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January, 2018

General Guidelines and Goals

The NVA plants street trees within the CBD district as recommended by the San Francisco Department of Public Works Bureau of Urban Forestry. These trees generally do not cause damage to sidewalks and their height is limited to 30 feet or less.

The NVA’s executive director and gardener walk the district once a month to inspect the health and well-being of trees and tree wells.  

Tree Trimming

All mature trees within the NVA district, both those planted prior to and after 2006, are trimmed every three years.  Tree trimming guidelines are established by the San Francisco Department of Public Works Bureau of Urban Forestry. These specify that tree branches must be eight feet or higher above the pedestrian sidewalk or public right-of-way, and 12 feet or higher on the street side.

A listing of all trees the NVA is responsible for trimming is posted online at www.noevalleyassociation.org, where property owners can view tree details.

Tree Wells

Tree well maintenance is limited to keeping tree wells full of dirt, compost or decomposed granite to the sidewalk level.  This does not apply to trees planted prior to 2006 where tree roots prevent keeping the tree well level with the sidewalk.

Sidewalks around Trees

Any and all sidewalk damage caused by trees planted prior to 2006 are the sole responsibility of the property owner.  More information is available online at http://sfpublicworks.org/trees.

For trees planted in or since 2006:  If the sidewalk area around a tree planted by the NVA is damaged by the tree’s root system, the NVA will pay to repair the sidewalk.  Each tree’s root system is unique; determining the size of the tree well will be assessed at the time the sidewalk is opened.  All tree wells must be consistent with the City requirement of a six-foot public right-of-way for pedestrian sidewalks.

Tree Removal

If disease, age or other circumstances require removing a tree that the NVA has planted in or since 2006, the NVA will apply and pay for removal.  There may be a waiting period of up to six months given City permit requirements. If the tree was planted prior to 2006, it is the sole responsibility of the property owner to remove the tree.  More information is available online at http://sfpublicworks.org/trees.