Benton County, OR Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)

410(7), part of the Urban Commercial zone's siting standards, requires a vision clearance area at every intersection of two rights-of-way or a right-of-way and a driveway. That clearance area extends 30 feet from the point where the right-of-way lines meet, or where a right-of-way meets a driveway, and within it no structure, vegetation or embankment may exceed 2 feet in height above the center of the road or driveway. 410(4)). The rule targets sight distance for drivers, so an overgrown hedge, an unpruned tree canopy hanging low over a corner lot, or a berm inside that triangle can put a property out of compliance even if it was planted legally years earlier.

Property owners are responsible for keeping vegetation within the vision clearance area trimmed to the height limit; Community Development or Public Works can require correction when a sightline complaint or a road project review identifies an obstruction. This standard governs unincorporated commercial-zoned property; Corvallis and Philomath apply their own municipal vision clearance rules within city limits.