Landscaping Rules in Gresham, OR

If you live in Gresham or are thinking about moving there, landscaping rules are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. Gresham has 5 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of landscaping rules, and some of them might surprise you.

Water Restrictions

Gresham's Springwater Plan District caps lawn and sod area at 10 percent of a site's undeveloped land and requires new landscaping to have a working irrigation system until plants are established.

Key details: Max lawn/sod area: 10% of site. Irrigation: required during establishment. Mandatory in: IND-SW, VC-SW, RTI-SW. Elsewhere: guideline only. Section: Development Code § 4.1566.

Development plans in the mandatory subdistricts exceeding the 10 percent lawn cap, or lacking an irrigation plan for required landscaping, do not clear Development Code site plan review.

Tree Removal & Heritage Trees

Every parcel in Gresham, developed or vacant, falls under the city's Tree Protection, Removal and Replacement regulations in Development Code Section 9.1000, which requires a permit before most qualifying trees come down.

Key details: Applies to: All land within Gresham. Regulated tree threshold: 8 inch DBH or greater. Exempt removals per year: 3, or 6 on larger lots. Governing section: GCDC § 9.1000.

Violating any provision of Section 9.1000, including removing a Regulated Tree without a permit or exemption, is enforceable under GRC Article 7.50 with civil penalties up to three times the tree's value.

Native Plants

Gresham's Springwater Plan District requires landscaping plans to select native or drought-tolerant plant species suited to Western Oregon's climate, mandatory for the IND-SW, VC-SW and RTI-SW subdistricts and a design guideline for the rest of the plan district.

Key details: Mandatory in: IND-SW, VC-SW, RTI-SW subdistricts. Elsewhere in district: design guideline only. Plant standard: native or drought-tolerant species. Climate basis: Western Oregon conditions. Section: Development Code § 4.1566.

Site and building plans in the mandatory subdistricts that skip native or drought-tolerant plant selection do not meet Development Code standards and are not approved at site plan review.

Tree Trimming

Gresham requires property owners to keep vegetation trimmed so it doesn't hang lower than 8 feet over a sidewalk or 12 feet over a street, treating low branches as a nuisance.

Key details: Sidewalk clearance: 8 feet minimum. Street clearance: 12 feet minimum. Max fine: $1,000 per violation. Who must trim: Person in charge of property.

Letting branches hang below the 8-foot sidewalk or 12-foot street clearance, or blocking traffic sightlines, is a general nuisance under GRC § 7.15.040, with fines up to $1,000.

Weed Ordinances

Gresham caps herbaceous vegetation at 10 inches on your own property as well as the planter strip and street or alley frontage next to it, with exceptions for cultivated, native, or fire-safe plantings under the general nuisance code.

Key details: Max height: 10 inches. Applies to: your lot and planter strip. Exceptions: cultivated, native, fire-safe plants. Max fine: $1,000.

Letting herbaceous vegetation exceed 10 inches, absent an exception, is a general nuisance violation punishable by a fine up to $1,000 under GRC 7.15.040(12).

The Bottom Line

Gresham's landscaping rules rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Gresham is broadly strict or permissive.

These rules come from Gresham's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.