Ridgewood, NJ Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)

§ 190-119E, Physical or visual obstructions, sits in Article X, Zoning, of the Village of Ridgewood's land use code and applies to every lot in a residential zone. Subsection E(2) states that no hedge, shrubbery or planting may stand within three feet of any street side line, and that the branches of all trees projecting beyond that line must be trimmed at all times to ensure unobstructed vision and clearance eight feet above ground or sidewalk level. The rule works alongside the corner-lot sight-triangle standard in § 190-119E(1), which bars any fence, structure, planting or shrubbery taller than 30 inches above the pavement within 25 feet of a street-corner intersection, so that turning traffic and pedestrians on the sidewalk have an unobstructed line of sight in both directions.

Because the eight-foot clearance is an ongoing duty rather than a one-time landscaping condition, it falls on the abutting property owner whenever low branches begin to sag over a public sidewalk or the street pavement, not only when new trees are planted. The Zoning Officer, who administers Article X under § 190-134, can act on a complaint from a resident, a police officer or the Department of Public Works, or on the officer's own observation of an obstruction, and can seek a Municipal Court warrant to inspect a property if access is refused.