§ 10-19. Definitions.

Agricultural operations: Good-faith commercial agricultural activities, determination of which could include the following:

(1)

The number of years the land has been used for agriculture;

(2)

The size of the agricultural operation as it relates to use;

(3)

The use of commercial agricultural practices such as fertilizing, liming, mowing, reforesting, and tilling;

(4)

Whether the land is leased and conditions of the lease;

(5)

Kind of operation such as aquiculture, beekeeping, dairy farming, floriculture, forestry, horticulture, livestock, plant nurseries, poultry, tree farming or vineyards.

American National Standards Institute (ANSI): ANSI is a private, nonprofit organization that administers and coordinates the standardization and conformity assessment system. For the purposes of this article, ANSI references relate to the American National Standard for Tree Care Operations - Trees, Shrubs and Other Woody Plant Maintenance - Standard Practices (ANSI A300-2001, as amended), which is incorporated herein by reference.

Automatic irrigation controller: A mechanical or electronic timer, capable of operating valve stations to set the days and length of time of a water application that requires no manual effort other than seasonal adjustment to account for precipitation rate differential.

BMPs: Best Management Practices, as set forth in publications relating to Florida-friendly landscaping and the Florida Yards and Neighborhoods Program.

Caliper: In a tree-planting context, the measure of the trunk diameter of a tree at six (6) inches above the soil line.

Clear-sight triangle:

(1)

Driveway: A clear-vision triangle of property on each side of a driveway formed by the intersection of the driveway edge, the street right-of-way line, and a third line connecting the two. Clear-vision distances are ten (10) feet along the driveway edge and twenty (20) feet along the street right-of-way line.

(2)

Street/railroad intersection: A clear-vision triangle of property formed by two (2) intersecting right-of-way lines and a third line connecting the two, as provided in the Hernando County Facilities Guidelines. The right-of-way line may be either for a street or a railroad.

Clearing: The bulldozing of earth and/or removal of trees.

Commercial project: For purposes of applying the landscaping regulations of this article, any type of project that is zoned and approved for: commercial, industrial, institutional, multifamily, office professional, public service facility, recreational, or their equivalent use. This also includes recreational vehicle parks and mobile home parks where lots are not owned individually.

Commercial grower: A grower producing plants (including trees) for resale at retail or wholesale value and registered with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Plant Industry.

Diameter, breast high (DBH): In tree preservation context, the tree diameter measured four and one-half (4½) feet above the soil line. The diameter of multiple-trunked tree(s) shall be added together for this measurement. When low branches or stems preclude measuring the trunk at four and one-half (4½) feet, the smallest circumference of the trunk below the lowest branch or stem juncture shall be the measure of DBH.

Designated scenic highways: Roadways designated by the Florida's Scenic Highway Program as created by the legislature to establish statewide standards of quality and criteria for designation. The scenic highway program allows the Florida Department of Transportation to identify and preserve the intrinsic scenic, cultural and historic qualities of designated roadways.

Development site: The area of the property submitted in the site plans including both existing or proposed improvements, landscaping, and open space.

Drip-line: The outermost perimeter of the crown of a tree as projected vertically down to the ground.

Emitter (low volume): Devices, which are used to control the application of irrigation water. This term is primarily used to refer to the low flow rate devices used in micro irrigation systems.

Existing plant communities: All species currently existing on the site, excluding any vegetation listed as invasive by Hernando County.

Facade: The front of a building and/or any of its sides facing a public right-of-way whose side is prominently visible from a public right-of-way, public park or facing an adjacent residential land use.

Green space: The entire parcel less the building footprint, driveways, vehicular use areas, hardscapes such as decks, swimming pools, decorative fountains, patios and other non-porous areas.

Ground cover: Preserved natural vegetation, installed plants, turf grass, mulch, or rocks on a non-compacted base.

Hedge: A close planting of shrubs which forms a compact, dense, living barrier which protects, shields, separates or demarcates an area from view and which is eighty (80) percent opaque within twelve (12) months after planting.

Improvements: The buildings, storage areas, drainage facilities, parking/pavement areas, or impervious surfaces existing or proposed for a development site.

Installed planting area: A designed plot of land with landscaping components such as mulch, turf grass, shrubs, trees, berms, fences, or walls.

Landscaping: Areas of preserved natural vegetation or installed vegetation.

Large retail project: Any new commercial retail project whose total gross building area equals or exceeds twenty-five thousand (25,000) square feet; specifically mercantile uses and/or shopping center uses. For the purpose of determining building area, multiple buildings located closer than twenty (20) feet together shall be considered one building.

Majestic tree: A tree with a DBH of thirty-six (36) inches or greater. Palm trees shall be excluded.

Micro irrigation (low volume): The application of small quantities of water directly on or below the soil surface, usually as discrete drops, tiny streams, or miniature sprays through emitters placed along the water delivery pipes (laterals). Micro irrigation encompasses a number of methods or concepts including drip, subsurface, bubbler, and spray irrigation, sometimes referred to as trickle irrigation, low volume, or low flow irrigation.

Mining operations: Lands zoned for mining and operating under an approved mining plan in accordance with the Hernando County Mining Ordinance.

Mitigation: In the context of a variance or penalty procedure, the planting of replacement trees or payment into the Hernando County Landscape Enhancement Program.

