Amherst, NY Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)

Chapter 179, Trees, was adopted May 18, 1992, and rewritten in its entirety on March 9, 2020. Section 179-7, Pruning by owners; street intersections, assigns the trimming obligation directly to whoever owns a tree that overhangs a Town street or right-of-way, not to the Town itself: the owner must keep branches from obstructing the sightline at any street intersection and must maintain a clear space of eight feet above the surface of the street or sidewalk. If the Town gives notice, the same owner must remove dead, diseased, or dangerous trees, or any broken or decayed limbs that endanger the public.

This owner duty sits alongside two Town powers in the same article: § 179-6 lets the Division of Forestry prune, treat, maintain, and preserve street or park trees for safety or appearance, and § 179-8 lets the Highway Superintendent prune private trees or shrubs that interfere with a streetlight's spread or block a traffic control device or sign. Article IX backs the owner duty with teeth: § 179-25 makes it unlawful to interfere with the Highway Superintendent or staff doing this maintenance work, and § 179-26 sets the penalty scale for any Chapter 179 violation. The chapter is administered and enforced by the Commissioner of Building under § 179-29.