Franklin County, NC Tree Protection: Parkway Planting (2026)

Under UDC § 6.5.5.A, subdividers in unincorporated Franklin County must plant trees in the front setback of every lot, on both sides of all existing and proposed rights-of-way, though existing qualifying trees count toward the requirement. Section 6.5.5.B assigns canopy trees a 40-foot linear-frontage value and understory trees 30 feet; each lot needs one canopy tree per street frontage, with remaining trees calculated by dividing leftover frontage by the chosen species' value. Trees must sit within the front yard setback, 5 to 15 feet from the property line (§ 6.5.5.C), with canopy trees at least 2-inch caliper and 8 feet tall, and understory trees at least 1-inch caliper and 6 feet tall (§ 6.5.5.D-E).

Species must come from the county's Street Tree Planting List in Appendix I, and Crepe Myrtles and Bradford Pears are barred outright (§ 6.5.5.I). A required tree/landscape plan goes to the Franklin County Planning Department for administrative approval before site disturbance (§ 6.5.3.C.1). The Administrator enforces the whole UDO through investigation and correction orders (§ 3.3.1-3.3.3), with appeal to the Board of Adjustment (§ 3.3.4), and violations can draw a civil penalty up to $500 plus a Class 3 misdemeanor charge (§ 3.4.2.C-D).