Last year the Charlotte City Council approved a program intended to increase the tree canopy coverage to 50% by the year 2050.
The specifications are reviewed annually by a team that includes Landscape, Transportation, Land Development and Storm Water staff, who make sure the specs are usable in the field under project conditions. To view the specifications, click here: http://charlottetrees.charmeck.org.
"This has been great for our project managers and construction staff," said Meachum. "Now we have a catalog—a plant palette—that we can take to public meetings and say, this is what we will choose from, plant, and maintain for you. And these plants are the ones most suitable to harsh right-of-way environments. These plants are hardy and proven to withstand those tough conditions.
"But it goes much deeper than that. The Landscape team is involved much more closely in roadway design, median width, drainage, soil content and planting strip width," said Meachum. "The big thing
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now is Landscape taking over landscape design in their shop, so best-in-the-business expertise is now in-house. They take our CADD layers and give us high quality landscape design for a fraction of what we were paying consultants."
Construction staff is expected to know about trees, as well. "We teach our inspectors how to plant trees and how to know when there are issues with contrac- tor plantings—kind of a Horticulture 101," said Lojko. "Plant people teaching construction people doesn't happen in many places I know of."
All companies supplying materials are expected to meet Charlotte's standards, and that includes soils. Landscape and construction staff worked with soil companies to develop a "Charlotte blend" to assure consistency of soil mixes. Companies that want to supply soil are retested every year to ensure standards are met. "The soil companies
City Trees
