Lakewood, WA Tree Protection: Parkway Planting (2026)

170, applies to any project that must install street trees to satisfy a landscaping requirement and to any project installing street trees for other reasons. Subsection (B)(1) sets a minimum caliper of 3 inches in diameter at the time of planting. Subsection (B)(2) requires street trees to be located and placed within the street right-of-way according to the City Engineer's requirements, and subsection (B)(3) allows a tree to be planted within 10 feet of the right-of-way only where the right-of-way itself is too narrow to hold the tree, or where curbs, gutters and sidewalks already exist and leave no room within the right-of-way.

A tree planted within 5 feet of pavement, curbing or a sidewalk edge, or within a parking area, must be surrounded by a root control barrier of galvanized metal or plastic sheeting extending at least 2 feet below the finished surrounding grade, under subsection (B)(6). Every street tree must be double-staked for its first two years under subsection (B)(7), and the species planted must be approved by the Department of Planning and Public Works from the Street Tree List in the Puget Sound Partnership's Low Impact Development Technical Guidance Manual, per subsection (B)(8).

Ongoing responsibility for the tree does not fall to the City: subsection (B)(4) places all maintenance of street trees and landscaping within the public right-of-way on the adjoining property owner, and subsection (B)(5) bars removing a street tree without the City Engineer's prior approval, even though the owner has to maintain it. 150(A)(2)(c) separately requires deciduous street trees spaced no more than 30 feet on center along the full street frontage of most new development.