Compton, CA Tree Protection: Heritage & Protected Trees (2026)

7 of the Compton zoning code, Removal of Landscaping or Trees, governs how the city treats trees on any project subject to design review. Architectural Review Board approval is required before removing or altering any landscaping the City previously approved as part of a project, though routine maintenance trimming is exempt. Separately, the code directs that existing mature trees be preserved during project development whenever possible, and lays out two numeric triggers. First, if a mature or specimen tree is removed, mutilated, or destroyed, the Architectural Review Board may require the property owner to replace it with a tree of equivalent size and species, a case-by-case call rather than an automatic mandate.

Second, once a property owner cuts down, uproots, destroys, or removes more than five trees within a rolling 24-month period, the ordinance shifts from discretionary review to a hard permit requirement: a permit and a Board-approved replacement plan must be in place before the work proceeds. The section sits inside Chapter 30's design-review article, alongside landscaping maintenance and fencing standards, and enforcement runs through the same Chapter 30 mechanism as any other zoning violation. Under Section 30-40, a violation is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $1,000, up to a year in jail, or both, with each day of continuing violation charged as a separate offense; property owners can appeal a violation notice in writing to the Planning Commission within five days for a $50 fee under Section 30-39, and the Commission holds a hearing within 30 days before ordering compliance.