Showing ordinances that apply to Loma Mar, CA
Loma Mar is an unincorporated community (population 134) in San Mateo County, California. Because Loma Mar is not an incorporated city, it does not have its own municipal code. Instead, San Mateo County ordinances apply directly to properties here. The tree replacement requirements rules below are the ones that govern your area.
The San Mateo County Protected Tree Ordinance (No. 4895) requires replacement planting when a Significant or Heritage Tree is removed under permit. Standard replacement ratios range from 1:1 to 3:1 depending on the DBH and species of the removed tree. Replacement trees must meet minimum size specifications (typically 15-gallon to 24-inch box), be from an approved native/adapted species list, and established for a 2-year maintenance period. When on-site replacement is infeasible, an in-lieu fee is paid to the County Tree Replacement Fund.
Ordinance No. 4895 established a new in-lieu fee program and a Tree Replacement Fund administered by the Planning & Building Department. Replacement ratios scale with the size and species of the removed tree: 1:1 for smaller Significant Trees, 2:1 for larger specimens and native species, 3:1 or higher for Heritage Trees and rare natives (e.g., valley oak, California buckeye). Replacement trees must meet minimum size: 15-gallon containers for most species, 24-inch box for replacement of mature natives, and 5-gallon for slow-growing understory species. Approved species must be California native or drought-adapted non-invasive (no Arundo, pampas grass, eucalyptus, blue gum, Acacia dealbata). Replacements must be planted on the same property when feasible; where site conditions make that impossible (small lot, shading conflict, hazardous soil), the applicant pays an in-lieu fee set by the Planning Department per replacement tree, used by the County to plant trees on public lands or fund restoration projects. A 2-year maintenance period with a dead-tree replacement guarantee is standard.
Failure to install required replacement: $250-$1,000 per tree plus enforcement action. Failure to pay in-lieu fee: lien recorded against property. Planting invasive or prohibited species: required removal and replacement with approved species at owner expense.
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