A. Design Requirements.
1. For the efficient use of water, landscapes shall be carefully designed and planned for the intended function of the project. Landscaped areas shall be designed in accordance with the following:
a. Designs and materials shall be in accordance with the General Provisions as set forth in Section 15.50.025;
b. The EAWU for the total landscaped area shall not exceed the MAWA as set forth in Section 15.50.035; and
c. Plant Material.
i. Any plant may be selected for the landscape, providing the EAWU in the landscape area does not exceed the MAWA. Methods to achieve water efficiency shall include one or more of the following:
a. Protection and preservation of non-invasive water-conserving plant, tree and turf species;
b. Selection of water-conserving plant, tree and turf species;
c. Selection of plants based on local climate suitability, disease and pest resistance;
d. Selection of trees based on size at maturity as appropriate for the planting area;
e. Selection of plants from local or regional landscape program plant lists;
f. In high fire hazard areas, selection of plants from City of Fullerton Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone Requirements.
ii. Plants shall be selected and planted appropriately based upon their adaptability to the climatic, geologic, and topographical conditions of the project site, including the following:
a. Use the Sunset Western Climate Zone System, or equivalent generally accepted models, which takes into account temperature, humidity, elevation, terrain, latitude, and varying degrees of continental and marine influence on local climate;
b. Recognize the horticultural attributes of plants (i.e., mature plant size, invasive surface roots) to minimize damage to property or infrastructure (e.g., buildings, sidewalks, and power lines); allow for adequate soil volume for healthy root growth; and
c. Consider the solar orientation for plant placement to maximize summer shade and winter solar gain.
iii. High water use plants, characterized by a plant factor of 0.7 to 1.0, are prohibited in street medians.
iv. Turf shall not be treated as a fill in material, but rather as a planned element of the landscape. The use of turf grass is only recommended in active use areas where it provides a playing surface. Groundcovers and drought tolerant grasses that require less water are recommended in non-active areas. Turf for non-active use shall be limited to 25% of the landscaped area or as otherwise restricted by the MAWA. Turf shall not be permitted in landscaped areas with a slope percentage greater than 25%. Where turf is utilized, it shall be separated from other landscape areas by a border, mow strip, or other material as approved by the Community Development Director.
v. Planting design (species, quantity, size and spacing) shall achieve 70% landscape area coverage within 2 growing seasons from installation.
vii. All planting areas shall be separated from parking and vehicular circulation areas by a raised, continuous six-inch Portland cement concrete curb. The Community Development Director may approve other materials that accomplish the same purpose.
viii. Projects including unimproved private yards or open spaces to be landscaped or otherwise completed by the buyer of the lot shall comply with Section 15.50.090.A.
xiv. Artificial plants and surfaces painted to appear as plant material are not acceptable under any circumstances in a landscaped area. Synthetic turf shall be permitted pursuant to Fullerton Municipal Code Section 15.56.140.
2. Materials shall be located by hydrozone such that:
a. Hydrozones shall consist of plants materials with similar water use except where specified as a permitted mix.
b. Individual hydrozones that mix plants of moderate and low water use or moderate and high water use shall be permitted if:
i. The plant factor calculation is based on the proportions of the respective plant water uses and their respective plant factors; or
ii. The plant factor of the higher water using plant is used for the calculations.
c. Individual hydrozones that mix high and low water use plants shall not be permitted.
3. A landscape design plan for projects in fire-prone areas and fuel modification zones shall comply with requirements of the Fullerton Fire Department Fullerton Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone Requirements. When conflicts between water conservation and fire safety design elements exist, the fire safety requirements shall have priority.
4. Water Features.
a. No water shall be used to clean, fill, or maintain levels in decorative water features, or other similar aesthetic structures, unless such water is part of a recycling system.
b. Where available and consistent with public health guidelines, recycled water shall be used as a source for decorative water features.
c. The surface area of a water feature shall be included in the high water use hydrozone area of the water budget calculation.
d. Pool and spa covers are highly recommended.
