Rockdale County, GA Tree Protection: Parkway Planting (2026)
Key Facts
- Spacing
- No more than 50 feet apart
- Minimum trunk size
- 3 inches DBH at planting
- Genus diversity cap
- Max 25 percent of one genus
- Species approval
- Director must approve species
- Applies to
- CRS Collaborative Residential Subdivision district
Summary
In the CRS Collaborative Residential Subdivision zoning district, unincorporated Rockdale County requires street trees along every street, spaced no more than 50 feet apart, at least three inches in trunk diameter, with no more than 25 percent of the total planted from any single genus, subject to the director's species approval.
c.Street trees.1.Street trees shall be planted along each side of all streets, public or private, existing or proposed. Existing healthy and mature street trees may be counted toward the street tree-planting requirement.2.Street trees shall have a minimum of three inches dbh.3.Street trees shall be spaced at intervals no greater than 50 feet along both sides of each residential street; spacing may be adjusted to account for driveways, fire hydrants and other obstructions and to provide adequate visual clearance for intersections and driveways.4.Species of street trees shall be approved by the director. However, no more than 25 percent of the total number of the trees installed may be of any one genus.
Full Breakdown
Section 206-5(d)(20)c of the Rockdale County Code sets the street tree standard inside the CRS Collaborative Residential Subdivision zoning district, part of the broader 'Streets, sidewalks, and street trees' provision that also governs the subdivision's road network and public sidewalks. The rule requires that 'street trees shall be planted along each side of all streets, public or private, existing or proposed,' though 'existing healthy and mature street trees may be counted toward the street tree-planting requirement,' so a developer need not remove and replant a tree line that already meets the standard.
' The same subsection requires sidewalks at least five feet wide on one side of every CRS street, separated from the curb by a five-foot 'tree lawn' planted with shade trees under the county's plant palette, tying the street tree requirement directly to the sidewalk buffer strip where the trees are actually installed.
Violations & Fines
Failing to plant required street trees, spacing them more than 50 feet apart, installing trunks under three inches dbh, or exceeding the 25-percent-per-genus cap in a CRS subdivision violates Section 206-5(d)(20)c and Section 202-9 of the UDO. The Department of Planning and Development may withhold approval of the subdivision's construction plans, and Section 1-11's general penalty allows a fine up to $1,000.00, up to 60 days imprisonment, or both, per day of continued violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far apart must street trees be planted in a Rockdale County CRS subdivision?
Can a developer use existing trees to satisfy Rockdale County's street tree rule?
Does Rockdale County limit how many of the same tree species can be planted along a street?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Rockdale County
Compare Rockdale County to another location·View the Georgia tree protection overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.