Local zoning · El Monte

El Monte — Landscaping and Screening

Q: What landscaping does El Monte require along street frontages for nonresidential properties?

Nonresidential street setback areas must be fully landscaped (trees, shrubs, groundcover) and require one 24‑inch box specimen tree per 35 linear feet of lot frontage (excluding driveways). See § 17.72.060.A.1–2 for the tree and street setback rule.

Q: How much of a parking lot must be landscaped in El Monte?

Off‑street parking lots must have a minimum of 5% landscaped area if 50 spaces or less and 8% if more than 50 spaces ; landscaping must be distributed through the lot and does not count required street setbacks. See § 17.72.060.B.1.a–d .

Q: How many trees are required in a parking area?

The Code requires one 24‑inch box specimen tree for every six parking spaces (in addition to street‑setback trees). See § 17.72.060.B.2 .

Q: What are the rules for fences and walls in residential areas?

Residential front and street‑side yards: solid fences/walls may not exceed 4 ft ; an ornamental option allows up to 5 ft if the fence is at least 50% open and decorative wrought iron . Corner visibility triangles have a 42‑inch limit unless the decorative option is used. See § 17.60.120.A.1.a–b .

Q: Can I use chain link for screening or refuse enclosures?

No. Chain link or similar metal wire fencing with slats is prohibited for screening purposes; refuse enclosures and screening are expected to use masonry, planting, or decorative fencing and to be architecturally integrated (see Esperanza Village guidance and § 17.60.120.D ).

Q: How should ground‑mounted mechanical equipment be screened?

Ground‑mounted equipment visible from the public right‑of‑way must be fully screened with decorative fencing, walls, or landscaping and must comply with maximum fence heights in the underlying district; equipment should not be in front/street‑side setbacks. See § 17.60.100.B .

Q: Are there reductions or waivers for landscaping requirements?

Yes. The applicable review authority may consider reductions for certain residential and nonresidential situations (narrow lots, podium or structured parking, dealerships, solar canopies, etc.). The rules for reductions and payment into a Tree Mitigation Fund are in § 17.72.070 .

Q: Do tree‑protection rules live in the zoning code?

Tree preservation is referenced in the landscaping chapter but the substantive tree‑protection rules are in Title 14; Section 17.72.080 directs you to Chapter 14.03 (Tree Protection and Preservation) . Verify any tree removal or impact with Title 14 procedures.

Q: If my property is inside a specific plan (e.g., Esperanza Village), which rules control?

Specific-plan chapters (for example, § 17.135.060 for Esperanza Village) contain design guidelines and sometimes stricter or different screening/landscaping rules. Always apply the specific plan first, then the general Title 17 standards. See Esperanza Village design guidance references.

Q: Where do I check whether a required screening wall can be taller than usual for loading or storage?

Nonresidential sites may use decorative masonry walls up to 14 ft to fully screen loading or outdoor storage through the Design Review process, but those walls must be set back 35 ft from a street property line. See § 17.60.120.C.2–3 .

Landscaping and Screening under the El Monte local zoning and planning code, with the controlling citations.

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Last reviewed: July 2, 2026

Overview

This page summarizes what the El Monte Municipal Code (Title 17) requires for landscaping and screening: where plantings are mandatory, parking-lot planter and tree requirements, fencing/wall height and material limits, equipment screening, and tree-protection cross-references. It is focused only on the local zoning/planning ordinance—practical review steps and links to related topics (e.g., parking, design review, ADUs, overlay districts, and the California Building Standards Code) are included where they intersect with site landscaping and screening decisions.

Key chapters to consult in the El Monte zoning code are Chapter 17.72 (Landscaping and Water Efficiency), § 17.60.100 (Screening — equipment and visible service areas), and § 17.60.120 (Walls, fences and hedges); see the ordinance excerpts and citations below for exact text locations.

How to read this page

Bolded names (for example Rurban Homesteads Overlay District) are taken from the Code; quoted numeric standards are pulled from the cited sections.
Where the Code gives discretion (e.g., reductions/adjustments), I note that the “applicable review authority” may grant them and cite the controlling §. If a specific local number or rule was not present in the files you provided, I flag it as "Not found in retrieved materials" and recommend verifying with the City.

District-by-district breakdown

Note: each subsection below lists the district or plan name (as used in Title 17), its purpose (as the Code describes it), the kinds of uses typically allowed, and the landscaping/screening rules that specifically apply to projects in that district according to the zoning title.