5. Soil Preparation, Mulch and Amendments.
a. Prior to the planting of any materials, compacted soils shall be transformed to a friable condition. On engineered slopes, only amended planting holes need meet this requirement.
b. Soil amendments shall be incorporated according to recommendations of the soil report and what is appropriate for the plants selected.
c. For landscape installations, compost at a rate of a minimum of four cubic yards per 1,000 square feet of permeable area shall be incorporated to a depth of six inches into the soil. Soils with greater than 6% organic matter in the top 6 inches of soil, as determined by the Soil Management Plan, are exempt from adding compost and tilling.
d. The exposed soil surfaces on the ground plane shall be covered with a minimum three-inch layer of material to improve waterholding capabilities of soil through reduced evaporation and compaction. Organic materials from recycled or post-consumer shall take precedent over inorganic materials or virgin forest product. Material may be decorative gravel, stones, decomposed granite, compost, or mulch as appropriate for the plant material and of a size sufficient to remain in place once it has been installed. Stabilizing mulching products that meet current engineering standards shall be used on slopes.
e. Stabilizing mulching products shall be used on slopes that meet current engineering standards such as those detailed in the USDA/USAID Low-Volume Roads Engineering Best Management Practices Field Guide.
f. The mulching portion of the seed/mulch slurry in hydro-seeded applications shall meet the mulching requirement.
B. Content.
1. Plans shall:
a. Be prepared by and bear the signature of a professional appropriately licensed by the State of California to provide professional landscape design services; the signature shall be accompanied by a date and the following statement: “I have complied with the City of Fullerton Landscape Ordinance in preparing the Landscape Design Plan.”
b. Provide project summary information which, at a minimum, includes:
• Project Name;
• Project Number;
• Project Location (Street Address, parcel or lot number(s);
• Zoning Classification of the Project Location;
• Water Supply (e.g., potable, recycled, graywater);
• Landscaped Area (in square feet) and rehabilitated landscape area (if applicable);
• Project Type (e.g., new, rehabilitated, public, private, homeowner-installed);
• Water supply type (e.g., potable or recycled);
• Planting Area (in square feet);
• Turf Area (in square feet);
• Water Feature Area (in square feet);
• Special Landscaped Area (in square feet);
• Identify components of the Total Landscaped Area;
• Planting Areas and Turf Areas;
• Delineate and label each hydrozone by number, letter, or other method for identification and indicate on a separate table the water use for each hydrozone (low, moderate, high, low-moderate mix, or moderate-high mix);
• Temporarily irrigated areas of the landscape area shall be included in the low water use hydrozone for the water budget calculation;
• Identify recreational areas;
• Identify areas permanently and solely dedicated to edible plants;
• Identify areas irrigated with recycled water;
• Spatially locate the planting materials within each hydrozone and indicate on a separate table the size, quantity and WUCOLS species factor of each plant by hydrozone;
• Identify location, type of mulch and application depth;
• Identify location and type of separation between turf and planting areas;
• Identify location and type of separation between planting areas and parking and vehicular circulation areas;
• Identify soil amendments, type, and quantity based on Soil Management Report;
• Indicate height of graded slopes and slope percentage;
• Indicate proposed drainage patterns, proposed topography of site with a separate identification of areas to be compacted, and location of retaining or non-retaining walls; alternatively the grading plan and wall plan submitted for the project shall be provided;
• Indicate methods of tree staking or guying for single and multi-trunk trees, as appropriate, and indicate time after which stakes or guys can be removed; a minimum of two stakes on either side of the tree or three guy wires equidistantly spaced around the tree shall be required; central nursery stakes shall be removed once staked or guyed per plan; and
• Indicate method to espalier vines, as appropriate; nursery stakes or trellises shall be removed once espaliered per plan.
• Identify type of water features;
• Identify if water is recirculated;
• Identify if water is recycled; and
• Identify surface area of water features.
c. Identify pervious or non-pervious hardscapes surrounded by or abutting landscape areas.
d. Identify location of, for reference purposes only, any stormwater best management practices that encourage on-site retention and infiltration of stormwater.
e. Identify any rain harvesting or catchment technologies (e.g., rain gardens, cisterns, etc.);
f. Identify any applicable graywater discharge piping, system components and area(s) of distribution.
g. Identify locations of buildings and other structures on site.
h. Identify locations of above-ground utilities and connections as well as trash enclosures.
i. Include a schedule for on-going maintenance.
(Ord. 3226 (part), 2016; Ord. 3134, 2009)