the newspaper of record for the City of Dixon. The city is formerly known as Dickson.
A Chilean Student at the Universdad De Concepcion On A Date With Her Nigerian-American Boyfriend At An Outdoors Eatery At A Mall In Concepcion With A Lily of the Valley branch in the Background. The tree is part of the landscape in recreational gardens in Central Concepcion near the Catholic Cathedral of the Most Holy. In the photo is Pope Francis who visited Peru https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/37571/dont-photoshop-your-heart-%E2%80%93-be-who-you-are-pope-tells-young-peruvians and Chile when current UN Human Rights Commission President Michelle Bachelet was Chilean President. https://trek.zone/en/chile/places/51424/cathedral-of-the-most-holy-conception-concepcion At the July 12 Parley, City Planner Janet Koster sad The Chilean Lilly of The Valley is another UC Davis Arboretum All-Star for Doing well in this area. Photo by Ben Edokpayi who dated Ana Maria Bustos, a 17 year old Virgin at the time photo was taken in ‘87.
In Honor of Former First Lady Ivana Trump Who Hailed from Zlin, Czechia and who loved the outdoors and gardening and passed on this healthy hobby to her children and grandchildren. https://nypost.com/2020/12/21/jared-and-ivankas-kids-leave-handprints-in-white-house-garden/
