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Committee recommends advertising ordinance to remove 4-foot ROW shrub limit, align tree clearance and codify parking changes
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Summary
The committee recommended advertising Ordinance 10-71, which aligns tree-clearance standards (change to 8 feet), removes a 4-foot maximum shrub height in the right-of-way (with separate site-triangle review later), updates street-dimension tables, and codifies recent two-hour parking changes on Chestnut, South Essex and Price Avenue.
The Finance & Administration Committee recommended advertising Ordinance 10-71, a technical cleanup package that includes vegetation, street-dimension and parking changes.
Staff explained the ordinance aligns the minimum clearance over sidewalks with the streets and sidewalks chapter (reducing a referenced 9-foot minimum to 8 feet to match the other chapter), and removes a separate 4-foot maximum shrub-height restriction in the right-of-way. "So for anybody out there listening, if you have shrubs or hedges in your front yard in the right of way that exceed 4 feet in height, you do not need to cut them down if council approves this," the borough manager told the committee.
Staff emphasized safety remains enforceable: existing sidewalks and site-triangle/sightline provisions will continue to require clear walkways and will be addressed in a future, more comprehensive review of sight-distance at corners. Staff noted municipalities typically use lower corner-height limits (18 to 36 inches) for sight-line safety and said the 4-foot provision created many nonconforming interior-lot properties.
The ordinance package also corrects discrepancies in the street-dimension/right-of-way tables in the code appendix so measurements match actual cartway and ROW widths. Finally, the package codifies recent two-hour parking changes carried out after a resident petition (removing certain blocks on Chestnut and South Essex from two-hour limits) and records a previously approved 2024 change on the 300 block of Price Avenue so ordinance language matches on-street signage and enforcement.
The committee recommended advertising the ordinance for adoption (technical amendments and codification); staff said the formatted ordinance would be available to the public in subsequent drafts and in the council packet if the process proceeds.
