South Fulton, GA Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)

Sec. 14-6005 of the Tree Preservation Ordinance governs when trees can come down inside a protected zone, which covers the critical root zone plus three feet, required open space, landscape strips, buffers, and designated tree save areas. An owner or developer who wants to remove protected trees must document a hardship, such as an economic or zoning restriction, and submit it with the land disturbance permit application; the director of the department of community development services or a designated agent must approve the removal before any tree comes down.

The ordinance is explicit that nothing in it allows clearing a natural, undisturbed buffer required elsewhere by the zoning regulations, so buffer trees cannot be removed through the hardship process. Where trees are absent from the protected zone, or where disturbance is approved, the owner must revegetate the disturbed area with trees or other plant material to the standards set by the zoning regulations or the department's administrative guidelines. Sec. 14-6005(c) adds a flat rule on top of the hardship process: it is unlawful to remove a specimen tree without the express written permission of the City Arborist or an authorized agent, no matter what hardship is claimed.

Every application flows through the permitting steps in Sec. 14-6004: a landscape plan is reviewed by the City Arborist within 30 days of submission and is either approved, returned for revisions, or denied in writing, and issuance of the land disturbance permit itself constitutes approval of that plan.