Kenneth City Tree Permits: Homeowner and Development Guide
Last reviewed October 2, 2026. Next review due April 2, 2027. By Forest, Property Intelligence Specialist, Ken's Tree Service.
Do you need a tree removal permit in Kenneth City?
Kenneth City requires written application, a plan and approval from the Town Manager or designee before regulated tree removal/land clearing, subject to Article II exemptions and Florida Statute 163.045. Section 70-34 Start with our city-or-county tree permit guide if you are unsure which jurisdiction applies.
The ordinance protects tree numbers and canopy. Section 70-31(a) Cutting, damaging, hatracking, poisoning or destroying covered trees must comply with Article II. Section 70-31(b)
Which trees, palms and dead trees are covered?
The code defines a tree as a self-supporting woody plant of a species normally reaching at least 15 feet at maturity in town, including all mangroves and cabbage palms. Section 70-32 (definition of tree) Cabbage palm, Sabal palmetto, is the only palm regulated by the tree article; all other palms are exempt from Article II, but the separate Chapter 66 landscaping requirements still govern palms used for required landscaping. Section 70-42(d)(1) Section 66-74(b)(9)
The size provisions do not line up, even before the species exemptions and state-law route are considered:
Provision | What the codified text says |
|---|---|
Section 70-33(1) | Subject to Article II exemptions and Section 163.045, removal requires a permit at three inches DBH or more on a tract under one acre with a valid certificate of occupancy. Section 70-33(1) |
Section 70-33(2) | Subject to those exemptions and Section 163.045, the three-inch trigger applies to undeveloped tracts under one acre. Section 70-33(2) |
Section 70-33(3) | Subject to those exemptions and Section 163.045, the three-inch trigger applies to tracts of one acre or more. Section 70-33(3) |
Section 70-33(4) | Subject to those exemptions and Section 163.045, the three-inch trigger applies to land clearing. Section 70-33(4) |
Section 70-42(b) | Trees 2½ inches DBH or under are exempt on small tracts where a valid certificate of occupancy has been issued. Section 70-42(b) |
Section 70-50 | Cutting down, damaging, poisoning or destroying a tree two inches or more at 4½ feet is unlawful “regardless of condition,” subject to the article's exemptions and state-law limits. Section 70-50 |
Between two and three inches, the exemption, permit trigger and alteration prohibition conflict. Section 70-42(b) Section 70-33(1) Section 70-50 Ask the Town which provision applies; size alone is not reliable removal permission.
Subject to Article II exemptions and Section 163.045, dead condition alone is not a blanket exemption under the “regardless of condition” wording. Section 70-50 Section 70-51 separately prohibits leaving a diseased or dead tree or branch in danger of falling onto a public way or another person's property, including in abutting rights-of-way, and contains the code's only operative reference to Section 163.045 preemption. Section 70-51
Historic/specimen status requires the defined professional judgment and official Town designation, not size alone. Section 70-32 Designated trees must be maintained living. Section 70-33(6)
How do you measure a tree?
DBH means diameter in inches measured 4½ feet above existing grade. Section 70-32 (definition of DBH) For a circumference measurement at that height, divide inches around the trunk by 3.14 to estimate diameter: three inches diameter is approximately 9.42 inches around, 2½ inches is approximately 7.85 inches around, and two inches is approximately 6.28 inches around.
These arithmetic aids do not resolve conflicting thresholds. Ask the Town how to document an irregular trunk.
Which exemptions change the answer?
Article II exempts transplanting a tree on a small tract, with transplant defined as moving it from one place to another on the same owner's property. Section 70-42(a) Section 70-32 (definition of transplant) It also exempts land in bona fide agriculture, defined by the owner receiving more than 50 percent of their livelihood from that land use. Section 70-42(c) Section 70-32 (bona fide agriculture)
A disaster is not an automatic waiver: the Town Manager or designee must find a waiver necessary to avoid impeding restoration. Section 70-41 Size and species exemptions appear in their respective tables.
Does pruning a private-property tree need a permit?
The reviewed code does not establish a separate permit for routine private-tree maintenance pruning; Section 70-50 excludes routine maintenance, but that is not permission for effective removal through damage, prohibited alteration of natural form, or hatracking, and it does not replace mangrove, public-property or required-landscaping controls. Section 70-50 Section 70-32 (definition of removal) Section 70-31(b) Section 66-77(e)
Hatracking means topping or heading by cutting major portions of the crown back to stubs or the trunk; for trees covered by Article II, it is treated as a violation with replacement consequences, not as routine pruning authorized merely by obtaining a permit. Section 70-32 (definition of hatracking) Section 70-45(a) For required landscaping, top pruning or other severe practices that cause stunted, abnormal or unreasonable deviation from healthy growth count as destruction and require replacement. Section 66-77(e)
Which species are exempt, and which may not be planted?
