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Soil Resource Plan (aka Drawing A Line In The Caliche}

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One of the new requirements in the 2018 Article X amendments placed on new developments is the provision for a soil resource plan.  This plan is essentially a map showing zones of general soil types, quality, compaction, and other factors considered for planting and preserving trees.  It is designed to reveal zones reserved for development from those for landscaping.  And for the landscape areas, the plan will reveal how each zone is either protected from construction or restored from the heavy compaction of most development impact areas.  Our goal is for the contractor to have a recognition and a plan to identify the areas on a building site where a healthy tree will grow on the development site with or without soil preparation. Let's go over the process for this document.  We will address the soil resource assessment later. (b) Soil areas.  Except as provided in this section, required landscape areas must include the following:    (1...
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The Purpose Statement

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The three divisions of the ordinance are balanced to help build a sustainable Dallas. When it comes to the purpose of a landscape and urban forest ordinance, I believe it's about holding together the integrity of a community.  The considerations we must make as citizens in this community are what we hold important in the community.  As individuals, we define our homes differently, as self-interests or as a whole neighborhood.  We include only the people close to us, or people we don't even know, or perhaps we may even include the animals and the wild things living and growing around us.  For me, the latter - the whole - is our community.  Our neighborhoods are small incremental forest areas which affect the lifestyles and health of our individual homes and shared homes.  For me, we must include our trees and properties in our concept of community.  A home is what we value.  We value our trees.  Our ordinance helps us reme...
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Article X: Landscaping and Urban Forest Conservation is passed 14-0!

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It was a rewarding afternoon at City Hall as the Council voted to pass both the Article X landscape and urban forest conservation ordinance as well as the parkland dedication ordinance.  Both votes were unanimous.   So now, we go forward and the Article X ordinance will be enacted beginning Monday, July 2, 2018.  I need to get you ready. I will now begin in this blog, over the course of the following weeks, to explain many of the aspects of the ordinance that have changed as well as those matters which have been retained.  The structure of Article X remains true to what has been in existence since 1994.  But much of the content is now updated for efficiency, flexibility, and improved tree performance.  There is a lot to cover so I will try to provide and format it for ease of reference and location. First, we are updating the Building Inspection Division website for notices and to update the Irrigation/Landscape page.  We will...
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