The Landscape Maintenance Section provides a variety of services designed to maintain the city's investment in landscaped areas including parks, median planting, backing lot landscaping, public building enhancements, street trees and other public right of ways. Some of the services provided are technical review of plans and specifications for new landscape development, staff support to the Beautification Committee, inspection services, tree removal permit processing, and contract administration. Staff manages 92 landscape maintenance districts and has a combined landscape maintenance stewardship of 315 acres of turf, shrubs and tree plantings. Staff is proactive in renovating 350 irrigation controllers to a more efficient centralized irrigation control system designed to achieve a 20 percent water savings each year.

Staff consists of one public works supervisor, one supervising groundskeeper, four landscape specialists and six support groundskeepers.

Tree Action Permits

The City of Livermore has a Tree Preservation Ordinance that protects native tree species with a trunk circumference of 24 inches or more and non-native trees with a trunk circumference of 60 inches or more.

The Tree Preservation Ordinance is located in Section 12.20 of the Livermore Municipal Code.

The Tree Action Permit Application is free of charge.

The City of Livermore will reply by email within 30 to 45 calendar days from receipt of your application.

Tree Trimming

It is the property owner’s responsibility to maintain the street trees adjacent to their property. Trees should be trimmed according to the International Society of Arboriculture standards. Trees should be trimmed to maintain safe pedestrian and vehicle traffic. These clearances are 8 feet above the sidewalk and 12 feet above the roadway.

A Tree Action Permit is required for structural pruning on a protected tree. This type of pruning is considered to be more extensive than health and safety pruning, which does not require a permit, as long as industry standards are followed.

Tree Removal

Street trees adjacent to property owners are the responsibility of the property owner to maintain. These trees also require a Tree Action Permit approval for removal. Removal is warranted and approved on a case by case basis. Trees that fall within the parameters established by the preservation ordinance do require an approved Tree Action Permit for removal.

Encroachment

Encroachment into the protected zone of a tree requires an approved Tree Action Permit if it meets the Tree Preservation Ordinance protection criteria. The protected zone would be the area directly underneath the entire tree canopy, also referred to as the “Drip Line”. Any disruption like excavating and trenching into this zone would require an approved Tree Action Permit.

Tree Action Permit Application Procedure

Deliver or mail the completed application to City of Livermore, Maintenance Service Center, at 3500 Robertson Park Road, in Livermore.

After submitting the application, other pertinent information may be requested, based on the size, location and number of trees to be removed.

The process takes approximately 30 to 45 days. The permit is mailed to the property owner, unless other instructions are provided on the application.

Reasons the City Would Consider Tree Removal

The City would consider removing City trees under certain circumstances:

• Rotting of interior or roots/disease/insect infestation
• Curb/sidewalk/street repairs (based on individual assessments by an inspector)
• Structural damage (must be determined that damage was caused by a City tree)

The City does not remove City trees for sewer damage, concrete damage, or views. See Frequently Asked Questions for more information.

Visit these web sites for more information about landscaping and trees:

• Trees Are Good - The International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) created this site to provide the general public with quality arboriculture, or tree care, related information.

• Urban Wood - Urban Forest Ecosystems Institute.

• Check our Water Resources Division pages for information regarding Water Conservation and Water Wise Landscaping.

Download Don't Plant a Pest (PDF) for information about invasive plants.

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