Westfield, IN Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)

Section 34-63, in the trees-and-shrubs article of the environment chapter, sets a flat clearance standard: "No trees or other vegetation shall be permitted to grow with less than 14 feet of clearance over streets or less than eight feet over sidewalks." The rule applies citywide and is not limited to trees the city itself planted; it reaches any vegetation, public or private, that overhangs a street or sidewalk below those heights. The duty to trim sits with whoever controls the property: section 34-64 makes the owner or person in control of the abutting real estate responsible for maintaining and removing trees and shrubs in the planting strip between the street and sidewalk, and lets the city remove dead limbs or branches and bill the owner if a required removal is ignored after notice.

Section 34-65 adds that a tree or shrub the city council finds creates a hazardous obstruction to vision endangering vehicular or pedestrian traffic must be trimmed or removed regardless of the 14-foot/8-foot clearance figures. Enforcement runs through section 34-69's general penalty for the article: violations are class C infractions under IC 34-4-32-4, carrying a judgment of up to $500.00, with a separate offense deemed committed each day the violation continues. Paying the fine does not excuse or permit continuation of the violation.