Tree Protection in Charlottesville, VA (2026)
2 verified tree protection rules for Charlottesville, Virginia, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Heritage & Protected Trees
Charlottesville protects trees one at a time: City Council must individually designate a heritage, memorial, specimen or street tree by ordinance before Chapter 18's protections apply. Once designated, a tree cannot be removed or damaged without council authorization, and knowing violations of the article draw a civil penalty of up to $2,500 per violation.
Charlottesville Heritage Tree Protection
Significant RestrictionsCharlottesville City Code §§ 18-7—18-10
Any person or entity that knowingly violates any provision of this article shall be subject to a civil penalty not to exceed two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500.00) for each violation. ... Heritage tree means any tree that has been individually designated by city council to have notable historic or cultural interest. ... Any person may submit a written request to the administrator seeking...
Parkway Planting
New and rebuilt Charlottesville streets must carry a greenscape zone planted with large shade trees roughly every 30 feet, or smaller trees every 15 feet under overhead utility lines, under Development Code Sec. 4.4.5.C, so every streetscape contributes to a continuous tree canopy along the public right-of-way.
Charlottesville Street Tree Spacing Rules
Some RestrictionsCharlottesville Development Code § 4.4.5.C
C. Greenscape Zone 1. No required greenscape zone may have a horizontal dimension narrower than the minimum width specified by this Division. 2. Greenscape trees must be provided in all greenscape zones in accordance with the following standards: a. All required greenscape trees and their planting areas must comply with Div. 4.9. Landscaping and tree planting requirements in the Standards and D...