San Leandro, CA Tree Protection: Parkway Planting (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing sections
- SLMC §§ 5-2-100, 5-2-200, 5-2-220
- Parkway strip definition
- Area between curb and sidewalk
- Street tree ownership
- City property (§ 5-2-205)
- Unauthorized planting/removal penalty
- Up to $1,000 infraction fine
- Private planting approval
- Public Works Director + species list
- No-replacement fee
- Set by Admin. Code § 6.4.100
Summary
San Leandro's parkway strip, the area between curb and sidewalk, holds street trees that are City property, and planting one there privately requires Public Works Director approval and an accepted species under SLMC § 5-2-220. Planting, removing, or injuring a street tree without following the Chapter is an infraction punishable by up to a $1,000 fine.
§ 5-2-220. STREET TREE PLANTING, LISTS, REPLACEMENTS, PRIVATE WORK, SUBDIVISIONS.
(a) Upon approval of the Director, any person may undertake privately, or by agreement with a private nursery or tree service, the planting of a street tree provided that the location, species and manner of planting are acceptable to the Director.
(b) The Director shall prepare a list of those tree species which are acceptable for use as street trees. The Director shall also establish such criteria relating to the location and manner of planting such street trees as will protect public safety and public and private improvements.
(d) There may be imposed a condition of approval for all parcel and subdivision maps that the subdivider plant street trees at such locations and in such manner as may be determined by the Director.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4967405; v8 updated 2026-07-06).
Full Breakdown
Section 5-2-100 defines the parkway strip as the area within the public right-of-way lying between the curb and the sidewalk, and defines a street tree as an arborescent plant planted and maintained by the City within the right-of-way. Section 5-2-205 makes all street trees City property, giving the Public Works Director exclusive authority to plant, remove, prune, inspect, maintain, or root prune them, except as the Chapter otherwise allows. 100 if no replacement tree is requested. For new planting, § 5-2-220 lets a resident plant a street tree privately or through a nursery if the Director approves the location, species, and manner of planting; the Director keeps a list of acceptable species and criteria to protect public safety and improvements, and new plantings replacing existing trees must follow that same list.
The Director can also condition subdivision and parcel map approvals on the subdivider planting street trees at specified locations. Section 5-2-200 backs all of this with a penalty: planting, removing, pruning, injuring, or destroying a street tree outside the Chapter's rules is unlawful, a public nuisance, and an infraction punishable by up to a $1,000 fine.
Violations & Fines
Planting, removing, pruning, injuring, or destroying a street tree without following Chapter 5-2 is an infraction under § 5-2-200, punishable by up to a $1,000 fine, and is separately declared a public nuisance. A resident who removes a City street tree without requesting a replacement must still pay the Administrative Code § 6.4.100 fee for a tree to be planted elsewhere at the City's choosing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a San Leandro homeowner plant a tree in the parkway strip on their own?
Who owns the street trees in front of a San Leandro home?
What is the penalty for cutting down a street tree without permission?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Leandro
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Parkway Planting in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Alameda County handle parkway planting.