Do you need a permit?
It depends on the tree
Yonkers' Shade Tree law covers trees in public highways and public places — those need a written permit from the Commissioner of Parks, Recreation and Conservation, and there is no fee. On private property there is no per-tree permit, but the zoning code counts removing three or more trees of six inches DBH or more within twelve months as "clear-cutting," and no clear-cutting permit may issue unless it conforms to a Planning Board–approved site plan.
Size threshold
Zoning § 43-8: "CLEAR-CUTTING — The removal of three or more trees that are six inches or more diameter at breast height (DBH) over a twelve-month period, or 10 or more trees that are six inches or more DBH over a five-year period."
What's protected in Yonkers
- Any tree planted or growing in or upon any public highway or public place in the City (§ 80-10)
- Private-property vegetation removed at a scale that meets the zoning definition of clear-cutting — three or more trees ≥6" DBH in twelve months, or ten or more in five years
- Trees on private property that are dead, diseased or a public safety hazard — the owner has an affirmative duty to remedy them (§ 80-26)
How to apply in Yonkers
- 1
Call 914-377-6429 to request an inspection. The City Arborist assesses the tree and determines whether a permit for removal or pruning should be issued.
- 2
For a tree in a public highway or public place, apply on the forms furnished by the Commissioner of Parks, Recreation and Conservation, stating the number and kind of trees to be trimmed, removed or treated and the kind and condition of the nearest trees on adjoining property.
- 3
All such applications are referred to the Shade Tree Commission of the City of Yonkers for approval or disapproval before the Commissioner may issue a written permit.
- 4
If a permit is issued, hire a licensed and insured tree company at your own expense. The contractor must provide an original, current certificate of insurance.
- 5
Allow five to seven days, then call 914-377-6429 for an updated status on your work order.
Fees, penalties, and the ordinance
- Fee
- No fee. The city's FAQ on tree removal: "There is no fee for obtaining a permit."
- Penalties
- § 80-30: an owner who fails or refuses to take the steps the City Arborist requires on a dead, diseased or hazardous tree within the 10 days allowed by the § 80-27 notice is liable, in addition to any other penalties, to a fine not exceeding $50 a day from the date the notice was served until the work is done. The City Arborist may also enter the property, do the work, and bill the owner (§§ 80-28, 80-29).
- Ordinance
- Code of the City of Yonkers, Chapter 80 — Shade Trees (Art. III § 80-10; Art. IV §§ 80-26 to 80-30); Chapter 43 — Zoning (§ 43-8 definitions; § 43-94A(2) site plan approval required)
Worth knowing
- The city removes a public tree only if the City Arborist or inspector finds it dead, in a declining state, or an immediate hazard. Healthy trees are preserved.
- § 80-26 puts an affirmative duty on every property owner "to keep and preserve any trees located thereon from becoming dead, diseased or of a public safety hazard."
- Zoning § 43-94A(2): "No permit for the clear-cutting of vegetation and/or trees or for the excavation of land shall be issued unless it is in conformity with a site plan approved in accordance with this article. This shall not apply to landscape remodeling or gardening." Site plan review is done by the Yonkers Planning Board.
- Branches that come down on your own property can go out with sanitation on the second pickup day if properly bundled; larger debris goes to the organic yard at 610 Nepperhan Avenue.
What we could not confirm
We would rather tell you what we don't know than guess. Call the office below to confirm these before you cut.
- — Whether removing one or two ordinary trees on your own Yonkers property requires any city approval. Chapter 80's permit is written for public highways and public places, and we found no private per-tree permit — but the city does not state the private case in so many words.
- — The penalty for removing a public tree without a permit.
- — Whether the clear-cutting site plan requirement is enforced against an ordinary homeowner clearing three yard trees, as distinct from a development project.
Sources
- City of Yonkers — FAQ: How do I get a tree removed?
- Code of the City of Yonkers, Ch. 80 Art. III — Planting and Maintenance of Shade Trees
- Code of the City of Yonkers, Ch. 80 Art. IV — Removal of Dead, Diseased or Hazardous Trees
- Code of the City of Yonkers, Zoning § 43-94 — Site plan approval required
- Code of the City of Yonkers, Zoning § 43-8 — Definition of terms (CLEAR-CUTTING)