Monoculture planting: The practice of planting vegetation consisting of genetically similar organisms.

Mulch: Pervious materials such as wood bark used in landscaping to (1) reduce weeds, (2) prevent erosion, and (3) retain moisture.

Native plant community: Those plant communities naturally occurring in north and central Florida.

Native plant material: Any plant material indigenous to central Florida and which is naturally grown or commercially propagated or cultivated for the nursery or landscaping industry.

Native tree: Any tree indigenous to central Florida or the county and which is naturally grown or commercially propagated or cultivated for the nursery or landscaping industry.

Native vegetative species: For the purpose of this article, native plant species shall be those plant species indigenous to the ecological communities of central Florida, as indicated on list provided by Hernando County, or that can be scientifically documented to be native to central Florida.

Natural vegetation: Land areas with two (2) or more currently existing plant species native to the onsite soil type.

Plant material: Any ground covers, shrubs, turf or vines, which are commercially propagated or cultivated for the nursery or landscaping industry.

Primary facade: A side of a building that faces a street used by the public, whether or not dedicated to or owned or maintained by a governmental entity, or has the primary customer entrance. A building may have more than one primary facade. For making a determination as to whether a side of a building faces a street, all street side faces within an area between two (2) lines drawn tangent to the furthest extent of a building and perpendicular to the street, are included.

Protective dry well and drainage/aeration systems: A tree protection technique used to stabilize soil and provide air and water to root systems when the grade is raised.

Protective retaining wall: A tree protection technique used to stabilize soil around root systems when the grade is lowered.

Protected tree: A tree that is required to be preserved.

Regulated tree: In a tree preservation context, a tree with a DBH of three (3) inches or greater but less than eighteen (18) inches.

Rural-residential: In a landscaping context, lots which are zoned to allow the construction of a single-family residential dwelling or mobile home and have a minimum lot or parcel size greater than one (1) acre.

Shade tree: A hardwood tree that normally grows to a mature height of at least forty (40) feet, provides relief from direct sunlight for at least six (6) months each year and is included in the recommended tree list. Palm trees and pine trees shall be excluded as shade trees.

Shrub: A woody plant with a spread and height characteristic of its species and with a minimum height of eighteen (18) inches when planted.

Site-specific plant materials: A selection of plant material that is particularly well suited to withstand the physical growing conditions that are normal for a specific location.

Specimen tree: A tree with a DBH of eighteen (18) inches or greater but less than thirty-six (36) inches. Palm trees shall be excluded.

Street right-of-way/pavements: Includes streets, alleys, frontage roads, and access ways to parking lots.

Topping: The cutting back of tree branches to stubs or lateral branches that are not large enough to assume the terminal role, that removes canopy coverage by more than thirty (30) percent. Other names for topping include heading, tipping, hat-racking, and rounding over.

Tree: A living large-woody-plant having one (1) or several self-supporting stems or trunks and numerous branches. For the purposes of this article:

(1)

A tree is at least: three (3) inches DBH in a tree preservation context or of at least two-inch caliper at time of planting.

(2)

A multi-trunked tree equals one (1) tree.

Tree canopy: The area of the property that contains coverage by trees and consists of the total crown spreads or drip-lines of all trees existing on the site.

Tree location survey: A readable, scale drawing or accurate sketch that provides, at a minimum, the following information: the approximate location or trees, identifying species, size measured by DBH, and whether a tree is to remain or is proposed for removal.

Tree protection barricade: A physical structure limiting access to a protected area composed of wooden/or other suitable materials, which assures compliance with the intent of this article. Diagrams of suitable tree protection barricades shall be available from the department. Options and/or variations of these methods may be permitted upon written request if they satisfy the intent of this article.

Tree protection zone: A tree protection zone shall extend from the trunk of the tree in all directions to a minimum of that tree's drip line.

Tree removal: To relocate, cut down, poison, or in any other manner destroy, or cause to be destroyed a tree as defined in this article. It includes topping, or any action that causes irreparable injury to a tree, including damage inflicted on the root system by heavy machinery, changing the natural grade above the root system or the removal of sufficient canopy so as to cause the unnatural decline of the tree.

Vegetative buffer: An area of land containing any combination of preserved natural vegetation or installed greenery. It may include berms, fences, or walls. Turf grass is acceptable as a "vegetative ground cover", but not as a "vegetative buffer". If a fence or wall is used, it shall be visually dominated by greenery and attain fifty (50) percent opacity/coverage within twelve (12) months of planting.

Vegetative ground cover: Preserved natural vegetation, installed plants, or turf grass.

Water-use-zones:

(1)

High: Plants or shallow-rooted turf grass associated with moist soils and requiring watering to supplement average natural rainfall.

(2)

Moderate: Plants or deep-rooted turf grass requiring only dry-season watering to supplement average natural rainfall once established.

(3)

Low: Plants which survive on average natural rainfall once established.

"Xeriscape TM or Florida-friendly landscape: means quality landscapes that conserve water and protect the environment and are adaptable to local conditions and which are drought tolerant. The principles of Xeriscape TM include planning and design, appropriate choice of plants, soil analysis which may include the use of solid waste compost, efficient irrigation, practical use of turf, appropriate use of mulches, and proper maintenance.

(Ord. No. 2008-02, § 4, 1-15-08)