Thousand Oaks, CA Tree Protection: Parkway Planting (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- TOMC § 7-2.905
- Trigger
- Lots fronting primary, secondary, collector or residential streets
- Tree type
- Ornamental, from Forestry Master Plan pallets
- Permit hold
- No building permit until trees planted or bonded
- Occupancy hold
- No occupancy until easement trees planted
- Large-lot waiver
- Planning Commission may modify for 1-acre+ subdivisions
- Map step
- City Engineer marks required trees on tentative map
Summary
Thousand Oaks requires ornamental trees in the parkway strip along any lot fronting a primary, secondary, collector, or residential street. Under TOMC § 7-2.905(b), the City withholds the building permit itself until those trees are planted or a bond is on file with Public Works guaranteeing planting before occupancy.
The following provisions shall apply with respect to trees in required parkways and public service easements: (a) A lot or parcel of land in any zone adjoining a primary, secondary, collector, or residential street in connection with which a parkway is to be installed shall have ornamental trees planted in the parkway, right-of-way or public service easement. (b) No building permit shall be issued for any construction on a lot or parcel of land required to have trees planted in the parkway until the required trees have been planted or a bond or security deposit is on file in the Public Works Department to assure that the trees will be planted prior to the occupancy of any structure. A condition to this effect shall be attached to all development and other permits hereafter approved by the City.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-78: 2026 S-78 Supplement contains: Current city legislation passed through March 31, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Thousand Oaks ties street tree planting directly to the building permit process. 905(a), any lot or parcel in any zone that adjoins a primary, secondary, collector, or residential street where a parkway is being installed must have ornamental trees planted in that parkway, right-of-way, or public service easement. 905(b) makes compliance a precondition of construction: the City will not issue a building permit for a lot subject to this requirement until the trees are actually in the ground, or until a bond or security deposit is on file with the Public Works Department guaranteeing they will be planted before the building is occupied.
Every development and other permit approved by the City carries that condition. 905(c) further requires public service easements and peripheral right-of-way areas to be planted with ornamental street trees before any occupancy permit issues; species must come from the planting pallets in the City's Forestry Master Plan, approved by the Public Works Director and Community Development Director or their designees for that street. The Planning Commission can modify or waive this condition on a tentative tract map only for single-family subdivisions on lots of at least one acre, and only under special or unique circumstances.
905(d) requires the developer to submit two prints of the tentative map or plot plan to the City Engineer, who marks the required trees and returns a copy. 905(f).
Violations & Fines
The Code enforces this rule through permit control rather than fines: Public Works and Community Development will not clear a building permit for a lot required to carry parkway trees until the trees are actually planted or a bond or security deposit is on file to guarantee planting before occupancy (TOMC § 7-2.905(b)). Occupancy permits are likewise conditioned on completed easement planting under § 7-2.905(c), so a developer who skips street trees cannot close out the project until the landscaping is done or bonded.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to plant a parkway tree before I can build?
What kind of tree can I plant in the parkway?
Can the tree requirement ever be waived?
Who decides the bond amount and planting method?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Thousand Oaks
California rules heatmap·Compare Thousand Oaks to another location·View the California tree protection overview
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Parkway Planting in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Ventura County handle parkway planting.