Section 70-42(d) exempts these species from Article II, not merely its fees. Section 70-42(d) These are code categories, not a general undesirable-tree list:
Exempt category | Qualification in the code |
|---|---|
Palms | All except cabbage palm, Sabal palmetto. Section 70-42(d)(1) |
Australian pine | Casuarina species. Section 70-42(d)(2) |
Brazilian pepper | Schinus species. Section 70-42(d)(3) |
Chinaberry | Melia azedarach. Section 70-42(d)(4) |
Ear tree | Enterolobium cyclocarpum. Section 70-42(d)(5) |
Eucalyptus | Eucalyptus species. Section 70-42(d)(6) |
Punk | Listed as punk. Section 70-42(d)(7) |
Silk oak | Grevillea robusta. Section 70-42(d)(8) |
Woman's tongue | Albizia species. Section 70-42(d)(9) |
Java plum | Listed as Java plum. Section 70-42(d)(10) |
Acacia | Acacia species. Section 70-42(d)(11) |
Avocado | Persea americana. Section 70-42(d)(12) |
Cherry laurel | Listed as cherry laurel. Section 70-42(d)(13) |
Citrus | Orange, lemon, lime, kumquat and grapefruit. Section 70-42(d)(14) |
Ficus | Except banyan. Section 70-42(d)(15) |
Italian cypress | Cupressus sempervirens. Section 70-42(d)(16) |
Jacaranda | Listed as Jacaranda acutifolia. Section 70-42(d)(17) |
Jerusalem thorn | Parkinsonia aculeata. Section 70-42(d)(18) |
Loquat | Eriobotrya japonica. Section 70-42(d)(19) |
Mango | Mangifera indica. Section 70-42(d)(20) |
Monkey puzzle tree | Araucaria. Section 70-42(d)(21) |
Norfolk Island pine | Listed as Araucaria excelsa. Section 70-42(d)(22) |
Orchid | Bauhinia. Section 70-42(d)(23) |
Poinciana | Listed without a botanical name. Section 70-42(d)(24) |
Toog | Bischofia javanica. Section 70-42(d)(25) |
Repeated final entry | Brazilian pepper, punk and Australian pine. Section 70-42(d)(26) |
The separate prohibited-planting list contains eleven entries: punk, Brazilian pepper, Java plum, Australian pine, silk oak, ear tree, bischofia, woman's tongue, eucalyptus, chinaberry and Ficus species. Section 70-44(a) Notice the difference: the removal exemption excludes banyan from its Ficus category, while the planting prohibition says Ficus species without that exception. Section 70-42(d)(15) Section 70-44(a)(11)
After investigation, the Town can serve notice requiring removal of a prohibited planting within 15 days; after noncompliance, it may remove the tree and charge the property owner. Section 70-44 That is a description of Town enforcement, not a recommendation to remove a tree.
Who can apply, and when does Florida Statute 163.045 apply?
Section 70-34 allows any person seeking the regulated approval to apply to the Town Manager or designee, while a site-plan applicant who is not the title holder must provide the owner's signed, notarized authorization. Section 70-34 Section 82-32(a)(3) An association or company's project should identify its title holder and authorized applicant, not assume a homeowner exception.
The current Florida Statute 163.045 uses these conditions together:
Property: A single-family detached building on a lot actively used for single-family residential purposes, either a conforming use or a legally recognized nonconforming use under local land-development regulations. Florida Statute 163.045
Documentation: An onsite assessment performed and signed by an ISA certified arborist or a Florida licensed landscape architect using Best Management Practices: Tree Risk Assessment, Second Edition (2017). Florida Statute 163.045
Risk and possession: The owner possesses that documentation finding unacceptable risk, meaning removal is the only practical means of mitigating the risk below moderate under that standard. Florida Statute 163.045
Effect: For qualifying pruning, trimming or removal, a local government may not require notice, application, approval, permit, fee or mitigation, and may not require replanting afterward. Florida Statute 163.045 Florida Statute 163.045
Limit: The statute does not apply to specifically delegated mangrove-protection authority. Florida Statute 163.045
Revised by Chapter 2022-121 effective July 1, 2022, these conditions do not establish a commercial, multifamily, institutional or HOA common-area exemption. Chapter 2022-121 Florida Statute 163.045 Parcel/report eligibility needs individual review.
