Shaker Heights Council reviews draft managed natural landscape policy, public urges tweaks on height, coverage and invasives

Law Director Bill Gruber brought a proposed managed natural landscape policy to the Shaker Heights City Council at a March 10, 2025 work session, saying the draft would allow residents to create intentionally planted and managed naturalized gardens while addressing safety, maintenance and invasive-species concerns.

The policy, presented by Law Director Bill Gruber, would for the first time explicitly permit managed natural landscaping in the city subject to general restrictions: no turf grass left to exceed 6 inches, no noxious weeds or invasive species, no plants that obstruct sidewalks or other rights of way, and prohibitions on unpermitted human-made features in tree lawns. The draft divides rules for tree lawns (public right-of-way between sidewalk and curb) and private front, side and rear yards; it also sets an initial 12-month advisory period before stricter enforcement.

Why it matters: the proposal seeks to balance sustainability goals—pollinator habitat, reduced pesticide and watering needs, and stormwater benefits—with municipal service delivery, sight-line safety and protection of public trees and infrastructure. Public works and building and housing officials told council the current municipal code is fragmented and subjective, and that clearer, consistent standards would help staff and residents.

Presentation and staff concerns Law Director Bill Gruber summarized the memo and photos posted on the city website and said the policy is intended to be implemented later via ordinances. Public Works Director Ramona Farrell described the department's operational problems: complaints about tree lawns and sidewalks, blind spots for children, hydrants obscured by plantings, and accidental removal of intentionally placed mulch or plantings during leaf and brush collection. Farrell stressed a need for clear rules so public works responds consistently.

Director of Building and Housing Kyle Crewson said existing housing and commercial code language—requiring landscaping to "present a healthy, neat and orderly appearance"—is subjective and hard to enforce. He said the proposed policy would add specificity to help inspectors and residents understand obligations.

Key policy elements in the draft - Tree lawns (public right-of-way): managed natural plantings would be allowed in a limited manner; plantings may not exceed 24 inches in height (street trees excepted), must leave an area of turf or low groundcover no taller than 6 inches or at least an 8-foot-wide paved area adjacent to the curb to permit leaf/brush pickup, and would prohibit fences, stone/brick/metal walls and bare soil. The city would not be liable to repair irrigation or decorative installations on tree lawns. - Front yards: plantings may exceed 24 inches outside a required boundary but cannot be taller than 24 inches within 5 feet of the public right-of-way (sidewalk) unless a fence, hedge or retention wall is in place. Managed plantings above 6 inches would be limited to no more than 50% of front-yard surface area under the draft. - Side yards and rear yards: similar rules on setbacks and coverage (50% for side yards, 75% for rear yards in the draft). The policy requires clear boundaries for planted areas. - Non-growing season and maintenance: November 1–March 31 is identified as the non-growing season; tree-lawn plantings must have dead plant material removed, and all managed natural landscapes must be mowed at least once annually (the draft says) and kept free of unmanaged growth. - Invasive-species standard: staff said the city would follow lists from outside jurisdictions (Ohio Department of Natural Resources and Ohio Department of Agriculture were mentioned) and the tree advisory board is preparing a "do not plant" list for the city website.

Enforcement and appeals The draft proposes a 12-month advisory phase: property owners first receive an advisory letter. No citation would be issued until at least 30 days after the advisory notice; citations could be appealed first to the director (intended to ensure consistent departmental application) and then to the Board of Appeals, and finally to court. If the city abates a nuisance, the cost can be charged to the property and placed as an assessment if unpaid—the same process used for other nuisance abatement.

Council and public reaction Council members broadly supported moving forward but raised substantive objections to several numerical limits in the draft. Council Member Nancy Moore, who also serves on the Tree Advisory Board, urged changes to several provisions she said would unintentionally exclude native pollinator plants: she objected to a blanket 24-inch height cap close to the sidewalk, the 50% coverage limit for front yards and the annual "mow at least once" requirement for native beds, which she said would harm insect habitat and seed cycles.

Other council members echoed concerns about the 50% and 75% coverage caps and asked for more nuance on setback distances, visibility/sight-line protections around corners and traffic-calming sites, and whether registration or a low‑burden sign program could signal intentional management without full permitting.

Public commenters, including members of the Tree Advisory Board and residents who said they maintain native gardens, urged the council to distinguish managed native plantings from neglected yards and to adopt a clear, locally tailored "do not plant" list. Several residents cautioned that large front-yard plantings can be hard to manage and urged the city to include education and examples of well-maintained native gardens.

Next steps Gruber said if council gives direction, staff will prepare draft ordinances and present the policy and ordinance language to the Safety & Public Works Committee and the Sustainability Committee (both expected in April), then return to full council for readings. Council members asked for additional review by the Tree Advisory Board and the sustainability subcommittees and suggested more public outreach and examples before finalizing numeric limits.

No final ordinance or code change was adopted at this meeting. The council did vote earlier in the meeting to enter an executive session to discuss personnel matters; that vote was unanimous (see Actions).

Ending Council members and staff thanked the public and the tree advisory board for their work and asked staff to incorporate committee and public feedback as the policy moves toward ordinance drafting. The council directed staff to continue the conversation through the committee process and further outreach.