Glen Cove, NY Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)

Section 239-13 of the Streets and Public Places article puts the duty to trim or remove street trees on the owner or occupant of the property the tree fronts, but only once the Director of Public Works requires it in writing; the code sets no fixed trimming schedule or clearance height on its own initiative, leaving that judgment to the Director. If the owner or occupant fails to comply with the Director's order, the Director of Public Works can send a crew to trim or remove the tree directly and assess that cost against the adjoining property, the identical remedy the code uses against uncleared gutters and drains under § 239-14 and unlawful obstructions under § 239-3.

A related section, § 239-12, separately bars anyone from mutilating, girdling, cutting or otherwise injuring a tree or shrub on a street, sidewalk, park or public place, so a resident cannot simply remove a City tree without authorization even when it interferes with a driveway, utility line or view. Because § 239-13 sits in Article I of Chapter 239, ignoring a trim-or-remove order exposes the owner to the general penalty in § 239-18, in addition to the cost the City assesses for doing the work itself.