Rialto, CA Tree Protection: Parkway Planting (2026)

Under Rialto Municipal Code Title 12, the area between the curb and the property line - including the parkway planter strip - is public right-of-way maintained subject to Public Works oversight. Property owners are generally responsible for irrigation and basic upkeep of landscaping in the parkway adjoining their lot, but cannot install or change trees there without a permit. Title 17 (Subdivisions), including Chapter 17.18 (Vesting Tentative Maps), requires street improvements - curbs, gutters, sidewalks, and street trees - as a condition of subdivision approval, with species, spacing, and box size approved by the Engineering and Planning Divisions. Title 18 design guidelines for commercial/multifamily projects similarly require street-tree installation along site frontages. Replacement species typically must be drought-tolerant (CCR Title 23 MWELO) and selected from the city's approved palette to ensure compatibility with sidewalks, utilities, and sight-distance triangles required under Title 10 (Vehicles and Traffic). Trees must not block stop signs, traffic signals, or fire hydrants, and must maintain Cal Trans/MUTCD vertical clearance over the sidewalk (typically 8 ft) and roadway (typically 14 ft).