Santa Paula encourages drought-tolerant and native plant landscaping through its water conservation program. New development must comply with the Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO). Turf-to-native conversion rebates may be available through local water agencies.
Under California's Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO, AB 1881), all new construction and major renovations in Santa Paula with landscapes of 500+ sq ft must submit a landscape documentation package demonstrating water efficiency. The ordinance encourages native and drought-adapted plants suited to the Ventura County climate: California sagebrush, toyon, manzanita, California buckwheat, and native grasses. Santa Paula's agricultural heritage means many properties feature citrus and avocado trees, which are accepted as landscape elements. The city water department may offer rebates for turf removal and replacement with drought-tolerant plants. HOAs cannot prohibit drought-tolerant landscaping under California AB 2104. No city ordinance mandates native plants, but MWELO effectively requires water-efficient plant selection for new projects.
New development that fails to submit MWELO landscape documentation will not receive building permits. Non-compliant landscape installations must be corrected before certificate of occupancy is issued. There are no penalties for existing homeowners who maintain traditional landscapes.
Santa Paula, CA
Vehicle noise on public streets is governed by CA Vehicle Code §27007 (95 dBA exhaust limit). CVC preempts local ordinances for vehicles on public roads. SPM...
Santa Paula, CA
Santa Paula establishes maximum noise levels measured at the property line, with lower limits for residential zones and nighttime hours. Agricultural operati...
Santa Paula, CA
Santa Paula Airport (SZP) is a public general aviation airport managed by the City of Santa Paula. The airport has voluntary noise abatement procedures reque...
Santa Paula, CA
Santa Paula restricts construction activity in residential areas to 7 AM–7 PM Monday through Saturday. No construction work is permitted on Sundays or federa...
Santa Paula, CA
Santa Paula follows California AB 1236 requiring streamlined residential EV charger permitting. The city processes EV charging station installations through ...
Santa Paula, CA
Santa Paula regulates driveway parking to maintain safe access and neighborhood standards. Vehicles must not block sidewalks, and agricultural equipment park...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Ventura County.
See how other cities in Ventura County handle native plants.
See how Santa Paula's native plants rules stack up against other locations.
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