Mangroves and the Town's wording
Section 70-33(5) begins “Mangrove trees. All species commonly known as "mangroves," including the following species:” and lists “Rhizophora mangle,” “Avicennia germinans,” “Laguncularia racemose” and “Conocarpus erecta,” applying its rule to mangroves “of whatever size or species.” Section 70-33(5) The correct botanical names for white mangrove and buttonwood are Laguncularia racemosa and Conocarpus erectus, respectively; the quoted Town spellings have not been silently corrected. Pinellas County mangrove trimming guidelines UF/IFAS Buttonwood reference
The Town text excepts trees in an area subject to a permit “issued by the county water and navigation authority”; otherwise it retains name-and-clump identification, aerial/site-plan review and permitting, with comparable-canopy replacement where suitable mangrove habitat no longer exists. Section 70-33(5) Today, FDEP identifies Pinellas County as the delegated mangrove authority under Section 403.9324, with County assistance at 727-453-3385; the delegation covers the County's entire territory, including incorporated municipalities, but retains state authority for activities requiring the specified wetland-resource or environmental-resource permits. FDEP mangrove delegation page Pinellas County mangrove page Pinellas County mangrove delegation agreement Pinellas County mangrove delegation agreement
The Town's 2008 planning analysis calls Kenneth City inland, not devoid of mangroves. Town comprehensive-plan analysis Habitat was unconfirmed in official materials searched October 2, 2026; absence is not assumed.
What penalties and replacement duties can follow a violation?
For a violation of the tree article, Section 70-46 invokes Section 1-15's maximum $500 fine, 60 days' imprisonment, or both upon conviction; each tree removed without a permit is a separate offense, and the general section also treats each continuing day as an offense. Section 70-46 Section 1-15 These are the codified figures, not a removal price or an inevitable assessment.
Section 70-47 additionally provides a civil penalty based on the “International Society of Arboriculture shade tree value formula,” inch-for-inch replacement based on illegally removed DBH, or a combination of payment and replacement. Section 70-47 Under Section 70-45, violation replacement stays in the same canopy, intermediate or understory category, with palms treated as understory. Section 70-45(b)
Violation replacement stock | Minimum diameter and measurement height | Minimum overall height |
|---|---|---|
Root mass reduced for planting, including collected or relocated stock | 1½ inches at one foot above grade | Eight feet. Section 70-45(a)(1) |
Root mass substantially intact, including container or grow-bag stock | 1¼-inch caliper at six inches above grade | Eight feet. Section 70-45(a)(2) |
The separate code-enforcement process provides notice and hearing, with different treatment for repeat, serious-threat and irreparable violations. Section 2-374 Its maximums are $250 per day for a first violation, $500 per day for a repeat violation and $5,000 per irreparable or irreversible violation, with the applicable findings and repair-cost provisions. Section 2-377(b)(1) Recorded orders can become liens; foreclosure and money-judgment remedies carry the stated homestead limitations. Section 2-377(c) The summary citation route separately caps a violation fine at $500 and allows a lower uncontested fine. Section 2-385(a)
Historical amounts' original effective dates were not established from enactment records checked October 2, 2026. Supplement 21 supports them; the 2025 tree amendment did not create them.
What replacement is required after permitted removal?
Subject to the article's exemptions and the qualifying state-law route, a removal permit may require practical relocation or one-for-one replacement with comparable shade potential and characteristics, minimum 1½-inch diameter measured 12 inches above ground, eight-foot overall height and Florida Nursery Grade No. 1 or better. Section 70-38(a) For single-family and duplex lots, retained trees in good growing condition count toward these minimums, and canopy and soil analysis determine the replacement selection. Section 70-38(b)
Residential lot area, square feet | Minimum tree count |
|---|---|
3,500 to 5,999 | |
6,000 to 9,499 | |
9,500 to 15,999 | |
“Over 16,000 (per 16,000 square-foot unit)” |
Exactly 16,000 square feet and lots below 3,500 are unstated; ask the Town about those gaps. Section 70-38(b) Developed-lot trees credited in an approved landscape plan require replacement consistent with the original credits. Section 70-38(b) (replacement credits)
With owner permission, the Town may relocate permitted-removal trees to Town land at Town expense within 15 working days of issuance, 30 if root pruning is needed, or another agreed schedule. Section 70-38(c) This is not an ordinary-removal payment rate.
What changes for commercial property and development?
