A. Purpose: This section establishes policies, regulations and standards necessary to ensure that the village and its residents will continue to benefit from healthy, well managed trees or shrubs.
B. Definitions:
PERSON: An individual, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, or other entity.
PUBLIC: Land owned, controlled or leased by the village of Reedsville, including, but not limited to, rights of way, terraces and park lands.
SHRUB: Any woody vegetation or woody plant having multiple stems and bearing foliage from the ground up.
TERRACES: The area between the sidewalk and street or where there is no sidewalk, the area between the right of way line and street.
TREE: Any woody plant, normally having one stem or trunk bearing its foliage or crown well above ground level.
C. Pruning: Trees or shrubs shall be properly pruned for the purpose of preventing the following potentially hazardous situations:
Obstruction of traffic signs;
Obstruction of a clear view of street and alley intersections;
Obstruction of the proper lighting of public streets;
Obstruction of public walks or streets; and
Obstruction of water meters.
Any owner of a tree or shrub growing on private property overhanging any street, highway or public sidewalk within the village shall trim the branches or plants considered a menace, nuisance or hazard to the safety of the public in the use or operation of motor vehicles or pedestrians in the access of public sidewalks.
D. Clearance:
1. The minimum vertical clearance of trees shall be fourteen feet (14') between the surface of a street and the lowest branch.
2. Branches shall have a minimum of eight feet (8') between surface of sidewalk or pedestrianway and the lowest branch.
E. Removal Of Public Trees Or Shrubs: The village shall coordinate treatment or removal of any public tree or shrub which is hazardous, diseased or insect ridden as to be deemed a nuisance to public safety or constitutes a hazard to other trees or shrubs.
F. Planting: Persons planting a tree or shrub shall follow the following procedures:
No tree or shrub shall be planted in a terrace.
No tree or shrub shall be planted within three feet (3') of any property lines.
No tree or shrub shall be planted closer than fifteen feet (15') from the adjacent property's driveway approach.
No tree or shrub shall be planted within fifteen feet (15') of a fire hydrant.
No tree or shrub shall be planted within fifteen feet (15') of a utility pole.
No tree or shrub shall be planted within five feet (5') of underground utilities, including water, sewer, electrical, cable or telephone.
No person may install new or replace trees or shrubs on any public right of way or public property without obtaining written permission from the village. The village has the authority to refuse the granting of such permission, when such planting is likely to create a public danger or nuisance or be detrimental to the growth of adjacent trees or shrubs. Any violation of this section will result in the removal of all unauthorized plantings at the violator's expense.
G. Notice: The village shall serve or cause to be served a notice upon any owner of any private property upon which trees or shrubs are permitted to grow in violation of the provisions of this section and demand abatement of the nuisance within ten (10) days of the service of such notice. (Ord. 2004-2, 8-2-2004)