One‑Family Dwelling zoning districts (Chapter 17.20)

Purpose / typical uses: single-family residential lots and accessory uses. See Chapter 17.20 for the district framework.
Key landscaping/screening standards: residential fence/wall limits and screening expectations are controlled by § 17.60.120 (Walls, fences and hedges); residential front/street-side maximum is 4 ft for solid fences, with a conditional 5 ft decorative/open fence option (50% open, decorative wrought iron) near the front yard; corner-visibility triangle limits also apply (42 inches in the triangle) — see § 17.60.120.A.1.a–b.
Where it applies: all properties mapped as one-family zoning in the City’s zoning map; Table 17.20-3 cross-references landscaping standards back to Chapters 17.72 and 17.74 for technical landscaping thresholds.

Manufacturing zoning districts (Chapter 17.42)

Purpose / typical uses: industrial and manufacturing activities listed in the Chapter/Matrix; see Chapter 17.42 for use lists.
Key landscaping/screening standards: manufacturing districts point to the general development standards for landscaping (Chapter 17.72), screening (Chapter 17.60, including § 17.60.100), and walls/fences (§ 17.60.120). The Chapter’s Table 17.42-3 explicitly links these development standards to the manufacturing district provisions.
Where it applies: properties zoned under the manufacturing district designations shown on the zoning map. Verify applicability for heavy industrial uses that may be subject to additional screening (e.g., high walls for loading areas — see § 17.60.120.C.2–3).

Public and Quasi‑Public Zoning Districts — PF, OS, AP, RT, RW (Chapter 17.44)

Purpose / typical uses: public facilities, open space, airport, railroad/transitway, and river/wash properties. See § 17.44.010 and permitted use Table 17.44‑1.
Key landscaping/screening standards: the general landscaping rules of Chapter 17.72 (trees, planter widths, parking-lot landscaping) apply to site improvements for public uses, and screening for equipment and service areas follows § 17.60.100. For site design, street setback planting (trees/shrubs) is mandated in § 17.72.060.A when nonresidential uses are present.
Where it applies: to parcels categorized PF, OS, AP, RT, or RW on the City zoning map; specific public projects may also be subject to special plans or capital project standards (verify per project).

Rurban Homesteads Overlay District (RHOD) — Chapter 17.22

Purpose / typical uses: preserve rural/low‑density character, permit agricultural and small animal keeping consistent with lot size and homestead character; see § 17.22.010–030.
Key landscaping/screening standards: the RHOD emphasizes preservation of rural character (landscaping encouraged) and then defers to the general development chapters; specific RHOD provisions for walls/fences are found in the RHOD text and must be read together with § 17.60.120 when proposing fences or animal enclosures. (The RHOD text identifies permitted uses and special conditions; see § 17.22.030.)
Where it applies: properties mapped with the RHOD overlay on the zoning map. Verify whether any RHOD-specific wall/fence exceptions apply to your lot.

Specific Plans with local landscape/screening rules

Esperanza Village Specific Plan (Chapter 17.135) — includes design guidelines and explicit landscape/ screening expectations (mechanical equipment screening, refuse enclosures, prohibition of chain link for screening) and requires conformity with Chapters 17.50, 17.60, 17.70, 17.72, and 17.80 unless exceptions are approved. See § 17.135.060 and other subsections.
Mountain View Specific Plan (Chapter 17.132) — its design guidelines include walls and fences standards and require certain wall materials and heights; see § 17.132.060–070 for references.
Downtown Specific Plan (Chapter 17.134) — downtown development must follow plan-specific landscaping & public realm rules; check Chapter 17.134 for project-level obligations.

Practical note: specific plans can override or supplement general Title 17 standards; always check the relevant specific-plan chapter first and then the general development chapters (Chapters 17.50, 17.60, 17.70, 17.72) for any remaining requirements.

Core standards — what the Code actually requires (high‑priority excerpts)

