The Cupertino Courier

News

City council trims fees, reshapes tree ordinance

By Cody Kraatz

The Cupertino City Council chopped away at fees for residents who apply for permits before removing trees and planted a few more trees in the city's protected tree list, ending months of discussion and public input.

The June 5 decision encourages residents to apply for permits by lowering the permit fee to $150 for the first tree and $75 for others. The previous fee of $2,536 included the city's recovery of costs for staff time in processing permit applications. It will still cost $2,536 if a resident removes a tree without a permit.

The council also expanded the protected tree list to include all native oaks, bay laurel and western sycamore, and will notify residents within 500 feet or two houses, whichever distance is greater, of a tree marked for removal.

Planning department staff will have greater discretion under the new ordinance, working with property owners to pick locations for replacement trees and approving most tree removals without a planning commission hearing. The council specified that in-lieu fees, charged if a replacement cannot be planted, be used for tree-related purposes within five years.

Residents must apply for a tree-removal permit from the Cupertino Community Development Department. Forms and information are available online at www.cupertino.org on the Planning Department page. Residents can also report code violations to 408.777.3200.