(Added by Ord. No. 170,978, Eff. 5/13/96, Oper. 7/13/96.)
A. Conservation of Energy.
1. Purpose. To contribute to mitigation of increasing urban temperatures, thereby reducing the need for new power generating facilities, the following regulations shall apply.
2. Tree Planting. (Amended by Ord. No. 173,268, Eff. 7/1/00, Oper. 7/1/00.) Applications for landscape approval shall contain a proposal for shading of walls of structures in accordance with the guidelines established by the City Planning Commission.
B. Heat and Glare Reduction.
1. Purpose. To contribute to the mitigation of increasing urban temperatures, thereby reducing the need for new power generating facilities, to reduce storm water runoff, and to increase ground water recharge, the following regulations shall apply.
2. Vehicular Use Areas. (Amended by Ord. No. 173,268, Eff. 7/1/00, Oper. 7/1/00.) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Code to the contrary, applications for landscape approval shall contain a proposal for heat and glare reduction in vehicular use areas in accordance with guidelines established by the City Planning Commission.
C. Air Quality Enhancement.
1. Purpose. To ensure coordination between landscape and other features of the urban environment and to contribute to the processes of oxygen regeneration, clearing the air of harmful pollutants, and removal of air-borne particulates, the following regulations shall apply.
2. Procedure. (Amended by Ord. No. 173,268, Eff. 7/1/00, Oper. 7/1/00.) Applications for landscape approval shall contain a proposal for air quality enhancement, in accordance with the guidelines established by the City Planning Commission.
D. Soil and Watershed Conservation.
1. Purpose. To conserve the unique character of the City which is largely determined by its landforms; and to encourage the restoration of such native areas as are unavoidably disturbed by development; to conserve soil and accumulated organic litter and reduce erosion by utilization of a variety of methods; and to increase residence time of precipitation in the watershed, the following regulations shall apply.
2. General Requirements.
(a) (Amended by Ord. No. 173,268, Eff. 7/1/00, Oper. 7/1/00.) The Department of Building and Safety shall not issue any building permits for a Project where soil and watershed conservation techniques, as provided in this section and in the guidelines established by the City Planning Commission, have not been used, as determined by the Department of City Planning. Notwithstanding the provisions of Article 1 of Chapter IX of this Code, all cut and fill slopes in Hillside Areas determined under the provisions of that article of this Code to be subject to erosion, shall be planted and irrigated pursuant to the provisions of this subdivision.
(b) All cut and fill slopes in Hillside Areas shall be landform graded and landform planted to the maximum extent feasible where such techniques do not affect the stability of the graded slopes. Where landform grading is unsuitable for the entire graded area, portions of the graded area may be required by the Department of City Planning to be landform graded and landform planted, consistent with public safety. Nothing in this paragraph shall prohibit the Department of Building and Safety from enforcing the planting and irrigation provisions of the Grading Division of Chapter IX of this Code.
(c) The Director shall take measures to ensure that the planting of slopes shall take into consideration such factors as degree of slope, slope orientation, type of soil, rooting depth of plants, fire dangers, availability of water, original native communities, depth of soil, and other relevant design factors.
(d) Non-native plants, when used, shall compliment native communities in growth habit, foliage color, cultural requirements, and flowering behavior.
3. Required Vegetation. (Amended by Ord. No. 173,268, Eff. 7/1/00, Oper. 7/1/00.) Manufactured slopes shall be planted in accordance with the guidelines established by the City Planning Commission.
E. Landscape Techniques.
1. Turf Block. Turf block, turf stone or similar materials shall be considered non-planted areas, except in planted portions of emergency access ways when permitted by the Fire Department. (Amended by Ord. No. 171,530, Eff. 4/4/97.)
2. Coordination with Signs and Lighting. All planting shall be coordinated with all signs and lighting on the Project site, both upon installation of the planting and upon the planting reaching its maximum designed size. All shall be designed such that one will not interfere with the other, nor require excessive maintenance.
3. Planting Techniques. (Amended by Ord. No. 173,268, Eff. 7/1/00, Oper. 7/1/00.) All planting shall be accomplished in accordance with the guidelines established by the City Planning Commission.
F. Walls. All concrete or masonry walls shall have a minimum nominal thickness of six inches unless designed to withstand lateral force and constructed pursuant to plans approved by the Department of Building and Safety.