5 rules for unincorporated San Luis Obispo County, California.
Verified from official government sources
No San Luis Obispo County-specific ordinance directly addresses a maximum lawn or grass height for unincorporated residential properties. Instead, dry grass and vegetation are regulated as a fire hazard under California Public Resources Code Sec. 4291 and California Health and Safety Code Sec. 14875.
Cal. Health & Safety Code Sec. 14875
'Weeds,' as used in this part, includes any of the following: ... (e) Dry grass, stubble, brush, litter, or other flammable material which endangers the public safety by creating a fire hazard in an urbanized portion of an unincorporated area.
Title 22 Chapter 22.56 (Tree Preservation) and Chapter 22.58 (Oak Woodland Ordinance) regulate tree removal in unincorporated San Luis Obispo County, requiring permits for Heritage Oaks, oak woodland clearing, and trees within sensitive areas; routine trimming and maintenance are generally not regulated.
SLO County Code Title 22 Ch. 22.56, Ch. 22.58 (esp. Sec. 22.58.060)
Heritage Oak: 'Individual oak trees measuring 48 inches dbh or greater, separated from all Stands and Oak Woodlands by at least 500 feet' require a Minor Use Permit. Clear-cutting 'cannot exceed 5% of the Site's total Oak Woodland Canopy over the established time period' (Sec. 22.58.060). Removal of contiguous trees occupying one acre or more is prohibited on slopes of 30% or greater.
SLO County Code Section 22.56.030 (Tree Preservation) requires permits to remove native trees on most parcels, with special protections for native oaks. Cambria's Monterey pine forest has additional protections, and coastal tree removal is governed by Title 23 with potential Coastal Development Permit requirements.
San Luis Obispo County abates fire-hazardous weeds and rubbish under County Code Title 16 (Fire Prevention) and California Health and Safety Code Sec. 14875 et seq., authorizing the Fire Code Official to order clearance, enter and abate, and bill costs as a lien on the property.
Cal. Health & Safety Code Sec. 14875; SLO County Code Title 16 Ch. 16.30
'Weeds,' as used in this part, includes ... (a) vegetation that bears seeds of a downy or wingy nature; (b) ... not pruned or otherwise neglected so as to attain such large growth as to become, when dry, a fire menace to adjacent improved property; (c) vegetation that is otherwise noxious or dangerous; (d) poison oak and poison ivy ...; (e) dry grass, stubble, brush, litter, or other flammable ...
San Luis Obispo County has adopted California's Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO) by reference in County Code Chapter 19.95, requiring water-efficient design and irrigation for new development projects with 500 sq ft or more of landscape area.
SLO County Code Ch. 19.95 (Ord. 3311, 2015)
On October 28, 2015, the Board of Supervisors of County of San Luis Obispo adopted Ordinance No. 3311 amending Title 19 of the San Luis Obispo County Code, the Building and Construction Ordinance, by adding new chapter 19.95, incorporating by reference the California Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance. All new development projects with 500 sq. ft. or more landscaping area are subject to ...
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