16.28.070 Landscape Area Requirements.
A.   General Requirements. Landscaping shall be provided as follows:
   1.   Setbacks. All setback and open space areas required by this development code shall be landscaped, except where a required setback is occupied by a sidewalk or driveway, or where a required setback is screened from public view and it is determined by the director that landscaping is not necessary to fulfill the purposes of this chapter.
   2.   Unused Areas. All areas of a project site shall be landscaped unless it is determined by the director. The director shall determine the level or intensity of landscaping to be provided for vacant areas based on an approved phasing plan. Landscaping within vacant pad sites shall not be counted towards meeting the landscape area requirements of this section.
   3.   Parking Areas. Parking areas shall be landscaped in compliance with Chapter 16.34 (OffStreet Parking and Loading Standards). Parking lot landscaping, including perimeter screening, may be counted in order to meet the landscape area requirements of this section.
B.   Zoning District Landscaping Requirements. Each land use shall provide and maintain landscaped areas in compliance with Table 16.28-1 for the applicable zoning district. The landscape area requirements identified in the following table (Table 16.28-1) may include setback areas and other unused areas of the site that are not intended for future use. Parking lot landscaping may be counted towards meeting the requirements of this section.
 
Table 16.28-1
MINIMUM LANDSCAPED AREA BY ZONING DISTRICT
Zoning District
Minimum % of Site Area Required to be Landscaped
Multi-Family 1, Residential (MF1)
Multi-Family 2, Residential (MF2)
Multi-Family 3, Residential (MF3)
Ten (10) percent
Neighborhood Commercial (NC)
Business Park (BP)
Fifteen (15) percent
Office (O)
Office Research Park (ORP)
Innovation (INN)
Community Commercial (CC)
Regional Commercial (RC)
Twenty (20) percent
Rural Residential (RR)
Estate Residential ER-1)
Estate Residential (ER-2)
Estate Residential (ER-3)
Single-Family 1, Residential (SR-1)
Single-Family 2, Residential (SR-2)
Twenty-five (25) percent of front yard area
General Industrial (GI)
General Industrial - A (GI-A)
Five (5) percent
 
C.   New Single-family Residences. New single-family developments and custom homes shall provide landscaping with an automatic irrigation system for the area of the site between the street curb and the front of the structure from side property line to side property line. The landscape design should include a combination of trees, shrubs, groundcover, mulch, and hardscape, and shall emphasize water-conserving plant materials and irrigation to the greatest extent feasible.
   1.   Front yard landscaping shall be provided in all residential zoning districts. The minimum landscaped area should be located within the front yard setback, whenever possible, as identified in Table 3-4.
   2.   A minimum of one (1) street tree (24 inch-box) forty (40) feet on center (two (2) feet on private side of property) and two (2) shade trees (1 5-gallon) on the property shall be provided. Corner lots shall provide a minimum of three shade trees (15-gallon minimum).
   3.   Front yard landscaping shall also include a variety of drought-tolerant shrubs, ground cover, and planting at a minimum of ten (10) 5-gallon size shrubs and twelve (12) I-gallon size shrubs. The quantity of shrubs and groundcover may be adjusted due to irregular lot size (i.e. cul-de-sac lots, flag lots), subject to the director's determination.
   4.   For purposes of this section, landscape area shall consist of a variety of plantings and hardscape that should be selected and provided appropriately for their intended use and as an integral part of the overall project design.
   5.   Synthetic turf may be incorporated as an element of a landscaping plan as a substitute for natural turf and for the purposes of water conservation. The Community Development Director shall review and approval all requests to install synthetic turf subject to the following criteria:
      a.   Synthetic turf shall consist of lifelike individual blades of grass that emulate real grass in look and color and have a minimum pile height of one and one-half (1 1/2) inches. The use of indoor or outdoor plastic or nylon carpeting as a substitute for synthetic turf or natural turf is prohibited.
      b.   Synthetic turf shall be permitted only in combination with other live plant materials (i.e. trees, shrubs, and groundcovers) that are designed to achieve an overall natural landscaped appearance for the property.
      c.   In no case shall synthetic turf be used in combination with natural turf in the same landscape areas, or in a landscaping scheme where both elements can be viewed together.
      d.   Property drainage shall be provided for all synthetic turf installations to prevent excess runoff or pooling of water. In some cases, a drainage plan prepared by a Registered Civil Engineer may be required.
      e.   Synthetic turf shall be installed in a professional manner and routinely maintained to effectively simulate the appearance of a well-maintained lawn.
      f.   Synthetic turf shall not be included as part of the landscape area when calculating the MAWA.
`      6.   Residential model home requirements. All model homes that are landscaped shall use signs and written information to demonstrate the principles of water efficient landscapes described in this chapter.
         a.   Signs shall be used to identify the model as an example of a water efficient landscape featuring elements such as hydrozones, irrigation equipment, and others that contribute to the overall water efficient theme.
         b.   Information shall be provided about designing, installing, managing, and maintaining water efficient landscapes.
D.   Hardscaping.
   1.   Hardscaped materials may be allowed as a portion of the minimum required landscaping in Table 3-4. The requirements in Table 3-4 may be reduced by up to twenty-five (25) percent for projects of fifteen (15) acres or larger that include enhanced hardscape materials, and shall include public art, sculpture and/or water features. The hardscape shall be stone or masonry, and shall provide a distinctively different visual appearance from the normal paved and concrete surfaces of the project. The hardscape materials shall be used in areas of pedestrian circulation, seating areas, pedestrian corridors crossing driveways, at project entries and in similar locations within a project site. The use of permeable materials that provide a varied visual appearance is highly encouraged.
   2.   This condition shall apply to all commercial and industrial projects over fifteen (15) acres. For the purposes of this section, "public art" shall mean the creation of an original work including but not limited to earthworks, mosaics, murals and sculptures. For the purposes of this section, "water feature" shall include but is not limited to fountains or pools designed as an architectural feature.
   3.   The minimum standard of performance shall be that the public art and water feature components shall have a value of not less than one (1) percent of the building permit valuation. Prior to issuance of the building permit, the proposed public art and/or water feature shall be approved by the Planning Commission.
(Ord. 559-20 § 6, 2020; Ord. 539 § 9, 2018; Ord. 492 Exhibit 9, 2014; Ord. 443 § 3, 2010; Ord. 367 § 8, 2006; Ord. 182 § 2 (part), 1997)