It shall be unlawful as a normal practice for any person, firm, or town department to top any street tree, park tree, or other tree on public property.
TOPPING is defined as the severe cutting back of limbs to stubs larger than three inches in diameter within the tree's crown to such a degree so as to remove the normal canopy and disfigure the tree. Trees severely damaged by storms or other causes or certain trees under utility wires or other obstructions for which other pruning practices are impractical may be exempted from this chapter at the determination of the Town Tree Committee. Trimming performed by utility companies on any tree must be done in a manner as to maintain aesthetic qualities of any tree (e.g., "tunnel pruning" is recommended, "pollarding" or cutting of apical meristems is not permitted). Nothing in this chapter shall prohibit a property owner or his or her agent from property trimming any tree on his or her own property or from trimming limbs from neighboring properties that extend over his or her property line.
(Prior Code, § 156-6) (Ord. 5-81, passed 12-16-1981; Ord. 07-2009, passed 7-20-2009)