Legal Documents of Gatlinburg

Code of Gatlinburg

Table of Contents » Title 12 Building, Utility, etc. Codes » Chapter 6 Excavation, Grading, And Clearing Code » § 12-604 Definitions.
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Title 12
12-1
Title 12, Chapter 1
12-1001
§ 12-1001
Gatlinburg
Title 12 : Building, Utility, etc. Codes
Chapter 6 : Excavation, Grading, And Clearing Code

12-604 : Definitions.

  1. "Administrator." The building official and/or his/her designee.
  2. "Canopy." The outermost limit of a tree's branch tips.
  3. "Development." Any and all physical man-made changes or alterations to improved or unimproved land within the City of Gatlinburg which results in a land disturbance.
  4. "Diameter/diameter-breast-height (dbh)." The diameter of any tree trunk, measured at 4 ½ feet above the existing grade.
  5. "Disturbance." Any operation or occurrence by which the existing site surfaces and elevations are changed by cutting, filling, borrowing, stockpiling, stripping, trenching, clearing, or where any ground cover, natural or man-made, is removed, or any buildings or other structures are removed, or any watercourses or body of water, either natural or man-made, is relocated on any site, thereby creating unprotected area.
  6. "Dripline." An area encircling the base of a tree which is delineated by a vertical line extending from the outer limit of a tree's branch tips or tree canopy, down to the ground.
  7. "Essential root zone." The area encircling the base of a tree and located on the ground which is directly located under the canopy of the tree between the tree dripline and tree trunk.
  8. "Filling." The act of transporting or placing (by any manner or mechanism) material from, to, or on any soil surface or natural vegetation.
  9. "Grading." Any operation or occurrence by which the existing site surfaces and elevations are changed by cutting, filling, borrowing, stockpiling, stripping, trenching, clearing, or where any ground cover, natural or man-made, is removed, or any buildings or other structures are removed, or any watercourses or body of water, either natural or man-made, is altered and/or relocated on any site, thereby creating unprotected area. "Grading" shall be interchangeable with "land-disturbing activity."
  10. "Overstory." Those trees that compose the top layer or canopy of vegetation.
  11. "Protected tree/vegetation." A tree or area of understory vegetation to be retained, protected, or undisturbed during site clearing, construction, excavation, and/or grading.
  12. "Tree." Any self supporting woody plant usually having a single trunk but not limited to a single trunk with a dbh of two (2) inches or greater.
  13. "Tree crown." The uppermost portion of the tree consisting of the tree foliage.
  14. "Tree topping." The practice of severe cutting back of limbs within the tree's crown to stubs larger than three (3) inches in diameter to such a degree that the normal canopy is removed and the tree is disfigured.
  15. "Understory vegetation." Small trees, shrubs, and groundcover plants.
  16. "Undisturbed area." Areas of existing natural vegetation including but not limited to understory and overstory which has been undisturbed and maintained in a natural state. (As added by Ord. #2209, June 2000)
Date Last Updated: 03/23/2022
Codification Date: 03/01/2000

Officials at Date of Last Codification:

Mayor - Mike Werner

Vice Mayor - Mark McCown

Commissioner - Ryan DeSear

Commissioner - Chad Reagan

Commissioner - Kirby Smith

City Manager - Cindy Cameron Ogle

City Attorney - Ronald E. Sharp

Date Last Updated: 03/23/2022
Codification Date: 03/01/2000

Officials at Date of Last Codification:

Mayor - Mike Werner

Vice Mayor - Mark McCown

Commissioner - Ryan DeSear

Commissioner - Chad Reagan

Commissioner - Kirby Smith

City Manager - Cindy Cameron Ogle

City Attorney - Ronald E. Sharp