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

Section 14-518 lays out the procedural gate that sits ahead of any tree removal tied to development in Stonecrest. Before filing, an applicant is encouraged to hold a pre-application conference with the Director of Community Development to review how the tree protection ordinance applies to the specific property. The formal application itself must include a tree survey identifying, by size, species and location, every tree 18 inches DBH or larger, with specimen trees separately identified; a single residential lot where the applicant intends to reside can be excused from the survey at the Director's discretion, and the Director may allow sampling methods to estimate tree density in forested areas.

The application must also carry a tree protection plan defining the limits of land disturbance, clearing, grading and trenching, marking tree save areas and specimen trees, detailing protection measures such as tree fencing, erosion control fencing, tree wells and aeration systems, coordinating utility line routing to avoid critical root zones, and calculating the tree density proposed on-site under § 14-520. After the Director schedules and conducts a site inspection, with the applicant invited to attend, the plan is either approved or denied in writing with stated reasons.

No development or building permit may issue until the Director approves the tree protection plan, and every tree protection measure required by that plan must be installed before land disturbance begins. At the back end, the Director inspects again before signing off on a certificate of occupancy, confirming that trees marked to remain are healthy and that all replacement trees have been planted as required, and any permit whose tree protection terms are violated can be voided.