Street trees are an integral component of Tallmadge’s suburban environment. Their shade and beauty contribute to the community’s quality of life and soften the hardscapes of concrete and paved streets.

It is the property owner’s responsibility to maintain trees planted in the curb lawn.  Many trees that were planted in curb lawns were tree types that, unfortunately, damaged sidewalks.

Sidewalk maintenance and upkeep is also the property owner’s responsibility. With that being noted, in 2018 the City of Tallmadge started removing curb lawn trees during the sidewalk replacement program at no expense to the property owner. 

Many property owners requested the trees be replanted. The city hired a Landscape Architect to recommend trees and curb lawn requirements to prevent sidewalk damage.  

The following curb lawn criteria need to be met before planting a street tree:

• No new trees shall be permitted in a curb lawn with a width of less than 8 feet.
• No trees shall be permitted in a curb lawn that has a slope greater than 3:1 (33%). 

If the curb lawn criteria are met, the following approved trees may be planted in the curb lawns:

• Trident Maple - Acer buergerianum
• Paperbark Maple - Acer griseum
• Apple Serviceberry - Amelanchier × grandiflora – (use standard single stem form)
• Thornless Crusader Hawthorn - Crataegus crus-galli – (use standard single stem form)
• Amur Maackia - Maackia amurensis
• Japanese Tree Lilac - Syringa reticulata

*All trees planted in the curb lawn must be a minimum of 1.5” caliper.

The Steps needed to Proceed:

1. The property owner is responsible for purchasing and installing the trees in the curb lawn. 
2. The property owner needs to contact the city to file the proper permits to do work in the Public Right of Way. Contact the Planning and Zoning Department about the proper permits at 330-633-0090.
3. Each property owner may request one street tree per curb lawn. A second tree may be requested and may be approved by the Director of Public Service based on the length of the curb lawn between drive approaches.
4. After the proper permits have been obtained, a City of Tallmadge representative will mark (using a lathe) and GPS the location of the tree in the curb lawn. Tree placement shall be determined based on assessment of the curb lawn site on a case-by-case basis. The City of Tallmadge reserves the right to refuse any planting of trees within the Public Right of Way if the planting does not meet the requirements of the City of Tallmadge.
5. All curb lawn trees shall be installed, maintained, and repaired under the supervision and inspection of the City of Tallmadge and is the responsibility of the property owner.
6. Prior to having the street tree planted, the property owner must call the Ohio Utilities Protection Service to have utilities located (800-362-2764 or oups.org).
7. The city will provide and install a root barrier at no charge to the property owner.

As previously noted, the property owner is responsible for purchasing and installing the street trees in the curb lawn. 

Property owners can purchase their street trees from any location if they meet the approved street tree listing and the 1.5” caliper tree criteria.

Property owners can hire a landscape contractor as well to plant their street trees. All proper permitting with the city will still need to be obtained if a contractor is used.

Planting can occur any time between April and November of each year. However, it is strongly recommended for best results to wait until after the foliage has dropped and the tree has gone dormant. This typically occurs between October and November.  

Not all approved street trees are available each year. Therefore, check availability prior to making any plans. 

Petitti Garden Centers of Tallmadge has agreed to make many of the street trees available. Please ask about the availability of the Street Trees for Curb Lawns at (330) 633-2394.