Tonawanda, NY Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)

Chapter 108 of the Town Code, adopted in 2003 and last amended in 2023, applies to every parcel of real property in the Town of Tonawanda outside the Village of Kenmore under § 108-3. Section 108-4A sets the numeric trigger: grass, weeds or uncultivated vegetation over 10 inches (254 millimeters) must be cut, trimmed or removed, and owners must also prevent any growth or debris accumulation that the Code Enforcement Officer determines is a health, fire, traffic-safety or nuisance hazard, a duty that extends to right-of-way areas along the property.

Section 108-5 separately bans 'noxious weeds,' defined as plant growth the Code Enforcement Officer deems dangerous, unattractive or growing in an undesirable location, outright on any parcel. Two narrow exceptions apply under § 108-4C: designated open space, wetlands and conservation easements meant to stay natural, and rights-of-way or easements next to land owned by another municipality, county or the state. When the Code Enforcement Officer finds a violation, § 108-7 requires written notice giving the owner seven calendar days to comply, shortened to five days for a second notice on the same parcel within a calendar year.

If the owner still has not complied, § 108-9 lets the Town cut the vegetation itself and bill the owner, adding a $100 administrative surcharge on top of labor and material costs; an unpaid bill becomes a lien collected with the property's taxes.