Lauderhill, FL Tree Protection: Parkway Planting (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit required
- Yes, for any swale tree
- Permit fee
- None
- Power-line areas
- Only FPL-approved species
- Removal responsibility
- Adjacent property owner
- Adopted
- Ord. No. 03O-10-193 (2003)
Summary
In the City of Lauderhill, planting any tree in the swale, or parkway, area requires a permit under Schedule J, Section 2.1.4, though the City charges no fee for it. Where overhead power lines run through the swale, only trees listed in Florida Power and Light's Plant the Right Tree in the Right Place guide may be planted.
A permit is required for the planting of any trees in the swale area. There is no fee for such permit. When overhead power lines exist in swale areas only trees approved in the Florida Power and Lighting (FPL) "Plant the Right Tree in the Right Place" publication are allowed to be planted. The adjacent property owner is responsible for the removal of trees in the swale that interfere with overhead power lines and are not in accordance to the distance requirements from power lines established in the above-mentioned FPL publication.
Full Breakdown
Section 2.1.4 of the landscape installation schedule requires a permit for the planting of any trees in the swale area, and specifies there is no fee for such permit, distinguishing it from most other City permits. The substantive limit applies where overhead power lines cross the swale: only trees approved in the Florida Power and Lighting (FPL) Plant the Right Tree in the Right Place publication are allowed to be planted. That FPL guide sorts species by mature height so that low-growing trees go directly under power lines and taller species are kept back at a safe distance.
The adjoining property owner, not the City, carries the maintenance burden: Section 2.1.4 makes that owner responsible for the removal of trees in the swale that interfere with overhead power lines and are not in accordance with the distance requirements from power lines in the FPL publication. The swale permit sits alongside the City's broader swale maintenance rules in Sections 2.1.1 through 2.1.3, which require swales to be sodded in species normally grown as permanent lawns in Broward County and kept free of hazards. The provision was adopted by Ordinance No. 03O-10-193, Section 10, and amended by Ordinance No. 03O-11-201, Section 1, both in 2003.
Violations & Fines
Planting a tree in the swale without the free permit, or planting a tall species under power lines contrary to the FPL Plant the Right Tree guide, leaves the property owner responsible for removing it once it interferes with the lines; the City's Code Enforcement Department administers swale compliance under the general swale maintenance provisions of Sections 2.1.1 through 2.1.3.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to plant a tree in the swale in front of my Lauderhill home?
What trees can I plant under power lines in the swale?
Who has to remove a swale tree that grows into power lines?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lauderhill
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Lauderhill to another location·View the Florida tree protection overview
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Parkway Planting in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Broward County handle parkway planting.