Tulare Municipal Code Ch 8.32 governs street trees in the parkway strip (between sidewalk and curb). Property owners are responsible for maintaining adjacent parkway trees, and ALL damage caused by a parkway tree (to the owner's property, sewer laterals, or water service lines) is the property owner's responsibility. New plantings must come from the City Street Tree Master Plan species list, be installed from 15-gallon containers, staked to city standards, and spaced generally 35 feet apart. Permits are required to plant, prune (beyond ISA standards), or remove parkway trees.
§ 8.32.060 ('Street tree and plant maintenance') places maintenance responsibility on the abutting property owner: 'All damage to any owner's real property, including any improvements thereon, or to sewer laterals or water service lines or meters, by any parkway tree is the responsibility of the property owner having the duty to cultivate, care for and maintain the parkway tree.' The Parks Director has authority to require property owners to control insects, parasites, fungus, and injurious pests affecting street trees, via written notice with a reasonable cure timeline. § 8.32.170 governs new residential street tree planting (15-gallon minimum, City Street Tree Master Plan species, staked, ~35 ft spacing). § 8.32.150 covers tree well installation in downtown/commercial hardscape areas. Property owners must request a free inspection from Parks before any parkway tree work; if approved a no-fee permit is issued. Tulare's Public Works Streets Division coordinates with Parks on right-of-way work. State law (Cal. Streets & Highways Code § 22050) and the California Vehicle Code prohibit obstructing public ways with tree limbs — overhanging branches that block sight lines for traffic must be trimmed regardless of city permit status (a nuisance under § 7.28.030).
Planting an unapproved species or under-sized stock in the parkway violates § 8.32.170. Failing to maintain a parkway tree (allowing pest infestation, sidewalk damage, sight-line obstruction) violates § 8.32.060 and can trigger written notice to cure. Pruning that violates ISA standards (e.g., topping) violates the heritage tree pruning standard at § 8.52.070 when the parkway tree is also a heritage tree.
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