913.01 Injury prohibited.

913.02 Advertisements or notices.

913.03 Trimming trees; dangerous trees.

913.04 Pruning standard.

913.05 Wires.

913.06 Work by Electrical Bureau.

913.07 Gas pipes.

913.08 Excavations.

913.09 Planting along sidewalks permitted.

913.99 Penalty.

Regulation of shade trees - see 3rd Class §2403(18) (53 P.S. §37403(18))

Payment for trees by property owner - see 3rd Class §3807

(53 P.S. §38807)

Maintenance by City - see 3rd Class §3809 (53 P.S. §38809)

Subdivision street trees - see P. & Z. 1397.03

No person shall injure any tree or shrub planted in any public place.

(Ord. 14-1970 § 1.)

No person shall attach any advertisement to any tree or shrub in any street, parkway or other public place. (Ord. 14-1970 §2.)

913.03 TRIMMING TREES; DANGEROUS TREES.

(a) Any tree or shrub which overhangs any sidewalk, street or public place in such a way as to impede or interfere with traffic or travel on such public place including City street sweepers and other vehicles requiring a high clearance on roadways, shall be trimmed by the owner of the abutting premises on which such trees or shrub grows, to a height of a minimum of fourteen feet above the roadway and eight feet above the sidewalk so that the obstruction shall cease. (Ord. 5-1995. Passed 4-18-95.)
(b) Any tree or limb of a tree which has become likely to fall on or across any public way or place, shall be removed by the owner of the premises on which such tree grows or stands.

(c) If any owner of such premises neglects or refuses to trim any tree or remove the tree or any limb thereof, as required by this section upon notice in writing by the Director of Community Development within the time limit specified in such notice, the Director may cause such trimming or removal of a tree or a limb thereof to be done at the expense of such owner.  The entire cost thereof, shall be a lien on such premises and a claim thereof shall be filed and collected by the City Solicitor in the same manner as municipal claims are filed and collected. (Ord. 14-1970 §3.)

Tree pruning for street or roadway lighting shall be in accordance with formulas as set forth in figure A-4 (recommending tree pruning to minimize conflict with roadway lighting) of American Standard Practice for Roadway Lighting, sponsored by Illuminating Engineering Society and approved by American Standards Association, Inc., November 7, 1963 with periodic revisions. (Ord. 14-1970 §4.)

(a) No person shall attach any electrically charged wire to any tree.

(b) Any person or company given the right to maintain poles and wires in the streets, alleys or other public places in the City shall, in absence of provisions in the franchise concerning the subject, keep such wires and poles free from and away from any trees or shrubs in such places so far as may be possible and shall keep all such trees and shrubs properly trimmed so that no injury shall be done to the poles or wires or shrubs and trees by contact.
(c) Trees and shrubs shall be pruned so that esthetics and health will not be impaired.
(d) The Director of Community Development shall have the authority to direct the utilities to prune trees and shrubs as deemed necessary for such public safety.
(e) Owners of properties on which trees and shrubs to be pruned are located shall be contacted prior to pruning and granted the privilege to have the trees and shrubs pruned by a tree expert, of their choice, at the owner's expense. (Ord. 14-1970 §5.)

913.06 WORK BY ELECTRICAL BUREAU.

The Electrical Bureau of the City under the authority and supervision of the Director of Public Works, shall have the right to prune or remove trees and shrubs that interfere with the traffic signals and fire alarm systems. (Ord. 14-1970 §6.) 25 Trees and Vegetation 913.99

913.07 GAS PIPES.

Any person or company maintaining any underground natural gas distribution system on public right-of-way within the City shall periodically test for leaks in accordance with the Pennsylvania P.U.C. "Gas Regulations" and/or the U.S.A. Standard Code for Pressure Piping, "Gas Transmission and Distribution Piping Systems," otherwise known as USAS B31.8-1968 as revised periodically. If leaks of a magnitude likely to affect tree growth are discovered, repairs shall be made with reasonable promptness so that no injury shall be done thereby to any trees or shrubs. (Ord. 14-1970 §7.)

In making excavations in streets or other public places, prudent and economically reasonable care shall be exercised to avoid injury to the roots of any tree or shrub wherever possible. (Ord. 14-1970 §8.)

Property owners are permitted to plant trees for shade along the streets or lines of pavements in front of such property not exceeding three trees to the half lot. The person so planting trees shall not be liable for violation of the laws or ordinances of the City in relation to the obstruction of streets. (1944 Code Ch. 29 §49.)

Whoever violates or fails to comply with any of the provisions of this article shall upon conviction thereof be fined not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000) and costs of prosecution, and in default of payment thereof shall be imprisoned for not more than ten days. A separate offense shall be deemed committed on each day during or on which a violation occursor continues. The costs of any pruning or trimming done on private property as required in  this section by the City through staff or contract shall get billed to the property owner or shall appear as a lien against the property in the same manner as municipal claims are filed and collected. (Ord. 41-1989 §1. Passed 4-18-89.) (Amend. Ord. 1-09)