Canton, OH Tree Protection: Parkway Planting (2026)

Canton Codified Ordinances Section 917.04 requires an adjacent property owner who wants to plant or replace a tree in the City right of way to file an application and plan with the Director of Public Service and/or Engineering Department. The Director, consulting the City Arborist, inspects the proposed location and, if the site and plan conform to the City's plan, issues a permit for five dollars ($5.00) authorizing the planting and related work. Work must follow the filed plans and the Director's general supervision, and species must come from the City's approved tree list.

If the planting site includes cityscape tree grates, only the planting contractor or City crews may handle them; City crews charge an additional $35.00 per tree grate. Section 917.07 sets the underlying distance standards the permit must satisfy: trees are grouped into small (under 15 feet mature height), medium (15 to 40 feet) and large (over 40 feet) classes, and street trees may not be planted closer together than 15 feet for small trees, 25 feet for medium trees, and 35 feet for large trees, except in special plantings approved by the Tree Commission or Director.

Trees may not be planted closer than three feet to the road face of any curb, or within 2.5 feet of a sidewalk for small trees, with spacing extended up to 20 feet where overhead utility lines are present. No street tree may be planted within 35 feet of a street corner measured from the nearest intersecting curblines, or within 10 feet of a fire hydrant or water shut-off valve, and no tree may be planted in a tree lawn narrower than five feet. A waiver from any of these standards may be requested from the Director of Public Service, who confers with staff professionals before deciding.