Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-01-07
PARK BOARDTO
ENFORCE RULES
EVEN TO FINES
Appeals to Pride Having
Failed, Department Will
Resort to Ordinance.
TREE CARE PROMINENT

TREE CARE PROMINENT
Kindness and appeals to civic pride
having failed to obtain response, G. L.
Morgan, head Of the special service of
the city park department, declared to-
day that 1t has become necessary to seek
strict enforcement Of the city tree and
shrubbery ordinance against citizens who
have INDUCED in fragrant violations Of 1t.
Unless orders to remove dead and dan
gerous trees and In other ways comply
with the ordinance are responded to with
In the near future from twelve to if
teen prosecutions will be started in
City Court, Mr.. Morgan said.
Apparently there are few persons who
realize that they are subject to arrest
for failure to comply with the park de-
partment's tree and shrubbery regula-
lions, the special service head stated.
The ordinance granting the park depart
ment power to make such regulations
was passed by the city council in 1910.
1t has never been seriously enforced
until about a year ago when Mt
Morgan's branch began campaign TO
rid the city lawns OF dead and danger
Gus trees. Penalty for violation of the
ordinance is a fine Of not more than SO
nor less than 81.
ORDINANCE
GRANTS POWER.
The ordinance specifically grants the
park board the power to adopt and en-
force rules, regulations and specifications
for trimming, removal and planting ana
protection of all trees, shrubs, vines,
flowers. hedges and plants within the
limits Of any public street, alley, thor
oughfare or lawn in said city, and shall
have power to regulate and prescribe
terms and conditions upon which per
nIts to trim, remove or plant any such
trees, shrubs, vines, flowers or plants
within said city shall be granted" IL
is made unlawful for any one to inJnre
or destroy any natural growth on puDAc
property.
The ordinance further states:
That said board of park commissioners
shall hereafter he empowered ana du-
thorized to require the owner or occu-
pant OF property, abutting any street
or alley, to remove or Trim dIdn+ any oy neFf
thereof. in front Of the property OF any
such owner or occupant, which may De
dead or unsightly or in a dangerous con-
dition or which may project over such
street beyond the property line OF such
owner or occupant. to q height OF ten
(1O) feet or less. according TO size, OF
any tree obstructing the free passage OF
pedestrians on the sidewalk, by nrst
causina notice to be served upon such
owner or occupant Of the premises ad
Joining said street or alley ten (1Ol days
prior to the time designated for the re-
movaI or trimming of any such tree,
shrub vine flower or plant.
MAY REQUIRE
PLANTING.
And said board shall have power to
REQUIRE the owners or occupants Of prop
erty abutting any street or alley 70
plant such trees, vines, hoWers ana plants
in front of the property of any such
owner or occupant as said board shall
deem advisable, by first causing notice
to be served upon such owner or occu-
pant of the premises adjoining any street
or alley in said city sixty (6O) days
prior to the time designated for the
planting Of such trees. vines, flowers or
plants If, after sixty (6O) days from
the service of such notice any such owner
or occupant shall fail or refuse to so
plant such trees, vines, flowers or plants.
then said board of park commissioners
may plant the same and the expense
thereof shall become lien against the
adjoining property as provided by Sec
ton 234 of the act of the General Assem-
bly, of Indiana of 1S00 entitled an act
concerning municipal corporations"
Sec. 4. 1t shall be unlawful for any
person to engage in the business OF
planting, cutting, removing, trimming or
SPRAYING trees shrubs vines. etc, in
the city of Indianapolis, without first
procuring from the city controller on an
application approved by the board OF
park commissioners, license each year,
authorizing any such person so to en-
gage in the such business. And said
board of park commissioners shall not
approve any such application without first
being satisfied of the competency Of the
applicant to engage in such business.
Upon the issuance of such license by the
city controller, the applicant shall pay
a license fee of two dollars $1,000. which
shall entitle him to conduct any such
business during the calendar year within
which the license is issued. The board
of park commissioners within said city
shall have the power to revoke any such
license whenever it shall appear to such
board that the icensee has violated any
of the rules Of the said board which may
be adopted in accordance with the pro-
visions of this ordinance, or has violated
any ordinance of such city. or any law
OF the State of Indiana, pertaining to the
care. preservation. trimming or removal
Of trees, etc, in such city.
RULES LAID
DOWN BY BOARD.
Pursuant to the powers granted in
this ordinance the park board in 1910
adopted the following rules and reg
ulations, which property owners are adj
vised to study and preserve for future
reference:
l. written request for removal. trim
ming or planting of trees. shrubs. etc,
must be made by the owner or occu-
pant of abutting property. If such re-
quest be for permission to plant trees
or shrubs, it shall state the width of the
lot in front of which the work is to be
done. the kind and number of trees,
shrubs, etc, to be planted. the kind and
condition Of the nearest trees upon adj
joining lots and their distances from the
lines Of the lot of said owner o. occu
pant. II such request be for permits
sion to trim or remove trees or shrubs,
the request shall state their number,
kind and condition. Said request shall
be signed by said owner or occupant and
by the licensed trimmer who Is to do
the work If there be such. If any doubt
exists as to the necessity for or desira-
bility of doing the work for which per-
mission Is asked, the board shall not is
sue a permit for such work until a care
full Investigation has been made Of all
the circumstances Of the case.
2 Trees shall not be planted in any
street lawn less than thirty feet apart.
irrespenctiye of the size of the lot, and
as much farther apart as may be di
rected by the board Of park commission
spacing; and all trees planted shall be
OF healthy stock free from any or all
kinds of insects or pests.
3. No permit shall be granted for trim
ming any hardwood tree in street lawn,
except for the cutting out of dead wood
and the cutting OF of lower branches
when such are so low as to interfeee with
the free passage of pedestrians or We
hicles, or when such cutting of Of lower
branches may contribute properly to the
symmetry of the tree. The board of palk