Commercial, multifamily, HOA common-area and institutional projects follow Article II's tract-size, occupancy and clearing triggers and species exemptions, not a separate commercial diameter. Section 70-33 Section 70-42(d) Section 163.045's single-family residential exception must not be extended to those uses. Florida Statute 163.045
Pools, additions, demolition and clearing
Formal site-plan review generally covers improvements, alterations, expansions, special exceptions, planned developments and intensity-increasing use changes. Section 82-31(a) Specified single-family/duplex infill, expansions, pools, accessory work and landscaping modifications are exempt from formal review, not applicable tree permits or development standards. Section 82-31
Tree-permit approval follows final project site-plan approval except for clearing/grubbing, subject to the formal-review exemptions. Section 70-35 Section 82-31(b) Permits, inspections or occupancy may be withheld until tree requirements are satisfied. Section 70-48
Plans, credentials and timing
For a small tract, the tree plan needs lot dimensions and improvements; regulated-tree locations and names; retained, relocated and removed trees; transplantation and protection details; setbacks and easements; grade changes; and replacement proposals. Section 70-34 Retained trees must be identified before inspection, with required barriers erected before permit issuance. Section 70-34(1)h
For a large tract, the code requires a topographical survey sealed by a “registered engineer or registered surveyor”; a suitable aerial at minimum one inch to 200 feet and/or tree survey may also be required, and a tree survey is required for requested removal areas not previously approved under clearing. Section 70-34(2) A no-tree verification is the owner or agent's signed, notarized statement, checked by Town inspection before unnecessary plan information is excused. Section 70-32 (no-tree verification) Section 70-34(4)
Where formal site-plan review applies, Section 82-32 adds title evidence, a boundary survey signed and sealed by a state-registered land surveyor, and applicable component plans certified by a civil engineer or architect with the state credential specified in that section. Section 82-32 The code calls for 15 component-plan copies, while Section 66-71 calls for four landscaping-plan copies; the Town's current site-development form prefers digital copies, so confirm the current submission format. Section 82-32(b) Section 66-71(1)a Town Site Development Application
Landscaping plans accompany construction plans and include the existing tree survey, DBH, condition, removals, retained trees, protection barriers and grade changes within ten feet of retained-tree driplines. Section 66-71 Required habitat plans under Section 70-85 are prepared by an ecologist, biologist or related professional when the site-review conditions apply; drainage, grading and floodplain components must be confirmed with the Town because Section 82-32's cross-references include outdated section numbers. Section 70-85 Section 82-32(b)
The tree permit becomes void if work does not start within its prescribed period, no longer than six months; the Town Manager or designee may extend completion for up to another six months for good cause, and an unused expired permit requires a new application. Section 70-34(5) Preapplication inspection is provided for the alternate-plan, large-tract and clearing situations stated in Section 70-36. Section 70-36
What supports approval?
Removal criteria include an approved improvement that unreasonably restricts economic enjoyment where relocation is not feasible because of the tree's age, type or size; the listed disease, injury, falling, structure, utility, visibility or regulatory conflicts; or another public-welfare reason. Section 70-37 The decision also considers significant adverse effects on groundwater and surface-water stabilization, water quality and recharge, ecology, noise, air movement, air quality, wildlife habitat and neighborhood property values. Section 70-37 A denial must identify its specific basis and criteria. Section 70-37(3)
For healthy native vegetation meeting denial criteria inside a proposed building or parking area, the Town may require a reasonable site-plan alteration, subject to the hardship, credit and waiver conditions. Section 66-75 An accepted environmental-betterment landscape plan requires an adequate “bond” for faithful completion under Section 70-40. Section 70-40
Construction protection and clearing
Solvents, materials, machinery and temporary soil deposits may not be placed within six feet or two-thirds of the dripline, whichever is greater, of a tree at least three inches DBH during construction. Section 70-39(a) Before development, clearing, filling or land alteration, the code requires a permit and protective barriers that remain until authorized removal by the appropriate building inspectors or final occupancy; protected trees may not have attachments or wires. Section 70-39(b)
The barrier exceptions allow ribboning of designated road/utility clearing areas and separate large areas into which equipment will not operate or be placed; the code specifies stakes “a minimum of 50 feet apart” with ribbon, tape or rope along the clearing perimeter. Section 70-39 Clearing or grubbing where site conditions prevent preparing a tree survey requires a written request and general tree numbers, species and sizes; designated road, drainage and utility clearing follows the approved preliminary plan. Section 70-34(3) That subsection says “No fee will be required,” but still requires authorization and leaves all trees and at least their dripline understory undisturbed during authorized grubbing. Section 70-34(3)
The grubbing definition's six-inch removal ceiling conflicts with the operational requirement to leave all trees undisturbed. Section 70-32 (definition of grubbing) Section 70-34(3) Obtain written Town limits, not assumed removal permission.
