Wyandotte County, KS Tree Protection: Parkway Planting (2026)

Sec. 5 feet from the edge of the pavement for a small tree, or four feet for a medium or large tree. Sec. 32-359 layers on spacing between trees of the same category, small trees 15 feet apart, medium trees 35 feet, and large trees 50 feet apart. Sec. 32-361 bars planting within any intersection sight-distance triangle and within ten feet of a fireplug, and Sec. 32-362 forbids planting or letting a tree grow under or within 22 feet of an overhead utility wire. Sec.

32-358 requires the parks and recreation department to maintain and publish a list of permitted and prohibited street tree species; planting anything off that list requires prior written authorization from the director of parks, though the director can adopt regulations pre-approving certain species under specified conditions without individual sign-off. Once planted, Sec. 32-364 shifts the maintenance duty to the abutting property owner, who must keep street trees in a manner promoting safe, healthy growth and protecting public health, safety, and welfare, without waiving any other duties the Code imposes on that owner.

The Unified Government retains its own planting and removal authority under Sec. 32-365, including removing trees that are unsafe, injurious to sewers or utility lines, or infected with disease capable of spreading widely, while the board of public utilities may separately prune or remove trees threatening power or water lines. Sec. 32-369 requires protecting the critical root radius of desirable, healthy street trees during nearby construction, sidewalk repair, or utility work, and Sec. 32-363 requires locating underground facilities through the Kansas One Call System before any digging near a planting site.