Strawberries by the sidewalk? New rules for L.A.'s residential parkways

The Los Angeles Board of Public Works approved new rules Monday for residential parkways, that strip of ground between the sidewalk and the street. The city's revised Residential Parkway Landscaping Guideline allow homeowners to plant drought-tolerant ground-cover plants without a permit. Previously, the only permit-free plantings allowed were street trees and lawn.

"A lot of people look at the parkways as an extension of their frontyard, and it really has a different purpose and therefore has to be held to a different standard," said Lance Oishi, senior landscape architect for L.A.'s Bureau of Street Services.

Technically, parkways are part of the street, Oishi said. They are not private property, even though homeowners are required to maintain them. 

"People have to be able to get across the parkway, and sometimes they're too shrubby or bushy, so those generate complaints for us," he said. The new guidelines were developed to address those situations, Oishi said, noting that the last time the city issued parkway guidelines was in 1974.

Now homeowners can select from among 20 drought-tolerant types of turf and turf substitutes, including buffalo and bermuda grasses, sedge, yarrow, chamomile, dymondia, thyme, even certain types of strawberries.

Permits are required for all other plant materials or landscape improvements, including pavement, irrigation and storm-water capture systems. 

-- Susan Carpenter

Photo credit: Los Angeles Bureau of Street Services

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Garden coverage for Southern California

Comments

[Steven Moshlak]

When I was growing up in the San Fernando Valley, we had plum trees in our parkways. Every spring through fall, we'd have plums galore. Walking home from school or the playground, especially during the summer, was much made more tolerable, since we could feast on the fruit, as we made our way home. Some homes or lots, even had walnut and citrus trees, too!

About 25 years ago, the City of Los Angeles uprooted the trees and replaced them with some other God-awful species, as a matter of "beautification."

This must be part of the "X" factor when youngster are chomping down junk food, like chips and over-sugared sodas, instead of the availability of fruit or nuts, right off the tree, in the front of homes!

[save the deserts!]

not to state the obvious, but with the number of dogs in LA, i would not recommend eating strawberries from one of these medians. 'nuff said.

[waskoman]

Dont forget your permits!!!! they will only cost you 85.00 bucks for each thing.. Thanks City of LA..

[j a higginbotham]

Technically, parkways are part of the street, Oishi said. They are not private property, even though homeowners are required to maintain them.
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And sidewalks in some places. Maybe city officials should get smaller paychecks and pensions so that more money can be spent on maintaining city property.

[Manuel Alderete]

Wonderful idea. Just needs chicken wire, and that looks ugly.
Can't we just grow corn stalks instead?

[Mark O. David]

Guess what,
we are now in Russia.When I was born the very idea of regulations addressing rules pertaining to parking strips was totally commy.Where I live in Bellingham wa. st. we now have an Ill-egale baseball field.W.T.F! comrades are we this stupid that we just take this -hit.

[A.L. Hern]

In Los Angeles, the four-foot strip of grass between sidewalk and curb qualifies as a "parkway?"

Where I come from (Westchester County, NY), a parkway is a four- or six-lane, usually high-speed road running through usually dense and scenic woodlands (the Bronx River Parkway is, in fact, the oldest such road-woodland construction in the U.S.; when it became apparent that the road was wholly inadequate for modern traffic volumes and speeds, a study was commissioned to determine the impact that widening the parkway would have on the adjacent woods. The woods won).

Another example of culturally impoverished Angelenos not knowing what it is they're missing .

[Hypatia]

If the city doesn't like the way homeowners are planting, the GD city can fork up the $ to do it themselves! I am sick to death of our so-called 'elected officials' making rules that put the labour on our backs! Does any of those idiots, much less Mr. Oishi know how much time and effort, not to mention cash goes into gardening? I didn't think so. Do it yourselves you lazy parsimonious grifters!

[Elisabeth]

How odd to call them a "parkway". In Washington, we called them a "parking strip", which isn't properly descriptive either. Some of ours have been paved over, some have grass or trees, but the best have become vegetable or flower gardens. They're one of the few locations that get good sun. Fortunately, as long as they aren't overgrown or a hazard, people can plant whatever fruit or veggies they desire.

[Susan S]

I wish this had happened sooner. Did u know that it was a CRIMINAL charge for planting anything but grass, or having stones, or even sprinklers? Despite showing the above mentioned dept. over 325 properties in my same area that had sprinklers, overgrown shrubs,and stones, etc...I was the only one cited! Great usage of city funds..and they wonder why the city is broke!

[Raffi / Gardenology.org]

Not that I've ever heard of anyone ever checking to see what's legal to plant on that strip, or being cited for what they've planted, but this is great. We need a lot more non-grass options for the sidewalk strips.

This list will be quite useful for giving people low-water ideas on what to do with that strip. If the city would get involved and replace a few blocks of grass here and there around the city with these choices, they'd really help illustrate how great an entire street of yarrow or thyme would look.

[fire pit]

Being a part of the street parkways should not be utilized for plantation.