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Planning subcommittee to draft oak-planting guidance, update landscape guide
Summary
The committee agreed to draft guidance on planting under California oaks and to update the landscaping guide: recommendations include using native oak-woodland plants, avoiding frequent irrigation and planting no closer than about 10 feet to mature trunks.
The Los Altos Hills planning subcommittee agreed to prepare a short guidance section on planting under oak trees and to use the existing landscaping guide as the starting point.
Members reviewed relevant landscaping-guide text that notes oak roots are concentrated near the surface, that "native oaks should not be irrigated" frequently and that designers should "select plants that tolerate drought and plant no closer than 10 feet to the trunk." The group discussed how to balance the needs of newly planted oaks (which require establishment watering) with protections for mature trees and wildfire safety (avoiding ladder fuels and limiting understory height).
The committee asked a small working group to draft proposed wording and a short plant list (oak-woodland natives) and to coordinate with planning staff so the guidance could be distributed to applicants and incorporated into staff practices and the landscape guide.
Members said staff enforcement and post-installation checks (condition-of-approval watering periods) should be clarified so applicants and staff share consistent expectations.
