The City of St. John's new landscape requirements — one of which involves a tree planted on all new residential constructions — came into effect Wednesday.
Under the regulations, residents building a house need to plant at least one tree on the front or side of the property if the building line is at least 4.5 metres. If the resident can't plant in either of those places, the city may approve planting in the backyard.
To ensure that new construction complies with this regulation, the City is taking a $1,000 fully-refundable landscape security before any construction approval or building permits are issued.
The regulations — available here or by contacting the city's access centre ay 311 or 754-CITY (2489) — includes a list of the permitted tree species, which the city says must be salt tolerant, adapted to environmental conditions at the site, and with a proven local history. The trees must be nursery grown, measuring 35mm caliper and 1.25 metres in height.
Also included in the regulations are new requirements on the depth of topsoil required for all yard areas and the quality of sodding and seeding.
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