Agenda Item: 2
CITY OF SANTA CLARITA
PLANNING COMMISSION
AGENDA REPORT
PUBLIC HEARINGS
PLANNING MANAGER APPROVAL:
DATE: January 20, 2026
SUBJECT: OAK TREE ORDINANCE AMENDMENT (MASTER CASE 25-160) APPLICANT: City of Santa Clarita
LOCATION: Citywide
CASE PLANNER: Valerie Ferchaw
RECOMMENDED ACTION
Planning Commission
1. Open the public hearing to take testimonial and written evidence;
2. Based upon substantial evidence in the record, determine that the project is exempt from additional environmental review pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) under CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3), the common-sense exemption; and
3. Adopt Resolution P26-01 recommending the City Council approve Master Case 25-160 by adopting an ordinance amending the Santa Clarita Municipal Code by adding §17.22.100 and amending §17.51.040 to designate certain oak tree permits as ministerial.
REQUEST
The City of Santa Clarita (City) proposes to amend the Santa Clarita Municipal Code (SCMC) to establish a ministerial Class I oak tree permit for specific conditions applicable to single-family residential properties, and to update related definitions to maintain consistency within the oak tree protection regulations.
BACKGROUND
The City’s OakTree Ordinance (Ordinance) is intended to preserve, protect, and responsibly 2 Packet Pg. 10
manage oak resources throughout the City. As currently administered, the Ordinance provides two primary paths for removal of an oak tree on a single-family residential property: removal due to emergent circumstances or removal through a discretionary permit process that requires a report from a qualified arborist, payment of associated fees, mitigation through replacement planting or an in-lieu fee, and Planning Commission approval when a heritage oak tree is involved. Over time, and through ongoing administration of the Ordinance, City staff have received feedback from property owners and identified recurring concerns related to oak trees with legally established homes or similar structures located within their fall zone. These concerns have included safety, maintenance, and functional conflicts, as well as instances in which property owners have expressed difficulties renewing homeowner insurance policies due to the presence of oak trees in close proximity to structures. Such situations are typically straightforward, fact-based, and well suited for an objective, ministerial review.
In response, City staff evaluated a range of potential paths forward, considered input from affected property owners, and developed a proposal for a fall zone ministerial permit. This supplemental permit path allows limited, clearly defined circumstances to be processed ministerially without diminishing the City’s longstanding commitment to oak preservation, while promoting safety, timeliness, and reasonable property rights for single-family residential property owners.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The proposed Ordinance:
x Adds a new SCMC §17.22.100 establishing a ministerial, Class I, oak tree permit for property owners of single-family dwellings or accessory dwelling units when a qualifying structure is located within the fall zone of an oak tree.
x Defines qualifying structures to include legally permitted structures intended for human habitation, regular recreational or practical use, the sheltering of domesticated animals, or utility-owned facilities/infrastructure.
x Clarifies examples of qualifying and non-qualifying structures.
x Amends §17.51.040 to update the definition of an "oak tree" and to clarify the definition of “fall zone” for consistency with the new ministerial process.
The amendment is narrow in scope and procedural in nature. It maintains all existing protections for oak trees while creating a predictable, objective process where the grounds for removal are based on verifiable physical conditions.
Importantly, this update affords single-family property owners greater flexibility and freedom to address oak trees that pose proximity-based constraints, while preserving strong, meaningful protections for oak resources. The Ordinance balances individual property rights with responsible environmental stewardship.
ANALYSIS
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Findings (SCMC §17.06.130):
1. Consistency with the General Plan.
The amendment supports General Plan objectives related to clarity, predictability, and public safety. It maintains oak protection policies while improving the administration of the code through a streamlined process.
2. Compliance with the SCMC.
The update amends the code itself and does not conflict with other provisions. No density, zoning, or development standards are altered.
