Rock Hill does not require a general tree-removal permit for single-family residential private property. A permit and City Forester authorization are required for any removal of a tree in the City right-of-way or on other public property under the Rock Hill Public Tree Ordinance, with appeals heard by the Rock Hill Tree Commission. Land-development projects (commercial, multifamily, subdivision) face tree-protection plans through Chapter 31 (Zoning) and Planning & Development site-plan review with City Landscape Architect inspection.
Rock Hill's tree-removal-permit framework distinguishes between three regulatory tracks. First, single-family residential private property: routine removal of healthy, dead, diseased, or hazardous trees on a single-family residential lot does not require a general City tree-removal permit. Second, public trees and rights-of-way: the Rock Hill Public Tree Ordinance, administered by the City Forester (Matt Clinton, 803-329-5534) within Community Forestry (https://www.cityofrockhill.com/departments/utilities/community-forestry), requires authorization for any work on a public tree, including street trees in the City right-of-way and trees on other public property. The Rock Hill Tree Commission (https://www.cityofrockhill.com/government/boards-commissions/boards-commissions-list/rock-hill-tree-commission) β meeting the second Monday of each month at 5 PM at the City Operations Center, 757 South Anderson Road β serves as the appeals board on operational decisions and tree-ordinance violations. Third, development sites: commercial, industrial, multifamily, and subdivision projects face tree-inventory, tree-protection-fencing, and replacement-planting conditions under Chapter 31 (Zoning, https://library.municode.com/sc/rock_hill/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=MUCO_CH31ZO) and Planning & Development site-plan review (https://www.cityofrockhill.com/departments/planning-and-development/development-plan-review/development-regulations), with the City Landscape Architect reviewing landscape plans and inspecting final installations. The Permit Application Center (803-329-5590) coordinates required permits across departments. Construction-site land disturbance over one acre additionally requires an SCDES NPDES construction stormwater permit under SC Regulation 72-300. Rock Hill has been a Tree City USA since 1987, requiring (among other standards) an active community tree ordinance reviewed by the SC Forestry Commission.
Removal of a public-property or right-of-way tree without City Forester authorization violates the Rock Hill Public Tree Ordinance, exposing the violator to municipal-court penalties and replacement-planting requirements, with appeals heard by the Rock Hill Tree Commission. Removal of trees designated 'to be saved' on an approved Chapter 31 (Zoning) site plan can trigger stop-work orders, plan amendment requirements, and replacement-planting at higher ratios. Disturbance over one acre without an SCDES NPDES construction stormwater permit violates SC Regulation 72-300 with state-level civil penalties separate from City enforcement.
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