Marion, OH Tree Protection: Parkway Planting (2026)

Section 905.01 of the Marion Codified Ordinances covers every street in the City of Marion, Ohio, and it uses three labels for the same strip of ground: the tree lawn, the street lawn, and the area located between the sidewalk and the curb line. Planting a tree or a shrub in that strip is the regulated act. The section carves out no exception for the owner of the adjoining lot, so the permit requirement reaches a homeowner who wants a shade tree in front of the house just as it reaches anyone else.

Two steps come before the first shovel goes in. First, the person must obtain a written permit, and the only issuing officer the section names is the City Engineer. Second, the person must pay the fee set forth upon the fee schedule maintained within the City Engineer's Office. The ordinance prints no dollar figure for that fee, so the amount is whatever the schedule in that office shows when you apply. The history note to the section shows it was adopted by Ord. 7228, passed 10-14-63, and amended by Ord. 2001-154, passed 12-26-2001.

The rule sits in Chapter 905, the Trees chapter of Part Nine, the Streets and Public Services Code. Chapter 903 separately requires a permit to install or disturb a street pavement, sidewalk, curb, gutter or driveway, and Chapter 901 governs excavations, so a project that also touches the sidewalk or curb needs to be checked against those chapters too. The statutory references printed at the end of Chapter 905 point to R.C. § 715.20, on the power to regulate shade trees and shrubbery, and R.C. § 727.011, on assessments for tree planting or maintenance.