3. Public health, safety, and welfare.
Allowing ministerial review where a qualifying structure is located within the fall zone of an oak tree ensures timely resolution of safety or property-damage concerns while preserving the City’s ability to regulate oak removal in all other contexts.
4. Physical suitability.
No physical development is proposed. Future removal requests will continue to be reviewed for biological conditions and mitigation as required.
ENVIRONMENTAL
The project is exempt from additional environmental review under CEQA Guidelines §15061(b)(3), the common-sense exemption, because it can be seen with certainty that the ordinance has no potential to result in a significant effect on the environment. The update relates solely to procedure and definitions and does not authorize any development activity.
NOTICING
All notices required by law were completed, which consisted of a one-eighth page legal advertisement in The Signal newspaper on Dece mber 31, 2025. As of the writing of this staff report, no correspondence regarding this project has been received from the community.
CONCLUSION
The proposed ordinance provides a clear, objective framework for ministerial review of certain oak tree permit requests involving single-family residential properties where qualifying structures are located within the fall zone of an oak tree. It grants homeowners greater flexibility in addressing proximity-based constraints while maintaining the City’s long-standing preservation standards for oak resources. This balanced approach upholds property rights, supports public safety, and preserves the integrity of the City’s oak woodlands.
Staff recommends that the Planning Commission adopt Resolution P26-01 recommending City Council approval of Master Case 25-160.
ATTACHMENTS
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Resolution P26-01
Exhibit A
Public Hearing Notice
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RESOLUTION P26-01
A RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF SANTA
CLARITA, CALIFORNIA, RECOMMENDING THAT THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA CLARITA ADOPT AN ORDINANCE APPROVING MASTER CASE 25-160,
CONSISTING OF AN AMENDMENT TO SANTA CLARITA MUNICIPAL CODE ADDING SECTION 17.22.100 AND AMENDING SECTION 17.51.040 DESIGNATING CERTAIN
OAK TREE PERMITS AS MINISTERIAL
THE PLANNING COMMISSION DOES HEREBY RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. FINDINGS OF FACT FOR MASTER CASE 25-160. The Planning Commission makes the following findings of fact:
A. Title 17 of the Santa Clarita Municipal Code (SCMC) is periodically updated to reflect evolving policies, practices, and regulatory needs. The proposed amendment represents a focused update to the Oak Tree regulations within SCMC Title 17; B. The proposed amendments are attached to Resolution P26-01 as Exhibit A; C. The project was duly noticed in accordance with SCMC requirements, including a one- eighth page advertisement published in The Signal on December 29, 2025; D. The Planning Commission held a duly noticed public hearing on January 20, 2026, at City Hall, 23920 Valencia Boulevard, Santa Clarita, California; and E. The Planning Commission considered all evidence presented at the hearing, including the staff report, oral testimony, and other materials submitted into the record.
SECTION 2. ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF MASTER CASE 25-160. Based upon the foregoing facts and findings, the Planning Commission finds as follows:
A. A Notice of Exemption for this project was prepared in compliance with the CEQA; B. The project is exempt from CEQA under CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3), the common sense exemption. The activity is covered by the general rule that CEQA applies only to projects which have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA;
C. The documents and other materials that constitute the record of proceedings upon which the decision of the Planning Commission is based is the Master Case 25-160 project file and that this project file is located within the Community Development Department and is in the custody of the Director of Community Development; and
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Attachment: Resolution P26-01 (AMENDMENTS TO OAK TREE REGULATIONS (MASTER CASE 25-160))
D. Based upon the findings set forth above, the Planning Commission recommends that the City Council find the Notice of Exemption for this project was prepared in compliance with CEQA.
SECTION 3. GENERAL FINDINGS FOR MASTER CASE 25-160. Based on the foregoing facts and findings for Master Case 25-160, the Planning Commission determines as follows:
A. That the proposal is consistent with the General Plan; The amendment provides single-family permittees with a ministerial permit option while maintaining protection of oak trees by clarifying the definition of protected oak trees, establishing a consistent methodology for determining fall zone, and reaffirming applicable mitigation standards, thereby promoting consistent application of the regulations while balancing oak tree preservation with private property rights.
