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North Ridgeville council updates street-tree code, expands arborist authority
Summary
After months of review, City Council adopted an updated trees chapter replacing an ordinance that largely dated to the 1960s, giving the city arborist clearer enforcement powers, creating an administratively maintained master tree plan, and changing permit and fee language.
North Ridgeville City Council adopted an updated trees ordinance on April 21, 2025, replacing Chapter 10.30 (Street Trees) with a new Chapter 10.30 (Trees) and repealing Chapter 10.32 (Master Tree Plan).
The change, introduced by Mayor Corcoran, gives the city arborist clearer authority over trees in the right of way and public places, establishes a separate master tree plan to be adopted by the Planning Commission and maintained by the arborist, and adds enforcement tools including notices of violation, abatement, a lien process and an appeal pathway. The ordinance was discussed for more than 20 minutes at the Committee of the Whole on April 21 before council acted to adopt the final ordinance later that evening.
Planning and Development Director Kim Lieber said the city undertook the update after the appointment of a new city arborist and a multi-month review, explaining that many provisions in the existing code “date back to the 1960s, and so it really was in dire need of a refresh.” Lieber said the revision aims to…
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