(a) New developments shall be landscaped in accordance with the following minimum standards:
(1) Plant Material.
A. Landscaping shall consist of native or drought-tolerant plants capable of surviving the desert environment and climate with a minimum of maintenance and supplemental watering. A list of plants determined capable of meeting this criterion is contained in Section 17.60.080
. Other plants may be considered on their merits in meeting this criterion. Determinations of plant species suitability will be made by the Director upon submission of project plans.
B. Landscaping materials may also consist of wood timbers, decorative rocks, boulders, sand, bark, gravel, or a combination thereof; provided, however, that the majority of landscape materials and area shall consist of plants, as set forth above.
(2) Irrigation.
Utilize the most efficient irrigation system for the area being served. Irrigation of required landscaped areas should be by drip irrigation and matched precipitation rate, low-gallonage sprinkler heads, bubblers, and timing devices. Timing devices shall include soil moisture sensors and rain sensing override devices.
Irrigation systems shall be designed to minimize maintenance and water consumption, and the irrigation system shall be properly designed and installed to ensure that overspray onto fences, walls and structures is eliminated to the maximum extent feasible.
(3) Landscape Area Requirements.
All portions of a development site not utilized for building development, service areas, paved or improved storage areas, parking, driveways, etc., shall be landscaped. Developers are required to install front and street side yard landscaping for all new development. Minimum areas of landscaping are as follows:
A. Front Building Setback/Street Right-of-Way Areas. All front building setback and street right-of-way areas located between on-site improvements and the back of existing or future public sidewalks or street curbs, except needed access driveways, shall be fully landscaped, unless otherwise provided for in this Development Code.
B. Parking Lot Area. The following landscaping standards apply to parking lots (Figure 17.60.040-A, B, and C).
1. In order to reduce the “heat island effect” of large expanses of unprotected paved areas, a minimum of thirty (30) percent of the interior parking surface of all parking lots shall be shaded at the maturity of the landscaping.
2. Provide a minimum of one (1) tree (minimum fifteen (15) gallon size when planted) for each seven (7) parking spaces located so as to visually disrupt long rows of parking spaces, trees may be clustered where appropriate.
3. A thirty-six to forty-two (36-42) inch high decorative masonry wall, hedge or landscaped berm, as measured from the finished grade of the parking area, shall also be used adjacent to public rights-of-way to screen the parking area. The height of the screening wall or berm may be reduced when the parking lot is below grade. Horizontal and vertical variations in the design of screening walls are required where the length of such walls exceeds forty (40) feet. Said variations are subject to Planning Staff approval.
4. A minimum of five (5) percent of the interior parking surface area of all parking lots shall be landscaped. Such percentage may be achieved by combining paragraph (1) below with paragraph (2) and/or (3).
a. Planter islands a minimum of five (5) feet in width shall be located at the ends of all rows of parking stalls between the last stall and any drive aisle. Where drive aisles are curved, alternative dimensions with similar area may be approved (Figure 17.60.040-B
); and
b. Planter islands, shall be uniformly distributed throughout the interior parking area, and protected by raised curbs (Figure 17.60.040-B
); or
c. Planter strips, located between double rows of parking stalls, shall be a minimum of four (4) feet in width. Each parking stall may overhang two (2) feet into this area (Figure 17.60.040-B
).
5. Trees within parking lots shall be kept trimmed to a minimum clear canopy height of six (6) feet for visual safety.
6. A landscaped strip with a minimum width of ten (10) feet shall be provided where parking lots are adjacent to a public right-of-way or residential uses or districts, unless otherwise provided for in this Code.
(4) Landscape Buffers/Perimeter Landscape Strips.
A. Landscape Buffers. When providing a buffer between commercial/industrial and residential uses or districts the following features are required:
1. Landscaping shall include one (1) tree for each 200 square feet of required landscape area. Said tree shall be a minimum fifteen (15) gallon size when planted, twenty (20) percent of such required trees shall be twenty-four (24) inch box size; and
2. A six (6) foot decorative masonry wall to City standards; and
3. Evergreen trees a minimum of six (6) feet in height, and 2 inches in diameter, planted at a maximum spacing of twenty (20) feet on center and shrubs planted at a rate of five (5) per one hundred linear feet.
B. Front Building Setback Area. Landscaping in the front building setback area shall be provided at a minimum rate of one (1) tree and six (6) shrubs per thirty (30) linear feet of frontage plus sufficient groundcover plantings to provide combined shrub and ground coverage of fifty (50) percent of the total landscaped area. Trees and shrubs may be grouped, but gaps between groupings of plants shall not exceed forty (40) feet.