Standard / situation	Requirement (plain language)	Code Reference
Street setback planting for nonresidential frontages	1 specimen 24‑inch box tree per 35 linear feet of lot frontage (excluding driveways); full mixture of trees, shrubs, groundcover required in street setback.	§ 17.72.060.A.1–2
Parking-lot landscaping (off-street parking)	If ≤50 spaces: min 5% of lot area landscaped; if >50 spaces: min 8%; landscaping distributed through lot; percentages exclude required street setbacks.	§ 17.72.060.B.1.a–d
Parking-lot trees	1 specimen 24‑inch box tree per 6 parking spaces (in addition to street-setback trees).	§ 17.72.060.B.2
Parking perimeter planters	Min 5 ft landscape planter adjacent to interior side and rear property lines; minimum planter widths generally 5 ft; planter depth and stall depth adjustments allowed when planter is 6–7 ft.	§ 17.72.060.B.3–4
Separation of landscaping from circulation	All landscaping must be separated from parking/vehicle circulation by a raised continuous 6‑inch Portland cement concrete curb (or approved alternative).	§ 17.72.050.B.5
Tree protection / preservation	Tree preservation is addressed in Title 14 (Chapter 14.03) and Title 17 points to that Chapter; mitigation (tree mitigation fund) applies when required trees are not planted.	§ 17.72.080 and § 17.72.070.C
Landscaping reductions / waivers	The "applicable review authority" may reduce some landscaping requirements for small lots, podium/structured parking, vehicle dealerships in the Auto District, or for properties under certain dimensional limits; in lieu of planting required trees an applicant may pay into the Tree Mitigation Fund.	§ 17.72.070
Screening of ground-mounted equipment	Ground-mounted equipment visible from the public right-of-way must be fully screened with decorative fencing, walls and/or landscaping and must not be located in front or street-side yard setbacks (except as expressly allowed).	§ 17.60.100.B
Fences/walls — residential	Solid front/street-side fences/walls: max 4 ft; up to 5 ft allowed if ≥50% open decorative wrought iron; corner-visibility triangle fences ≤42 inches unless decorative option used.	§ 17.60.120.A.1.a–b
Fences/walls — nonresidential	Front/street yards: max 5 ft, must be located behind required landscaping. When abutting residential uses, min 6 ft and max 8 ft masonry wall required along rear/interior side property lines. Decorative masonry up to 14 ft allowed to screen loading/outdoor storage with a 35 ft setback from street lines (Design Review required).	§ 17.60.120.C.2–3
Prohibited materials for screening	Chain link or similar metal wire fencing with slats is prohibited for screening purposes; barbed/razor materials prohibited on fences/walls.	§ 17.60.120.D

Checklist

Demonstrate street‑setback landscaping plan showing 1 twenty‑four‑inch box specimen tree per 35 ft frontage for nonresidential frontages (§ 17.72.060.A.2)
Show parking-lot calculation with % landscaped area (5% if ≤50 spaces, 8% if >50) and tree tally (1 tree / 6 spaces) and locate planters (min 5 ft) (§ 17.72.060.B)
For residential projects, show private/common open space tree and planting counts in accordance with § 17.72.050 (residential open-space and tree specs)
For any ground‑mounted equipment, label screening method (wall, fence + landscaping) and confirm equipment is not in front/street-side setbacks (§ 17.60.100.B)
Show fence/wall elevations consistent with § 17.60.120 (residential 4 ft solid / 5 ft decorative; nonresidential special conditions; grade‑separating wall rules)
If requesting landscaping reductions, attach justification and request per § 17.72.070 (and note the Tree Mitigation Fund option)
If the site is in a specific plan (e.g., Esperanza Village, Mountain View, Downtown), comply with plan design guidelines and specific plan chapters first (e.g., § 17.135.060 for Esperanza Village) and show consistency with Chapters 17.50–17.72 as required

Tip: link your landscape plan to the site’s parking layout (see parking) and to any required design review submittals.

Risks & Ambiguities

Issue	Why it matters	What to verify
Applicability of specific‑plan provisions	Specific plans (Esperanza Village, Downtown, Mountain View) may modify general Title 17 rules, so relying only on Chapter 17 general rules can miss project‑specific requirements.	Confirm which specific plan chapter governs the parcel (e.g., § 17.135 for Esperanza Village) and use that plan first.
Tree protection rules vs. landscape planting	Tree preservation is governed by Title 14 (Tree Protection)—removal or impacts may require tree protection/mitigation beyond planting counts.	Check § 17.72.080 and Title 14 Chapter 14.03 for preservation and mitigation rules; verify protected species and permit needs.
Grade‑separation wall measurements	Wall height limits depend on relative grade; measuring point is the adjacent property grade and multiple-tier walls have specific spacing/landscape separation requirements.	Follow § 17.60.120.E for grade walls; verify existing site grades and show dimensioned elevations.
Conflicts between landscaping percentages and driveway/frontage constraints	Reductions exist for narrow lots, vehicle sales lots, podium/structured parking and solar canopies; approving authority has discretion.	If lot is <100 ft wide/deep or has canopy/structured parking, prepare justification per § 17.72.070 and expect conditions.
Screening style vs. security needs	Code prohibits certain fencing materials (chain link for screening) and bars on front elevations; security devices can conflict with visibility/design rules.	Confirm compliance with § 17.60.110 (security bars/gates) and § 17.60.120.D (material prohibitions).
Parcel-specific exceptions (e.g., Auto District, vehicle dealerships)	The Auto District and vehicle sales sections have special landscaping/planter widths and wall/opening rules.	Check vehicle sales rules in § 17.112.190 and Auto District mapping; these give tailored planter widths and decorative fence expectations.

Plain‑English Summary

El Monte’s zoning code requires trees and planted areas along street frontages and in parking lots (specific tree counts and percent‑of‑area rules), sets minimum planter widths and a standard curb separation from vehicle areas, and limits fence/wall heights and materials (residential front fences are generally short; nonresidential sites require masonry screening where adjacent to homes). Equipment visible from the street must be screened. Reductions are possible but must be approved by the applicable review authority; tree protection rules live in Title 14. See the cited sections below for exact measurements and exceptions.

