City Council work session on proposed updates to Tree Preservation Ordinance—March 18
The Stack | March 2025
The Hayward City Council will hold a work session on March 18 to receive a presentation about, hear public comment on and discuss proposed updates to the City’s Tree Preservation Ordinance.
The work session, taking place during a regular meeting of the City Council, is intended to refine proposed changes for final consideration and adoption of an amended Tree Preservation Ordinance later this year.
The ordinance contains guidelines for maintenance and preservation of existing trees and the process for removing, replacing and mitigating the loss of trees and tree canopy.
The proposed changes would extend the scope of the ordinance to cover backyard native trees as well as front-yard trees, while adding a designation and higher level of protection for “heritage trees” that are of highest community and ecological value. The updated ordinance also would provide for an alternative way for property owners to make up for a loss of tree canopy by paying a fee in lieu of replanting trees on their own property.
To download and read a staff report on the proposed changes, a draft of the proposed ordinance update and a summary of the proposed amendments as presented to the Hayward Planning Commission last month, go online here to the City’s legislative website.
