Landscaping Rules in Kalamazoo, MI (2026)
5 verified landscaping rules for Kalamazoo, Michigan, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Tree Trimming
City Code § 42-6B requires City-maintained street and curblawn trees to keep at least eight feet of clearance over sidewalks and 15 feet over most streets, 16 feet over major thoroughfares, and requires utilities to give the Director of Public Works 15 days' written notice before nonemergency line-clearance trimming.
Kalamazoo Tree Trimming Clearance Rules
Some RestrictionsKalamazoo City Code §§ 42-6B, 42-8
B. Trees and shrub maintenance. (1) City trees. (a) All maintenance performed on trees located in public places, curblawns and street rights-of-way will be performed by the City or its agent unless an exemption is made in writing by the Director of Public Works. Pruning will be conducted according to the National Arborist Association's Pruning Standards for Shade Trees, revised 1988. ... (b) Th...
Tree Removal & Heritage Trees
Only the City of Kalamazoo or its agent may remove a City or street tree outright; anyone else needs a Public Works Department permit under City Code § 42-6C, and removal is allowed only for specific listed reasons, such as the tree being at least 90% dead, hazardous or planted too close to another tree.
Kalamazoo Street Tree Removal Permit Rules
Significant RestrictionsKalamazoo City Code §§ 42-6C, 42-7
C. Tree removal. Only the City or its agent may remove street trees or City trees. Any other person requesting to remove street trees or City trees must obtain a permit from the Public Works Department. City trees and street trees may be removed for the following reasons only: (1) Where the tree is at least 90% dead; ... (7) Trees whose roots lift sidewalks or driveways shall not be removed unl...
Weed Ordinances
City of Kalamazoo Code § 21-3.A(1) makes any weeds or grass 8 inches or taller a declared public nuisance on any lot in the city, with narrow exceptions for large parcels' interior acreage and City-designated parks. The City Manager can order a property cleared within 10 days, and unresolved cases go to abatement and a civil infraction fine.
Kalamazoo 8-Inch Weed Height Limit
Some RestrictionsKalamazoo City Code § 21-3.A(1)
Noxious weeds of any height. Any other weeds or grasses which have attained a height of eight inches or more; unless said vegetation is maintained as part of a garden/landscaped area. ... This subsection shall not apply to any parcel larger than one acre if, for the first 25 feet from any adjacent property or roadway, the parcel otherwise complies with this section. ... This subsection shall no...
Native Plants
Inside Kalamazoo's Natural Features Protection Overlay District, City Code § 50-6.2(J)(4)(b) requires native species for all required site landscaping. The NFP Review Board can approve nonnative, noninvasive substitutes for landscaping added beyond the Chapter 50 minimums, but a fixed list of invasive species is off-limits entirely on any portion of the parcel.
Kalamazoo Native Plant Landscaping Rule
Some RestrictionsKalamazoo City Code § 50-6.2(J)(4)(b)
Plant selection. Native species must be used for all site landscaping required under Appendix A, § 6.2, Landscaping and Open Space, or required elsewhere in Chapter 50. When additional landscaping is proposed on the site plan beyond the minimum requirements of Chapter 50, the NFP Review Board may allow the use of nonnative, noninvasive species which have been determined not to cause adverse env...
Composting
The City of Kalamazoo does not set bin standards for backyard composting; instead it carves compost out of two prohibitions that would otherwise catch a yard pile. City Code Section 21-3 exempts a "managed compost" from the public-nuisance rule against dead vegetation, and Section 28-02.02 exempts lawful composting or fertilizer use from the ban on depositing waste on property.
Kalamazoo Backyard Composting Rules
Few RestrictionsKalamazoo City Code §§ 21-3, 28-02.02
(3) Any dead trees or shrubbery or any accumulation of dead vegetation, other than a managed compost and other than that which is properly placed for public or privately contracted collection. ... ... § 28-02.02. Unlawful deposition. ... This section shall not apply to the making or use of compost or fertilizer by a person on the person's property if done in compliance with all laws, ordinances...