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(A) Applicability.
(1) New parking lots. All new parking lots with four or more spaces must comply with this section as illustrated in Figure 324-7.
Figure 324-7: Parking Lot Landscaping
(2) Non- conformities. An existing parking lot with four or more spaces non-conforming to this section must be brought into conformance to the extent possible when required by § 155.424.030 (Non-Conforming Site Features).
(B) Landscape materials. Except as otherwise specified in this section, 50% of required landscape area must be covered with groundcover, shrubs, turf or other types of plants at maturity. The remaining area may be covered by mulch, bark chip, crushed rock, pebbles, stone and similar non-plant materials.
(C) Interior parking lot landscaping.
(1) Amount of landscaping.
(a) All portions of a parking lot not occupied by a parking space, drive aisle, pedestrian way or trash collection and storage area must be landscaped.
(b) A minimum of one tree that reaches a mature height of at least 20 feet must be planted within the parking lot at a minimum ratio of one tree for each 15 parking spaces.
(c) When the calculation of required trees results in less than one tree (i.e., parking lots with fewer than 15 spaces), a minimum of one tree must be provided.
(D) Location of landscaping.
(1) Where space permits, a landscaped island, at least four feet in all interior dimensions, and containing at least one tree, must be provided at each end of each interior row of automobile parking stalls and between every eight consecutive automobile parking stalls. Horizontal curb surfaces may not be included in the landscaped island area calculation. Trees in landscape islands may count towards the required number of trees hereunder.
(2) Parking lots with more than 50 spaces must provide a concentration of landscape elements at primary parking lot entrances, such as trees, shrubs, flowering plants and enhanced paving.
(3) Landscaping must be located and designed so that pedestrians are not required to cross landscaped areas to reach building entrances from parked cars. This may be achieved through the orientation of the landscaped fingers and islands, and by providing dedicated pedestrian access through landscaped areas where needed.
(E) Perimeter parking lot landscaping.
(1) Adjacent to streets.
(a) Parking areas adjacent to a street must include a landscaped planting strip between the street and parking area at least four feet wide with at least 50% of the plant material attaining a minimum plant height at maturity of 36 inches. See § 155.324.060(K) (Screening) for when a low-profile wall or fence is required along the perimeter of a parking lot in addition to landscaping.
(b) Plantings and screening materials may include a combination of plant materials, earth berms, solid decorative masonry walls, raised planters, or other screening devices that are determined by the Director to meet the intent of this requirement.
(c) Trees must be provided within the planting strip at a rate of at least one tree for each 30 feet of street frontage with a minimum distance of not more than 60 feet between each tree. Tree species must reach a mature height of at least 20 feet. Planting strip tree requirements are in addition to required interior parking lot trees.
(d) Landscaping must comply with intersection and driveway vision clearance requirements in § 155.308.040 (Vision Clearance Area).
(2) Stormwater runoff. When required, parking lot drainage plans will be reviewed by the Public Works Director and must comply with all applicable Low Impact Development (LID) standards.
(F) Alternative landscape designs.
(1) The Director may approve an administrative adjustment to allow alternative landscape design that deviates from the requirement in this section.
(2) To approve an administrative adjustment for an alternative landscape design, the Director must make the findings in § 155.412.030(F) (Findings for Approval) and find that adjustments to landscape design requirements are warranted to provide relief for existing site constraints or to achieve a superior aesthetic or environmental design.
(Ord. 885-C.S., passed 5-21-19; Am. Ord. 902 C.-S., passed 8-18-20; Am. Ord. 916-C.S., passed 7-6-21; Am. Ord. 951-C.S., passed 10-17-23)
This § 155.328 establishes landscaping standards to enhance the aesthetic appearance of developed areas in Eureka and to promote the efficient use of water resources.
(Ord. 885-C.S., passed 5-21-19)
(A) General. Except for projects exempted under § 155.328.020(B) (Exemptions), the requirements in this section apply to projects that:
(1) Construct a new building of 500 square feet or more;
(2) Add 1,000 square feet or more to an existing building; or
(3) Add a multi-family dwelling unit to the site.
(B) Exemptions. This section does not apply to single-family homes in any zoning district.
(C) Non-conformities. Properties non-conforming to the standards in § 155.328.040 (Required Landscape Areas) and § 155.328.050 (General Landscape Requirements) must be brought into conformance when required by § 155.424.030 (Non-conforming Site Features).
(Ord. 885-C.S., passed 5-21-19; Am. Ord. 951-C.S., passed 10-17-23)
(A) Landscape plan required.
(1) An applicant must submit a landscape plan if the proposed project is:
(b) Involves new landscaping or the modification or removal of existing landscaping.
(2) Required landscape plans must be submitted as part of the permit application, if any, and subsequent building permit applications.
