Tustin, CA Tree Protection: Parkway Planting (2026)

Sec. 7308 ties parkway tree planting directly to major building work. Whenever a property owner applies for a building permit for construction, reconstruction, remodeling or an addition, and the cost of that work exceeds fifty percent of the then-assessed value of the existing improvements on the property, the submitted plans must show and provide for planting of trees in accordance with the City's Master Tree Plan. Sec. 7309 is the plan itself: trees are to be planted in Tustin's public parkways, medians, streets, highways, alleys, sidewalks and rights-of-way in accordance with the Master Tree Plan the City Council adopts by resolution, giving the City a single, Council-approved standard for species, spacing and location rather than leaving planting choices to each project.

Because the planting trigger in Sec. 7308 runs off the cost of construction relative to the property's assessed improvement value, it reaches substantial remodels and additions, not routine repairs or small permits, and the requirement is folded into the plan review the Building Division already performs for the permit itself. Once trees are in the ground, day-to-day upkeep passes to the adjoining property owner under Sec. 7304, which requires every person to water and maintain, in a proper and sightly manner, the trees and shrubbery in the parkway fronting or alongside their property. The Manager of Field Services retains authority under Sec. 7305 to order trimming of any parkway tree planted under this program once it matures.