New Berlin, WI Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)

Section 185-9 of the New Berlin Code of Ordinances lets the City Forester order the removal of a tree growing in a Public Area, meaning the City's streets, boulevards, alleys, sidewalks, parks or other City-owned or leased land, whenever one or more of nine listed conditions is met: infection by insect or disease where alternatives to removal are not practical, the tree creating a Public Nuisance dangerous to health, safety or welfare, an uncorrectable safety hazard, interference with a more desirable tree's growth, aesthetic value outweighed by the benefit of removal, work improvements that would kill the tree or make it hazardous, cost-ineffective preservation when adjacent land is developed, removal called for by an approved development plan, or interference with utilities.

Once removal is ordered, Subsection B requires the tree and its debris to be completely cleared from the site and the stump ground out to a depth suitable for future planting. This section governs City-owned trees, not a homeowner's own yard trees; a person who wants to remove, transplant, move or perform a major alteration, defined in Section 185-3 as removing more than 20% of a tree's branches or mass, on a tree standing in a Public Area or the City right-of-way must first obtain City Forester approval under Section 185-18, which weighs public safety, nearby utilities, sidewalks, driveways and the health of the urban forest before signing off, and may charge a fee.

Nuisance trees on private property follow a separate notice-and-hearing track under Section 185-14, including a right to appeal an abatement order to the Common Council within 14 days.