Sensitive lands and existing development orders
Article III creates a restricted development zone within 500 feet of an identified protected environmentally sensitive area's boundary; this is a review/protection zone, not a uniform 500-foot no-development buffer. Section 70-82 Within those zones adjacent to protected wetlands, natural buffers must be retained wherever possible or equivalent buffers created; their size must be the minimum needed to prevent significant adverse effects, with the factual basis in the written record. Section 70-82(b)(3)a
Reasonable protective measures supported by written findings may limit vegetation removal to the minimum necessary and require prompt replanting of denuded areas. Section 70-82 After development in either a restricted or protected sensitive zone, clearing beyond the original permission requires an amended development order. Section 70-83(2)
Required landscape trees and palms
Chapter 66 planting stock must be Florida No. 1 or better and meet the same two root-stock size options shown in the violation-replacement table; these are landscaping standards, distinct from Section 70-38's permitted-removal stock rule. Section 66-74 Canopy trees normally reach at least 35 feet, intermediate trees 20 to 35 feet, and understory trees remain under 20 feet; palms are not interchangeable with canopy or intermediate trees without express authorization. Section 66-74
These acceptable planting lists use common names; deviations need zoning approval and natives are encouraged. Section 66-74(b)(5)
Canopy | Intermediate | Understory |
|---|---|---|
American holly, bald cypress, Chinese elm, Florida elm, golden rain, green ash, hickory, laurel oak, live oak, loblolly bay, pine, southern magnolia, southern red cedar, sweetgum, sycamore. Section 66-74(b)(5)a | Cherry laurel, dahoon holly, drake elm, East Palatka holly, Jerusalem thorn, orchid tree, red maple. Section 66-74(b)(5)b | Bottle brush, Chickasaw plum, crepe myrtle, loquat, myrtle dahoon holly, podocarpus, tree ligustrum, wax myrtle, yaupon holly. Section 66-74(b)(5)c |
Planting area minimum | Understory | Intermediate | Canopy |
|---|---|---|---|
Single tree, square feet | 90 | 200 | 400. Section 66-74(b)(6)a |
Additional area per grouped tree, square feet | 50 | 100 | 200. Section 66-74(b)(6)a |
Trunk-to-perimeter setback, feet | 2 | 7 | |
Minimum interior dimension, feet | 5 | Not applicable | Not applicable. Section 66-74(b)(6)a |
Automatic self-activated irrigation covering the entire planting area allows the intermediate and canopy area and setback minimums to be reduced by 50 percent. Section 66-74(b)(6)b
Diversity requirement | Minimum |
|---|---|
Canopy share | 10 percent of required trees. Section 66-74(b)(7) |
Intermediate share | 20 percent; canopy trees may substitute. Section 66-74(b)(7) |
1 to 10 required trees | 1 species. Section 66-74(b)(8) |
11 to 20 | 2 species. Section 66-74(b)(8) |
21 to 40 | 3 species. Section 66-74(b)(8) |
41 to 60 | 4 species. Section 66-74(b)(8) |
Over 60 | 5 or more species. Section 66-74(b)(8) |
Native share | At least 70 percent to the maximum extent reasonably possible. Section 66-74(b)(13) |
Native Florida palms indigenous to the County count only where expressly authorized and may not exceed 25 percent of required trees. Section 66-74(b)(9) Their planting minimums are:
Palm | Minimum at planting |
|---|---|
Cabbage palm | Eight feet to bud. Section 66-74(b)(9)a |
Scrub palm | Six-inch stem from root collar to bud. Section 66-74(b)(9)b |
Blue palmetto | Six-inch stem from root collar to bud. Section 66-74(b)(9)c |
Needle palm | Six-inch stem from root collar to bud. Section 66-74(b)(9)d |
Saw palmetto | Five buds per cluster. Section 66-74(b)(9)e |
Species whose roots are known to damage public roadways or utilities have a 12-foot planting separation unless completely contained by a barrier with minimum interior dimensions five feet square and five feet deep, four-inch concrete and No. 6 road mesh, printed as six inches × six inches × six inches or equivalent. Section 66-74(b)(10) Chapter 66 separately prohibits planting Australian pine, Brazilian pepper, chinaberry, ear tree, eucalyptus, punk, silk oak and woman's tongue as required landscaping. Section 66-74(b)(11) It requires existing punk, Australian pine and Brazilian pepper to be removed before occupancy, subject to other-agency wetland permits and the threatened/endangered wildlife nesting or primary-habitat exception. Section 66-74(b)(12) That conditional code requirement is not advice to undertake removal.
