Winnetka, IL Tree Service
Nobody trims a public tree in Winnetka except the Village. Section 14.04.170 states that “All trimming of trees and shrubs located on the public ways or on Village property shall be done solely by the Village or its designee.” The same section also bars utilities from trimming, pruning, cutting, damaging or removing vegetation anywhere in the Village. A franchise exception is the only way around it. This is not a permit scheme. It is a reservation. So if the tree stands in the public way, no private contractor is the right answer. Neither is the power company. The tree removal Winnetka homeowners can commission stops at the property line.
Chapter 15.28 And A Mandatory $750 Fine
On private ground, Chapter 15.28, “Tree Enhancement and Preservation,” runs from §15.28.005 to §15.28.100. Section 15.28.040 makes it unlawful “to remove, cut, break, otherwise injure or destroy…any protected tree without first obtaining a tree removal permit.” A protected tree is “any single trunk tree with a DBH of eight (8) inches or more, and any multi-stem tree with an aggregate diameter of fifteen (15) inches or more.”
Section 15.28.070(A) requires a tree protection plan alongside any building permit for “any building, structure or addition.” The same section demands a plan where construction comes within ten feet of a right-of-way tree.
The penalty is not discretionary. Section 15.28.100 reads: “Any person who violates a provision of this chapter shall pay a mandatory fine of $750.00 per violation.” Each tree counts separately, and the Village can lien the property to collect. Removal deposits run $250.00 per inch of DBH. So a tree removal Winnetka permits on private ground costs real money before anyone prices the work itself.
Who may do the work. Winnetka’s contractor licensing covers only “Electrical, plumbing, irrigation and roofing contractors.” There is no arborist or tree category. Even so, two requirements bite anyway. First, “All Ash tree removals must be performed by an Illinois Department of Agriculture compliant contractor.” Second, a Certified Arborist has to carry out root and branch pruning. Building permit applications also carry a $20,000 bond requirement for all contractors and subcontractors. We meet the ash compliance requirement, and we put certified arborists on the pruning.
Ravines, Lagoons And The Largest Floodplain On The North Shore
Winnetka covers 3.893 square miles. For that size, it carries an extraordinary amount of water. There are 661.96 acres of 100-year floodplain and 742.89 acres at the 500-year level. Add 18 FEMA repetitive-loss properties. Flooding shows up especially in the west section and around the golf club.
The topography explains it. Hubbard Hill sits north of Tower Road, on Sheridan Road south of the Glencoe border. The village calls it “the winding, wooded ravine of Hubbard Hill,” and “the first in a series of ravines that follows the shoreline north of Chicago.” The Skokie Lagoons lie partly within the village. They are “seven inter-connected lagoons totaling 190 acres,” dug by the Civilian Conservation Corps between 1933 and 1940. Trees on a ravine slope carry their load asymmetrically. They also lose root purchase as the slope erodes. Therefore they are the first ones we look at after a wet spring. Much of the tree removal Winnetka needs begins on those slopes.
The stock is old. Winnetka incorporated in 1869 with 450 people. Its first houses date from 1836, and subdivision began as early as 1854. Later homes came from George Washington Maher and David Adler. Around 250 elms still stand on public parkways. To keep them, the village “injects publicly owned trees on a regular schedule.” University of Illinois Extension covers Dutch elm disease in plain language. It also covers the ash borer behind the compliance rule above.
Tree Removal Work On Winnetka Property
On private ground, the tree removal Winnetka owners hire us for falls into four kinds of job.
- Removals of protected trees under permit, ash handled by a Department of Agriculture compliant crew
- Pruning by Certified Arborist, as the village requires for root and branch work
- Stump grinding on ravine ground where footing has to be assessed first
- Emergency and storm work through the night
Storm damage — and the number that is not ComEd. Winnetka owns and operates its own electric utility. Section 13.08.010 provides that “It is lawful for the Village to own and operate an electric utility.” It also provides that “Every location within the corporate limits…shall be connected to the Municipal Electric Utility.” The Village describes itself as “Unique among many municipalities” in generating power and serving all local residents and businesses. So the ComEd outage line does not apply here. Treat every downed wire as live, and keep everyone away from the trunk. Call 911 first. Then call the Village’s own electric utility. That number is on your Winnetka utility bill, not the one your neighbors in Wilmette or Glencoe use. We work 24 hours once the utility confirms the line is dead.
Request A Tree Removal Winnetka Estimate
Give us the diameter at breast height, and tell us whether the tree is single or multi-stem. That is all we need to say whether §15.28.040 applies. If it stands in the public way, we point you at the Village instead of quoting you. Under 14.04.170 that work is not ours to sell. A tree removal Winnetka estimate costs nothing, and there is no obligation.
Call 708-424-5885. More of our Cook County coverage, plus Glencoe and Kenilworth.
19253 South Blackhawk Parkway #80
Mokena, Illinois 60448
708-424-5885
Inquiries@protreeservice.com
Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week