Maintain your front yard and parkway area
Updated April 6, 2020
Front yards
Cerritos residents are reminded to maintain the appearance of the landscaping in their front yards and parkway areas. The summer months usually require extra watering, mowing and pruning of landscaped areas. Plant material which has become dried and lifeless should be removed.
If you plan to renovate your landscaping, be sure to include drought-tolerant plants which consume less water. Information about drought-tolerant plants is available in the Community Development Department at City Hall. The Cerritos Public Library also has a collection of landscaping books, and a video titled "Solving Landscaping Problems."
Now is a good time to check your irrigation system to ensure that it is using water efficiently. The Cerritos Public Library offers books which describe how to install irrigation systems and a video titled "Underground Sprinklers." Permits are required by the City for the installation of new irrigation systems. For more information about the permits required, call the Building and Safety Department at (562) 916-1209.
Parkways
While City crews maintain the more than 20,000 trees that line Cerritos streets, homeowners are responsible for watering and maintaining their parkways.
A home's "parkway" is the public property between the curb and the sidewalk. A home may have a front parkway, side parkway, or both, if it is a corner lot. These parkways are designed to be landscaped with grass or plants.
Parkways must be kept clear to provide access for work crews who trim the parkway trees or repair water meters, utility lines, curbs, gutters and sidewalks. For this reason, concrete, brick, pavers or other "hardscape" improvements are not allowed in parkway areas. Hardscape is also not allowed as it may become cracked and warped by parkway tree roots, posing a safety hazard.
Finally, parkways may not have any permanent structures such as basketball backboards, or shrubs that block traffic visibility.
For more information about parkway guidelines and landscaping, please call the Public Works Department at (562) 916-1220.
