Shrubbery, vines and groundcover shall be provided, as specified in this section and in the landscape plan described in Section 18.46.080 (Required Landscaping - Landscape Plans). A minimum of fifty (50%) percent of required shrubbery, vines and ground cover shall be drought tolerant.
.010 Shrubbery. Fifty percent (50%) of all required shrubs and similar plants shall be a minimum size of five (5) gallons at time of planting.
.020 Groundcover. Live groundcover shall be planted and maintained where shrubbery is not sufficient to cover exposed soil. Mulch may be used in place of groundcover where groundcover will not grow or where groundcover will cause harm to other plants.
.030 Groundcover Spacing. Groundcover plants should be planted at a density and spacing necessary for them to become well established within eighteen (18) months.
.040 Mixture of Landscape Plants. Within required landscaped areas, a minimum fifteen percent (15%) shall be planted with live groundcover (excluding turf), and a minimum ten percent (10%) shall be planted with shrubs.
.050 Layering in Landscape Bands. A hierarchy of plants - from low groundcover and turf at the front of a property, to medium high shrubs farther back, to higher trees near the building setback - shall be considered to create depth and interest, and to highlight building entrances. This "layering" of landscaping shall include bands of plants of varying width, height and color. The use of a landscaped earthen berm may be substituted for low groundcover. A coordinated landscape plan may be provided in place of layering, provided that it presents an integrated theme.
.060 Drive-through Restaurants. Drive-through restaurants shall have additional landscaping to screen the drive-through lane and other features, such as the back of the menu board (if visible off-site) and the trash enclosure. A dense hedge and/or hedge and berm, with or without a landscaped wall, no less than three (3) feet in height, shall be installed around such features and elsewhere on the site where landscape screening is required.
.070 Turf. The amount of area planted with turf in non-residential developments shall be limited because of its relatively high water consumption. (Ord. 5920 § 1 (part); June 8, 2004: Ord. 6101 § 40; April 22, 2008.)