In Ontario, CA, the tree in the parkway between your sidewalk and the curb is a City tree, and Ontario's municipal code says no one may remove or relocate it without prior authorization from the Public Works Agency. Owners are expected to keep it watered and trimmed for about eight feet of clearance over the sidewalk, while the City handles major pruning. If a parkway tree is a problem, the first call is to Ontario Parks and Streets Maintenance at (909) 395-2600.
What counts as a parkway tree
The parkway is the strip of ground between the sidewalk and the curb, and in some neighborhoods without sidewalks, the strip along the street within the public right-of-way. Trees in that strip are planted under the City's Master Plan of Parkway Trees, which sets the species allowed on each street. Even though you mow and water around it, the tree belongs to the City.
When the City allows removal
Ontario's code limits parkway tree removal to a short list of reasons:
- Visual hazard. The tree blocks sight distance at an intersection or hides a traffic or railroad signal.
- Safety hazard. The tree is an immediate hazard to life or property that cannot be corrected another way.
- Condition. The tree is dead, decayed or diseased beyond correction.
- Unauthorized planting. It was planted without a permit, in the wrong place or of a prohibited type.
- Solar access. In limited cases, removal is needed to use solar collectors, with written notice to the City well ahead of installation.
A tree that drops leaves, lifts the lawn or blocks a view is not on that list, which is why the City rarely approves removing healthy parkway trees.
Who prunes what
Ontario's residential landscape guidelines split the work. The owner, occupant or person in charge of the property waters and maintains the parkway and trims parkway trees to provide about eight feet of clearance from grade. The City handles divider medians, major pruning and other tree surgery, and pruning that cannot be done from the ground. In HOA communities, the association maintains, plants and irrigates parkways. Read the details in the City's residential landscape guidelines.
City park and median trees
Trees in City parks, medians and trails are protected too. The code makes it unlawful for anyone other than authorized City staff or contractors to cut, damage or remove a tree in a City park, median or trail. That includes the historic median plantings of the Euclid Avenue Historic District, where California pepper trees and other mature trees are part of the city's heritage.
How to request City tree work
Contact Ontario Parks and Streets Maintenance at (909) 395-2600, or submit a service request for tree trimming through the City. Describe the tree, its location and the problem, such as a broken limb, a sight-distance issue at a corner or a dead tree. Photos help.
What about trees on private property?
Ontario's parkway rules apply to City trees. For a large tree entirely on your own lot, check with the City of Ontario's Planning Department and your HOA before removing it, since project conditions and covenants can apply. Nearby cities have their own rules: our service areas page summarizes them city by city.
Planting a new parkway tree
Planting in the parkway also needs a City permit and must follow the Master Plan of Parkway Trees. Ask the City which species is assigned to your street before buying a tree, and keep in mind that fruit-bearing or thorny plants are not allowed in the right-of-way.
Where a tree service fits
We prune and remove trees on private property, and we can tell you whether a tree is in the parkway. We do not cut parkway trees without the City's approval. For your own trees, see tree removal and tree trimming, and for what removal costs, see our tree removal cost guide. If a parkway tree is touching a power line, call SCE first, as explained in our post on trees near power lines.
Common questions
Can I hire a private tree service to trim my parkway tree in Ontario?
Owners are expected to keep parkway trees trimmed for about eight feet of clearance over the sidewalk, but major pruning is the City's job, and removal needs prior Public Works authorization. For anything beyond light clearance, contact Ontario Parks and Streets Maintenance at (909) 395-2600 first.
The parkway tree's roots lifted my sidewalk. What should I do?
Report it to the City of Ontario. The sidewalk and the parkway tree are both in the public right-of-way, and the City decides how to handle the tree and the repair. Do not cut major roots of a parkway tree yourself, because that can make the tree unstable and is work on a City tree.