Akron, OH Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)

Chapter 101 of the Akron Code of Ordinances, first adopted by Ord. 726-1955 and last amended by Ord. 353-2016, gives the Director of Public Service authority over trees, plants, and shrubs on and near public rights-of-way. 07 targets a narrow but common hazard: overgrown bushes, shrubs, or plants on a corner lot that block a driver's sightline at an intersection. Any such vegetation may not exceed three feet above the surface of the roadway. When the Director or an authorized agent finds a violation, the owner gets an order to cut the vegetation to that height within ten days.

If the owner misses the deadline, the Director's crew cuts it instead and the city bills the owner for the cost, collected in whatever manner Council has prescribed for such assessments, functioning much like a lien against the property. 10's separate rule barring new tree plantings within twenty feet of any street intersection, so the corner-lot sightline standard applies to existing growth while the planting rule prevents new obstructions from being created. 99. The rule is administered case by case after a complaint or inspection; there is no citywide permit or annual filing requirement for corner-lot owners who keep their plantings under the three-foot cap.