Mount Prospect, IL Tree Protection: Parkway Planting (2026)

Section 9.709 of the Mount Prospect Village Code covers planting on public property and splits the rule in two. Shrubs and evergreens come first: none may be planted on any right of way or easement along a street, or in any parkway, after December 1, 1992. The director of public works can grant an exemption from the shrub restriction in certain downtown areas zoned B-5 or B-5C when screening is needed. That exemption is only granted when the director has accepted maintenance responsibility for the shrubbery, and the shrubs must be kept at thirty six inches (36") or less if they sit within a sight triangle.

Deciduous trees need a planting permit. The application is free and is filed with the director of public works. It must give the applicant's name and address, the address of the property where the tree will go, and a plan drawn to scale. The plan shows the proposed location of each tree, its diameter (or caliper for trees under 3 inches dbh) and its species. Within fourteen (14) days after a completed application arrives, the director reviews it against village regulations. If the planting does not comply, the director notifies the applicant in writing of the reasons.

The planting itself must follow the current Arboricultural Standards Manual, which the Village maintains for Article VII of Chapter 9. Any decision by the forestry/grounds superintendent under this article can be appealed in writing to the director of public works within thirty (30) days. Only after that decision can the matter go to the village manager, again within thirty (30) days, and the village manager's decision is final.