Chapter 12.16
TREES, SHRUBS AND PLANTS IN PUBLIC PLACES

Sections:

12.16.010    Permit—Required to trim, cut or remove—Supervision authorized.

12.16.020    Permit—Required to plant.

12.16.030    Unauthorized placement of salt, herbicide or deleterious materials prohibited.

12.16.040    Abatement of trees causing interference or obstruction.

12.16.050    Placement of trees in parking area of public streets.

12.16.060    Landscape management in public right-of-way and on public facilities.

12.16.010 Permit—Required to trim, cut or remove—Supervision authorized.

A.    It is unlawful for any person to cut, trim, remove, mutilate, injure or in any way impair the growth of any tree, shrub or plant being or growing in or on public ground or parking strip in the city without a permit issued by the public works director, who may refuse such permit upon reasonable and lawful grounds.

B.    The public works director may require the work mentioned in subsection A of this section or any part thereof to be done under the city’s supervision. (Ord. 2017-004 § 1 (part), 2017: prior code § 30.1)

12.16.020 Permit—Required to plant.

It is unlawful for any person to plant any tree, shrub or plant in or upon any parking strip or public ground of the city without having first obtained a permit therefor from the public works director, who shall approve the kind, variety and size of any tree, shrub or plant and may refuse a permit for the planting thereof if same does not conform to the policy or plans of the city. (Ord. 2017-004 § 1 (part), 2017: prior code § 30.2)

12.16.030 Unauthorized placement of salt, herbicide or deleterious materials prohibited.

It is unlawful for any person to place or cause to be placed in or upon any parking strip or public ground any salt, oil, herbicide or any other material deleterious to the growth of plants, or in such close proximity to public ground or parking strip that such deleterious material will permeate the soil thereof, without first having obtained permission from the public works director. (Ord. 2017-004 § 1 (part), 2017: prior code § 30.3)

12.16.040 Abatement of trees causing interference or obstruction.

Any tree growing or standing upon public property or private property or partially upon public property and partially upon private property in such manner that any portion thereof interferes with poles, lines, wires or electroliers, or the light emitted by such electroliers, lawfully erected, constructed or maintained, along any public street or sidewalk of the city, or interferes with the visibility of such streets, sidewalks or intersection thereof by any person or persons using the same lawfully, or any such tree which has become diseased or weakened in such manner as to be dangerous to persons lawfully using the streets or sidewalks of the city, constitutes a nuisance and the public works director is authorized to abate such nuisance or cause the same to be abated by trimming, cutting or removing all or such portions of such tree as may be necessary to eliminate such interference, obstruction or condition. (Ord. 2017-004 § 1 (part), 2017: prior code § 25.11)

12.16.050 Placement of trees in parking area of public streets.

All trees that are planted in any public street or public highway shall be: (A) not less than eighteen inches from the face of curb in a planter strip along the sidewalk, at a distance of less than twenty-five feet from any other tree and not less than twenty feet from the curb return at any intersection; and (B) centered in a median that is no less than three feet in width, except as otherwise ordered by the public works director or designee. (Ord. 2017-004 § 1 (part), 2017: prior code § 25.12)

12.16.060 Landscape management in the public right-of-way and on public facilities.

All planting and maintenance of trees, shrubs, and ground cover will follow the guidelines established in the city of San Pablo’s master landscape plan. Changes or updates to the master landscape plan are to be approved by the city council. Implementation of the master landscape plan is the responsibility of the public works department. Any deviations from those guidelines require approval from the public works director or designee. (Ord. 2017-004 § 1 (part), 2017)