Palatine, IL Tree Protection: Parkway Planting (2026)

Palatine Village Code § 10-190 gives the village the exclusive right to plant, maintain, and control all trees, shrubs, and plants on public highways, rights-of-way, and municipal property, unless the public works director grants written authority otherwise. Section 10-191 backs that authority with a permit requirement for everyone else: it is unlawful to plant any tree, shrub or plant on a public highway, right-of-way or municipal property without first securing a written permit, and the permit application must identify the location, species and approximate size of the planting and the method to be used; the director can also order the removal of anything planted there that turns out to be detrimental to the peace, health or safety of the public or to neighboring plantings.

For the specific case of parkway trees, § 10-192 requires that trees planted in parkways and other public ways be selected from a list of acceptable trees kept on file with the public works director, giving the village control over species diversity and suitability along village streets. Section 10-193 layers on technical planting and care standards, incorporating the horticultural standards in the village's subdivision regulations and requiring that licensed tree work follow the American Standard for Nursery Stock, ANSI Z60.1, the ANSI A300 tree-care management standards, and the village's own deciduous parkway tree specifications.

Together these sections mean a resident cannot simply plant a parkway tree of their own choosing; the species must come off the director's list and the planting itself needs the written permit.