B. The proposal is allowed within the applicable underlying zone and complies with all other applicable provisions of the SCMC;
The proposed ordinance amends only the Oak Tree regulations in SCMC Chapter 17.51 and does not affect other zoning or land use regulations.
C. The proposal will not endanger, jeopardize, or otherwise constitute a hazard to the public convenience, health, interest, safety, or general welfare, or be materially detrimental or injurious to the improvements, persons, property, or uses in the vicinity and zone in which the property is located; and
Nothing contained in the proposed amendments would endanger, jeopardize, or otherwise constitute a hazard to the public. The amendments provide clear permitting standards, clarify the definition of protected oak trees and the fall zone used for permit evaluation, maintain mitigation requirements, and ensure continued preservation of oak trees.
D. The proposal is physically suitable for the site. The factors related to the proposal’s physical suitability for the site shall include, but are not limited to, the following:
1. The design, location, shape, size, and operating characteristics are suitable for the proposed use;
2. The highways or streets that provide access to the site are of sufficient width and are improved as necessary to carry the kind and quantity of traffic such proposal would generate;and
3. Public protection services (e.g. Fire protection, Sheriff protection, etc.) are readily available.
The proposed amendments do not include the development of any specific site and would amend the SCMC in general. The amendments are minor and do not change the scope or
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Attachment: Resolution P26-01 (AMENDMENTS TO OAK TREE REGULATIONS (MASTER CASE 25-160))
goals of the various planning documents or the City’s General Plan. No development is proposed or would be approved by the amendments, and any future development that may occur under the revised amendments would require development review and environmental analysis at the time the projects are submitted. The City currently receives adequate service from the Los Angeles County Fire Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. The project area is likewise served by all applicable utilities. Nothing in the proposed amendments would increase the need for fire or police protection services or increase demand for utilities.
SECTION 4. ADDITIONAL FINDINGS FOR UDC25-001. Based upon the foregoing facts and findings for Master Case 25-160, including UDC25-001, the Planning Commission recommends the City Council find as follows:
A. The amendments are consistent with the adjacent area, if applicable; The proposed amendments would apply to properties throughout the City and are consistent with the principles of the General Plan. No new development is included with the proposed amendments.
B. The amendments are consistent with the principles of the General Plan; The proposed amendments would not alter the General Plan Land Use Map or Zoning Map, nor would the proposed amendments change development densities or population projections for the City. The proposed amendments revise certain code sections to improve processes, clarify standards, and ensure the code is consistent.
Specifically, the proposed amendments would implement the following objective of the General Plan:
Policy LU 4.1.5: Provide a clear and c onsistent planning and permitting process to encourage new development that conforms to the General Plan.
The proposed amendments are consistent with the objective listed above because they streamline existing processes for residential projects. The proposed amendments support the character of the City’s neighborhoods and allow for new development opportunities by providing clear review process while still maintaining existing oak tree protections.
C. Approval of the amendments will be in the interest of public safety, convenience, and general welfare;
The proposed amendments would support the public health, convenience, safety, and general welfare of the community, and are in conformity with good zoning practice because the proposed amendments would simplify planning processes and clarify standards for ease of use.
D. The amendment is consistent with other applicable provisions of this code; and.
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Attachment: Resolution P26-01 (AMENDMENTS TO OAK TREE REGULATIONS (MASTER CASE 25-160))
The amendments provide single-family property owners with flexibility and freedom in property management while ensuring ongoing oak tree protection E. Is necessary to implement the General Plan and/or that the public convenience, the general welfare or good zoning practice justifies such action; The amendments clarify existing oak tree definitions and mitigation standards without expanding the scope of regulated activity, thereby improving administrative efficiency while maintaining the City’s long-standing oak tree preservation goals.
