Lakewood, NJ Tree Protection: Parkway Planting (2026)

Under Township of Lakewood UDO Section 18-803D (Street Trees), any subdivision or site plan approved by the Planning Board or Zoning Board of Adjustment must install street trees on both sides of all streets in accordance with an approved landscape plan; trees may be massed at critical points or spaced evenly along the street, and every development must provide a shade tree easement. Where trees are planted at predetermined intervals, spacing is keyed to mature height: medium trees maturing at 30 to 40 feet get a planting interval of 40 to 50 feet, while small trees maturing to 30 feet get a tighter 30 to 40 foot interval; when the spacing interval between large trees exceeds 40 feet, small ornamental trees can be planted between them.

Placement cannot interfere with utilities, roadways, sidewalks, sight easements, or street lights, and the Board must approve tree location, landscaping design, and the spacing plan as part of the overall landscape plan submission. Tree type selection is also a Board decision, varied depending on the overall effect desired for the streetscape. Planting specifications in Section 18-803D3 require a minimum two inch caliper at planting, substantially uniform size and shape, and straight trunks; trees must be properly planted and staked, with the applicant responsible for regular watering and maintenance until the trees are established, and any tree that dies or is dying must be replaced by the applicant during the same planting season.

A final locational rule in Section 18-803D4 bars placing any street tree where it would interfere with underground or overhead utility lines, wells, or septic systems. Because these standards sit inside the Article VIII design-standards chapter of the UDO, they are enforced at the subdivision and site plan review stage rather than through after-the-fact code enforcement: an applicant's landscape plan simply will not receive Planning Board or Zoning Board approval unless the street tree layout, spacing, caliper, and species selection conform to Section 18-803D.