Whittier, CA Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)
Key Facts
- Who can request trimming
- Abutting owner or wire/conduit operator
- Approval authority
- Parks director, discretionary
- Standards source
- Parkway Tree Manual
- Manual review cycle
- At least every 5 years
- Manual amendment notice
- 10-day published notice + hearing
Summary
Whittier residents and utility companies can't trim, prune or remove a street tree on their own. Section 12.40.050 lets anyone who owns property next to a parkway tree, or who maintains overhead wires or underground conduits near one, file a written request with the parks director, who decides whether to authorize the work under standards in the city's parkway tree manual.
A.Permits required in this chapter shall be issued as outlined in the parkway tree manual by the director.B.Any person maintaining any overhead wires or pipes or underground conduits along or across any street, park, boulevard, alley or public place of the city, or owning any property abutting upon any street, park, or public place of the city, desiring to have any tree, shrub or plant cut, trimmed, pruned or removed may file with the director a written request that the work be done. It shall be within the discretion of the director to authorize said request and to require the petitioner to meet the guidelines as set forth in the parkway tree manual adhering to the requirements and conditions stipulated therein before the issuance of any permit under this chapter.
Full Breakdown
050 sets the process for getting a tree trimmed or removed in a Whittier street, park, boulevard or alley. 40 to the guidelines in the parkway tree manual. Subsection B lets a person who maintains overhead wires, pipes or underground conduits along a public way, or who owns property abutting a street, park or public place, file a written request with the director to have a tree, shrub or plant cut, trimmed, pruned or removed; the director has discretion whether to authorize the request and can require the petitioner to meet the manual's guidelines before issuing a permit.
Subsections C and D govern the manual itself: the parks, recreation and community services commission, working with the director, must review and revise the manual's policies at least every fifth year, and any proposed change to the manual requires a public hearing advertised in the local newspaper at least ten days beforehand. 110. 070.
Violations & Fines
Trimming, pruning or removing a parkway tree without the director's written authorization violates Section 12.40.050, and the underlying general prohibition in Section 12.40.040. Interfering with city crews performing authorized trimming work breaches Section 12.40.060. Penalties for noncompliance with a permit's conditions are set by the parkway tree manual under Section 12.40.130, with appeals available through Section 12.40.140.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a utility company trim a tree that's tangled in its wires?
How does Whittier set trimming standards for street trees?
What happens if I interfere with a city crew trimming a parkway tree?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Whittier
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