§ 16-101. Definitions.

Caliper. Diameter measurement of the trunk taken six inches above ground level for trees up to and including four-inch caliper size. Measurement shall be taken 12 inches above the ground level for larger trees.

Callused. Possessing callused tissue.

Callused tissue. Arboreal tissue created by a living tree in an effort to heal, cover, protect or seal areas which have been wounded by pruning or other surface injury.

City. The City of Shelby, North Carolina.

Commission. The Shelby Appearance Commission.

DBH. (Diameter breast height). The diameter of a tree 4½ feet above the average ground level.

Drip line. A vertical line running through the outermost portions of the tree crown extending to the ground.

Park tree. A tree existing within a publicly-owned or controlled park.

Paved area. Any ground surface covered with concrete, asphalt, stone, compacted gravel, brick, or other paving material.

Person. A public or private individual, corporation, company, firm, association, trust, estate, commission, board, public or private institution, utility cooperative, or other legal entity.

Public tree. Any trees, hedges, shrubs or other vegetation within a right-of-way as defined by a recorded plat or other recorded right-of-way document, or within a claimed maintenance right-of-way. A maintenance right-of-way will encompass any infrastructure, trees or other vegetable material the City of Shelby has maintained. Dimensions of a maintenance right-of-way would include the distance from the centerline of a dedicated roadway to the curb or sidewalk, or to those areas that have been utilized in the public interest and maintained by the city.

Renovation. Any construction activity to an existing structure, which changes its square footage, footprint or modifies the exterior wall material excluding cosmetic maintenance and repairs.

Root protection zone. Generally, 18—24 inches deep and a distance from the trunk of a tree equal to one-half its height or its drip line, whichever is greater.

Specimen tree. A tree or group of trees considered to be important community assets due to their unique or noteworthy characteristics or values. A tree may be considered a specimen tree based on its size, age, rarity or special historical or ecological significance as determined by the city. Examples include large hardwoods (e.g., oaks, poplars, maples, etc.) and softwoods (e.g. pine species) in good or better condition with a DBH of 24 inches or greater, and smaller under story trees (e.g., dogwoods, redbuds, sourwoods, persimmons, etc.) in good or better condition with a DBH of six inches or greater.

Street tree. A tree existing within the unpaved right-of-way or publicly-controlled property adjacent to a public street.

Stub cutting. Any pruning practice which results in a stub or remnant of a limb or branch projecting outward from the larger limb or tree trunk from which a limb or branch was removed.

Topping. Any pruning practices that result in more than one-third of the foliage and limbs being removed. This includes pruning that leads to the disfigurement of the normal shape of the tree.

Tree evaluation formula. A formula for determining the value of trees and shrubs as published by the International Society of Arboriculture.

Tree, large maturing. Any tree whose height is 35 feet or greater at maturity, or 25 feet spread. See landscape ordinance for typical species.

Utility line clearance trimmers. Those persons who have received training in clearance of vegetation from the vicinity of utilities lines through an approved International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) course or through on the job experience with a recognized tree company employing an arborist.

(Ord. No. 9-2005, § A, 3-21-2005)