Credits for retained trees
Healthy desirable trees may earn planting credit, measured 4½ feet above original grade. Section 66-76(1)
Existing tree size | Credit |
|---|---|
Three inches to less than six inches | 2 trees. Section 66-76(1)a |
Six inches to less than 12 inches | 4 trees. Section 66-76(1)b |
12 inches to less than 24 inches | 6 trees. Section 66-76(1)c |
24 inches or more | 8 trees. Section 66-76(1)d |
Cabbage palms at least six feet tall | 1 tree per 2 existing palms. Section 66-76(1)e1 |
Other qualifying native palms | Credit as determined by the zoning authority from species, size, spacing, location and other factors. Section 66-76(1)e2 |
Minimum undisturbed area after construction | 3 to 6 inches DBH | 7 to 12 inches DBH | 13 inches and above |
|---|---|---|---|
Single tree, square feet | 150 | 400 | 625. Section 66-76(1)f |
Additional area per grouped tree, square feet | 50 | 100 | 200. Section 66-76(1)f |
Trunk-to-perimeter setback, feet | 5 | 7 |
The printed bands leave fractional gaps between six/seven and 12/13 inches; obtain Town interpretation and apply any larger Article II protection. Section 66-76(1)f Existing-tree size credit is limited to 50 percent of required trees, subject to species/location. Section 66-76(1)g
Preserved natural features can support a waiver with a recorded covenant before occupancy; parking relief for qualifying trees at least eight inches may not exceed ten percent of required spaces. Section 66-76 Turf blocks used to preserve trees must remain outside the dripline and may satisfy no more than five percent of required pervious area. Section 66-76(7)
Streetscape, parking and buffers
Streetscape applies to new construction on undeveloped lots under the definition in Section 66-75(b)(3), including the specified principal-building removal situation. Section 66-75(b)(3)
Development type | Streetscape tree requirement |
|---|---|
Single-family | One per 50 feet of frontage or fraction. Section 66-75(b)(2)a1 |
Duplex/multifamily | One per 50 feet or fraction. Section 66-75(b)(2)b1 |
Commercial | One per 40 feet or fraction. Section 66-75(b)(2)c |
Office | One per 40 feet or fraction. Section 66-75(b)(2)d |
Industrial | One per 40 feet or fraction. Section 66-75(b)(2)e |
Additional foundation landscaping is governed by Section 66-75(b)(2)a2. Section 66-75(b)(2)a2 For vehicular-area exemptions, redevelopment compliance thresholds and existing-parking protections, use the corresponding provisions rather than treating this tree summary as a complete site-design checklist. Section 66-75
Exposed vehicular-area perimeters generally require one tree per 40 feet or fraction, with the applicable residential/right-of-way or nonresidential screening exceptions; combined streetscape and right-of-way perimeter requirements do not exceed one tree per 40 feet. Section 66-75 Interior landscaping equals eight percent of vehicular-use area, with at least one tree per 200 square feet or fraction of required landscaping; terminal and interior islands each need a tree, and palm substitution is three palms per required tree subject to the 25-percent limit. Section 66-75
Rows of ten or more contiguous spaces need islands at both ends; interior islands occur at intervals of four to 15 spaces, with both island types at least five feet wide between curbs and as long as the adjacent stall. Section 66-75
For buffers, use the proposed district as the row and the abutting or functionally abutting district as the column; Section 66-75(d) governs conflicts with vehicular perimeter landscaping and satisfies that perimeter requirement. Section 66-75(d)(1)
Proposed / adjoining | RS-5.0 | RS-7.5 | RO | RD-5.0 | RM-10 | RM-15 | GO | CG | CL | CG-2 | ML | SP-I | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
RS-5.0 | B | B | B | B | D | A | C | ||||||
RS-7.5 | B | B | B | B | C | B | C | ||||||
RO | B | B | B | B | D | B | B | ||||||
RD-5.0 | B | A | B | B | B | B | B | B | B | C | C | ||
RM-10 | B | A | B | B | B | B | B | B | B | C | D | ||
RM-15 | B | A | B | B | B | B | B | B | B | C | D | ||
GO | C | C | C | C | C | C | A | A | B | D | B | D | |
CG | C | C | C | C | C | C | A | B | D | B | D | ||
CL | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | B | D | B | D | |
CG-2 | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | D | C | D | |
ML | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | |
SP-I | B | B | C | B | B | B | A | A | A | A | A | A | C |
P |
Blank cells, including the P row, reproduce the published matrix rather than stating an exemption; its accompanying text limits the multifamily table requirement to two or more contiguous structures and separately provides case-by-case buffering at least meeting Standard A where required. Section 66-75
Standard | Minimum strip width | Tree requirement |
|---|---|---|
A | Five feet | One per 40 linear feet or fraction. Section 66-75 |
B | Six feet | One per 50 linear feet or fraction. Section 66-75 |
C | Eight feet | One per 40 linear feet or fraction. Section 66-75 |
D | Eight feet | One per 40 linear feet or fraction. Section 66-75 |
Non-tree landscaping follows Sections 66-74 through 66-77; easement planting beyond grass/ground cover needs approval, and only understory trees count within 20 feet of projected overhead lines. Section 66-75(d)(2)b Also consult the RO, preservation, commercial and industrial district landscaping provisions. Section 82-185 Section 82-295 Section 82-354 Section 82-374 Section 82-394
Maintenance, completion and contractor exposure
Required landscape trees must remain healthy or be replaced within 30 days; abandoning, paving or repurposing landscaped areas requires a submitted site plan and Town approval. Section 66-77 Landscaping compliance is inspected before occupancy certification, subject to the code's conditional temporary-occupancy procedure. Section 66-72
Owners, agents and workers face tree-violation penalties. Section 70-46 Check bids against approved tree limits, barriers and replacement; confirm project-specific credentials/insurance rather than importing communications-right-of-way requirements.