Source References

El Monte Municipal Code, § 17.72.060 (Landscaping requirements — Nonresidential uses)
El Monte Municipal Code, § 17.72.050 (Residential projects — open space and planting requirements)
El Monte Municipal Code, § 17.72.070 (Landscaping reductions and adjustments) and § 17.72.080 (Tree preservation; cross‑reference to Title 14 Chapter 14.03)
El Monte Municipal Code, § 17.60.100 (Screening — equipment, ground‑mounted equipment must be screened)
El Monte Municipal Code, § 17.60.120 (Walls, fences and hedges — heights, materials, grade walls)
El Monte Municipal Code, Chapter 17.20 (One‑Family Dwelling zoning districts; cross‑references to landscaping standards)
El Monte Municipal Code, Chapter 17.42 (Manufacturing zoning districts; Table 17.42‑3 ties to landscaping & screening standards)
Esperanza Village Specific Plan, § 17.135.060 (Design guidelines — landscaping, screening expectations)
Vehicle sales and vehicle-related standards (landscaping and walls): § 17.112.190 and § 17.112.220 (vehicle cleaning/wash rules include equipment screening directions)

(Internal guidance pages referenced earlier in this page: El Monte zoning & planning overview, El Monte Zoning, and El Monte Development Standards.)

Sources

Retrieved passages

El Monte Zoning Code (§ 3) High relevance
El Monte Zoning Code (section for) High relevance
CBC § 3 (Chapter or) High relevance
CWUIC § 65850.6 (Title 24) High relevance
El Monte Zoning Code (section for) High relevance
El Monte Zoning Code High relevance
El Monte Zoning Code (Section 17.50.070) High relevance
El Monte Zoning Code (title that) High relevance

Cited sections

Official El Monte code library

Frequently asked questions

What landscaping does El Monte require along street frontages for nonresidential properties?

Nonresidential street setback areas must be fully landscaped (trees, shrubs, groundcover) and require one 24‑inch box specimen tree per 35 linear feet of lot frontage (excluding driveways). See § 17.72.060.A.1–2 for the tree and street setback rule.

How much of a parking lot must be landscaped in El Monte?

Off‑street parking lots must have a minimum of 5% landscaped area if 50 spaces or less and 8% if more than 50 spaces; landscaping must be distributed through the lot and does not count required street setbacks. See § 17.72.060.B.1.a–d.

How many trees are required in a parking area?

The Code requires one 24‑inch box specimen tree for every six parking spaces (in addition to street‑setback trees). See § 17.72.060.B.2.

What are the rules for fences and walls in residential areas?

Residential front and street‑side yards: solid fences/walls may not exceed 4 ft; an ornamental option allows up to 5 ft if the fence is at least 50% open and decorative wrought iron. Corner visibility triangles have a 42‑inch limit unless the decorative option is used. See § 17.60.120.A.1.a–b.

Can I use chain link for screening or refuse enclosures?

No. Chain link or similar metal wire fencing with slats is prohibited for screening purposes; refuse enclosures and screening are expected to use masonry, planting, or decorative fencing and to be architecturally integrated (see Esperanza Village guidance and § 17.60.120.D).

How should ground‑mounted mechanical equipment be screened?

Ground‑mounted equipment visible from the public right‑of‑way must be fully screened with decorative fencing, walls, or landscaping and must comply with maximum fence heights in the underlying district; equipment should not be in front/street‑side setbacks. See § 17.60.100.B.

Are there reductions or waivers for landscaping requirements?

Yes. The applicable review authority may consider reductions for certain residential and nonresidential situations (narrow lots, podium or structured parking, dealerships, solar canopies, etc.). The rules for reductions and payment into a Tree Mitigation Fund are in § 17.72.070.

Do tree‑protection rules live in the zoning code?

Tree preservation is referenced in the landscaping chapter but the substantive tree‑protection rules are in Title 14; Section 17.72.080 directs you to Chapter 14.03 (Tree Protection and Preservation). Verify any tree removal or impact with Title 14 procedures.

If my property is inside a specific plan (e.g., Esperanza Village), which rules control?

Specific-plan chapters (for example, § 17.135.060 for Esperanza Village) contain design guidelines and sometimes stricter or different screening/landscaping rules. Always apply the specific plan first, then the general Title 17 standards. See Esperanza Village design guidance references.

Where do I check whether a required screening wall can be taller than usual for loading or storage?

Nonresidential sites may use decorative masonry walls up to 14 ft to fully screen loading or outdoor storage through the Design Review process, but those walls must be set back 35 ft from a street property line. See § 17.60.120.C.2–3.

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