Gastonia, NC Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)

Section 20-33 of the Gastonia Code states that persons requesting to do any planting, removal, trimming or cutting of trees subject to chapter 20, or any activity prohibited by article III of the chapter, must secure a tree work permit from the municipal arborist before starting, though an approved landscape plan itself counts as the permit. The city reviews every permit request and may grant, deny, or attach reasonable conditions, and individual permits are waived for city and state Department of Transportation projects as long as tree preservation requirements are already built into those project plans.

The permit duty is reinforced in the tree preservation area (TPA) rules: section 20-42(e) says tree removal in a TPA requires a permit under section 20-33 and may require replanting, though a hazardous-tree removal permit can be expedited by phone with supporting documentation from a certified arborist. Section 20-32(c) separately bars removing, trimming or pruning any tree of two-inch caliper or larger from a tree preservation area, and blocks grading, demolition or trenching there, until the necessary permits are approved and issued. Enforcement runs through article V: section 20-52 requires the city to serve written notice of violation before most penalties attach, and section 20-56 gives a property owner the right to request a variance from the city arborist and, if denied, a public hearing before the tree advisory commission within ten working days.