Redondo Beach City Council
March 11, 2025

Level 1
Guidance for
Parkway
Landscaping
Parkway improvement activities may be performed without a permit when standards for Level 1 projects are maintained. There are no fees associated with Level 1 projects and the property owners may submit a design for conformance review. The City reserves the right to inspect the installation, require protection of established trees and require removal of non-conforming elements if necessary. Property owners may submit a design for conformance review. The City may identify Level 1 non-conformance elements, as described below, but cannot provide design services (e.g. plant choices, irrigation layout, etc.). New landscaping development exceeding 1,000 square feet or landscaping redevelopment exceeding 2,500 square feet will be escalated to Level 2 or 3 per City’s discretion.

Level 1 Sample Plans
Access Way One or more access ways is allowed, generally perpendicular to the curb line or street centerline,
Groundcovers Groundcovers shall be turfgrass,
ornamental grass, low-lying vegetation, stabilized decomposed granite (DG), wood chips, clean mulch, or synthetic turf set on a pervious base
Plants Plants shall be low-growing, drought-tolerant species and not exceed 24 inches in height at maturity.

Trees Trees are encouraged in parkway landscaping. Removal or additional planting of trees escalates a project to Level 2.

Irrigation Design of irrigation system in parkways shall be according to Federal, State, and Local laws and regulations.

Low-volume, non-spray irrigation systems or hand-watering is preferred.

Vertical Elements Aside from approved trees, installation of additional of vertical elements (e.g. bench, play equipment, pedestal, bird bath, mail box, etc.) elevates the review process to Level 2 or Level 3 as determined by the City.
415 Diamond Street
Redondo Beach, CA 90277
Phone: (310) 372-1171
For more info: redondo.org/landscapeurl
1 Driveway and Apron
2 Entry Path
3 Front Yard
4 Adjacent Property
5 4’ Wide Minimum Concrete Path,
Stabilized Decomposed Granite, or
Concrete Pavers (Impervious surface area not to exceed 10%) 6 Existing Tree (Tree Protection Zone)
7 Drought Tolerant Planting and Mulching
1 2
3 4 4
5 6
Not Acceptable Acceptable
Guidance for
Parkway
Landscaping

PUBLIC SAFETY & NUISANCE
• For all Levels, parkway landscaping shall not create visual obstructions for pedestrians or drivers of vehicles. • Trees shall not be located within 5 feet of a driveway approach, unless approved by the City Engineer. • Shrubs and groundcover shall not exceed a continuous height of 18 inches or a peak height of 24 inches. • Plants with sharp, pointy protrusions such as spines, prickles, or thorns are not allowed. • Sharp edged rocks, glass, cobbles, gravel, crushed rock, grouted rocks, or any asphalt pavement are not allowed in the parkway. • Swings, mirrors or other attachments to trees are not allowed. • Edging, landscape ties, and similar borders shall not create a tripping hazard. • Signs, fences, walls, retaining curbs, or similar barrier elements are not allowed in the parkway. • Lewd, oensive, or politically based elements that are visible from the public right of way are prohibited by City code. (RBMC 4-20). • Shrubs or groundcovers that can attach or cling to the trunk of the trees are not allowed. • Change of elevation between top of mulch or groundcover and adjacent hardscape, that is nish surface of planter to
nish
grade, shall not exceed one inch.

The City retains the right to require any parkway improvement that creates a safety or nuisance issue to the public to be corrected or removed at the expense of the property owner, as directed by the City Engineer or his designee.

At no time shall improvements, materials or equipment be left in the parkway in a way that impedes public access or passage along the sidewalk.

Exceptions to this policy for parkway areas adjacent to a City approved accessible parking space in the right-of-way shall be reviewed on a case by case basis and in accordance with the City’s policy on public requests for accessible spaces.

MAINTENANCE
Irrigation in the parkway, including irrigation for trees, shall be provided and maintained by the adjacent property owner. Low volume irrigation systems (drip, bubbler or micro spray) are highly encouraged and in some cases required, to avoid overspray of irrigation onto hardscape surfaces. Maintenance of the parkway landscaping, except tree trimming or pruning, is the responsibility of the adjacent property owners. The property owner is also responsible to remove any non-compliant landscaping and irrigation work in his/her fronting parkway as ordered/directed by the City Engineer.

