South Fulton, GA Tree Protection: Parkway Planting (2026)

The city's Subdivision Regulations set street tree requirements inside the same subsection that covers sidewalks for new roads. For major subdivision streets, which carry a 50-foot right-of-way and 24-foot back-of-curb pavement width under Section 8.5.1, street trees go in on both sides of the street, but only if required by the Director, with the City Arborist approving the spacing. Minor subdivision streets, built to a 44-foot right-of-way and 22-foot pavement width under Section 8.5.2, follow the same discretionary trigger, this time tied to the Tree Ordinance rather than the Director directly, again with the City Arborist setting spacing. For any subdivision street type not covered by Sections 8.5.1 or 8.5.2, the City Arborist has authority to determine the entire required street cross section, planting included.

A companion rule in Article IX's Required Improvements confirms the same discretionary structure and adds a safety limit: Section 9.2.5 states that street trees and other retained or planted shrubbery shall not obstruct sight distances and remain subject to City Arborist approval, and that any street trees the Director does require must be of a species approved as a street tree in the City Tree Preservation Ordinance. Together these sections mean South Fulton does not force street trees onto every new subdivision street by right; the requirement, spacing, and species all turn on a case-by-case call from the Director or the City Arborist during subdivision plan review, not a fixed citywide planting schedule.