SECTION 5. DETERMINATION; APPROVALS. The Planning Commission recommends the City Council takes the following actions:
A. Adopt the ordinance set forth in attached Exhibit “A,” which is incorporated by reference, amending SCMC § 17.51.040 to add a Class I ministerial permit process for single-family property owners, clarify the definition of protected oak trees, establish a consistent definition of fall zone, and reaffirm mitigation standards, providing property owners flexibility while maintaining ongoing protection and preservation of oak trees.
SECTION 6. RELIANCE ON RECORD. Each and every one of the findings and determinations in this Resolution are based on the competent and substantial evidence, both oral and written, contained in the entire record relating to the project. The findings and determinations constitute the independent findings and determinations of the Planning Commission in all respects and are fully and completely supported by substantial evidence in the record as a whole.
SECTION 7. SUMMARIES OF INFORMATION. All summaries of information in the findings, which precede this section, are based on the substantial evidence in the record. The absence of any particular fact from any such summary is not an indication that a particular finding is not based in part on that fact.
SECTION 8. NOTICE. The Secretary is direc ted to provide a copy of this Resolution to the Planning Commission and any other person requesting a copy.
SECTION 9. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Resolution becomes effective immediately upon adoption and memorializes the Planning Commission’s final decision made on January 20, 2026.
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Attachment: Resolution P26-01 (AMENDMENTS TO OAK TREE REGULATIONS (MASTER CASE 25-160))
PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED this 20th day of January, 2026.
LISA EICHMAN, CHAIRPERSON
PLANNING COMMISSION
ATTEST:
RACHEL CLARK, SECRETARY
PLANNING COMMISSION
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES ) ss.
CITY OF SANTA CLARITA )
I, Rachel Clark, Planning Commission Secretary of the City of Santa Clarita, do hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution was duly adopted by the Planning Commission of the City of Santa Clarita at a regular meeting thereof, held on the 20 th day of January, 2026, by
the following vote of the Planning Commission:
AYES: COMMISSIONERS:
NOES: COMMISSIONERS:
ABSENT: COMMISSIONERS:
PLANNING COMMISSION SECRETARY
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Attachment: Resolution P26-01 (AMENDMENTS TO OAK TREE REGULATIONS (MASTER CASE 25-160))
EXHIBIT A
SANTA CLARITA MUNICIPAL CODE (SCMC) – PROPOSED AMENDMENTS
“17.22.100 Oak Tree Permit – Class I Ministerial Process
The Class I ministerial permit process applies to property owners of existing single- family dwellings or accessory dwelling units who seek to remove an oak tree that has a qualifying structure located within its fall zone. A qualifying structure constitutes a legal permanent structure that is (1) intended for human habitation; (2) regular recreational or practical use; (3) commonly utilized for sheltering domesticated animals; or (4) constitutes a utility-owned facility or infrastructure. Examples of qualifying structures include, without limitation, single-family dwelling units; garages; accessory dwelling units (ADUs); swimming pools; pergolas; horse stalls; kennels; or similar structures.
Structures such as trampolines, swing sets, portable sheds, recreational equipment, patio furniture, and landscaping features, are not qualifying structures. For utility-owned facilities and infrastructure, a permit may be issued only upon substantial evidence that an oak tree will damage or interfere with such facilities or infrastructure.”
SECTION 2: SCMC § 17.51.040 is amended to read as follows:
“a. “Oak tree” means any oak tree of the genus Quercus and native to California including, without limitation, valley oak (Quercus lobata), California live oak (Quercus agrifolia), canyon oak (Quercus chrysolepis), interior live oak (Quercus wislizenii) and scrub oak (Quercus dumosa), regardless of size. In the case of properties occupied by a single-family residence, scrub oak (Quercus dumosa) is excluded from this list.
A. “Fall Zone” means the area defined by a circle around the tree with a radius equal to the tree height as measured from the edge of the tree’s root collar.