Business-receipt registration and exceptions are separate requirements. Section 50-53 For floodplain work, consult the article's limited-scope stop-work and enforcement provisions. Section 70-210 Section 70-211
How do you apply, and what does it cost?
Start with Kenneth City's Building and Permitting Department at 727-498-8948 ext. 319; the Town yard-maintenance brochure lists Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Town yard-maintenance brochure A standalone tree-removal fee was not verified in the Town's fee resolution or forms checked October 2, 2026; Section 70-34 requires the Town-established fee and provides conditional no-fee clearing/grubbing. Section 70-34
Confirm jurisdiction and route: Identify the property, tree category, activity and any claimed exemption with the Town.
Prepare the right package: Use the applicable tree-plan requirements and, for development, the Town's Site Development Application, which includes owner consent and applicant certification. Town Site Development Application
Confirm fee and delivery: Town Hall is at 6000 54th Avenue North, Kenneth City, FL 33709. Town construction forms index The Clerk publishes Town57@kennethcityfl.org for public-records requests, including older permits. Town Clerk records page Confirm the tree application form and submission channel with Building; the permit-type list assigns tree permits to the Town, not County-only review. Town permits-by-type list
Allow field review and obtain the written decision: The tree application is field checked and may receive departmental recommendations; applicable project sequencing and permit conditions still control. Section 70-35
Development fees are not tree-removal prices
Resolution 2024-01 was adopted and effective February 14, 2024; its surviving amended fee lines include the following, subject to its applicable additional-cost provisions. Resolution 2024-01
Review | Posted resolution amount |
|---|---|
Final site-plan review, staff only | $250. Resolution 2024-01 |
Final site-plan review, Town Council | $350. Resolution 2024-01 |
Landscaping waiver | $350. Resolution 2024-01 |
Board of adjustment appeal | $1,000. Resolution 2024-01 |
Board of adjustment variance | Residential $350; commercial $500. Resolution 2024-01 Resolution 2024-01 |
Outside consulting and additional fees, if applicable | Cost plus five percent and $2,000 escrow, or amount determined by Town review and the Town Manager. Resolution 2024-01 |
The current Site Development Application instead states a $500 base plus $2,000 escrow or another Town Manager-determined amount, with outside costs and additional fees; no instrument/effective date establishing that $500 line was found in the October 2 review of the fee resolution, forms and available 2026 meeting records. Town Site Development Application This conflicts with using the resolution's $250/$350 final-site-plan rows as a universal current application price, so request the applicable instrument and written total.
The Building page lists $250 for County-requested pre-approval, without an amount-setting effective-date instrument. Town Building and Permitting page This is not a verified tree-removal fee.
Appeals and the office conflict
Section 70-49 requires written notice stating the grounds, filed with the Town Clerk with the appropriate fee within ten days of the challenged decision; it directs the appeal to the board of adjustment but then says “The town council shall hear and consider all facts material to the appeal and render a decision promptly.” Section 70-49 The section's final-decision reconsideration restriction is 12 months absent a material, substantial change, with a separate allowance for reconsideration by the Town Manager of unappealed decisions. Section 70-49 (reconsideration)
Section 82-72 assigns its zoning powers to the board for nonresidential, nonpublic property, but to a development special magistrate for residential or public property; that does not resolve Article II's mixed board/council wording. Section 82-72 Prohibited-tree appeals or variances separately go to Town Council after public hearing under Section 70-44(b), which still prints $55; its original amount-setting effective date was not established, and the broader fee schedule is not silently substituted for it. Section 70-44(b) Ask the Clerk to confirm the route and charge without allowing the ten-day filing period to lapse.