(B) Required contents. Landscape plans must include the following features and information:
(1) Site boundaries;
(2) Existing conditions on the property, including contours and existing structures;
(3) New structures and expansions proposed as part of the project;
(4) Existing landscaping, trees and vegetation to be retained, specifying plant location, species and size. Details of existing trees must also include approximate tree diameter measured 48 inches above existing grade and approximate outer limit of tree canopy;
(5) New landscaping proposed as part of the development project, specifying plant location, species, number and size;
(6) Irrigation plan specifying the location, type and size of all components of the irrigation system (if proposed);
(7) Proposed grading if any;
(8) A landscape maintenance plan describing how the landscaping will be maintained in a healthy and thriving condition, including provisions to replace plant material as needed to maintain compliance with the approved landscape plan; and
(9) Additional information as determined by the Department to demonstrate compliance with the requirements of this section.
(C) Review and approval.
(1) For projects that do not require design review, the Department will review all landscape plans to verify compliance with this section as part of the zoning clearance approval.
(2) For projects that require design review, the review authority responsible for approving design review must also approve the landscape plan.
(D) Changes to approved landscape plans.
(1) Only the review authority that approved the landscape plan may allow substantial modifications to an approved landscape plan.
(2) The Director may approve minor changes to a landscape plan previously approved by the City Council, Planning Commission or Design Review Committee. Minor changes are defined as modifications to a landscape plan that do not alter the general design character of the landscaped area or alter a feature of the landscaped area specifically required by the review authority. The Director may also approve changes to a landscape plan required to comply with Building Code or Fire Code requirements.
(Ord. 885-C.S., passed 5-21-19; Am. Ord. 902 C.-S., passed 8-18-20; Am. Ord. 951-C.S., passed 10-17-23)
(A) Parking lots. See § 155.324.080 (Parking Lot Landscaping) for required landscaping in parking lots.
(B) Residential zoning districts.
(1) The following areas, excluding areas required for access to the property, must be landscaped and maintained:
(a) All required front and street side setback areas;
(b) All areas between a building and a front or exterior side lot line; and
(c) Any area between the front or exterior side lot lines and the sidewalk or edge of street curb. See Figure 328-1.
(2) Landscaping is not required in setback or yard areas located behind a four-foot or higher solid fence or wall or in areas not visible from the sidewalk or street.
(3) Landscaping may consist of any combination of living plants, such as trees, shrubs and grass or related natural features, such as rock, stone or mulch. Decorative hardscape featuring pervious materials, such as pervious paver stones, gravel and decomposed granite, is permitted within required landscaping areas.
(C) Mixed-use zoning districts. In mixed-use zoning districts, all areas between a building and a front or exterior side lot line and all areas between the front or exterior side lot lines and the sidewalk or edge of street curb must be landscaped, excluding areas required for access to the property. See Figure 328-2.
(D) Industrial zoning districts. Parking lots in industrial zoning districts must comply with the landscaping requirements in § 155.324.080 (Parking Lot Landscaping). No additional landscaping is required.
(Ord. 885-C.S., passed 5-21-19; Am. Ord. 951-C.S., passed 10-17-23)
(A) Parking lots. See § 155.324.080 (Parking Lot Landscaping) for landscaping requirements that apply to new parking lots with four or more spaces.
(B) Vision clearance area. Landscaping must comply with the vision clearance area requirements in § 155.308.040 (Vision Clearance Area).
(C) Public safety. Plant species must be selected and located so that at maturity they do not interfere with pedestrian, bicycle or vehicular circulation and do not conflict with utilities and overhead lights.
(D) Native plants. At least 75%, by count, of all new in-ground shrubs, groundcover, and trees will involve only the use of species native to Eureka as listed by the California Native Plant Society, with the remainder being noncompeting exotic species.
(E) Invasive plants. Planting species with a "High" rating in the California Invasive Plant Council's Cal-IPC inventory of invasive plants are prohibited.
(F) Trees.
(1) Trees must be a minimum 15-gallon size unless the reviewing authority determines that a smaller size is sufficient for the site.
(2) Trees in landscape planters less than ten feet in width or located closer than five feet from a public sidewalk, street or permanent structure on an adjacent property must be planted with root barriers or root barrier panels to prevent damage to adjacent structures or pavement.
(G) Groundcover and shrubs.
(1) A minimum of 50% of required landscape area must be covered with groundcover, shrubs, turf or other types of plants at maturity.
(2) Groundcover must be provided throughout the landscaped area and must be spaced to achieve full coverage of the groundcover area within one year.
(3) A maximum of 50% of the required landscape area may consist of mulch, bark chip, crushed rock, pebbles, stone or similar non-plant materials.
(4) Landscaped areas must be top dressed with bark, chip, mulch or other similar mat ial to cover exposed bare soil.
(H) Timing of installation.
(1) Landscaping must be installed prior to receiving a temporary or final certificate of occupancy.
(2) The Director may defer the installation of landscaping for a maximum of 180 days after project occupancy/completion in cases of delays caused by inclement weather, unavailability of plant materials, construction scheduling or other similar issues. The Director may require the applicant to provide adequate security to guarantee the landscaping installation in accordance with § 155.420.070 (Performance Guarantees).
(Ord. 885-C.S., passed 5-21-19; Am. Ord. 902 C.-S., passed 8-18-20; Am. Ord. 916-C.S., passed 7-6-21; Am. Ord. 951-C.S., passed 10-17-23)
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