Note: This section references many large tables and figures. Links are provided to the tables within the code. Additionally a .pdf containing all of the tables can be viewed and downloaded
HERE.
Purpose
(a) Purpose and intent. The purpose of this section is to provide minimum requirements for landscape and maintenance in newly developed and redeveloped properties, in accord with the goals and objectives of the city comprehensive plan. The intent of these requirements is to accomplish the following:
(1) Protect and promote the value and positive image of property, and enhance the general welfare and physical appearance of the city;
(2) Promote the healthy growth and maintenance of native and adapted trees and vegetation to aid in environmental and ecological protections, including air purification, temperature moderation, oxygen regeneration, groundwater recharge, storm water runoff management, and erosion control;
(3) Provide for landscape elements that are well-integrated into both public and private properties, serving to harmonize the appearance of streets, parking areas, buildings, and open space;
(4) Provide buffering of properties from adjacent roadways, particularly where low-density residential development is adjacent to non-residential development, or where any development or open space is adjacent to a thoroughfare or heavily trafficked perimeter street;
(5) Provide for the separation, screening, or buffering of incongruous or incompatible land-uses and intensity of activities, particularly between low-density residential and non-residential development, roadways, thoroughfares, or heavily trafficked perimeter streets;
(6) Reduce the negative effects of noise, dust, and reflected glare from paved surfaces; and
(7) Reduce light pollution and spillover to adjacent properties, the public right-of-way, and the night sky.
(b) Applicability. The requirements of this section shall apply to all new construction and all redevelopment that results in the replacement or expansion of more than 30 percent of the principal permitted use or structure. Buildings in existence on the effective date of the ordinance from which this division is derived shall be considered legally nonconforming. Pad-site developments or ground-lease developments shall meet the landscape and buffer requirements of subsections (d) and (e).
Additionally, any use requiring a PD zoning designation must comply with these landscape standards unless special provisions are included in the ordinance establishing the PD district.
The city code enforcement office or its designee shall administer and enforce the provisions of this section.
(c) Definitions. Refer to
section 52-1 (Definitions) for all definitions applicable to this section.
(d) Landscape buffers. A landscape buffer yard shall provide visual separation of differing land uses, or between a land use and a public road, to reduce or eliminate the potential nuisance effects of noise, glare, signs, dust, litter, and unsightly areas or functions. Buffer yards without established grass or ground cover shall be seeded with grass or planted with ground cover, to ensure coverage within three years. The standards of this section provide for increases in the width and the opacity of the landscape buffer required per subsection (b).
(1) Activities exempt from buffer yard requirements.
a. Residential uses adjoining residential uses within any residential zoning district;
b. Non-residential uses adjoining non-residential uses of the same zoning classification;
c. Agricultural uses;
d. Any use, building, or structure for which only a change of use is requested, and which does not increase the existing building area.
(2) Buffer yard location.
a. A buffer yard shall be located within and along the outer perimeter of a lot or boundary line.
b. Buffer yard canopy trees shall not be planted within a water or sanitary sewer easement.
c. A buffer yard may overlap a drainage easement if plantings do not impede the flow of water within the easement.
d. A buffer yard shall not be located within any portion of an existing or dedicated public street or right-of-way.
(3) Buffer yard requirements.
a. Existing tree credit. An existing, mature canopy tree located within 20 feet of the property line, with a minimum of 25 percent of its radial drip line falling within a required buffer yard area, shall be granted credit toward reducing the required tree plantings as shown in Table
52-1. Tree diameter shall be measured as DBH ("diameter at breast-height") at approximately four and one-half feet above the natural ground level. Existing tree credit candidates shall be healthy and listed on the Recommended Canopy Tree List in Table
52-10.
b. Table
52-2 defines the buffer yard requirements. Required plant materials shall apply to a single buffer yard (i.e. corner lots shall provide two buffer yards, and may not apply plantings for one buffer yard toward the requirements for the second yard).
c. Tables
52-3 and
52-4 determine the type of buffer yard required between two adjacent parcels, or between a parcel and a roadway. Proposed buffer yard may require city approval.
Required structures.
