Concord, NC Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)

Article IX of Chapter 50, Regulation of Trees on Public Property, governs tree maintenance on city-owned land, easements, and street rights-of-way. Sec. 50-306 requires that no trees or large vegetation obstruct the view of traffic signs or signals, hinder the safe and free passage of pedestrians and vehicles, or be allowed to grow unmaintained within a public street or public street right-of-way, which Sec. 50-301 defines to include streets, sidewalks, planting strips, and street trees. The city arborist, appointed by the city manager, has responsibility for preserving, planting, pruning, maintaining, and removing trees and woody vegetation on public property, and for making sure development landscaping meets the city's development ordinance (Sec.

50-302(a)). No person may hinder, prevent, delay, or interfere with the arborist or agents carrying out this work (Sec. 50-302(c)). All planting and maintenance on public property must follow ANSI A-300 tree-care standards and International Society of Arboriculture best-management practices (Sec. 50-303), and the same standards apply to private utility easements located on public property. Separately, Sec. 50-304 bars damaging or removing a public-property tree, attaching cables, wires, or signs to one, or topping it, defined in Sec. 50-301 as cutting more than one-third of a tree's foliage or branches in a way that disfigures its shape, without a determination from the city arborist that pruning by best practices is impractical. Trees near overhead utility lines are further restricted under Sec. 50-305 to ornamental species within 15 lateral feet of the line.