Developers of commercial projects in Falls Church could for the first time be required to meet minimum tree-canopy requirements.
City Council members at an Oct. 6 work session generally were supportive of a staff proposal that would set a minimum 10% canopy for future commercial development.
“That makes sense to me,” Council member Laura Downs said during the work session, held between the Council and members of the Urban Forestry Commission.
The proposal, though still a long way from approval, is “moving us in the right direction,” added Council member Justine Underhill.
The plan is the result of direction given to staff by Council members last March. Council members are hoping to set a minimum amount for future development.
As the city defines the term:
“Tree canopy represents the layer of leaves, branches and stems of trees that cover the ground when viewed from above, measured as a percentage of the site area at the tree’s 20-year maturity.”
A staff survey of 14 completed development projects in the city dating back to 2004 found an average 11% canopy when only counting trees on the site itself. That figure grew to 17% when counting bonuses given for planting native trees and for trees planted adjacent to streets.
Figures varied widely, however. The new Modera development on W. Broad Street achieves a tree canopy of just 3% on site, rising only to 9% when including street trees and the native-tree bonus.
That contrasts with rates of 17% baseline and 31% combined for the Quinn Enterprises LLC redevelopment project at S. Washington Street and S. Maple Ave. It was approved earlier this year.
Council members will formally open consideration of the proposal at an Oct. 27 meeting. If all goes according to schedule, the measure could be back in front of Council members for approval in January.
Before that happens, staff will aggregate more information and provide comparisons with other jurisdictions in the region.
“There’s a lot of ongoing analysis,” said city planning director Matt Mattauszek.
Any adopted language on minimum canopy “would be a mandate” on developers, City Manager Wyatt Shields said. But city officials also said exceptions could be made in specific instances for smaller parcels.
One potential issue was brought up by Mayor Letty Hardi.
She wondered whether providing a minimum figure might entice developers to shoot for that and no more.
“By establishing [the 10% floor], do we end up creating a reverse motivation to not exceed that?” she asked.
Staff replied that developers often will provide plentiful amounts of treescape where feasible. They said several projects in nearby jurisdictions have achieved canopy rates of 35%.
