Chelan County, WA Tree Protection: Parkway Planting (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Chelan County Code § 11.22.050(5)(B)(iii)
- Planting strip width
- At least 5 feet
- Deciduous mix
- At least 60% deciduous trees
- Minimum height at planting
- 4 feet
- Maximum spacing
- 50-foot centers
- Applies to
- Peshastin planned developments claiming density credit
Summary
Chelan County's Peshastin Urban Growth Area planned-development rules, Code § 11.22.050(5)(B)(iii), give a density credit for planting street trees along the entire road frontage of a project. Planting strips must be at least five feet wide, at least sixty percent deciduous trees at least four feet tall when planted, spaced no more than fifty feet apart, with groundcover such as grasses or low shrubs beneath them.
Density Credits. The following standards apply to a PD that chooses to include density credits: ... Additional density shall be achieved by incorporating at least eleven of the following nineteen items into the design and construction of the PD: ... Trees shall be planted adjacent and along the entire frontage of public and/or private street rights-of-way on the property being developed. Planting areas shall be a minimum of five feet in width and consist of a minimum of sixty percent deciduous trees at least four feet high at the time of planting on no greater than fifty-foot centers. Suitable groundcover including grasses and/or low growing shrubs to complement the trees shall also be provided.
Full Breakdown
050 lets a planned development (PD) in Peshastin exceed the base density of its zone in exchange for incorporating at least eleven of nineteen listed public-benefit features into the project's design. Item (iii) on that list is the street tree standard: 'Trees shall be planted adjacent and along the entire frontage of public and/or private street rights-of-way on the property being developed,' with planting areas at least five feet wide, a mix of at least sixty percent deciduous trees at least four feet high at planting, spaced no more than fifty feet apart on center, and suitable groundcover such as grasses or low shrubs beneath them.
050(5)(B). 040(8), lets a developer's maintenance of right-of-way planting strips substitute for the more general street-design amenities, such as benches and planters, otherwise required in the C-D and C-H zones. Community Development reviews the binding site plan or preliminary subdivision for a PD to confirm the chosen density-credit items, including street trees where selected, are actually built and match the approved design before final approval.
Violations & Fines
Because street trees are a density-credit choice, not a base requirement, enforcement runs through the PD's binding site plan: § 11.22.050(1) makes the approved design, including any selected density-credit items, enforceable against the owner and successors. A developer who claims the density bonus but fails to install or maintain the promised trees violates that binding site plan, and Community Development can pursue a Title 16 notice and order, with civil fines of $750 for a first violation and $1,500 for a repeat under § 16.16.010.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is street tree planting required for all Peshastin development?
What spacing and species mix does the standard require?
What happens if a developer claims the density credit but doesn't plant the trees?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chelan County
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