(a) Upon nomination by any person and with the written consent of the property owner(s), the city council may designate a tree or trees as a heritage tree.
(b) A tree may be designated as a heritage tree upon a finding that it is of importance to the community due to any of the following factors:
(1) It is an outstanding specimen of a desirable species.
(2) It is one of the largest or oldest trees in Palo Alto.
(3) It possesses distinctive form, size, age, location, and/or historical significance.
(c) After council approval of a heritage tree designation, the city clerk shall notify the property owner(s) in writing. A listing of trees so designated, including the specific locations thereof, shall be kept by the departments of public works.
(d) Once designated, a heritage tree shall be considered protected and subject to the provisions of this chapter unless removed from the list of heritage trees by action of the city council. The city council may remove a tree from the list upon its own motion or upon written request by the property owner. Request for such action must originate in the same manner as nomination for heritage tree designation.
(Ord. 5557 § 4 (part), 2022: Ord. 4568 § 1 (part), 1999)