Fitchburg, WI Tree Protection: Parkway Planting (2026)

Chapter 54, Article III of the Fitchburg City Code (Dane County, Wisconsin) puts every planting decision for the public right-of-way in the hands of the city forester, defined at Section 54-50 as the city parks and forestry manager or a qualified designee. Under Section 54-104(a), the forester alone determines where a tree or shrub goes and which species fits the site, weighing growth habits, conflicts with wires, pavement, sewers and water mains, and available space. Section 54-106 layers on the physical standards: parkway trees must stand at least 35 feet apart unless the forester authorizes tighter spacing for a particular site and species, each tree must measure at least 1 1/12-inch diameter measured 12 inches above grade, and no tree may go in closer than two feet to an established or proposed curbline or the inner edge of a sidewalk.

Section 54-50 also fixes a triangular 'vision plane' 30 inches above curb height at uncontrolled intersections; no planting inside that triangle may exceed 30 inches so sightlines stay clear at corners without a stop-and-go signal or arterial stop sign. 09(10) of the city's land division ordinance, per Section 54-104(b). The city, not the abutting owner, bears the cost of planting, maintaining and protecting public trees under Section 54-105(d), except where the article says otherwise. Because the forester's authority is exclusive, a homeowner who wants a parkway tree must request one through the city rather than plant it independently.