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Chapter 674 

Weeds and Vegetation

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674.01 TRIMMING OF TREES, PLANTS AND SHRUBBERY.

(a) The owner of every lot or parcel of land, whether improved or unimproved, within the Village, upon which a tree, plant or shrubbery stands with any part thereof upon or overhanging any dedicated utility easement, a public street, bicycle path, multi-use path or sidewalk shall conform to the regulations herein provided.

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  1. Such owner and/or occupant shall trim or cause to be trimmed such tree, plant or shrubbery so that a clear height of eight feet between the lowest branches of the same and the street, bicycle path, multi-use path or sidewalk is maintained to ensure unencumbered pedestrian passage.

  2. Such owner and/or occupant shall trim or remove, as the case may require, every dead, decayed or broken tree, plant or shrubbery, or part thereof, so that the same does not fall to the street, bicycle path, multi-use path or sidewalk.

  3. Such owner and/or/occupant shall cut down and remove any tree, plant or shrubbery, or any part thereof, as may be necessary to provide a clear and unobstructed view of traffic from all directions at any street intersection or to abate any nuisance necessary to protect life, limb or property of persons, drivers of any vehicles, bicyclists or pedestrians using the street, bicycle path, multi-use path or sidewalk.

(b) Whoever violates or fails to comply with this section, after having been notified of the violation in the manner specified in Section 674.99 is guilty of a minor misdemeanor.

674.02 REMOVAL OF NOXIOUS WEEDS AND INVASIVE SPECIES BY OWNER.

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(a)  The owner and/or occupant of any lot or parcel of land situated within the Village, whether the same is improved or unimproved, vacant or occupied, shall conform to the regulations herein provided. Otherwise, the Village shall act in accordance with Section 674.99.

(b)  Noxious weeds. Defined by ORC 901:5-37-01 and by the Federal Plant

Protection act as “any plant or plant product that can directly or indirectly injure or cause damage to crops (including nursery stock or plant products), livestock, poultry or other interests of agriculture, irrigation, navigation, the natural resources of the United States, the public health, or the environment” are not permitted upon the owner/occupants' premises. Such owner and/or occupant shall cause the following to be removed, cut or otherwise destroyed (the most common species are listed below. For a complete list and suggested removal methods, see Appendix: Best Practices for Noxious Weeds and Invasive Species Management):

  1. Ambrosia artemisiifolia, Common Ragweed

  2. Ambrosia trifida, Giant Ragweed (also known locally as Horseweed)

  3. Cirsium arvense, Canada Thistle

  4. Toxicodendron radicans, Poison Ivy

  5. Ailanthus altissima, Tree of Heaven

  6. Ficaria verna, Lesser Celandine

  7. Polygonum cuspidatum, Japanese Knotweed

  8. Sorghum halepense, Johnsongrass

  9. Pastinaca sativa, Wild Parsnip

  10. Vitis spp., Grapevines (when growing in groups of one hundred or more and not pruned, sprayed, cultivated, or otherwise maintained for two consecutive years)

  11. Conium maculatum, Poison Hemlock

  12. Phyllostachys aureasculata, Yellow Groove Bamboo, (when the plant has spread from its original premise of planting and is not being maintained.)

  13. Acroptilon repens, Russian Knapweed


(c)  Invasive Plant Species. In order to protect native plant species and thwart the growth of invasive plant species that disrupt natural ecosystem processes, the owner and/or occupant shall not intentionally plant any invasive species as defined by the Director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture pursuant to section 901.50 of the Ohio Revised Code. The most common species are listed below. For a complete list and suggested removal methods, see Appendix: Best  Practices for Noxious Weeds and Invasive Species Management:

  1. Ailanthus altissima, Tree-Of-Heaven

  2. Berberis vulgaris, Common Barberry

  3. Euonymous elata, Burning Bush

  4. Frangula alnus, Glossy Buckthorn

  5. Hesperis matronalis, Dame's Rocket

  6. Lythrum salicaria, Purple Loosestrife

  7. Microstegium vimineum, Japanese Stiltgrass

  8. Pyrus calleryana, Callery Pear

  9. Ranunculus ficaria, Fig Buttercup/Lesser Celandine

  10. Ampelopsis bervipendulata, Porcelain Berry Vine

  11. Lonicera maackii, L. tatarica, L. morrowii, Bush Honeysuckles

  12. Euonymus fortunei, Wintercreeper

  13. Lonicera japonica, Japanese Honeysuckle

  14. Elaeagnus umbellata, E. angustifolia, Autumn-Olive, Russian-Olive

  15. Rhamnus frangula, R. cathartica, Buckthorns

  16. Alliaria petiolata, Garlic Mustard

  17. Rosa multiflora, Multiflora Rose

  18. Acer platanoides, Norway maple

  19. Ligustrum vulgare, Common privet


(d)  No dumping, or stagnant water will be permitted. It shall be the responsibility of the owner to remove any materials dumped in an area of a lot, whether or not the person is responsible for such materials having been deposited on the property. Suitably managed compost piles are not restricted by this provision.


