TREE MAINTENANCE AND SIDEWALK REPAIR

Under Pottstown’s Shade Tree Ordinance, first adopted in 1954,
adjacent property owners are responsible for the care and
maintenance of street trees. Property owners may hire private contractors to trim the trees adjacent to their property, with permission from the Shade Tree Commission.

Since 1993, Trees Inc. has tried to perform routine maintenance on Pottstown’s street trees as a public service, although trees remain the legal responsibility of the property owner. The borough provides no funds to Trees Inc., so the non-profit is limited in what it can do.

Trees are shallow rooted, and if planted in confined areas can lift sidewalks. Trees Inc. has responded over the years by increasing the size of existing tree wells and promoting the use of wide grass planting strips known as "tree lawn" whenever new trees are planted. The non-profit organization is also working with the borough to promote the use of sidewalk materials – asphalt and brick – that are more compatible with trees.