Doesn't my property go all the way to the road pavement?

Actually, in most locations it does not. The majority of road right-of-ways in town are 50 feet wide, whereas the pavement only takes up about 24 to 30 feet of that. There usually is about 12 to 10 feet of land that the Town (or the State) actually owns before your property line begins, and where you would start to meaure your front yard set back for zoning. Occasionally, the Town needs to cut back brush, trees, and dead limbs within this shoulder area to the road for reasons such as site distance, drainage, and public safety. Avoid planting anything too big or valuable in this area that you wouldn't want to see cut back by the Town.