Planning commission reviews rewritten park strip and tree ordinance
September 2, 2026, 6:30 p.m. · American Fork City Hall, 31 N. Church St.
The Planning Commission held a public hearing on a full rewrite of the city's park strip and tree ordinance, Chapter 12.16, prepared under Urban Forester Brady McNaughton after a widely reported case in which an elderly couple was cited over park strip trees. According to the American Fork Citizen, the commission asked for one change, measuring a tree's location from the center of its trunk, before the City Council adopted the rewrite 5-0 on Sept. 8. Minutes for this meeting were not available; the vote count is not known.
From the agenda and city or news reports of the results; minutes not yet posted.
Decisions at a glance
| Item | Result |
|---|---|
| Park strips and trees ordinance rewrite (Chapter 12.16) | Recommended for approval |
Agenda, item by item
Item 4a/5a · City code
Park strips and trees ordinance rewrite (Chapter 12.16)
Recommended for approval
Repeals and replaces Chapter 12.16 with a new "Park Strips and Trees" chapter written by the Urban Forester, Public Works and Parks staff and city attorney Heather Schriever. It clarifies that the city owns rights-of-way while adjacent owners maintain park strips, defines the Urban Forester's authority, creates administratively amendable Approved and Prohibited Tree Lists posted online, sets planting distances (30 feet from intersection curb returns, 20 feet from utility poles and streetlights, 10 feet from hydrants, 5 feet from driveways and water meters), allows small trees in strips as narrow as 4 feet and medium trees in 6- to 8-foot strips, grandfathers lawfully planted trees, and expands enforcement. According to the American Fork Citizen, the commission asked that tree location be measured from the trunk's center; the council adopted the ordinance Sept. 8.
- Initiated by: city staff (Urban Forester Brady McNaughton)
- No trees in park strips under 4 feet wide
- Grandfather clause for existing lawfully planted trees
- Commission requested: measure tree location from trunk center (per American Fork Citizen)
- Council adopted 5-0 Sept. 8 (American Fork Citizen)