Las Cruces, NM Tree Protection: Parkway Planting (2026)

LCMC section 32-281 requires landscaping of every parkway, the strip between curb and sidewalk, or sidewalk and property line, and median that touches new residential, commercial, office, industrial, or subdivision construction, plus any addition, remodel, or structural alteration valued at $100,000 or more. The planting standard is explicit: a minimum of 20 trees and 20 shrubs per 10,000 square feet of median area, three trees and 10 shrubs per 1,000 linear feet of parkway frontage, with trees planted at a minimum caliper of one and one-half inches for single-trunk stock and one and one-quarter inches per trunk on multi-trunk trees.

Groundcover, whether gravel, crusher fines, cobble, or native grass, must cover the entire landscaped area, and turf, other than native grasses, is not permitted anywhere in a parkway or median. Automatic bubbler or subsurface irrigation is mandatory, with backflow preventers in locking, insulated boxes, and plant material must be drought-tolerant and suited to the Chihuahuan Desert. Clear-sight triangles at median ends and parkway corners must stay clear of plantings, and any shrub within one has to be trimmed under 3 feet. Up to a third of a new project's regular landscape requirement, or two-thirds for an addition or remodel, can be met inside the parkway or median instead of on the lot, subject to city approval.

Maintenance of a parkway falls to the owner of the adjoining property, while medians can be maintained by the city, the adjacent owners, or a homeowners association; all tree canopies must keep a lower branch height of at least 6 feet for sightlines. The director of facilities can grant deviations or waivers for unique site conditions, but never for clear-sight triangle requirements.