Zoning Ordinance, Section 16

§ 16.04 Tree Planting Requirements

The text in force today, and every version since 2010.

Unofficial compilation built from the City's published 2010 Code chapters and the text of adopted ordinances. Effective dates are inferred from adoption records; scanned chapters were OCR'd. The City of Tiffin's adopted Code of Ordinances governs. Not legal advice.

16.04 TREE PLANTING REQUIREMENTS

A. Plantings Required Prior To Occupancy:

I. All plantings required by this section must be installed prior to occupancy or commencement of a use, except as allowed in subsection A2 of this section.

2. If the plantings cannot be installed prior to occupancy or commencement of a use due to seasonal conditions that may reduce survivability, the building official may issue a temporary certificate of occupancy and grant a delay of installation until the seasonal calendar dates of June I or November 1, whichever occurs first, and the property owner must place in an escrow account, established with the City, an amount which will cover one hundred ten percent (110%) of the estimated cost of plants and installation.

B. Planting Sizes:

1. Deciduous Trees: At the time of planting, deciduous trees must have a single stem and have a minimum trunk diameter of one and one-half inches (1. 5") measured at a point six inches (6") above ground level or above the top of burlap wrapping. It must demonstrate the growth capabilities, branching formation and crown balance that are indigenous to the particular variety. The tree must be straight of

DocuSign Envelope ID: 957DE829-DFC1-4451-BAE6-1D55916D910E trunk with the main leader intact and must be healthy and free of disease and pests.

2. Coniferous Trees: At the time of planting, coniferous trees must have a minimum height of three feet (3') measured from the planted level to the top of the tree. The needle color and branching habits must be normal for the species, and the overall appearance must be indicative of previous care in pruning and development. The tree must be healthy and free of disease and pests.

C. Siting Requirements:

1. Trees must be located in a manner that, at maturity, will avoid interference with the construction, maintenance and operation of public and private utilities and services aboveground or belowground.

2. The minimum planting area required for large trees is two hundred fifty six (256) square feet. The minimum planting area required for small trees is one hundred twenty (120) square feet.

3. At the time of planting, trees and plantings must be separated from other structures and features on a site in order to minimize conflicts as plants mature.

Table 16-1 below specifies the minimum spacing between plantings and various features of a site. However, the minimum distances between trees, between trees and shrubs, and between shrubs may be reduced by twenty five percent(25%) to permit design flexibility or to create denser screening where desired.

Table 16-1: Minimum Spacing Between Plantings and Other Features (In Feet) Large Tree Small Tree Shrub Large tree 30 24 4

Small tree 24 16 3

Shrub 4 3 See Section 17 of this code

Building 14 8 2

Sidewalk 4 4 3

Curb/ pavement 4 2

Notes to table 16-1:

1. The minimum distance between plantings and sidewalks or pavement also applies to the anticipated location of a future sidewalk or paved surface.

2. See spacing requirements listed in Section 17, " Screening and Buffering Standards", of the zoning ordinance.

Ord. 2017-394, adopted February 21, 2017; in effect on publication (publication date not recorded) · source page

In the 2026 draft recodification (not adopted) this is § 168.03.

History

FromToSourceHowDocument
Feb 21, 2017today Ord. 2017-394 section added · text p. 1

Dates: an Iowa ordinance takes effect when it is published after adoption. Where the clerk's certificate records the publication date it is used; otherwise the adoption date stands in for it. "Not yet consolidated" means the ordinance amends this section but its new text has not been checked into this compilation yet: read the ordinance.

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Data last updated October 15, 2026. Built from the archive's documents; see how the data is built.