Clayton County, GA Tree Protection: Parkway Planting (2026)

Sec. 86-160 of the Code of Clayton County, GA requires street trees 'along all streets within and adjacent to' every new subdivision, planted on adjacent private property or wherever the Department of Transportation and Development permits, avoiding hazards to utilities or public safety. Existing healthy trees already standing in the right-of-way can count toward the requirement if the Department of Community Development confirms it at preliminary plat review and, at the zoning administrator's discretion, the developer posts a maintenance bond to protect them through construction.

The planting rate is fixed: 'one street tree shall be planted for every 40 feet of street frontage,' evenly spaced or grouped, with each tree a minimum of 2 1/2-inch caliper measured per American Nursery Standards Institute rules six inches above the root ball. Placement is tightly boxed in: no tree's center may sit closer than two feet to a sidewalk, curb or pavement edge (or closer than the sight-distance clear zone, whichever is greater); none within 25 feet of a street intersection or ten feet of a driveway entrance; and none within ten feet of a fire hydrant or two feet of any underground utility.

Species are limited to a fixed approved list: ash, ginkgo, honeylocust, hornbeam, maple, oak and river birch cultivars are named specifically, covering common Piedmont shade trees like green ash, red sunset red maple, willow oak and river birch. A developer can't substitute an unlisted species without deviating from the ordinance.