UTILITIES
The City’s parkways are often the location of City signs, buried utilities or their appurtenant facilities, bus benches, or similar. Location of these facilities have priority over landscaping and other improvements made by the adjacent property owner. City or utility facilities should not be moved except by the City or the appropriate utility, although the City is not obligated to do so, nor is it obligated to compel any utility owner to do so. Any excavation for trees, sprinkler lines, etc. should not be done without checking for buried utilities. Property owners shall be responsible to call Dig-Alert/Underground Service Alert at 811 to order this free service at least 48-hours prior to digging.

The following requirements apply to all levels (1,2,&3) of landscape and hardscape improvement activity in the parkway.* * Level 1 Sample Plans and Photos on Reverse
Graptopetalum spp. Graptopetalum L ✔
Geranium spp. Geranium (ground cover species max. 24" high) L ✔ Juniperus spp. Juniper (ground cover species max. 24" high) L ✔ Lampranthus spp. Ice Plant (Lampranthus) L ✔
Lantana montevidensis (sellowiana) Trailing Lantana L ✔ Melica imperfecta California Melic L ✔
Melampodium leucanthum Blackfoot Daisy L ✔
Mimulus spp. (shrubby) Monkey Flower L ✔
Myoporum parvifolium & cvs. Myoporum L ✔
Penstemon hybrids Penstemon (hybrids) M ✔
Rosmarinus 'Prostratus' Trailing Rosemary L ✔
Sedum spp. Stone Crop L ✔
Senecio mandraliscae Kleinia/Blue Chalksticks M ✔
Sesleria spp. Moor Grass M ✔
Stipa pulchra Feather Grass L ✔
Teucrium chamaedrys Germander L ✔
Teucrium cossonii majoricum Majorcan Germander L ✔
Thymus spp. Thyme L ✔
Verbena lilacina Lilac Verbena L ✔
Verbena peruviana Peruvian Verbena L ✔
Verbena rigida Verbena M ✔
Botanical Name Common Name
Achillea millefolium & hybrids Yarrow L ✔
Aeonium spp. Aeonium (ground cover species max. 24" high) L ✔ Artemisia spp. Artemisia (ground cover species max. 24" high) L ✔ Baccharis pilularis cvs. Dwarf Coyote Brush L ✔
Bouteloua curtipendula Sideoats Gramma L ✔
Bouteloua gracilis Blue Gramma L ✔
Bulbine frutescens Stalked Bulbine L ✔
Campanula spp. Bell Flower M ✔
Carex divulsa European Gray Sedge L ✔
Carex pansa Pacic Dune Sedge M ✔
Cerastium tomentosum Snow in Summer M ✔
Convolvulus mauritanicus Ground Morning Glory L ✔
Coprosma kirkii Creeping Coprosma M ✔
Cotoneaster dammeri Bearberry Cotoneaster L ✔
Dalea capitata Dalea (capitata) L ✔
Dalea greggii Trailing Indigo Bush L ✔
Delosperma spp. Ice Plant (Delosperma) L ✔
Drosanthemum spp. Ice Plant (Drosanthemum) L ✔
Dudleya spp. Dudleya, Live Forever L ✔
Dymondia margaretae Dymondia L ✔
Elymus spp. (also see Leymus spp.) Wild Rye L ✔
Epilobium spp.(Zauchneria) California Fuchsia L ✔
Erigeron karvinskianus Mexican Daisy M ✔
Felicia amelloides Blue Marguerite M ✔
Festuca californica California Fescue M ✔
Festuca mairei Atlas Fescus M ✔
Festuca glauca Blue Fescue M ✔
Fragaria chiloensis Beach Strawberry (CA Native species) M ✔ Gaillardia grandiora Blanket Flower M ✔
Estimated
Water Use
Streetscape
Parkways
Redondo Beach
Parkway Plant Palette

LOW GROUNDCOVERS ANDSHRUBS