June 15,2017
by Boyd Loving
Ridgewood NJ, An ordinance regulating tree removals on private property was unanimously passed by Village Council members on 6/14. A permit will now be required to remove any tree larger than 8 inches in diameter. Any healthy tree removed must be replaced, or a payment made in lieu of replacement. Key provisions of the new ordinance are outlined below.
Chapter 260, Section 260-4, Cutting or Removal of a Tree No person, property owner, hired firm, or other entity shall cause to be cut or removed any existing tree, with a diameter at breast height (DBH) greater than 8- inches, upon any lands within the Village of Ridgewood, without a permit. Any such cutting or removal of a tree or trees, with a DBH greater than 8-inches, shall only be permitted in accordance with the provisions of this chapter. Exemptions to these requirements are set forth in Chapter 260-8.
Chapter 260, Section 260-7, “Permit Requirements for Tree Removal” Any Qualified Tree desired to be removed, with a diameter at breast height (DBH) of greater than 8-inches, in the Village of Ridgewood, shall require a permit issued by the Division of Engineering of the Department of Public Works, unless said tree meets the criteria for exemption from permit requirements in Chapter 260-8. No tree over 8-inches DBH shall be cut or otherwise removed from any lands in the Village without a tree removal permit, with the exception of those meeting the conditions of the exemptions as set forth in Chapter 260, Section 4 and 7. All such trees shall be referred to as Qualified Trees. All applications to the Village of Ridgewood Planning Board, Zoning Board of Adjustment, Building Department, or Engineering Division that require, as part of the proposed work, the removal of any Qualified Trees, as defined in this Chapter, unless otherwise exempt pursuant to the provisions of this Chapter, shall submit an application for a tree removal and protection permit. All applications for a tree removal and protection permits, whether in conjunction with a major or minor subdivision application, major or minor site plan application, or other development of property improvement action, shall be made to the Engineering Division of the Department of Public Works for review and subsequent action. The Engineering Division shall coordinate all applications with the appropriate land use board, the Village’s Shade Commission, and the Village Arborist.
Chapter 260, Section 260-8, “Exemptions from Permit Requirements” The following tree conditions shall be exempt from the provisions of this Chapter. If a tree is deemed exempt, its removal shall not require a replacement tree. B. Removal of any tree or trees which are dead, dying, or obviously diseased, as determined by a Qualified Tree Expert for those on private property or the Village’s Arborist if the tree is within the public right-of-way of any street or road, or public property, in the Village. Trees that have suffered damage, trees whose growth has been compromised, or are a danger or hazard to structures and human life as confirmed by a Qualified Tree Expert or the Village Arborist shall be permitted to be removed without the need to obtain a permit. A replacement tree shall not be required for such trees under the provisions of this Chapter.
Soon we will need a permit to cut our lawns.
Get ready for toilet flushing restrictions.
When is the town going to follow this. They been cutting multiple trees down in the area but never replacing / re-planting new trees.
What a farce..Best defense is offense
Pave some roads VOR and then let’s chat about trees on my land…OH BY THE WAY YOUR CURB TREES Have not been cared for in years… Massive overgrowth..girdled roots …hanging limbs vs trucks…we can wave our permit requirements until the town gets its own tree act together,…
Don’t these assho#s have more important things to do? Amazing. Try and cash me – how bout dat. If I want a tree gone – I am not going to ask permission.
Whoa. Don’t water your lawn, don’t cut your tree, don’t do this , don’t do that. Then the VC should buy a stake of my house let’s say 50% so we can together discuss when I have a need to make a change. These decisions are very shallow. In the meantime our streets are ugly, sidewalks are terrible, tress are meh. Many town planted trees have destroyed sidewalks which the resident is responsible to fix. So much bullshit in this village.
Oversight and enforcement are nearly nonexistent.
Refer to Geo Washington
I shall not lie i cut down that Dam cherry tree and updated the Ridgewood Blog status page …LOL This towns a joke Any idea about how many peapod and Fedex truck hit low town curb tree limbs each day
? Talk about neglect by a town
On PRIVATE PROPERTY?
Where do they come off telling me how to landscape? They need to stop with the restrictions and get to work.
I did not vote for them to focus on restricting the rights of property owners.
They can’t put sidewalks on dangerous roads, come up with anything that resembles a parking plan or fix our crumbling rosds. The town that can’t manage a water system is going to tell residents how to maintain their yards!!!
Don’t worry.. They don’t bother to enforce the water ordinance”. They won’t enforce this either.
Who is a “qualified tree expert”. Any tree company that wants the revenue.
Council is a bunch of fools for this one.
You’ve got to be kidding!!
Do they even have legal standing to require this on private property? Another stupid decision by this council. But this blog will continue supporting them come what may….
Then the Law is an Ass
When the village can figure out how to pick up the leaves that are a menace to safety in the streets in the fall then they can tell us we cant cut down tree’s. Big old trees kill and destroy property the village folk who brought this on this is on you.
who remove their own trees to either replace them or pay into a tree fund.
The Village of Ridgewood applied for and received a Green Communities Grant to finance the
development of this five-year plan. The Village of Ridgewood Community Forestry Plan is the first
being developed by the Village of Ridgewood and the Ridgewood Shade Tree Commission.