Ventura, CA Tree Protection: Parkway Planting (2026)
Key Facts
- Intersection setback
- 50 feet minimum from near line
- Authority
- City parks manager
- Improper planting cost
- Charged to responsible property owner
- Governing ordinance
- Ord. No. 2000-23 (eff. 9-18-00)
- Applies to
- All public streets in Ventura
Summary
In the City of Ventura, the parks manager controls what kind of trees can be planted along city streets and parkways and how far apart they go, under Municipal Code Section 20.150.120. No street tree may be planted closer than 50 feet to the near line of an intersecting street, and improperly planted trees can be removed at the planter's expense.
A. Tree Maintenance. The parks manager has authority to direct the manner in which trees, shrubs, and other vegetation (collectively “trees”) are planted, trimmed, pruned, cut, removed, placed, and otherwise maintained in and along all public streets. B. Kind and Spacing of Trees. The parks manager will identify the type and variety of trees that may be placed in, upon, or along any street or portion thereof and the distance apart at which such trees will be planted except that no tree will be planted closer than 50 feet from the near line at any intersecting street.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2026-008, passed May 12, 2026).
Full Breakdown
120(A) gives the parks manager authority over how trees, shrubs, and other vegetation are planted, trimmed, pruned, cut, removed, placed, and maintained along every public street in the city. Subsection (B) lets the parks manager identify the type and variety of trees allowed along a given street and set the spacing between them, subject to the flat rule that no tree can be planted within 50 feet of the near line of an intersecting street, a sightline protection for drivers. Subsection (C) authorizes the parks manager to remove a tree planted in conflict with these standards and to charge the removal cost to the property owner responsible for the improper planting.
130 pairs this authority with duties: the parks manager must plant trees in accordance with applicable law, keep maps, plans, and records of street tree work, report annually to the city council, control insect pests and disease, and may install tree stakes or guards as long as they don't create a public safety hazard. The same section bars anyone from piling building material or other material around a street tree in a way that would injure it. 220. These planting standards were adopted as part of the current street tree chapter under Ordinance No. 2000-23, Section 3, effective September 18, 2000.
Violations & Fines
Planting a street tree of the wrong species, spacing, or location without the parks manager's direction violates Section 20.150.120, and the parks manager may remove an improperly planted tree under subsection (C) and charge the removal cost to the responsible property owner. Planting also requires a separate tree permit under Section 20.150.210 before any work begins on a city street.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who decides what kind of street tree I can plant in Ventura?
How close to an intersection can a street tree be planted?
What happens if I plant a tree in the parkway without following the rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Ventura
California rules heatmap·Compare Ventura 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.