As used in this chapter:

“Arborist” means a specialist in planting, pruning and diagnosing tree health and tree maintenance and certified by the International Society of Arboriculture.

“Diameter” means a straight line passing through the center of a tree from side to side. The methodology to compute the diameter shall be the circumference of the tree at four and one-half feet above the grade divided by 3.1416.

“Director” means the Public Works Director or his/her designee.

“Developed lot, tract or parcel” means any share, portion or division of real property, whether developed or partially developed with a structure requiring a building permit.

“Exempt trees” means English laurel (Prunus laurocerasus) and other laurel species, English holly (Ilex sp.) and non-native cultivated fruit trees including but not limited to apple (Malus sp.), pear (Pyrus sp.), cherry (Prunus sp.), plum (Prunus sp.), peach (Prunus sp.), apricot (Prunus sp.), nectarine (Prunus sp.), other similar fruit tree species, and all trees less than eight inches in diameter not covered by this chapter.

“Hazardous condition” means any tree which creates a condition that is a danger to persons, property, utilities or access as determined by the Director or certified arborist or, in the case of emergent threat of injury to person or property, by the resident on the property.

“Land development activity” means any activity requiring permits or other approvals for the purposes of land clearing, grading/land modification, subdivisions or short subdivisions, an increase in lot coverage, or the construction or alteration of any building, utility or improvement.

“Replacement tree” means any tree of a species native to the Pacific Northwest that is planted, or in the case of heavily wooded property, designated by the Director as a substitute for a removed tree.

“Routine property maintenance” means any work on a developed lot, tract or parcel that results in the loss of a tree but does not require a development application as defined in Sections 14A.04.020(3) and (10).

“Tree” means any tree, not exempted by this chapter, with a main trunk of eight inches or more in diameter.

“Tree permit” means the permit granted by the town to remove trees.

“Tree removal” means the removal of a tree or vegetation, through either direct or indirect actions, including but not limited to clearing, topping or cutting; which causes irreversible damage to roots or trunks; poisoning; destroying the structural integrity; and/or filling, excavation, grading, or trenching in the drip line area of a tree which has the potential to cause irreversible damage to the tree.

“Undeveloped lot, tract or parcel” means any share, portion or division of real estate on which no structure requiring a building permit exists and which may be further developed or subdivided in accordance with the town’s zoning regulations. For the purposes of this chapter, lots tracts or parcels that are in the process of being developed with an approved development permit are considered undeveloped.

“Year” means a twelve-month period beginning on the day a tree permit is issued by the town. (Ord. 03-425 (part), 2003)