Alpharetta, GA Tree Protection: Heritage & Protected Trees (2026)

Section 3.2.7.C of the Unified Development Code gives owners a density credit of two times a Specimen Tree's diameter inches when it is saved through an alternate site design, while Trees of Quality and Tree Groupings earn a one-times credit. When a Specimen Tree cannot be saved, it must be replaced with recompense plantings equal to three times the removed tree's diameter at breast height, using trees of at least four-inch caliper at planting. Section 3.2.7.E lets an owner who cannot fit all recompense plantings on site request Director approval to plant remotely or pay into the City of Alpharetta Tree Replacement Fund, but no more than 100 percent of the requirement can be met through those alternative methods, and a fee-in-lieu payment is set at the average of three contractor bids covering materials, installation, and an 18-month establishment period.

Section 3.2.2 defines a Specimen Tree by genus-specific diameter thresholds, for example 30 inches for pines and sweetgums, 20 inches for beeches and southern magnolias, and 24 inches for any other genus. Removing a Specimen Tree without prior Director approval does not just trigger the standard recompense; it shifts the case to the tree damage rules in Section 3.2.10 and the penalty schedule in Section 3.2.17, which require replacement at eight times the removed tree's diameter on non-residential or construction sites.