(a) Whenever a berm is required in a buffer yard, it shall be a minimum of three feet in height and constructed in accordance with the specifications set forth in the city's design standards. Berms shall have side slopes no steeper than 3:1. Wherever possible, berms shall be curvilinear rather than straight. Berms are not required to be continuous and are preferred to be broken periodically, but must cover a minimum of 75 percent of the length of the property line to be buffered.
(b) A hedge of evergreen shrubs obtaining a mature height greater than three feet may be approved to substitute for a berm. Any approved hedge shrubs must be a minimum of two feet in height at the time of planting, and spaced on minimum 24-inch centers.
(c) Unless otherwise noted or approved, whenever a
fence or wall is required within a buffer yard, it shall be constructed in accordance with specifications set forth in the city's design standards and summarized in Table
52-5. An "F1"
fence shall be a wooden
fence, and may be of a split-rail, picket, board-on-board, shadow-box, or stockade style. An "F2" wall shall be of masonry construction. Both F1 and F2 structures may incorporate decorative capped columns. If there is a difference in finish level between the two sides of the
fence or wall, the less finished side shall face the more intensive land use.
(d) A screening wall and a buffer yard is required when the rear or side yards of a residential subdivision abut a thoroughfare, collector, or local street. The screening wall and landscaping shall be located in an easement equal to the buffer yard prescribed in Table
52-2 with the wall located between the landscaping and the residential lots.
Optional buffer yards.
The applicant may seek city approval of an optional buffer yard than is otherwise required, as shown in Table
52-6.
Uses of buffer yards.
A buffer yard may be used for passive recreation, such as pedestrian, bike or equestrian trails, provided that (a) no plant material is eliminated, (b) the total width of the buffer yard is maintained, and all other requirements of this section are met. Buffer yards may not be used for play fields, stables, swimming pools, tennis courts, accessory buildings, parking facilities or trash dumpster locations.
Non-residential interior landscaping requirements.
(a) Screening elements, either plantings or structures, shall be provided with the intent to promote safety, to enhance or protect the visual character of residential, commercial, and industrial areas; and to help maintain the value of land, buildings, and neighborhoods.
(b) Construction and maintenance of screening elements shall be conducted in compliance with all relevant sections of the zoning and subdivision ordinances.
(c) Subdivision screening designs must be approved by the city before construction or installation begins.
(d) Interior landscaping requirements. The landscape area required on the interior of all lots (excluding buffer yards) for MH, LR, GB and LI zoning districts shall be ten percent of the lot area.
(1) Planting requirements. The following plants shall be required within the interior landscape area:
a. One canopy tree per 600 square feet, planted a minimum of 12 feet on-center.
b. One understory tree per 300 square feet, planted a minimum of eight feet on-center.
c. One shrub per 60 square feet of landscape area, spacing per Table
52-11.
d. Ground cover. To provide continuous cover for a maximum of 25 percent of total required landscape area.
(2) Location requirements. A minimum of 75 percent of all required plant materials within the interior landscape area shall be in the front or along either side of the building between the building and the interior edge of the buffer yards.
(3) Enhanced pavement credits. For every one square foot of enhanced pavement area, the required interior landscape area may be reduced by one-half square foot. The maximum credit given for enhanced pavement area shall be ten percent of the required interior landscape area.
(4) Right-of-way landscaping credits. The required interior landscape area may be reduced by a maximum of ten percent when the applicant chooses to establish, irrigate, and maintain turf grass within the parkway along the front of their property. The percent credit given will be prorated based on the portion of the parkway irrigated (i.e. 50 percent parkway irrigated provides five percent credit).
Residential landscaping requirements.
(a) Minimum landscaping requirements within new single-family and two-family (2F), developments:
(1) Planting requirements. Trees and shrubs shall be planted to meet the total quantities in Table
52-7. Required canopy (shade) trees shall be a minimum three caliper inches in diameter. Required understory (ornamental) trees shall be a minimum two caliper inches in diameter. A minimum of one canopy and one ornamental tree shall be located in the front yard of all residential lots. The remaining required trees may be placed in the front or rear of the residential lot.
(2) Location of trees.
a. No trees are to be planted within the parkway, the area between the back of curb and the right-of-way/property line.
b. No tree shall be placed in a location that interferes with, or will grow to interfere with, overhead and/or underground utility easements.
c. Trees shall be spaced so that at mature growth the canopies do not substantially overlap.
