[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Village of North Syracuse 1-28-1999 by L.L. No. 1-1999 as Ch. 180 of the 1999 Code. Amendments noted where applicable.]
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
PARK TREES
Trees, shrubs, bushes and all other woody vegetation in public parks having individual names and all areas owned by the Village or to which the public has free access as a park.
STREET TREES
Trees, shrubs, bushes and all other woody vegetation on land lying within public rights-of-way on either side of all streets, avenues or ways within the Village.
There is hereby created and established a Village Tree Board for the Village of North Syracuse, State of New York, which shall consist of the members of the Board of Trustees of the Village.
It shall be the responsibility of the Board to study, investigate, counsel and develop and/or update annually and administer a written plan for the care, preservation, pruning, planting, replanting, removal or disposition of trees and shrubs in parks, along streets and in other public areas. Such plan will be presented annually and shall constitute the official comprehensive Village Tree Plan for the Village of North Syracuse, State of New York. The Board shall also consider, investigate, make findings, report and recommend upon any special matter or question coming within the scope of its work.
The Mayor shall act as Chairman of the Board, which shall make its own rules and regulations and keep a journal of its proceedings. A majority of the members shall be a quorum for the transaction of business. The Board may delegate any of its functions to other Village officials as it from time to time deems necessary.
The following list constitutes the official street tree species for the Village of North Syracuse, State of New York. No species other than those included in this list may be planted as street trees without written permission of the Board.
A. 
Small trees.
Scientific Name
Common Name
Acer campestre
Norway maple
Acer ginnala
Amur maple
Acer tataricum
Tatarian maple
Amelanchier
Robin Hill pink serviceberry
Crataegus phaenopyrum
Washington hawthorn
Crataegus viridis
Winter King hawthorn
Malus species
Crab apple (red or white)
B. 
Medium trees.
Scientific Name
Common Name
Acer platanoides
Norway Maple
Phellodendron amurense
Amur cork tree
Acer pseudoplatanus
Sycamore maple
Alnus glutinosa
Black adler
Celtis occidentalis
Hackberry
Fraxinus pennsylvanica
Green ash
Maclura pomifera inermis
Osage orange (male)
Pyrus calleryana
Callery pear
Tilia tomentosa
Silver linden
Ulmus parvifolia
Chinese elm
C. 
Large trees.
Scientific Name
Common Name
Gymnocladus dioica
Kentucky coffee tree
Nyssa sylvatica
Tupelo
Tilia cordata
Littleleaf linden
Corylus colurna
Turkish filbert
Ginkgo biloba (male)
Ginko
Platanus X acerifolia
London plane tree
Prunus sargentii
Sargent cherry
Quercus rubra
Northern red oak
Robinia pseudoacacia
Black locust
Sophora japonica regent
Scholar tree
Taxodium distichum
Bald Cypress
The spacing of street trees will be in accordance with the three species size classes listed in § 219-5 of this chapter, and no trees may be planted closer together than the following: small trees, 30 feet; medium trees, 40 feet; and large trees, 50 feet, except in special plantings designed or approved by a landscape architect.
The distance trees may be planted from curbs or curblines and sidewalks will be in accordance with the three species size classes listed in § 219-5 of this chapter, and no trees may be planted closer to any curb or sidewalk than the following: small trees: two feet; medium trees: three feet; and large trees: four feet.
No street tree shall be planted closer than 35 feet to any street corner, measured from the point of nearest intersection of curbs and curblines. No street tree shall be planted closer than 10 feet to any fireplug.
No street trees other than those species listed as small trees in § 219-5 of this chapter may be planted under or within 10 lateral feet of any overhead utility wire or over or within five lateral feet of any underground waterline, sewer line, transmission line or other utility.
The Village shall have the right to plant, prune, maintain and remove trees, plants and shrubs within the rights-of-way of all streets, alleys, avenues, lanes, squares and public grounds as may be necessary to ensure public safety or to preserve or enhance the symmetry and beauty of such public grounds. The Village Tree Board may remove or cause or order to be removed any street or park tree or part thereof which is in an unsafe condition or which, by reason of its nature, is injurious to sewers, electric power lines, gas lines, waterlines or other public improvements or is affected with any injurious fungus, insect or other pest. This section does not prohibit the planting of street trees by adjacent property owners, provided that the selection and location of said trees are in accordance with §§ 219-5 through 219-9 of this chapter.
It shall be unlawful as a normal practice for any person, firm or Village department to top any street tree, park tree or other tree on public property. "Topping" is defined as the severe cutting back of limbs to stubs larger than three inches in diameter within the tree's crown to such a degree as to remove the normal canopy and disfigure the tree. Trees severely damaged by storms or other causes or certain trees under utility wires or other obstructions where other pruning practices are impractical may be exempted from this chapter at the determination of the Village Tree Board.
Any owner of any tree located on private property but overhanging any street or right-of-way within the Village shall prune the branches so that such branches shall not obstruct the light from any streetlamp or obstruct the view of any street intersection and so that there shall be a clear space of eight feet above the surface of the street or sidewalk. Said owners shall remove all dead, diseased or dangerous trees or broken or decayed limbs which constitute a menace to the safety of the public. The Village shall have the right to prune any tree or shrub on private property when it interferes with the proper spread of light along the street from a streetlight or interferes with visibility of any traffic control device or sign or when it constitutes a menace to the safety of the public.
[Amended 9-8-2011 by L.L. No. 2-2011]
The Village Tree Board will notify, in writing, the owner of trees referred to in § 219-12 above. Removal shall be done by said owner at his own expense within 60 days after the date of service of notice.
All stumps of trees and park trees shall be removed below the surface of the ground so that the top of the stump shall not project above the surface of the ground.
It shall be unlawful for any person to prevent, delay or interfere with the Village Tree Board or any of its agents while engaging in and about the planting, cultivating, mulching, pruning, spraying or removing of any street trees, park trees or trees on private grounds as authorized in this chapter.
A. 
It shall be unlawful for any person or firm to engage in the business or occupation of pruning, treating or removing trees within the Village without first applying for and procuring a license. The license fee, in accordance with the fee schedule established by the Board of Trustees, shall be paid annually in advance; provided, however, that no license shall be required of any public service company or Village employee doing such work in the pursuit of its or his public service endeavors.
[Amended 6-9-2005 by L.L. No. 4-2005]
B. 
Before any license shall be issued, each applicant shall first file evidence of possession of liability insurance in the minimum amounts of $50,000 for bodily injury and $100,000 property damage, indemnifying the Village for any person injured or property damaged as a result of the pursuit of such endeavors as herein described.
[Amended 6-9-2005 by L.L. No. 4-2005]
C. 
Arborists shall annually post security with the Board, in whatever form the Board requires, to ensure the cleanup and removal of all limbs and debris from the endeavors herein described. The security shall be in an amount not less than $1,000 nor more than $2,000 and shall allow the Village to draw upon the security for the cost of any cleanup undertaken by the Village in the event that the arborist does not do so.
Any person violating any provision of this chapter shall be, upon conviction or a plea of guilty, subject to a fine not to exceed $250 or a term of imprisonment not to exceed 15 days, or both, per occurrence.