(a) No street trees shall be planted closer together than the following: small trees - twenty feet; medium trees - thirty feet; and large trees - forty feet; except in special plantings designed or approved by the Tree Commission. (Ord. 5-8-89.)
(b) No tree shall be planted in a tree lawn that is less than fifteen feet wide except in special plantings designed or approved by the Tree Commission. No tree shall be planted less than seven and one-half feet from the road curb. If no curb is present, no tree shall be planted less than seven and one-half feet from the edge of the road.
(Res. 08042020. Passed 9-14-20.)
(c) No trees shall be planted closer to any curb or sidewalk than the following: small trees - two feet; medium trees - three and one-half feet; large trees - five feet.
(d) No tree shall be planted closer than thirty-five feet to any street corner, measured from the point of nearest intersection of curbs or curblines. No tree shall be planted closer than fifteen feet to any fire hydrant.
(e) Trimming of trees and shrubbery to prevent obstruction:
(1) It shall be unlawful for any person to plant, grow or maintain any shade tree or trees or shrubbery which will obstruct proper distribution of light from street lights or which will obstruct the view of traffic approaching an intersection by operators of vehicles approaching said intersection from another direction or obstruct any street traffic control devices/signs.
(2) All trees shall be trimmed so as to have a clear height of eight feet above the surface of sidewalks and sixteen feet above the surface of the street or roadway, and the branches of all trees in front of and along lots or lands near which street lights are placed shall be trimmed so as not to obstruct the free passage of light from the street lights to the street or sidewalk.
(3) The Tree Commission shall notify in writing, by certified mail, property owners ordering them to trim or remove trees and/or shrubbery, within thirty days so that the trees and shrubbery shall conform to the provisions of subsections (e)(1) and (2) hereof.
(4) In the event of failure of owners to comply, the Tree Commission shall have the authority to remove such trees and charge the cost of removal on the owner’s property tax notice.
(f) No person shall intentionally damage, cut, carve, attach posters to trees; allow any gaseous, liquid or solid substance which is harmful to such trees to come in contact with them; set fire or permit any fire to burn when such fire or heat will damage any portion of any tree; place pavement, stone, plastic, or other material which interferes with the free exchange of water or air in the soil and would damage street trees in the tree lawn or excavate within ten feet of a street tree without a permit from the Tree Commission.
(g) Removal of dangerous trees:
(1) The Tree Commission shall have the authority to cause the removal of any dangerous, dead or diseased or broken or decayed tree limbs within the Village, when such trees or limbs constitute a hazard to life or property or harbor insects or disease which constitutes a potential threat to other trees within the Village. The Tree Commission shall notify in writing, by certified mail, the owners of such trees. Removal shall be done by said owners at their expense within thirty days after receipt of such notice. In the event of failure of owners to comply with such provisions, the Tree Commission shall have the authority to remove such trees or limbs and charge the cost of removal on the owner’s property tax notice.
(2) The Tree Commission is authorized to make inspections in order to ascertain whether or not any dangerous trees exist on any private property. For the purpose of making inspections, the Tree Commission or their designated agent shall, at reasonable hours, have the right to enter into and upon any private property located in the Village.
(h) Upon removal of street trees in the tree lawn, the stumps shall be removed below the surface of the ground so that the top of the stump shall not project above the surface of the ground. (Ord. 5-8-89.)