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I moved into a community where there is a very small front yard. My entire lot is .13 acre to give you an idea. My front yard has a massively oversized maple tree that was approved to be planted on my postage stamp lot 11 years ago. The tree is right next to the drain line for the house and is also killing my grass. The grass is so thin now it's almost just dirt. The grass chosen for the community was/is Bermuda. Several people in the neighborhood have already had trouble with the tree and the drain line. A neighbor re-sodded their entire front yard with tall fescue yesterday because of the tree shade killing their grass.
I had someone from City of Charlotte/Meck Urban Forestry come out and tell me I cannot remove the tree. The previous owners planted a Crape Myrtle behind the Maple which is a more appropriate size for the yard and has much less shade, but I'm told that is not an approved street tree. I do not know what else I can do. I'm unclear if there is an appeals process. I'm wondering if anyone has been successful having their "development yard tree" removed from their front yard with the blessing from the city/county due to similar problems? Thanks for any advice.
No help with the appeals process, sorry. The only plants that do well under my mature maple are liriope and hellebore. Grass is a joke, forget about it. Even without the shade issue, maples have greedy surface roots that suck up all available nutrients.
Is there anyway to get the city to comply with its code? Public areas are overrun with the species listed as invasive such as kudzu, English ivy, wisteria, and Japanese honeysuckle. The nature museum has some of the biggest and best examples of native trees in the city. Last year, instead of removing the overwhelming amounts of English ivy (which is in violation of city code) that are chocking out those trees, they removed tons of native fruiting pawpaw trees from the understory.
There's also a few extremely damaging invasive species missing from the list such as Chinese and Japanese privet and Amur honeysuckles. I guess volunteers that remove these are technically breaking the law.
A neighbor re-sodded their entire front yard with tall fescue yesterday because of the tree shade killing their grass. I had someone from City of Charlotte/Meck Urban Forestry come out and tell me I cannot remove the tree. The previous owners planted a Crape Myrtle behind the Maple which is a more appropriate size for the yard and has much less shade
Sorry my first post went off on an entirely different tangent. Is there any reason that you can't just limb the tree up? If there are no limbs under about 30 feet, I can't see why it would shade out the grass.
I moved into a community where there is a very small front yard. My entire lot is .13 acre to give you an idea. My front yard has a massively oversized maple tree that was approved to be planted on my postage stamp lot 11 years ago. The tree is right next to the drain line for the house and is also killing my grass.
I had someone from City of Charlotte/Meck Urban Forestry come out and tell me I cannot remove the tree. m unclear if there is an appeals process. I'm woThe previous owners planted a Crape Myrtle behind the Maple which is a more appropriate size for the yard and has much less shade, but I'm told that is not an approved street tree
Megan, Condition of your grass nor other neighbor's removal of similar trees may not help your cause, but why did "... someone from City of Charlotte/Meck Urban Forestry come out ..." to your home? Did you or someone else (Prying neighbor? HOA?) solicit their input?
You didn't mention the actual height nor general health of your "massively oversized maple tree" versus height of your home. However, your home insurer may offer some beneficial thoughts on dead, dying, or particularly large limbs hanging over, upon, or banging into your house's roof or outside walls.
Depending on your tree's condition and actual size (height and circumference), perhaps you can obtain some professional bang for your premiums, solicit input countering Charlotte/Meck Urban Forestry's self-serving interests, etc. As pfalz suggests, you could minimally increase sunlight hitting your grass by "limbing the tree up"; an interesting oxymoron of sorts suggesting cutting down some limbs be they healthy, sickly, suckers, etc. Good luck!
Since when does the city dictate whether you can take down a tree in your property? I can see your HOA might have rules but I have never heard a city dictate whether you can remove a tree from your property. Now if it is a public right away, that is different.
Since when does the city dictate whether you can take down a tree in your property? I can see your HOA might have rules but I have never heard a city dictate whether you can remove a tree from your property. Now if it is a public right away, that is different.
The trees along the street in my neighborhood are technically city property since they were planted within the first 3 feet from the street in the easement by the city (our neighborhood was custom built with lots sold in the 80's in South Charlotte). So it is my land, with two large oaks owned by the city in the easement. Just like AT&T and Spectrum own the cable box equipment within the easement and the gas company owns the pipe running through the back corner of my property underground.
Many neighborhoods lined in the signature Charlotte oak trees have trees owned by the city on private property in the easement, they are called "Charlotte street trees." These trees are maintained by the city and they have a database where you can make trimming requests. They also band the trees for us and if one dies / falls over, they rip it out at their expense.
I can't cut these trees down because I don't own them, just like I can't rip the cable box out.
The trees along the street in my neighborhood are technically city property since they were planted within the first 3 feet from the street in the easement by the city (our neighborhood was custom built with lots sold in the 80's in South Charlotte). So it is my land, with two large oaks owned by the city in the easement. Just like AT&T and Spectrum own the cable box equipment within the easement and the gas company owns the pipe running through the back corner of my property underground.
Many neighborhoods lined in the signature Charlotte oak trees have trees owned by the city on private property in the easement, they are called "Charlotte street trees." These trees are maintained by the city and they have a database where you can make trimming requests. They also band the trees for us and if one dies / falls over, they rip it out at their expense.
I can't cut these trees down because I don't own them, just like I can't rip the cable box out.
That's a right of way which is different from a utility easement. You don't own a right of way, the city does. You do own an utility easement which only allows utilities to access that property. The OP said they it was their property so I was assuming it was indeed their property. If its the right-of-way, yeah, tough luck on that, it isn't your tree.
That's a right of way which is different from a utility easement. You don't own a right of way, the city does. You do own an utility easement which only allows utilities to access that property. The OP said they it was their property so I was assuming it was indeed their property. If its the right-of-way, yeah, tough luck on that, it isn't your tree.
Ah you are right! Thank you! I just checked out survey and the first 5 feet from the street on to our "yard" says it is a 5 foot right away for street purposes. The trees are planted in that 5 foot space. For all intensive purposes they "look" like our trees, but technically they aren't.
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