Lake County, FL Tree Protection: Parkway Planting (2026)
Key Facts
- Applies to
- Wellness Way, Hancock Rd, Schofield Rd, CR 455
- Sidewalk parkway width
- 8 ft minimum
- Urban canopy tree spacing
- 50 ft on center
- Turf cap
- 50% of parkway area
- Adopted
- Ord. No. 2022-23, § 2, 5-3-22
Summary
In unincorporated Lake County's Wellness Way growth area, four regional roadways carry mandatory street-tree and parkway landscaping standards. Along Wellness Way, Hancock Road, Schofield Road and County Road 455, LDR § 16.00.03 requires an 8-foot minimum sidewalk parkway with canopy trees spaced every 50 feet on center, at least 10% shrub coverage, and a 50% cap on turf. The rule applies only inside this designated corridor, not countywide.
Sidewalk Parkway 8 feet minimum width unless the site or right-of-way is constrained. If conditions are constrained, the County Manager or designee may approve an alternative width. Canopy Trees planted at regular spacing of 50 feet o.c. Shrubs covering a minimum of 10% of the area and turf/groundcover for the remainder of the parkway area. Turf may not exceed 50% of ultimate parkway area. Pedestrian lighting at 50 feet o.c. or as required by lighting plan. Median One Canopy Tree per 200 feet (spacing not required to be regular) Palms and Accent Trees grouped in clusters of no less than 5 with groupings approximately every 100 feet. Shrubs with a minimum coverage of 30% of the ultimate median area and turf/groundcover for the remainder of the median area. Turf may not exceed 50% of ultimate median area. Temporary median areas must be sodded. 2 feet width mulch maintenance strip required along median curb (where provided). Street lighting at 125 feet o.c. or as required by lighting plan. Trail Parkway 8 feet minimum width unless the site or right-of-way is constrained. If conditions are constrained, the County Manager or designee may approve an alternative width. Canopy Trees planted at regular spacing of 50 feet o.c. Shrubs covering a minimum of 10% of the area and turf/groundcover for the remainder of the parkway area. Turf may not exceed 50% of ultimate parkway area. Pedestrian lighting at 50 feet o.c. or as required by lighting plan.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 150).
Full Breakdown
Lake County adopted these standards (Ord. No. 2022-23, § 2, 5-3-22) specifically for the Wellness Way Area Plan, a mixed-use growth corridor near the Orange County line. S. 27 to the Orange County line, Hancock Road from Hartwood Marsh Road to Wellness Way, Schofield Road from Wellness Way to the Orange County line, and County Road 455 from Hartwood Marsh Road to Sawgrass Bay Boulevard. Two typical roadway sections apply. The Urban Section requires a 6-foot sidewalk and an 8-foot minimum sidewalk parkway planted with canopy trees at a regular 50-foot spacing, shrub coverage of at least 10% of the parkway area, turf capped at 50%, and pedestrian lighting every 50 feet.
The median in the Urban Section takes one canopy tree per 200 feet plus palms and accent trees clustered in groups of at least five roughly every 100 feet, with shrubs covering at least 30% of the median. The Rural Section instead calls for pines placed in natural groupings of at least five trees per 100 feet, spaced about 10 feet apart, with no more than 100 feet of gap between groupings and no pedestrian lighting required; its sidewalk drops to 5 feet while the 8-foot parkway minimum still applies.
The trail parkway on both sections mirrors the sidewalk parkway's width and planting ratios, feeding a 14-foot asphalt multi-use trail. The County Engineer approves final dimensions on construction plans, and the County Manager or designee may approve a narrower parkway where the site or right-of-way is constrained. Notwithstanding these ratios, all roadway planting must still comply with FDOT's clear-zone and sight-line standards from the Manual of Uniform Minimum Standards for Design, Construction and Maintenance for Streets and Highways.
Violations & Fines
Lake County does not fine property owners under this section directly. Instead, the County Engineer withholds approval of final construction plans that fail to meet the parkway, median, and trail landscape ratios set in LDR § 16.00.03, so a noncompliant plan for Wellness Way, Hancock Road, Schofield Road, or CR 455 has to be revised and resubmitted before permits proceed. Where FDOT clear-zone and sight-line rules conflict with the planting layout, those state design standards override the tree placement shown here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this rule apply everywhere in Lake County?
How wide must the sidewalk parkway be?
What tree spacing does the Urban Section require?
Do the Rural Section standards differ?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lake County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Lake County to another location·View the Florida tree protection overview
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