(A) Owners shall maintain all vegetation and trees upon their property or within any right-of-way adjacent to their property to ensure that they are properly mowed, pruned and trimmed; free of damage and disease; and shall not create a risk of harm to passersby, owners mowing, trimming and/or maintaining vegetation and/or trees must take all proper precautions to protect the public from these activities. Where such vegetation or tree maintenance activities will possibly affect the safe use of a public street, sidewalk, bike path and/or pedestrian walkway, the area affected shall be cordoned off and the township’s approval of such work and street closure shall be obtained.
(B) No street trees shall be removed by an owner unless such trees are fallen, dead, damaged, diseased, at risk of collapse, a danger to the public and/or causing or anticipated to cause damage to public property or improvements, and only then upon receipt of a tree removal permit from the township. Owners shall replace any street tree removed from their property or within any right-of-way adjacent to their property, if so directed by the township within the timeframe set by the township. All replacement trees shall be of a size and species required by the township subdivision and land development ordinance for street trees and shall be approved by the township. Prior to removing or replacing street trees, an owner shall apply for and receive a permit from the township for this work. There shall be no fee for this permit.
(C) The township may require owners of property adjacent to any street or alley, including state highways, to maintain, remove and/or replace street trees within such street’s or alley’s right-of-way that are missing, fallen, dead, damaged, diseased, at risk of collapse, a danger to the public and/or causing or anticipated to cause damage to public property/improvements, at the sole cost of such owners.
(D) The township may require owners of property adjacent to any street or alley, including state highways, to maintain and/or remove trees within such street’s or alley’s right-of-way that are fallen, dead, damaged, diseased, at risk of collapse, a danger to the public and/or causing or anticipated to cause damage to public property/improvements, at the sole cost of such owners.
(Ord. 246, passed 1-14-2021) Penalty, see § 54.99