The Landscape Maintenance Division includes the Landscape Maintenance Program, Tree Maintenance Program, and Landscape Water Conservation Program.
Landscape Maintenance Division preserves and enhances the City’s infrastructure, protects public health and safety, and keeps the City looking clean and green.
Staff maintains landscape in the street medians, along the side of streets, downtown, and around public buildings. City staff also maintained streets designated as State highways like Jackson Street, Mission Blvd., and Foothill Blvd. City landscaping does not include parks that are maintained by the Hayward Area Park and Recreation District (HARD). HARD park information can be found on their website. Grounds and areas fully maintained by the City include:
- City Hall and Main Library grounds
- Downtown on B Street
- South Mission Blvd. Greenway
- Medians on Jackson, Foothill, Mission, Harder, Tennyson, Industrial Pkwy, Hesperian, A Street, D Street, Winton, Orchard Roundabout
- Weed removal in areas without irrigation such as Western Blvd, Industrial Blvd, and Carlos Bee Blvd.
Urban Forest
Staff maintains the City's public trees, totaling 30,000, to include: inspection, trimming, pruning, stump removal, and tree removal. We have certified arborists on staff and keep track of all of our tree maintenance in a computerized database. Street trees are generally located in the area between the curb and the sidewalk. The value of trees increases 5% to 15% per year. Trees provide the City with a number of benefits, including improved aesthetics, shade that reduces energy needs, visual screenings, natural pollution and noise reducers, soil stabilizers, increases soil-water retention, serves as food and shelter for wildlife, decreases storm water runoff, and increases property values. Read about our Urban Forest in this February 2012 report, Urban Forest Resource Analysis.
Services
Programs
About the Districts:
The City of Hayward has eighteen Landscape and Lighting District Benefit District Zones. The zones were formed using the Landscaping and Lighting Act of 1972 (Streets and Highways Code §22500), which is a flexible tool used by local government agencies to form Landscaping and Lighting Districts to finance the cost and expense of operating, maintaining, and servicing landscaping (including parks), and lighting improvements in public areas. All services in these areas are directly funded through individual homeowner property tax assessments.
Saving water is automatic when you have the right tools. The City uses Calsense equipment and software to provide a water management system that enables staff to conserve water resources. The equipment monitors the weather and adjusts the watering schedule accordingly. Staff also makes sure that our backflow devices are up and running and installs low-flow irrigation.
For the past 29 consecutive years, Hayward has been presented with the “Tree City USA” Award. Awarded by the Arbor Day Foundation, Hayward has earned this award by honoring its commitment to effectively manage our Urban Forest. To achieve this national recognition, Hayward has met the program's four requirements: 1) having a tree department, 2) having a tree-care ordinance, 3) having an annual tree budget of at least $2 per capita, and 4) having an Arbor Day observance and proclamation. Learn more about Arbor Day.
If you observe the removal of trees that you believe may be protected, please immediately call Planning at 510.583.4200. A tree removal permit is required before removing any protected tree (see Basic Tree Questions below). There is a penalty assessed equal to the value of the tree for removing, damaging or relocating a protected tree without a permit. Basic Tree Questions provides answers to the most frequently asked questions about street and private trees.
Protected trees are:
- All required trees on any developed property
- Memorial trees;
- Trees planted as "replacement trees" as part of a development or tree removal project;
- Trees eight inches in diameter or greater than 54 inches above the ground; or
- Certain native species that are four inches in diameter or greater.
To get a removal permit:
- If removal is related to a construction or building project, all trees (labeled as to species, size, and health, and whether they are to be removed or preserved) are to be shown on the site and grading plans, and the permit will be issued as part of the building or grading permit;
- If the work is not related to a construction or building project, the removal of a protected tree requires a separate permit;
- Whether the work will be done by the property owner, occupant, or private tree care company, a request (reason for removal and replacement tree plan) is to be made by phone, fax or in writing to Planning Division;
- An arborist report will be required if more than three trees are involved;
- Staff will make an inspection and a decision whether to issue the permit;
- The staff decision may be appealed to the Planning Director within 10 days of the decision.