(3) Measurement.
a. Tree diameter shall be measured as DBH ("diameter at breast-height") at approximately four and one-half feet above the natural ground level.
b. If the trunk splits into multiple trunks below the six-inch level, then the multiple trunk trees are measured by the following formula.
1. Measure largest trunk circumference at 12 inches above the natural ground level.
2. Remaining trunks, measure circumference at 12 inches above the natural ground level and divided by two.
3. Add subsections 1. and 2. for total circumference, divide total by 3.14 to get caliper.
(4) Additional vegetation requirements.
a. Required shrubs shall be a minimum of three gallons in size when planted and shall be planted in the front yard of all residential lots. Shrubs may be substituted with small trees when planted in the front yard.
b. Solid vegetative ground cover or lawn for the entirety of the lot that is not otherwise covered by mulched planter beds, building(s) and/or driveway area(s).
(5) All landscaping required above shall be planted prior to issuance of the certificate of occupancy on the dwelling(s).
Parking lot landscaping requirements.
Planter islands shall be provided in parking areas based on 20 square feet of landscape area for each parking stall provided (approximately one island per eight stalls). Each row of parking stalls shall provide the required landscape area, however it shall be the applicant's right to place the islands near the building, throughout the parking or at the end of the rows away from the building. The city manager or designee may modify the island requirement for each row in situations where it would be beneficial to combine islands into a larger island. Planter islands shall have a minimum width of eight feet back to back, if curbed, or nine feet edge to edge, if no curb is provided. Parking lot landscaping does not count toward the total required interior landscape area.
(a) Existing trees. The city manager or designee may approve variations to the planter island requirements to preserve existing trees in interior parking areas. For existing trees, the minimum width of the planter island shall be as shown in Table
52-8.
(b) Planting requirements. A minimum of 50 percent of all planter islands in parking areas shall contain a minimum of one canopy tree with the remaining area in shrubs, ground cover, grasses, or seasonal color. Planter islands that have light poles may substitute two understory/accent trees for the required canopy tree.
Plant materials.
(a) The city reserves the right to approve proposed planting plans through an appointed horticulturist, landscape architect, or other persons so qualified. Table
52-13 indicates plant species that are prohibited, due to their invasive or noxious characteristics.
(b) All non-paved surfaces shall be completely covered with living plant material. Landscape materials such as wood chips and gravel may be approved for use under trees, shrubs and other plants, but shall not comprise a significant portion of the total landscaped area. This requirement shall not apply to public or private playgrounds built in association with any non-residential or park use.
(c) All plant material shall be of No. 1 grade, free from plant disease, of typical growth for the species, have a healthy, normal root system, rounded branching pattern, and shall conform to the code of standards set forth in the current edition of the American Standard for Nursery Stock. Grass seed, sod and other material shall be clean and reasonably free of weeds and noxious pests and insects.
(d) Recommended plants. Approved recommended plants are listed in Tables
52-9 to
52-12. Prohibited plants are listed in Table
52-13. Any non-prohibited plants proposed other than those on the approved lists will require city approval. Plant materials shall be appropriate for the region and local site climatic and soil conditions, including drought-tolerance. Plant materials shall be installed in accordance with established horticultural standards of practice.
(e) Size requirements when planted. All plants shall equal or exceed the following measurements when planted. Plants larger than specified may be used, but use of such plants shall not decrease the size requirements of other proposed plants.
(1) Tree measurement. Canopy and understory trees with single trunks shall be measured by caliper size one foot above the ground line. Multi-trunk trees shall be measured by the height of the tree.
(2) Minimum sizes. The minimum plant size when planted shall be as follows:
Plant Material Type |
Minimum Size |
Single-trunk shade tree |
3" caliper, 10'-12' height, ball-and-burlap |
Single-trunk understory tree |
2" caliper, 6'-8' height |
Multi-trunk understory tree |
2" caliper (largest stem), 6'-8' height |
Shrub |
3-gallon container, 12-inch height |
Ornamental grasses |
3-gallon container, 18-inch height |
Groundcover |
4-inch (SP4) containers |
Median landscaping.
