Tree pruning and removal guidelines
The city has a four person tree crew in the street department of Public Works. They have received training in proper pruning and tree removal techniques. Their primary goal is to maintain safety for traffic and pedestrians along public roadways and parks. The crew prunes and/or removes trees and shrubs in order to accomplish this goal.
- Trees over 6 inches in diameter within 6 feet of the road edge (curb) are located in the right-of-way and will be pruned as needed to keep the adjacent roadway clear of current or future safety issues.
- Trees will be pruned to provide 14 feet of clearance over the road surface. This will prevent branch ripping when plows, street sweepers, and other tall vehicles such as school buses drive along the road.
- Woody shrubs and trees 6 inches in diameter and smaller will be removed within 6 feet of the road edge to mitigate current or future sightline and traffic flow issues.
- Trees more than 6 feet from the road edge will only have limbs pruned that affect safety or flow of traffic along the public road. If more work is required to make the right-of-way safe, residents will be contacted individually as needed.
- The City of Minnetonka has an ordinance (845.010) that requires vegetation on corners to be maintained at a 2½ foot maximum height for safety reasons. The corner is defined as 25 feet on each street and everything included in the enclosed triangle.
- Evergreens (pines, spruce, arborvitaes, etc.) and formal hedges pose special challenges for pruning. Evergreens grow symmetrically and do not respond well to one-sided pruning. Hedges generally need to be trimmed 1–2 times each year to maintain aesthetics. The city intends to trim an area once every 5 years. For this reason we ask for your assistance in maintaining hedges and existing evergreens at least 6 feet behind the edge of the road. When planting evergreen trees, refrain from planting within 20 feet of the road edge in order to plan for their mature size.