Where do Town guidance and code differ?
March 11, 2026 minutes describe an arborist letter and live-oak removal go-ahead, not replacement criteria for Sections 70-37 or 163.045. March 11, 2026 council minutes Section 70-37(1)b Florida Statute 163.045 The yard-maintenance brochure routes removal questions to Building, not amended thresholds or exemptions. Town yard-maintenance brochure
Forms prefer digital documents despite code copy counts, and the development fee form differs from the resolution. Town Site Development Application Section 66-71(1)a Section 82-32(b) Town Site Development Application Resolution 2024-01 Confirm current instructions without discarding legal conditions.
Is the address inside Kenneth City?
The Pinellas County address lookup identifies whether an address lies in an incorporated municipality or unincorporated Pinellas County. Pinellas County address lookup Use our unincorporated Pinellas reference for related reading if that is the relevant jurisdiction.
Nearby guides to Pinellas Park, St. Petersburg and Seminole are related reading only. Their rules are not Kenneth City's rules.
What about public right-of-way trees?
Section 70-43 places removal of public-right-of-way trees under the Town Manager or designee's direction, subject to the article's scope and exemptions; the guide does not authorize a property owner to remove a public tree. Section 70-43 Section 70-44(c) assigns its trimming duty specifically to the abutting owner who owns the fee-simple interest in the right-of-way land: plant material must not exceed three feet, and trees must be cleared of branches and foliage for at least eight feet from ground level, measured from curb or pavement edge. Section 70-44(c)
For utility, drainage or construction conflicts, obtain the appropriate project and right-of-way directions rather than assuming a private-property permit covers public land. Park trees also have separate controls against removal and damage in Section 42-1. Section 42-1
What does the reviewed Kenneth City code not specify?
Whole-code searches of Supplement 21 found no numerical standalone tree-removal application fee, no separate routine private-tree pruning permit requirement, and no fixed per-inch fee-in-lieu rate for ordinary lawful removal. Section 70-34 Section 70-50 Section 70-38(c) Section 70-47's violation valuation and Section 70-85's possible habitat-land fee program are different subjects, not published ordinary-removal rates. Section 70-47 Section 70-85(e)
Records searched but not confirmed
On October 2, 2026, the Town's forms, Building and Planning pages, available 2026 council records and indexed Town documents did not yield a dedicated Section 163.045 notice/form or a current historic/specimen designation register. No absence of actual designations is asserted; the Town Clerk is the records contact. Town Clerk records page
Sources and scope
This guide uses Municode Supplement 21, codified through Ordinance 2026-001, enacted February 11, 2026, together with the official sources linked beside the rules. Municode Supplement 21 Ordinance 002-2025, effective May 14, 2025, changed decision-making references toward the Town Manager, changed parts of the appeal text toward Town Council and added the state-preemption sentence; it did not newly set the old diameter thresholds or $55 amount. Ordinance 002-2025
Municode's four newer entries are 2026-04, 2026-02, 2026-003 and 2026-002; the 2026-02 attachment is a business-impact document associated with the alcohol measure, not evidence of a fourth distinct tree amendment. Municode Kenneth City code and newer ordinances 2026-02 business-impact document The reviewed measures concern vehicle parking, commercial alcohol uses and park/recreational-court rules; the park measure retains tree-protection language, but no amendment to Chapter 70 Article II or a tree-permit fee was identified in them. Ordinance 2026-04 Ordinance 2026-002 Ordinance 2026-003
The September 9, 2026 agenda also lists proposed Ordinance 2026-005 on accessory structures, parking and dimensional rules; adoption and final text were not confirmed in the available records, so its proposal is not represented here as enacted law. September 9, 2026 council agenda Property-specific interpretation and any later enactment should be confirmed with the Town.
Where does this leave your tree or project?
A tree may be a candidate for removal or pruning, but the Town Manager or designee decides municipal approval questions. Section 70-34 Pinellas County handles its delegated mangrove program. FDEP mangrove delegation page Route project plans and property-specific determinations to those offices.
Ken's Tree Service has worked since 1996 from Tarpon Springs, across approximately 20 miles covering north Pinellas County, west Pasco County and the northwest corner of Hillsborough County. This Kenneth City article is a regional reference, not an offer to perform work there; for projects within our service area, our number is 727-934-5804.
Take questions about a property's map, plan, eligibility or approval to the deciding public office. For questions about the code explained here, continue the conversation with our website agent, the chat on this page.