Battle Creek, MI Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)

Section 1026.09 of the Battle Creek Codified Ordinances, in the City of Battle Creek, Calhoun County, Michigan, puts the trimming duty on the owner of a tree on private property that overhangs a street or public right-of-way. Branches must not obstruct the light from any street lamp or the view of any street intersection, and the owner must maintain a clear space of not less than fifteen feet above the surface of the street, sidewalk or right-of-way. The owner must also remove all dead, diseased or dangerous trees and broken or decayed limbs that constitute a menace to public safety. The City has its own right to trim a tree, bush or shrub on private property when it interferes with the spread of light from a street light or with the visibility of a traffic control device or sign, and that trimming is confined to the area immediately above the right-of-way.

Corner lots carry a separate vision rule. On the triangle formed by two right-of-way lines at an intersection, extending twenty-five feet each way from the intersection of the right-of-way lines, no shrub or bush can grow taller than thirty inches measured from the top of the shrub or bush at street level. Trees are allowed in that triangle on private property if all branches are trimmed to keep clear vision for a vertical height of ten feet above the roadway surface.

Enforcement runs through the Director of Public Works. An owner who fails to trim is notified under Section 202.04, and the notice requires compliance within fourteen days after its date or within any additional time the notice stipulates. When that period expires, the Director can have the trimming done and collect the cost from the owner as a single lot assessment under Chapter 216 of the Administration Code. Trees on public ground are separate: Section 1026.04 requires a permit from the Department of Public Works to prune a tree in the curb lawn or public right-of-way, and Section 1026.11 covers utility line trimming.