A. General Requirements.
1. Minimum width of landscaped areas. Landscaped areas that may be counted toward required landscaping shall have a minimum width of 3 feet, exclusive of the curb, wall, and footing below. In addition, the landscaped tree planters shall have a minimum width of 4 feet in compliance with Subsection 17.310.025.B.1.d. below.
2. Concrete curb required. When in or adjacent to a parking area or drive aisle, planted areas shall be protected with a minimum 6-inch high concrete curb above the surrounding pavement or ground level.
3. Maintenance required. Landscaping shall be continuously maintained free of weeds, debris, litter or temporary signage. This is intended to include proper pruning of trees and shrubs, mowing of lawns, weeding, removal of litter, fertilizing, replacement of plants when necessary, and the regular water of all plants.
4. Irrigation required. All planted areas shall be provided with a permanent automatic irrigation system. This watering system shall consist of piped water lines terminating in an appropriate number of sprinklers or hose bibs, to insure a sufficient amount of water for plants within the planted area.
B. Planting Material.
1. Trees.
a. Trees shall be planted a minimum of 3 feet from any structure or wall.
b. Newly planted trees shall be staked in compliance with City standards.
c. The minimum width of planters containing trees shall be 4 feet clear, interior dimensions, exclusive of curbs, walls, and footing below.
d. Trees in landscape planters less than 10 feet in width, or located closer than 5 feet from pavement, curbs, or a permanent structure, shall be provided with root barriers as determined necessary by the Director.
e. Number of trees.
ii. Street setbacks: 1 per 250 square feet of landscaped area.
iii. Balance of site: 1 per 500 square feet of landscaped area.
iv. Street trees: 1 per 25 foot length of street frontage. The Director may modify this requirement, based on spread of tree at maturity.
f. Minimum tree container sizes for all trees on a site shall be specified as follows:
i. At least 20% of the trees shall be 36-inch box size or larger.
ii. At least 30% of the trees shall be 24-inch box size or larger.
iii. The remaining 50% shall be 15-gallon size or larger. The Director may accept certain species of on-site trees at less than 15-gallon size, if it is determined that the survival/establishment chances are enhanced when planted at a smaller size.
iv. The Director may modify the minimum tree container sizes required based on site conditions.
g. Street trees shall be 24-inch box size or larger.
2. Ground cover and shrubs.
a. All planted areas should emphasize drought-tolerant plant materials wherever possible.
b. Artificial shrubs, ground cover, or turf shall not be allowed.
c. Crushed rock, redwood chips, pebbles, stone, and similar materials may be allowed up to 10% of the total required landscape area.
d. All shrubs shall be planted from a minimum 5-gallon-size containers. One-gallon-size containers may be allowed for shrubs that are not commonly available in 5-gallon-size containers, subject to approval by the Director.
e. Ground cover shall be generally spaced at a maximum of 6 to 8 inches on center. When used as ground cover, minimum 1-gallon-size shrubs may be planted 18 to 24 inches on center.
C. Plant selection and grouping.
1. Plants having similar water use shall be grouped together in separate high, medium, and low hydrozones.
2. Plants shall be selected appropriately, based upon their adaptability to the climatic, geological, and topographical conditions of the site. The use of drought-tolerant plant materials and locally appropriate California Native Plants is encouraged wherever possible.
D. Irrigation.
1. Runoff and overspray.
a. Soil types and infiltration rate shall be considered when designing irrigation systems.
b. Irrigation systems shall be designed to eliminate runoff, overspray or other similar conditions where any water flows onto adjacent property, non-irrigated areas, walks, roadways or structures.
c. To eliminate runoff, proper irrigation equipment and schedules, including repeat cycles, shall be used to closely match water application rates to soil infiltration rates.
2. Equipment.
a. A separate landscape water meter shall be installed for all projects, except for any project with a landscaped area of less than 5,000 square feet.
b. Automatic control systems, including an automatic rain shut-off device, shall be required for all irrigation systems.
c. Plants that require different amounts of water shall be irrigated by separate valves. If 1 valve is used for a given area, only plants with similar water requirements shall be used in that area.
d. Anti-drain (check) valves shall be installed at strategic points on all slopes to prevent low-head drainage.
e. Irrigation heads and emitters shall have matched precipitation rates within each control valve circuit. Sprinkler heads shall be selected for proper area coverage, application rate, operating pressure, adjustment capability, and ease of maintenance.
E. Maintenance.
1. Irrigation equipment shall be continuously maintained in good working condition to assure water conservation, eliminate overspray and runoff.
2. Litter and weeds shall be removed from all landscaped areas on a regular basis.
3. Turf areas shall be mowed and fertilized on a regular basis, and kept green. Accumulations of leaves, twigs, bark, and other similar materials shall be removed on a regular basis.
4. Landscaping shall be maintained in a manner consistent with a project's approved final landscape plan. Maintenance of the approved planted areas shall consist of regular watering, pruning, fertilizing and mulching under a schedule approved as part of the landscape plan.
5. Landscaping maintenance shall include the removal of dead, decayed, diseased, or hazardous trees, weeds and debris constituting unsightly appearance, dangerous to public safety and welfare, or detrimental to neighboring properties or property values. Compliance shall be by removal, replacement, or maintenance as determined by the Director.
6. All plant materials that, due to lack of maintenance, accident, damage, disease, or other cause, fail to show a healthy appearance and growth shall be replaced. Replacement plants shall conform to all standards that govern the original planting installation, approved landscaping plan, or as approved by the Director.
7. Before a Certificate of Occupancy is issued, a landscape maintenance agreement insuring continued maintenance of the planted areas shall be filed with the Division and approved by the Director.
(Ord. No. 2005-007 § 1 (part))