(A) Purpose. This section provides standards for the installation and maintenance of landscaping, walls and screening devices in order to preserve and enhance the natural environment and beauty of the town, to minimize the adverse effects of development, and to promote the general welfare of the citizens of the town. Landscaping materials, including ground cover, shrubs and trees facilitate the control of erosion and the reduction of glare and dust, and soften the visual impact of building masses. Walls and screening devices allow the separation of potentially incompatible uses and the buffering of road noise and intensive activities. Landscaping, walls and screening devices together help to effectuate privacy, logical development and enhancement of property values. In order to preserve the unique natural character of the town, these standards emphasize the retention of native trees, shrubs, rock formations and other natural site features. To conserve water resources, use of drought tolerant plant materials and efficient irrigation systems is encouraged.
(B) Applicability. This section shall apply to:
(1) All new multi-family and nonresidential development;
(2) Change of use from residential to nonresidential where town approvals are required;
(3) Change of use from single family to multi-family residential where town approvals are required; and
(4) Expansion, remodeling and renovation of existing buildings on a lot or building tract, or a related or stand-alone parking lot shall provide an amount of landscaping and screening commensurate with the level or scale of the improvements.
(C) General requirements.
(1) Landscape and site plan.
(a) All proposed buildings and uses shall be shown on a landscape and site plan prepared by an Arizona registrant, unless waived by the Zoning Administrator. Landscaping shall be installed per approved plan unless otherwise modified by the Zoning Administrator.
(b) All landscape and site plans shall indicate:
1. Location of existing and proposed buildings, parking areas, drainage and street improvements;
2. Location of existing trees outside of building footprints;
3. Locations and general types of landscaped treatment areas, i.e., lawn areas, low-water use areas and inorganic areas;
4. Proposed plant or inorganic materials to be used in each treatment area;
5. Underground irrigation systems to be used in each planted area; and
6. Curbs, walls and screening devices.
(2) Location of utilities and drainage facilities.
(a) Proposed utilities shall be located, when possible, so that their installation will not adversely affect vegetation to be retained on a site.
(b) Drainage ways and detention basins may be located within landscaped areas when designed compatible with the planted area and plant species.
(3) Installation. Landscaping, underground irrigation systems, walls and screening structures shall be installed in accordance with the approved landscape or screening plan prior to issuance of a final certificate of occupancy for the building or use. The Building Official may grant a temporary certificate of occupancy for up to six months when a performance bond is provided by the applicant to guarantee the completion of any incomplete landscape or screening improvements.
(4) Maintenance requirements.
(a) Unless otherwise specified, the maintenance of landscaping in the public right-of-way is the responsibility of the adjacent property owner, whether an individual, corporation or homeowners' association.
(b) Landscaped areas shall be reasonably maintained by the owner or the lessee of the property, including pruning, trimming, weeding, and other requirements necessary to create an attractive appearance for the development. Lack of maintenance of required landscaping material shall constitute a violation of this Code.
(c) Plant materials not surviving shall be replaced within 90 days of their demise.
(5) Landscaping in rights-of-way. Approval of the Public Works Director is required prior to placing landscaping and other improvements in rights-of-way.
(6) Irrigation. All required landscaped areas shall include a permanent, underground water irrigation system as defined herein to ensure the long-term health and growth of the landscape. Irrigation system design shall take into consideration the water-demand characteristics of plant or landscape materials used. Alternative irrigation systems may be approved the Zoning Administrator subject to proven effectiveness.
(7) Site disturbance. Any portion of a site disturbed by site preparation and/or construction, especially cut or fill slopes, shall be adequately revegetated and stabilized, prior to issuance of a certificate of occupancy.
(D) Existing vegetation; replacement and credits.
(1) To the extent practical, existing significant landscape features shall be preserved and incorporated into the final landscape and site plans. Existing landscaping may be used to meet the requirements of this Code if it meets the purpose and intent of this section and is included on the approved landscape plan. Such vegetation shall be protected during all phases of site development and given sufficient area and means for growth and water absorption. A credit of up to a 200% may be allowed toward shrubs otherwise required pursuant to divisions (E), (F) and (H) of this section for every shrub greater than two square feet that is preserved or transplanted.
(2) The tree replacement requirement shall be 50% of the total caliper of trees removed from outside of the building envelope. A 200% credit toward the tree replacement requirement shall be granted for retaining and preserving healthy trees four inches or greater in caliper size, excluding Siberian elm. This tree credit shall also count toward required landscaping in divisions (E), (F) and (H) below. Trees to be preserved shall be adequately protected from vehicles, undermining or collapse.
(E) Minimum landscaping standards. All undeveloped areas of each lot or tract and the adjacent right-of-way or parkway shall be landscaped with trees, shrubs, grasses, ground cover and other organic and assorted inorganic materials that create an attractive appearance in accordance with the requirements of this section; provided, however, smooth concrete or asphalt surfaces are not landscaping. Clustering of trees and shrubs is encouraged.
(1) Trees, shrubs and grasses. Recommended plant materials for on-site landscaping are listed in the Plant Palette below. Minimum landscaping shall include the following frequency and size of plantings:
(a) Trees. One tree shall be utilized per 25 linear feet (in no case closer than 25 feet apart) of required landscaped area.
(b) Shrubs. Four shrubs per 250 square feet (or fraction thereof) of required landscaped area shall be provided.