C. Other Perimeter Areas. Landscaping in other perimeter areas shall be provided at a minimum rate of one (1) tree and six (6) shrubs per forty (40) linear feet plus sufficient groundcover plantings to provide combined shrub and ground coverage of forty (40) percent of the total landscaped area, except where screening is required. Trees shall be a minimum fifteen (15) gallon size when planted, twenty (20) percent of which shall be twenty-four (24) inch box size. Trees and shrubs may be grouped, but gaps between groupings of plants shall not exceed fifty (50) feet.
(5) Landscape Improvement Requirements. The following minimum landscape improvements are required within the following landscape areas:
A. Single and Multi-Family Residential Developments.
1. Common open space/retention areas. A minimum of one (1) tree and six (6) shrubs per 500 square feet of open space plus such additional vegetative ground cover as is necessary to cover a minimum of fifty (50) percent of the total landscaped area with shrubs and ground cover. The inclusion of turf is subject to the limitations established in Section 17.60.070(e) and in Table 17.60.040-A.
2. Major Street/Boulevard, collector street, and activity street rights-of-way. Major Street/Boulevard, collector street, and activity street rights-of-way adjacent to and within single and multi-family residential developments shall be landscaped at a rate of one (1) tree and three (3) shrubs per 30 linear feet plus such vegetative ground cover necessary to cover a minimum of forty (40) percent of the total landscaped area with shrubs and ground cover. Turf is prohibited within public rights-of-way.
3. Front and Street Side Yards. The use of turf in these areas is discouraged. See Section 17.60.070(e) for specific restrictions.
B. Commercial/Office/Institutional Developments. One (1) tree and six (6) shrubs per 500 square feet of interior open space plus such additional ground cover which, upon maturity, will cover a minimum of fifty (50) percent of all interior open space surfaces. The inclusion of turf is subject to the limitations established in Section 17.60.070(d) and in Table 17.60.040-A.
C. Industrial Developments. One (1) tree and six (6) shrubs per 750 square feet of interior open space plus such additional vegetative ground cover which, upon maturity, will cover a minimum of forty (40) percent of all interior open space surfaces. The inclusion of turf is subject to the limitations established in Section 17.60.070(d) and in Table 17.60.040-A.
D. Grading in the Front Building Setback. Front setback areas shall be graded in a manner which creates natural and pleasing ground forms in accordance with the following guidelines:
1. A maximum of fifty (50) percent of the front building setback area may be used for storm water retention.
2. Soil excavated to create needed retention basins shall, within the slope limitations established below, be used to create complementary earth mounds elsewhere within the same front building setback area.
3. Earth mounds with a maximum slope ratio of four to one (4:1), horizontal to vertical, shall be located and designed to minimize street views into retention basins.
4. Grading and other site preparation shall preclude the run-off of rain and/or irrigation water from landscaped surfaces onto paved surfaces.
E. Finished Grade Surfaces. All landscaped areas shall be graded so that finish grade surfaces of all nonliving materials (i.e., decomposed granite, crushed rock, mulch, and the like) are at least one and one-half (1 1/2) inches below concrete or other paved surfaces.
F. Protection of Landscaped Areas. Landscaped areas adjacent to vehicular drives or parking areas shall be protected by a six (6) inch vertical curb. Areas surfaced with different materials (i.e. lawn and decomposed granite) shall be separated by masonry, wood, or mowing strips.
G. Irrigation Systems. The use of drip irrigation systems or systems of equivalent efficiency for all landscaping at commercial and industrial facilities and all common areas of residential developments is required. The use of similar systems on individual residential lots is encouraged.
Irrigation systems shall be designed to minimize maintenance and water consumption, and the irrigation system shall be properly designed and installed to ensure that overspray onto fences, walls and structures is eliminated to the maximum extent feasible.
H. Limitations on the Use of Turf.
Unless watered with “reclaimed” water, the use of turf in specific land uses shall be limited to the percentages listed in Table 17.60.040-A below.
Land Use | Turf permitted as a percent of Total Landscaped Area |
Single family residential | 20% |
Multi-family residential | 20% |
Common open space/retention basins | 20% |
Parks, schools, golf course and cemeteries | No limitations |
Commercial/office/institutional | 20% |
Industrial | 10% |
(6) Decorative Water Features.
Within commercial, industrial and multi-family developments the use of decorative water features including, but not limited to, pools, ponds, fountains, streams, and waterfalls, unless serviced with “reclaimed water”, shall be limited to small scale pedestrian oriented locations and features. Water feature designs that reduce evaporation, e.g. cascading water rather than vertical sprays, are required.
[Ord. No. 515, Exhibit I, 5/22/13; Ord. No. 528, Exhibit M, 9/10/14.]