Framingham, MA Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)

Framingham's Scenic Road regulations sit in Chapter 395, Article III (§§ 395-14 through 395-23), adopted 1-5-2021 by Ord. No. 2021-006 as Article VI, Section 10 of the former General Ordinances, implementing the Massachusetts Scenic Road Act, MGL c. 40, § 15C, on roads such as Grove Street, Edgell Road and Salem End Road that the City Council has designated scenic under §§ 395-16 and 395-17. Section 395-18 defines 'cutting or removal of trees' to include removing a tree, trimming major branches, or cutting roots, whether done as a primary activity or in connection with repair, maintenance, reconstruction or paving of a road, driveway or sidewalk; it excludes only clearing nuisance growth and removal of already-dead or diseased limbs.

Section 395-19D sets the numeric limits: no tree with a trunk over eight inches in diameter, measured one foot above ground, may be cut for a driveway unless the curb cut cannot otherwise be safely sited; no cluster of trees within six feet of each other with trunks over six inches in diameter may be cut for a driveway on the same condition; and any tree over six inches in diameter that is removed must be replaced with a tree chosen with the Tree Warden's advice and the Planning Board's approval.

Anyone seeking to cut trees or remove a stone wall on a scenic road must first file a written application with the Planning Board under § 395-20, including a scaled plan, a certified abutter list within 500 feet, and site photographs, and pay a filing fee; the Planning Board must hold a public hearing within 45 days and issue a decision within 30 days of the close of that hearing. Cutting without approval triggers restoration under § 395-23: replacement trees must match the removed tree's trunk area on a square-inch-per-square-inch basis at locations the Planning Board specifies.