Monterey Park, CA Tree Protection: Parkway Planting (2026)

Monterey Park Municipal Code Chapter 9.63 governs what residents can plant in the parkway, the strip of public right-of-way between the curb and the sidewalk. Under Section 9.63.040, the Recreation and Parks Commission designates the type and species of tree to be planted in or along every street in the city, and any tree planted after that designation takes effect must match the species chosen for that particular street or street segment. Section 9.63.050 then sets the permitting rule: unless a permit has been issued, no tree can be planted in any portion of a public street, and none can go within five feet of any curb or sidewalk regardless of species.

To get a permit, the Recreation and Parks Director must first investigate the proposed planting site and find that the tree will not damage public property or create a safety hazard; only then does the Director issue a written permit specifying the exact location where the tree is authorized. A resident denied a permit has fifteen days to appeal in writing to the Recreation and Parks Commission, which reviews the same criteria and issues its own decision; a further fifteen-day written appeal to the City Council follows the same investigation-and-findings process, and the Council's decision is final.

The related tree removal permit process at Section 9.63.060 runs on the same fifteen-day appeal ladder and can require a replacement deposit that is forfeited if replanting conditions are not met, or refunded once they are. Separately, Section 9.63.030 requires a permit before anyone cuts down, injures, girdles, destroys or removes standing or growing trees or shrubbery in a public park or street, except when the Public Works Director removes a tree that is a nuisance or safety hazard.