Trees overhanging sidwalk

My runs take me down Glebe View and I have found that running on the sidewalk is an exercise in bobbing and weaving. I am not a tall person (5'7") and I find that many of the trees will hit me in the face if I don't duck. Is there anything in the HOA docs about keeping one's trees trimed as to not obstruct paths/sidewalks?

Gregg

 

There is a requirement to keep sidewalks unobstructed, which includes tree branches. I'm not positive, but it may be a county and not an HOA requirement. I had this problem on my street and mentioned it to the homeowners. They quickly trimmed the branches back.

 

Boy - do I ever feel your pain - my husband and I walk every evening and we run (no pun intended) into the same problem with overhanging branches from trees as well. Actually - most of the streets have overhanging branches from trees on homeowners property. I believe there is something in the bylaws about this, but I don't think it's enforced. It should be. My husband suggested they send letters out and if the homeowners don't cut the branches, then they should send another letter saying they will have a tree cutting service do this and send the bill to them.

 

the problem is, some of the trees are so short that limbing them up for a person to fit under would kill them. ( I have the scrawny tree on my block, doesn't seem to want to grow like the others)

 

Most of the trees that have the over hanging branches are pretty mature..

 

When the developer/builder planted 2 of the 3 front trees on my front property, 2 of them were too close to the sidewalk. I complained to the developer/builder about the tree branches eventually interfering with sidewalk pedestrian traffic but it didn't do any good. They told me that there were planted in accordance with the site plan and wouldn't do anything about them. When I had my yard landscaped the following year, I had the trees moved because I didn't want to get stuck with trimming tree branches over the sidewalk.

A bigger problem down the road might be the tree root system damaging the sidewalk and the homeowner getting stuck with the repairs.

 

Chickacoan Trail Drive and Vestals Gap... it is almost impossible to walk on the sidewalks.
The tree roots on Chickacoan are going to pull up the sidewalks!
There are numerous places in B-lands that urgently need trees trimmed.

 

and yeah, the trees are way too close to the sidewalks... bad idea.
Who's going to repair those sidewalks?

 

So, who's responsibility is it to inform the homeowners? I don't feel comfortable going up to people I don't know and asking them to trim their trees. Is it an HOA thing, or a county thing?

Gregg