(c) Grasses, ground covers and inorganic materials. Any combination of grasses, ground covers and inorganic materials may be used for the balance of the required landscaping at the developer's discretion; however, a dressing of gravel, decomposed granite or mulch shall be required to hold moisture, slow runoff and restrain weed growth. Such dressing material shall be selected and sized to withstand potential removal by wind and storm water flows.
(2) Plant types/minimum plant sizes. The following minimum plant size requirements shall apply in all cases:
Plant Type/Minimum Plant Sizes
| |
Deciduous trees | One to 1.5-inch caliper (measured one foot above ground) |
Evergreen trees | 5 feet tall |
Shrubs | 5-gallon container size, 18 inches tall |
Woody ground cover | 1-gallon container with 12-inch spread |
(3) Landscape plant list.
(a) Public rights-of-way. Plants compiled in a list by the Arizona Department of Water Resources for the Prescott AMA are required for use within any public right-of-way where potable water is utilized for irrigation.
(b) All other properties. Plants used to satisfy landscape requirements other than public rights-of-way are not specified in the interest of property owner discretion and creativity. However, please see the recommended plant list, or Plant Palette, in the commentary below.
(F) Parking area landscaping. Parking lot landscaping shall be subject to the following minimum standards:
(1) Parking lot perimeters.
(a) Street frontages.
1. All parking lots adjacent to a street shall be landscaped with a minimum width of ten feet on site (measured from the right-of-way edge), with plantings as specified in division (E) above. Right-of-way edges shall be cleaned up and integrated with the street frontage landscaping. The minimum landscape strip may be reduced along part of the frontage, provided an average landscaped width of ten feet is maintained along the overall frontage.
2. In addition, parking areas with street frontages longer than 200 feet shall be screened from street view to a height of three feet with a masonry wall, berm or dense landscaping, or a combination of two or more of these elements. Such walls shall utilize materials and otherwise be designed to be compatible with the architecture of the principal structure on the site. Landscaping shall be provided adjacent to the outside of such walls with plantings as specified in division (E) of this section.
(b) Other parking perimeters. Non-frontage perimeters of a parking lot shall be landscaped with a five-foot wide landscape strip with plantings as specified in division (E) above. This minimum landscape strip may be reduced to three feet when a minimum three-foot high wall is provided in accordance with division (F)(1)(a)2., above.
(c) Transfer of required landscaping. The Zoning Administrator may approve the transfer of required parking area landscaping from required locations to other locations on the site, provided the purpose for this section is achieved.
(d) Landscape protection. All landscaped areas adjacent to vehicular parking and access areas shall be protected by six-inch vertical concrete curbing, six-inch pre-cast bumpers or similar materials in order to control storm water flows and minimize damage by vehicular traffic. Vehicles may overhang landscaped areas up to two feet into landscaped areas that are at least five feet wide, but may not overhang sidewalks and other pedestrian walkways. This provision applies equally to vehicle display areas.
(2) Landscaped islands. Parking lots with more than 50 spaces shall provide landscaped parking islands according to the following standards:
(a) All landscaping parking islands shall be a minimum of four feet wide and contain a minimum of 40 square feet in area; provided, however, landscape islands may be aggregated into fewer and larger islands that meet overall planting and area standards.
(b) A minimum of one tree and two shrubs for every ten parking spaces shall be preserved or planted within the parking lot.
(c) No parking space is farther than 100 feet from a landscaped area.
(d) These requirements may be modified upon approval of the Zoning Administrator where exceptional design of the parking lot merits such modification and where the intent of the standard is met through alternate design schemes.
(G) Foundation plantings. One small (understory) tree and four shrubs per 50 linear feet of building wall shall be required within four-foot minimum width planters along all building walls that are 50 feet or longer; provided, however, that this requirement shall not apply where other required landscaping adjoins the building or where such walls are not visible from surrounding streets.
(H) Screening standards. Where screening is required by this Code, minimum screening in accordance with the following standards shall apply in addition to other applicable requirements. Existing vegetation or natural conditions may be used to satisfy these requirements (see division (B) of this section).
(1) Screening materials. Screening may be accomplished by the use of plants, earth berms, solid walls, or trees and shrubs in combination as necessary to produce an effective screening from view off-site of the use or facility requiring screening within a reasonable time.
(2) Screening plant list. Plants used to satisfy any required screening standards shall be limited to plants with a mature height of between six and 15 feet and foliage characteristics similar to those of the recommended plants for this purpose.
(3) Height of screening devices. The height of screening devices shall be measured from the highest finished grade adjacent to the screening device to maximize effectiveness in accordance with the maximum fence height requirements.
(4) Outdoor storage areas. All outdoor storage areas for materials and garbage containers, heavy equipment, or other similar items shall be screened from street view by a minimum six-foot high screening device. Such screening device shall consist of plant material and/or a wall constructed of or finished with materials compatible with the principal structure on the site. See also division (H)(6) below.
(5) Mechanical equipment.
(a) Roof-mounted equipment shall be screened from view from the adjoining street(s) or alley(s) in a manner integrated with the roof structure and color.
(b) Ground-mounted mechanical equipment shall be screened from off-site view by a screening device consisting of either plant material, a wall constructed of or finished with materials to match the principal structure on the site, a lattice or other similar containment.
(6) Dumpsters and solid waste receptacles.
Dumpsters and receptacles shall be completely screened from view of adjacent property in a more restrictive zoning district by opaque fence or wall that is at least one foot taller than the dumpster or solid waste receptacle.
(7) Loading area. Loading areas shall be screened from view off-site on three sides by a solid, fence, finished wall, or hedge at least six feet in height.
(Ord. § 547, passed 9-4-2008)