Pinellas County's Local Planning Agency voted unanimously on Nov. 12 to recommend LDR25-02, a comprehensive rewrite that moves tree rules into a standalone tree ordinance and changes how tree mitigation is calculated.

Kevin McAndrew, director of Building and Development Review Services, introduced the proposal and said the current 2018 ordinance lacks a practical mitigation methodology and has produced prohibitively high payment-in-lieu figures on some properties. "The code flat out lacks practical application and a methodology for the replacement of trees when trees are removed," McAndrew said. Stacy Tippens, environmental manager, walked through key changes: a reduced and clearer grading system for tree condition, a mitigation table that scales mitigation by size and health instead of inch-for-inch replacement, a cap of 15 required landscape trees for large lots, and new credits for removing nuisance invasive species or planting native understory.

Tippens showed two site examples where the change would dramatically lower required plantings and payment-in-lieu amounts and emphasized that the changes aim to preserve high-quality canopy by increasing mitigation for healthier/larger trees while making compliance feasible for smaller lots. Board members asked whether municipal codes would be superseded; staff clarified municipal codes that are more stringent take precedence. The LPA approved the rewrite and staff will forward the redlined ordinance to the Board of County Commissioners for final action.