(e) Whoever violates or fails to comply with this section, after having been notified of the violation in the manner specified in Section 674.99 is guilty of a minor misdemeanor.

674.03 MANAGED NATURAL LANDSCAPES

(a) Managed Natural Landscapes of predominantly native plant communities grown through their natural annual cycle are permitted, provided that 1) preexisting non-native invasive vegetation was removed prior to planting and, 2) the managed area is free of weeds as defined in Section 674.02(b) and 674.02(c).

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There is no height limitation of non-woody plants in a managed natural landscape, with the following exceptions:


  1. Owners and/or occupants shall ensure that all plantings and growth on the street side or front lot line of the property must not obstruct sight lines and pedestrian traffic. No person shall keep or maintain a tree, shrub, hedge, plant or fence adjacent to any street intersection or street and alley intersection, which obstructs or physically interferes with a driver's view of approaching, merging, or intersecting traffic.

  2. Owners/occupants, including owners of a Managed Natural Landscape, shall not leave turf-grass lawns unattended for returning to a natural state.

  3. Except as part of a Managed Natural Landscape as defined in section 674.03(a) above, any non-woody plant growth which includes lawns and turf grass (as defined below) exceeding a height of nine (9) inches shall be cut or mowed by said owner/occupant.



  1. Findings:

              Such managed natural landscapes  serve the following purposes:


  1. Attraction and support of wildlife

  2. Increasing areas of natural beauty

  3. Offsetting potential or existing soil loss

  4. Enrichment or stabilization of soil fertility

  5. Food production

  6. Pest control

  7. Weed suppression

  8. Storm water control

  9. Educational research and studies

  10. Carbon sequestration and reduction of fossil fuel use

  11. Examples of Managed Natural Landscapes include butterfly gardens, prairies, meadows, forests, rain gardens, and low maintenance native groundcovers. The installation and maintenance of these plantings is beneficial to the Village’s environment and its residents, and serves to further adopted Village goals in multiple ways: requiring fewer potentially harmful and costly inputs, reducing surface water runoff, helping with stormwater mitigation, enhancing water quality and biodiversity, reducing pesticides, synthetic fertilizers and fossil fuel use, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and providing habitat for wildlife such as birds, butterflies, and other beneficial insects and species.

  12. There are a number of prevalent concerns associated with native/naturalistic plant gardens, including vermin population

growth, mosquito growth, allergies, and the need for annual burns. Scientific research into these issues indicate that:


A. Natural vegetation does not typically provide the quantities of food required for sustaining large vermin populations.


B. Native landscapes tend to absorb water quickly and are less likely than a watered, sod- covered lawn to attract mosquito breeding.


C. There are few native plants which give off allergen-type pollens since most native plants are insect pollinated, not air pollinated. It is the air-pollinated species, such as Kentucky bluegrass, which are commonly laden with allergens. However, a small number of air-pollinated species within a residential yard is inconsequential.

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D. Controlled burns are not required to maintain native landscapes within a yard. Mowing or manually cutting back plants, cutting up the debris and leaving it as mulch in late winter or early spring, helps prevent cold season weeds from sprouting and contributes to soil building. In addition, leaving a certain amount of hollow stems up at a 15” height will allow for the nesting sites of solitary bees. These are recommended management practices in residential areas.

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    (c) Whoever violates or fails to comply with this section, after having been notified of the violation in the manner specified in Section 674.99 is guilty of a minor misdemeanor.

674.04 DEFINITIONS

  ( a ) “Lawn” means an area of grass or other vegetation of at least 25 square feet that is kept mowed.

  ( b ) “Managed Natural Landscapes” are intentionally planted and maintained biodiverse predominantly native plant communities that are self-sustaining with minimal resort to artificial and synthetic methods of plant care. Parts of these landscapes can also include areas of lawn and turf grass and these areas will be subject to Section 674.03(d) below.

  ( c ) “Owner and/or Occupant” means an owner, operator or lessee, an employee of any owner, operator or lessee, an occupant, and any person in direct control of any property.

  ( d ) “Turf grass" shall mean grass commonly used in regularly-cut lawns or play areas, such as, but not limited to Bluegrass, Fescue, and Ryegrass blends.

674.99 REMOVAL OF TREES, WEEDS AND GRASSES; NOTICE AND ENFORCEMENT.

In the event the owner and/or occupant of any lot or parcel of land does not trim or remove any tree, plant, shrubbery, grass or weeds, or any part thereof in accordance with the provisions of this chapter that person is guilty of a minor misdemeanor and shall be issued written notice by either door knocker or regular mail, giving fourteen days to remedy the issue. Failure to resolve the issue within the time provided will result in the issuance of a citation into Mayor’s Court.

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Please refer to the Appendix for further information on removal of invasive species.

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