North Hempstead, NY Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)

Town Code Chapter 20A regulates trees on private property through the Commissioner of Buildings. 2, no one may remove, destroy or substantially alter a tree six inches or greater in diameter within a front yard without first obtaining a tree removal permit, unless the work is tied to another activity already permitted under § 2-9A. The application must include the applicant's name, address and legal status, written consent of any co-owners, a to-scale plot plan showing every existing and proposed tree in the front yard, photos of each tree slated for removal, its species and diameter, and a diagram showing where replacement trees will go.

For trees claimed to be diseased or hazardous, the Building Commissioner can require a signed statement from a New York State certified arborist. In deciding whether to grant or deny the permit, the Commissioner weighs the necessity of removal, the tree's ecological and aesthetic value, whether it can realistically be replaced, its significance based on size, species rarity or historical value, whether it appears on the Town's inventory of landmark trees, the effect on erosion control and neighborhood character, and whether removal would cause the applicant undue hardship.

Instead of replanting, the Commissioner may require payment of at least $300 per tree into the Tree Fund established under § 20A-13, due before the Building Department issues a certificate of tree planting.