B. Conditions. Conditions may be imposed on the permit at the discretion of the approving authority, including, but not limited to, any of the following:
(f) For Class I oak tree permits, replacement trees must be planted on the same property from which they were removed unless there is no appropriate place for planting. If an appropriate location for replanting does not exist, mitigation trees may be donated to the City following the replacement schedule below or their monetary value may be paid to the City to the satisfaction of the Director.
For oak tree removal pursuant to a Class I oak tree permit, a permittee must either replace the oak tree or pay a fee based upon the calculations below. In all instances, the total mitigation value may not exceed $1,500, subject to annual adjustment based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), as determined by the Director.
1. For trees measuring 4 inches to 8 inches in diameter: One 24-inch-box native oak tree.
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Attachment: Exhibit A (AMENDMENTS TO OAK TREE REGULATIONS (MASTER CASE 25-160))
2. For trees measuring 8 inches to 12 inches in diameter: Two 24-inch-box native oak trees.
3. For trees measuring 12 inches or more in diameter: Three 24-inch-box native oak trees.”
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Attachment: Exhibit A (AMENDMENTS TO OAK TREE REGULATIONS (MASTER CASE 25-160))
CITY OF SANTA CLARITA
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
23920 Valencia Boulevard, Suite 302
Santa Clarita, CA 91355
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
APPLICATION: Master Case 25-160: Oak Tree Ordinance Amendment
PROJECT LOCATION: Citywide
PROJECT APPLICANT: City of Santa Clarita
PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The City of Santa Clarita (C ity) is proposing an amendment to the oak tree regulations contained in Chapter 17.51 of the Santa Clarita Municipal Code (SCMC/Ordinance). The proposed amendment would add a new section establishing a Class I ministerial oak tree removal permit.
This permit would only be available to single-family dwellings in the Urban Residential and Neighborhood Urban zones when a qualifying permanent structure, such as a home, garage, accessory dwelling unit, swimming pool, pergola, horse stall, kennel, or utility infrastructure, is located within the tree’s fall zone.
This eligibility applies to all protected oak trees, including heritage oak trees. The amendment would also clarify and refine the definition of protected “oak tree” to specify which native California oak species are governed by the Ordinance, clarify the definition of “fall zone,” and establish specific on-site replacement requirements or capped in-lieu mitigation for trees removed under the new ministerial process. Oak trees that do not meet the criteria for the Class I ministerial process will continue to be subject to the existing requirements of the SCMC.
The Planning Commission will conduct a public hearing on this matter on the following date:
DATE: Tuesday, January 20, 2026
TIME: At or after 6:00 p.m.
LOCATION: City Hall, Council Chambers
23920 Valencia Blvd., First Floor
Santa Clarita, CA 91355
A NOTICE OF EXEMPTION has been prepared for the proposed ordinance. The ordinance is exempt from further review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines (14 Cal. Code of Regs. § 15000, et seq.) Section 15061(b)(3), the common-sense exemption. It can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the adoption of the Ordinance may have a significant effect on the environment because it establishes ministerial permitting procedures and general policy. Individual oak tree removal permits issued under the new process will remain subject to project-specific environmental review when required.
If you wish to challenge the action taken on this matter in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearings described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the City of Santa Clarita at, or prior to, the public hearings.
If you wish to have written comments included in the materials the Planning Commission receives prior to the public hearing, those comments must be submitted to the Community Development Department by Friday, January 9, 2026.
For further information regarding this proposal, you may contact the City’s Urban Forestry Department.
Phone: (661) 290-2200. Send written correspondence via email to [email protected] or by US mail to: 23920 Valencia Blvd., Suite 140, Santa Clarita, CA 91355.
Patrick Leclair
Planning Manager
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Attachment: Public Hearing Notice (AMENDMENTS TO OAK TREE REGULATIONS (MASTER CASE 25-160))