Need a Tree Removed from Your Westfield Home?

Need a tree removed from your Westfield home, but don’t know how to go about it?

Well, for starters, residents will most likely need to obtain a permit from the township. Permit applications can be found here.
According to the Westfield Township website:

DEFINITION OF TREE: Any deciduous or coniferous species which reaches a typical mature height of at least twenty-five (25) feet and a typical mature Diameter Breast Height (DBH) of four inches or greater.

WHEN A PERMIT IS REQUIRED: Under the following circumstances, no tree shall be cut or otherwise removed from any lands located in the Town of Westfield unless a Tree Removal Application has been approved and a Tree Removal Permit based thereon has been issued by the code enforcement officer:

1. Where property is being developed and requires subdivision or site plan approval; or
2. Where Town Trees are to be removed (provided that applications for removal of such trees shall only be made by the adjacent property owner(s)); or
3. Where properties that contain existing dwellings or structures that will be removed or demolished to facilitate the construction of a new or replacement building or buildings within the next six (6) months; or
4. Whenever three (3) or more trees, in the aggregate, having a DBH of eight inches or more are to be removed from a property over a six (6) month period.

IS A SITE PLAN OR SUBDIVISION ASSOCIATED WITH THIS APPLICATION? If no, go to No. 1 below and skip No. 2. If yes, skip No. 1 and go to No. 2 below.

No. 1 – If no site plan or subdivision is involved, applicant shall submit six (6) copies of an accurate sketch of the entire property showing the species, approximate location, and trunk diameter of all trees with a diameter breast height of six (6) inches or greater and indicating which trees are proposed to be removed. The sketch shall be accompanied by a full explanation of the reason(s) why removal is proposed. The fee for this permit is twenty-five dollars ($25.00) payable by check to the “Town of Westfield” or cash in the exact amount and must accompany the completed application.

No. 2 - If a site plan or subdivision is involved, applicant shall submit six (6) copies of a Tree Preservation Plan prepared by a licensed engineer, landscape architect, land surveyor, or architect, indicating the proposed location of roads, lot improvements, and existing trees. The fee for this permit is two-hundred fifty dollars ($250.00), payable by check to the “Town of Westfield” or cash in the exact amount and must accompany the completed application. See the reverse side for the list of details required to be included in the proposed Tree Preservation Plan.

In addition to indicating the proposed location of roads, lot improvements, and existing trees, the Tree Preservation Plan shall also contain the following information as may be applicable:

1. Title, date and a plan number for reference.
2. A description of the premises upon which tree removal is to take place by street address and town Tax Map lot and block number.
3. The acreage of the lot upon which tree removal is to take place.
4. A survey of the species and quantity of all trees on the property, setting forth the location and species of each tree having a trunk DBH of six (6) inches or more, measured four and one-half (4 ½) feet above grade. Trees to be removed shall be marked on the survey. Trees to be planted shall be shown on the survey.
5. Specific proposals for replanting or reforestation.
6. A description of the type of tree removal project (i.e. due to a teardown, thinning, selective cutting, clear cutting, aesthetic improvement cut, etc.).
7. Location of streams and watercourses.
8. Location of slopes greater than ten percent (10%) where any tree removal is proposed.
9. Identification of any grade changes in excess of six (6) inches around trees to be saved.
10. Any person developing a property which requires subdivision or site plan approval shall plant at least one (1) shade tree for every fifty (50) feet of frontage on any proposed or existing right-of-way. All species and locations of shade trees to be planted shall be shown on the submitted Tree Preservation Plan.