Anchorage, AK Tree Protection: Parkway Planting (2026)

The setback rules in AMC 24.70.020(D) come in two parts. On a corner lot in Anchorage, no tree may be planted or maintained inside a sight triangle at the street intersection. The triangle is drawn by taking the two intersecting street lines, measuring 35 feet from the point of intersection along the lot lines of the corner lot, and joining those points with a straight line. Because the code says planted or maintained, the rule reaches existing trees standing inside the triangle, not just new plantings, so letting a tree remain there is itself a violation.

The sidewalk rule applies beyond corner lots: no tree may be planted on private property within two feet of any sidewalk or pavement. The text says pavement, not only sidewalks, so the 2 foot buffer runs along paved surfaces generally.

The same section puts an ongoing duty on anyone growing a tree in a public right-of-way, or on property abutting one, to keep it trimmed clear of hazards and utility lines. Overhanging branches must be trimmed to 8 feet of clearance above a sidewalk and 14 feet above a roadway. A companion rule, AMC 24.70.040, extends the corner sightline idea to low plantings: vegetation in the parking strip may not exceed 2 feet in height within 35 feet of an intersection curbline, keeping drivers' views open at Anchorage intersections.