Landscaping improvements shall be installed within the medians of all proposed, planned, or divided roadways within the city limits as shown on the city master thoroughfare plan. Frontage is wherever a property abuts the right-of-way of the divided thoroughfare, and separate frontages exist on each side of the thoroughfare.
(1) Applicability. Only developments or subdivisions abutting or adjacent to a divided roadway, as defined in the master thoroughfare plan, shall be subject to this section.
(2) Developer obligation. The subdivider or developer shall be fully responsible for the construction and installation of the required landscaping and maintenance of the improvements for a period of one year. During the first year following installation, the subdivider or developer shall replace any tree, shrub, sod, groundcover or hardscape in substandard condition. Following the first year, the director of engineering and public works shall inspect the installation and determine what, if any, plant materials and/or hardscape must be replaced prior to the city taking over maintenance.
(3) Installation or deferment. In the event that the director of engineering and public works, in his sole discretion, determines that the installation of improvements at any given time period is impractical due to further road construction or other factors, the subdivider or developer shall pay a fee-in-lieu into an escrow account for future median landscaping and/or maintenance. This fee-in-lieu of installation is collected once from each frontage and described more fully in subsection (7)j.
(4) City participation. At the discretion of the director of engineering and public works, the subdivider may install landscaping across the full width of the median, and be reimbursed by the city for the landscaping provided for the second frontage at the per linear foot of frontage rate or the actual cost of the improvements, whichever is less, if funds are available.
(5) Plan design burden/escrowed cost. In the case where undeveloped land exists on both sides of a divided public street, the first to develop shall carry the burden of submitting plans for landscaping, hardscape and irrigation of the median, along with escrowing the fee-in-lieu, as described in subsection (7)j. At the discretion of the director of engineering and public works, the city or county may contribute to this escrow account in order to facilitate the implementation of the landscape plan.
(6) Installation burden. Should the city decline to assume responsibility of planting the median in question, the second to develop will utilize the approved plans (or modify the approved plans with city approval) and shall be responsible for the purchase and installation of the median improvements, using the escrowed account from the first developer and shall contribute an equal amount to the overall cost of the median landscaping. In the event that the original escrow amount has fallen short of current material and/or installation costs, the city will make up the difference in cost or the plans shall be modified to be installed within the cost allotted. Any surplus funds shall be placed in the city's landscape maintenance account.
(7) Minimum requirements for median landscaping.
a. All trees and plant materials shall be chosen from the city's approved plant list.
b. One ornamental tree per 30 linear feet of median. Ornamental trees shall be a minimum two-inch caliper and eight feet in height at time of planting and shall be used primarily as accent trees near the median nose and dispersed within the canopy trees.
c. One canopy tree per 30 linear feet of median, with a minimum of four-inch caliper trunk, and a well-formed canopy that is typical of the species. Canopy trees shall be planted no closer than 30 feet from streetlights located in the median, no closer than 20 feet to an intersection, and no closer than 15 feet from any overhead electrical line.
d. Ornamental and canopy trees need not be evenly spaced and may be clustered for a more pleasing aesthetic effect.
e. When the nose of a median is tapered to five feet or less, that portion of the median shall be paved with bricks placed to align with the top of curb.
f. A minimum of 20 percent of the landscaped area shall be planted in evergreen shrubs, ground cover and/or native grasses.
g. Planting beds shall be separated from turf grass using 14-gauge steel edging to define ground cover beds and reduce weed incursion.
h. Irrigation installation shall include bubblers or drip irrigation for all canopy and ornamental trees and irrigation to uniformly water the planting beds and shall be equipped with rain-freeze sensors.
i. Landscape and installation plans shall be subject to review and approval by the director of planning and development services and the director of engineering/public works. The location and placement of landscaping shall conform to the city street design standards and shall be placed to accommodate the ultimate number of traffic lanes, although shrubs, native grasses and ornamental trees may be placed in future traffic lanes if it is determined that these lanes will likely not be constructed in less than ten years.
j. Fee-in-lieu. Should the director of engineering and public works, at his sole discretion, determine that the immediate installation of median landscaping is impractical, a fee-in-lieu of construction shall be collected and placed in escrow at a rate of $25.00 per linear foot of median length for one-side frontage and $50.00 per linear foot of median length if the development is adjacent to both sides of the roadway. The fee-in-lieu shall be collected prior to plat filing. Said fees-in-lieu of installation shall be applied to construction, reconstruction, upgrading, and installation of median landscaping of divided roadways within the adjacent median landscape areas. Any fees not expended within ten years of collection shall be returned to the developer or subdivider who deposited the fees with the city.
k. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (7)j., hereinabove, the city shall not be required to return fees that have not been expended if roadway medians have not been constructed on divided roadways within the adjacent roadway benefit area thus preventing the purchasing, planting, growing and/or irrigation of the required standard median landscaping. The time period for the expenditure of fees escrowed with the city for the construction of median landscaping shall not begin to run until such time as the roadway medians have been constructed on such divided roadways, the roadway medians have been accepted by the city, and the roadway medians are ready for standard median landscaping.
Landscape/irrigation plan requirements.
(a) Qualification to prepare plans. Landscape plans shall be prepared by a registered landscape architect, a landscape designer, or landscape contractor, knowledgeable in plant materials and landscape design. Irrigation plans shall be prepared by a licensed irrigator or landscape architect.
(b) Landscape plan requirements. The following items shall be provided on the required landscape plan:
(1) Sheet size 24 inches by 36 inches, or as approved;
(2) Acceptable scale: One inch equals ten feet, one inch equals 20 feet, one inch equals 40 feet, or as approved;
(3) North arrow, graphic and written scale;
(4) Appropriate title (i.e. "Landscape Plan");
(5) Title block, including street address, legal description, and date of preparation;
(6) Name and address of owner;
(7) Name, address, and telephone number of person preparing plan;
(8) Property line shown with dimensions;
(9) Existing utilities (water, sewer, storm drain, gas, electric, cable TV, etc.);
(10) Width and type of buffer yards labeled on all sides;
(11) Location, caliper size and species of all existing trees six-inch caliper or greater which are to be preserved;
(12) Location, quantity, size and species of all proposed plant materials;
(13) Maintenance note;
(14) Label type of any enhanced pavement proposed;
(15) Visibility triangles shown;
(16) Seal and dated signature of landscape architect (if applicable);
(17) Plant list; and
(18) Any berms delineated with one-foot contours.
(c) Irrigation plan requirements. The following items shall be provided on the required irrigation plan:
(1) Sheet size 24 inches by 36 inches, or as approved;
(2) Acceptable scale: one inch equals 10 feet, one inch equals 20 feet, one inch equals 40 feet, or as approved (must be at same scale as landscape plan);
(3) North arrow, graphic and written scale;
(4) Appropriate title (i.e. "Irrigation Plan");
(5) Title block including street address, legal description, and date of preparation;
(6) Name and address of owner;
(7) Name, address, and telephone number of person preparing plan;
(8) Property line with dimensions;
(9) Location of all existing trees six-inch caliper or larger which are to be saved;
(10) All pipes labeled as to size;
(11) All sprinkler heads labeled as to type (key is acceptable);
(12) Backflow prevention device labeled with type and size;
(13) Location of water meter and connection to water service;
(14) Any existing utilities (water, sewer, storm drain, gas, electric, cable TV, etc.);
(15) Note indicating that installation must be inspected by the city;
(16) Maintenance note indicated;
(17) Seal and dated signature of professional who prepared plan.
(d) Maintenance.
(1) General. The owner, tenant, and the agent, if any, shall be jointly and severally responsible for the maintenance of all landscaping and irrigation. All required landscaping shall be maintained in a neat and orderly manner at all times. This shall include mowing, edging, pruning, fertilizing, watering, weeding, and other such activities common to the maintenance of landscaping. Landscaped areas shall be kept free of trash, litter, weeds and other such material or plants not a part of the approved landscape plan, and all plant materials shall be maintained in a healthy and growing condition as is appropriate for the season of the year.
(2) Any broken or non-performing irrigation components shall be replaced or repaired to functioning condition by a licensed irrigator.
(3) Plant replacement. For one year after the date of issuance of the certificate of occupancy, the owner shall be responsible for replacing all plant materials that have died after installation, or that do not exhibit healthy foliage during the growing season of at one-third percent of the normal branching extent or pattern. Plant materials that die shall be replaced with plant material of similar variety and similar initial size. The owner shall make such necessary replacements within 30 days of notification by the city.