Shelby, MI Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)

Section 430-25, Sidewalks to remain clear and clean, is part of Article III, Sidewalk Maintenance, adopted January 27, 2025 by Ordinance No. 02-24B. It places an affirmative upkeep duty directly on property owners and/or occupants rather than the Village: they must remove papers, leaves, trash, personal property, grass and weed overgrowth, and, for tree and landscaping purposes, all protruding branches or overhanging shrubbery from the sidewalk abutting their property. The clearance standard is specific: the required passage must be at least seven feet high and extend at least six inches outside the sidewalk's boundaries on each side, so a low limb that clears the walk itself but hangs within that six-inch buffer still violates the section.

Because the duty runs to occupants as well as owners, a tenant, not just the property's title holder, can be held responsible for trimming overhanging branches back to the standard. The section does not set a trimming schedule or season; it simply requires the clearance to be maintained on an ongoing basis. If a property falls out of compliance, § 430-27 lets the Village's enforcing officer issue a notice to abate, and § 430-28 lets the Village cut back the growth itself if the owner or occupant does not act within 48 hours, billing the property for the Village's or a contractor's cost plus an administrative fee set under the master fee resolution.