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You need to go right now to your Township Planning and Zoning or Environmental office before you do something which could garner you fines greater than what you paid for your new house.
This is your answer. I was on the Zoning Board of Adjustment in my town so I am aware of what you need permits for and possibly variances. In most towns you need a permit to cut down healthy trees. It is safer to go to the town and discuss what you want to do. We cut down a number of large oak trees that were hollow in the middle from carpenter ants. The town sent out an arborist to certify they were not healthy and give permission to remove them. That way there was no question once they were down whether or not they were healthy.
As to the fake grass, many towns have zoning rules about the amount of impervious coverage you can have on your property. Impervious being your house, walkway, driveway, anything that will not absorb water. This is to stop flooding during heavy rainstorms. You would be surprised what is considered impervious. In our town the bricks with the holes in them where grass can grow through are considered impervious. Fake grass/artificial turf may also be considered impervious.
If you proceed without permits, the town can fine you on both items and could also require you to rip up the fake grass and plant real grass. At that point you will have paid a lot of money and not have what you want. Better to check ahead of time.
My town is pretty crazy when it comes to tree removal. You can remove dead or severely diseased trees, as well as trees that present a danger, free of charge, but the town sends someone out to check the tree before you can remove it. For a healthy tree, it gets expensive. You need a permit, which costs $150, and then you need to replace the tree with FOUR new trees somewhere else on your property.
Could you get away with cutting it down without the town finding out? Probably. But if you get caught, there is a hefty fine on top of all the other money you have to spend to comply with the law.
As to fake grass, I have never seen that on anything other than a football field, but I think it would look ridiculous. I wouldn't like it if one of my neighbors had it.
In this case, permission is more easily granted than forgiveness!
Quote:
Originally Posted by macrodome2
This is your answer. I was on the Zoning Board of Adjustment in my town so I am aware of what you need permits for and possibly variances. In most towns you need a permit to cut down healthy trees. It is safer to go to the town and discuss what you want to do. We cut down a number of large oak trees that were hollow in the middle from carpenter ants. The town sent out an arborist to certify they were not healthy and give permission to remove them. That way there was no question once they were down whether or not they were healthy.... Better to check ahead of time.
Macrodome2
In some communities, sensitivity towards tree removal runs high. Often people affiliate tree removal with a loss of our natural surroundings, or worse. Suburbia going urban!
Timely thread for I'm experiencing this right now.
The house sits on the side of the hill — a steep wooded lot. Already lost five trees in Sandy. Recently, the look of many of the other trees has concerned me. So I called in a tree guy. He showed me my sick and dying trees; and a few that are "widow makers" — dead trees that are already falling but being held up by their sickly brethren. The suggestion? Remove about twenty trees.
Then his instruction was akin to macrodome2's advice above. First, ask the town to send out the municipal forester and evaluate the trees before doing anything.
I did just that. Turns out the forester's opinion was the the tree removal guy may have estimated too conservatively! "You may want to take down this one too while you've got him here."
Conclusion: The forested area in back of the lot is not being touched. There are more than a hundred healthy trees back there! But the dead and dying trees that threaten the house are all being removed — with the town's blessing (a/k/a permit.)
Yes, you do. You're supposed to disinfect it, too. I imagine you wouldn't have to do that if it gets full sun and no children are going to play on it, no one walk barefoot.
didnt expect such a strong reaction to fake grass, i thought neighbors would like it since it stays green all year round also neat and tidy, making the neighborhood looks good.
but by the overwhelming reaction i guess it's the opposite, glad i asked
Trees also can be a pain depending on lot size. My house was nicknamed the Tree House in the early 1990s.
When owner before me bought it house had on a 60x by 100 plot 7 Large trees. And neighbors right on their property jammed against fence had five large trees.
Which ment in a 65x105 area 12 huge three story tall trees. The house was dark and covered in leaves. Prior owner then took down three trees. I took down two trees when I bought it that were sick and two trees after Sandy. So no large trees on property but did replace with three smaller trees. My neighbors five large trees on fence three got killed in Sandy.
My house is now a joy. I have three smaller trees on property and only two large trees on other side of fence that gives me shade.
My neighbors son who I like 35 told me when original owner was at work in the late 1970s and 1980s they used to play hide and seek in yard for hours. Imagine a 60x100 lot with that many trees. I bought in 2002 and owner showed me ad from 1992 when he bought and it was crazy I was like where the heck is the house.
didnt expect such a strong reaction to fake grass, i thought neighbors would like it since it stays green all year round also neat and tidy, making the neighborhood looks good.
but by the overwhelming reaction i guess it's the opposite, glad i asked
Aesthetics are a piece but I think most of us emphasized the environmental aspects.
Along the East Coast especially, rules have changed and are continuing to become more strict concerning run off and tree cutting. Many, if not most, areas require replacement (one poster mentioned it) of trees which are cut. Maryland has tightened up regulations dealing with lawns and fertilizing and is encouraging people to at least partially replace turf grasses with naturalized plantings of native vegetation.
As a note, in general healthy and appropriate trees add value to a single family home, which is another aspect you have to consider.
Another factor is after so many years there will be weeds that push thru the fake (tacky) turf. I grew up in Pt Pleasant Beach and the soil is real sandy so some people put down rocks, and weeds pop thru any plastic barrier after a while, not to mention weeds on the margin. It would be easier to run a mower across a lawn in my estimation than pulling weeds. Also as others have posted your could have a yard that is not grass something native and drought resistant. Do some research on Xeriscaping in New Jersey and there will be suggestions. There is still some upkeep but it can be low maintenance.
If you have a lawn and the weeds are green and cut most people wont care. My friends dad called his yard in Brick green ground cover.. Essentially it was green weeds trimmed short.
If the lawn mowing is the thing your can hire someone to mow the lawn and NJ its only a few months of the year you will have to mow. Fall and winter would be no maintenance for the most part.
I have never heard of that. I live in WO. A few years ago I had 5 big trees cut down on my property all in one swoop. How would the town even know? And if the trees are on property you own why would they even care...
I live in the part of town with no sidewalks, so I think this is part of when this rule comes into play. I have had to reach out to the Shade Tree Commission because i have a concern about the health of a huge tree that is about 6 feet from the curb line. I have received no response after 3 inquiries and will have to ramp things up to get some follow-up.
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In this case, permission is more easily granted than forgiveness!
Macrodome2
