Springfield, OR Tree Protection: Parkway Planting (2026)
Key Facts
- New street tree minimum size
- 2-inch caliper (dbh)
- Planter strip minimum size
- 4½ feet wide, 4½ feet long
- Tree source
- City Street Tree List, Appendix 6A
- Unauthorized ROW removal penalty
- full value plus 2-yr watering reimbursement
- 5+ private tree removal
- SDC 5.19.100 tree felling standards apply
- Maintenance split
- City maintains ROW trees, owners maintain private trees
Summary
In the City of Springfield, Oregon, Development Code section 4.2.140 requires a street tree in the public right-of-way planter strip for every new development, or in the front or street-side yard setback when no planter strip exists. New trees must be at least 2-inch caliper and come from the City Street Tree List in the Engineering Design Standards and Procedures Manual.
4.2.140. Street Trees. ... Street trees are those trees required within the public right-of-way. ... In order to meet street tree requirements where there is no planter strip and street trees cannot be planted within the public right-of-way, trees must be planted in the required front yard or street side yard setback of private property as specified in the applicable land use district. (A) New Street Trees. New street trees must be a minimum of 2 inch (dbh) caliper. ... (b) Existing street trees on private property cannot be removed without prior authorization or direction as provided in Springfield Municipal Code 5.050, or as approved through a Type 2 or Type 3 review. Removal of 5 or more street trees on private property is subject to the tree felling standards specified in SDC 5.19.100. ... (c) Whenever the property owner removes a street tree within the public right-of-way without the City's authorization, that person is responsible for reimbursing the City for the full value of the removed tree, to include replanting and watering during the 2 year tree establishment period.
Full Breakdown
Springfield Development Code section 4.2.140 governs parkway and street tree planting citywide. Street trees belong within the planter strip in the public right-of-way, or in individual tree wells along a sidewalk, roundabout, or median; SDC 4.2.135(D) sets the planter strip itself at a minimum 4½ feet wide and 4½ feet long, landscaped with street trees and ground cover, with tree wells in concrete or sidewalk at least 4 feet by 4 feet. Where no planter strip can be built, the tree moves onto private property, into the required front or street-side yard setback for the applicable zoning district.
New street trees must measure at least 2 inches in caliper (dbh) and be selected from the City Street Tree List, installed per Chapter 6 of the Engineering Design Standards and Procedures Manual. Existing street trees may satisfy the requirement if development does not excavate or fill within the dripline; the Director can approve variable sidewalk width, elevation, or direction to save them. An existing street tree on private property cannot come down without authorization under Springfield Municipal Code 5.050, or a Type 2 or Type 3 land-use review; taking out five or more triggers the tree felling standards in SDC 5.19.100.
Any removed street tree must be replaced with one at least 2 inches in caliper: the City replants trees it removes in the right-of-way, while a property owner replants a private-property tree removed under a felling permit or without authorization. The City maintains right-of-way street trees; property owners maintain the ones on their own land, and removing a tree is never counted as maintenance under this section.
Violations & Fines
Cutting down a City street tree in the right-of-way without authorization makes the property owner liable for the tree's full value, plus the cost of replanting and two years of establishment watering, billed by the City under SDC 4.2.140(B)(2)(c). Removing an existing street tree on private property without Springfield Municipal Code 5.050 authorization or a Type 2/3 review approval is a code violation, and taking out five or more requires compliance with the SDC 5.19.100 tree felling standards instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need City approval to remove a street tree on my Springfield property?
What size does a new street tree have to be in Springfield, Oregon?
What happens if I remove a City street tree without permission?
Who is responsible for watering and pruning Springfield's street trees?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Springfield
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Parkway Planting in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle parkway planting.