Shade Tree Commission

Meets 1st Tuesday of each month at 7:00 PM at the Township Building.

Township Calendar of Meetings and Events

Members
Steven J. Ziegler, Chair
Celine Childs, Vice-Chair
John H. Kafes
Jennifer Thomas
Katherine Zanecosky
Sara Erlbaum, BOS Liaison
C. Dennis Metz, Consulting Certified Arborist

The Shade Tree Commission of Whitemarsh Township consists of five members appointed by the Board of Supervisors to serve overlapping five-year terms with administrative responsibility of Chapter 55, Tree Protection Standards, of the Code of the Township of Whitemarsh. The Shade Tree Commission is established to:

Regulate the planting, removal and maintenance of vegetation within the ultimate rights of way of streets and highways within the Township.
Ensure the selection of proper and suitable plant materials.
Assist in the safe, orderly and efficient movement of pedestrians and vehicular traffic through public rights of way.
Review and provide recommendations on landscaping required for subdivision and land development projects.

For safety reasons, property owners need to trim trees, shrubs, bushes and other plant life along the street to ensure that drivers have an unobstructed view of the road. State law requires overgrowth to be trimmed to avoid interfering with drivers' sight distances at intersections. In addition, the Shade Tree Ordinance requires an eleven foot (11') clearance over roads to ensure the safe passageway of emergency equipment, a nine foot (9') clearance over sidewalks, and a clear sight triangle at intersection streets.

Residents are encouraged to take a good look at their properties in the spring and trim any overgrowth that may present a safety hazard.