Updates to Landscape Ordinances

At its October 27, 2025 regular meeting, City Council approved amendments to the City's codified ordinances related to landscaping on private property and tree lawns in the public right of way. The purpose of the proposed updates is to preserve the historic and aesthetic character of the City, while promoting sustainable gardening and landscaping practices, to avoid nuisance conditions, and to prevent hazards to the health, safety and welfare of the public, prevent blight in residential and other areas, and prevent conditions which impair or adversely affect the value of properties and neighborhoods. 

Scroll down to the timeline section to view recordings and find agendas for public meetings at which the legislation was discussed.

Updates

The legislation amends a number of sections of the codified ordinances to update requirements for landscaping on private property and the use of the tree lawns in the right-of-way of the City. Below find an overview of revisions to these ordinances.

Tree Lawns

The tree lawns of the City are located in the public right-of-way and held in trust by the City for the public benefit. Property owners are required to maintain the tree lawn adjacent to their property. The City is responsible for regulating and limiting the use of the tree lawn so as to promote safety in roadways and sidewalks, prevent harm to City-planted trees, and maintain the ability of the City to provide services such as leaf, grass bag or brush pickup. 

Tree lawns are regulated as follows:

While all property owners are required to maintain the tree lawn adjacent to their property, except for the street trees, all landscape plants or hardscape in the tree lawn have to conform to the City’s ordinance as described below, and no one may place anything else in the tree lawn without the City’s approval in the form of a license, easement, franchise or other agreement.

• No one may attach or install anything in the tree lawn or on any public property, such as a rope, wire, chain, sign, mailbox, container, camera, sports equipment, lights, decorations, or other device or object without the approval of the City in writing.
• Tree lawns may not be used for camping, sleeping, parking of vehicles, scooters or bicycles, sales of any products or services (unless specifically authorized by the Ordinances), or storage of any kind (except temporary storage of leaves, brush or grass bags as allowed and in compliance with the policies established by the City).
• A property owner may not place or allow in the tree lawn any of the following: 
  • fences, stone walls or edges made of metal, plastic or other material; 
  • bare dirt, asphalt paving, gravel;
  • noxious weeds or invasive species of plants;
  • plants taller than 24 inches, not including flower stems or stalks which may be up to 36 inches  in height (except street trees planted and/or maintained by the City); 
  • any plants taller than 6 inches within 3 feet of a fire hydrant; or 
  • any plants that overhang or obstruct the sidewalk, curb and/or roadway.
  • ruts from vehicles
• To provide an area for grass bag, leaf or brush pickup by the City, a portion of the tree lawn must include an area of turf grass or other low growing ground cover that is allowed to grow no higher than 6 inches, mulch, and/or an area paved with bricks or decorative paving, that is at least five (5) feet wide along the curb, and extending in depth to the sidewalk or property boundary edge; bare soil is not permitted; this area may not include, but is in addition to, the area around a fire hydrant, tree or utility pole.
• No irrigation system may be installed in the tree lawn without the City’s approval. 
• If any property owner, or any person occupying the property, violates the regulations on tree lawns, the City may declare such violation a nuisance and take action to correct violations as authorized under Chapter 107.
• The City is not responsible for damage to irrigation systems, ornamental plantings, or decorative paving in a tree lawn, and shall not be required to maintain, repair or replace such plantings, installations or paved areas.

General Regulation of Landscaping:

Landscaping on private property and the adjacent tree lawn may include turf grass, clover, ornamental plantings, meadows, prairie plantings, wildflower gardens and other natural landscaping. Landscaping on private property may also include naturally wooded areas. 

Landscaping, other than naturally wooded areas, must be:

• Deliberately planted, well planned and maintained in a manner that does not create a public nuisance. 
• Designed, planted and maintained in a manner consistent with good landscaping practice, and kept in a healthy, well managed condition, that does not include any of the following:
  • vegetation or hardscapes, such as stone edges, which blocks or impedes walkways, entrances, or driveways; 
  • vegetation which shows evidence of neglect, is full of weeds, or has plants too large for the existing space that interferes with walkways, driveways, structures and/or foundations; 
  • vegetation that is in poor condition, has significant dead material, or contains noxious weeds; 
  • vegetation that creates safety concerns due to its limiting of visibility for vehicles or pedestrians; 
  • vegetation that is potentially hazardous due to excessive dead plants or leaves not consistent with the type of plant material; 
  • poorly managed grass or grass exceeding 6 inches in height; 
  • ornamental plantings or other vegetation allowed to grow in a manner that causes a public nuisance as defined in Chapter 107 of the Codified Ordinances; or 
  • vegetation which is in a condition that violates another section of the Codified Ordinances.

Noxious weeds are invasive, non-native plants that pose a threat to agriculture, ecosystems, and wildlife as defined by the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA).    

Building & Housing Code Updates

The City's Building & Housing Codes will include the following landscape regulations:

• Grounds which are unpaved shall be landscaped with a healthy stand of grass, appropriate ground cover, or other appropriate vegetation as permitted under the Codified Ordinances, and/or policies, rules and regulations of the City. 
• Trees, shrubs, ground cover, grasses and other landscape materials shall be designed, planted and maintained in a manner consistent with good landscaping practice.
• Landscape materials which die or are damaged shall be replaced with appropriate vegetation, and shall comply with any approved site plan or other City approval, if any.
• No landscaping shall impede vehicular or pedestrian traffic.
• Trees and other plant material may not be allowed to grow so that a trunk, large branch, or multiple small branches lean against, have significant contact with or otherwise interfere with a structure.
• Ruts on a property or tree lawn caused by vehicles or equipment shall be eliminated by filling and/or grading and replanting or mulching to prevent erosion.
• Tree stumps shall be removed or cut flush with the ground within one hundred eighty (180) days of tree removal. The following exceptions are permitted, provided the stump does not exceed twenty-four (24) inches in height above ground level and does not pose a hazard to the public or adjacent properties: (A) Stumps located in naturally wooded areas or areas screened year-round from view from the public right-of-way by existing foliage, fencing, or topography; (B) Stumps that are part of a shared root system with a living tree where removal may compromise the health of the remaining tree; or (C) Stumps intentionally retained for ecological, landscaping, or natural decomposition purposes, provided they are not visible from the public right-of-way. 

Timeline

Before approval, the legislation was reviewed and considered by City Council and several Council committees. A timeline of public meetings and links to meeting recordings and agenda documents is below.