Planting in the parkway strip (the area between the curb and sidewalk, owned by the City) is regulated by SGMC Chapter 5.33: 'No person … shall plant, remove, relocate, damage, excessively prune or cut or encroach into the protected zone or any public tree within the city of South Gate without first obtaining a permit from the director of public works and paying the required fee.' Residents wanting to plant a parkway tree must apply to Public Works, select a species from the Street Tree Master Plan's approved palette, and follow WCISA planting standards. The City maintains ~15,900 parkway trees as part of its 17,500-tree urban forest.
Even though parkway strips abut private property, they are public right-of-way owned and controlled by the City. SGMC 5.33 makes unauthorized planting (as well as removal) a violation. The Street Tree Master Plan specifies approved species by street block to maintain canopy consistency, infrastructure compatibility (avoiding sidewalk-heaving species), and climate suitability for the South Gate / LA Basin environment. The Director of Public Works (or designee, typically the City Arborist or Tree Coordinator under Maintenance Services) reviews applications, confirms species suitability, and specifies planting location to avoid utility conflicts. Title 11 Zoning landscape standards (frontage/street-tree requirements at development) also drive parkway planting on new construction. State MWELO (CCR Title 23 §490+) applies to associated irrigation if landscape area exceeds 500 sq ft.
Planting an unauthorized species or planting without a permit is a Chapter 5.33 violation: the unauthorized tree may be removed at the property owner's expense, and the violator faces misdemeanor/infraction penalties under SGMC 1.56 (up to $1,000 / 6 months for misdemeanor). Damaging the parkway, sidewalk, or underground utilities during unauthorized planting adds civil liability to the City and any affected utility. Sidewalk-heaving species (e.g., Ficus microcarpa) planted without authorization typically trigger Public Works removal orders.
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