A. Applicability.
1. The performance standards of this section shall apply to new building construction of one thousand square feet or greater, except as specifically exempted in this section.
2. Requests for rezonings and specific plans that include land subject to this chapter shall be evaluated for conformance to the performance standards of this chapter as part of the rezoning staff report to the planning and zoning commission.
B. Reserved.
C. Building color, reflective finish: All exposed exterior walls and roofs of buildings (unless a roof is screened by a parapet wall extending at least three feet above the building), retaining walls, and accessory structures that are visible from outside the land parcel boundary, shall be earthtone in color and shall blend in with the natural setting: Colors shall not exceed a light-reflective value of sixty percent: Mechanical equipment shall be screened and painted to reduce visibility.
D. Fences and walls:
1. Height: A fence or wall shall not exceed four feet in height unless it encloses an area of less than one-half acre, or a horse corral, dog kennel, swimming pool or spa.
2. Location: A fence or wall shall not be constructed:
a. To delineate property boundaries unless the fence or wall is four feet or less in height; or
b. In a location or manner that impedes wildlife movement through natural open space from and to off-site locations.
3. Barbed wire: If barbed wire fences are used, the fence shall contain no more than four strands of wire: The bottom and top wires shall be barbless and the middle wires may be barbed: The top wire shall be no more than forty-eight inches from the ground surface, and the bottom wire shall be no lower than sixteen inches from the ground.
4. Barbed wire fences not to exceed five feet in height are allowed for ranching or agricultural activities in areas adjacent to a rural public preserve: The fence shall not be structural.
E. Lighting.
1. External lighting shall be limited to that necessary to provide the functional requirements of safety, security and identification, and shall be in accordance with the county outdoor lighting code (Title 15).
2. Except for lighting that is attached to a building, light standards for roads, parking lots, driveways and all other outdoor areas shall not exceed forty-two inches in height and shall be in accordance the county outdoor lighting code (Title 15).
3. Tennis court and horse corral exception: Lighting for tennis courts and horse corrals shall be exempt from the restrictions of subdivision 1 of this subsection, but shall be in accordance with the county outdoor lighting code (Title 15).
F. Parking lots: Parking lots for nonresidential uses shall be located and screened by vegetation so that visibility from roadways and public preserves is reduced to the greatest extent possible.
G. Setback: No structure, parking lot, private driveway or road shall be placed within one hundred fifty feet of a public preserve, except that the setback shall be three hundred feet for any land parcel subject to a specific plan or a rezoning approved on or after August 11, 1998: An exception may be sought in accordance with Section 18.67.060.
H. Utilities:
1. All new or relocated utility lines shall be placed underground, unless the relocated line is a one hundred fifteen kilovolt (or greater) transmission line: All utility lines relocated due to improvement projects shall be placed underground unless such relocated line is a forty-six kilovolt (or greater) transmission line.
2. Location of underground utility lines (including sanitary sewers) shall be planned, joint-trenched where possible, and located beneath the paved portions of roadways or within twenty-five feet of the edge of the paved portions whenever possible so as to minimize vegetative disruption.
3. When making upgrades and reinforcements to existing utilities, existing poles shall be used wherever possible to provide the required transition to underground service to new developments: However, a new pole, set in line with the existing overhead system, shall not be deemed to be a new utility when necessary to serve approved new developments: Upgrades and reinforcements of existing overhead utilities are allowed to the extent that the total number of cables is not increased.
4. Areas adjacent to a rural public preserve are exempt from the regulations of this subsection H.
I. Vegetation:
1. Approved and prohibited plant lists: A buffer overlay zone approved plant list and a buffer overlay zone prohibited plant list, adopted by resolution, are incorporated in the landscape design manual, pursuant to Section 18.73.030.
a. The approved plant list shall include only native plants.
b. The prohibited plant list shall include species that are incompatible with natural areas and public preserves or incompatible because of their mature height expectations.
2. Approved plants: Plants not on the approved plant list shall not be planted in the buffer overlay zone outside private areas, except that:
a. All native species of cacti may be planted; and
b. Native species not included on the approved plant list may be planted with the prior written approval of the planning director or authorized representative.
3. Private areas: Any plant not on the prohibited plant list may be planted in a private area, except for nonnative species of plant whose mature height may reasonably be expected to exceed the ridgeline of the highest adjacent structure.
4. Common areas: Only those plants on the approved plant list, or approved pursuant to subdivision 2 of this subsection, shall be planted in recorded common areas: A landscape or revegetation theme shall be established emphasizing the preservation and enhancement of native plant species: Natural open space common areas shall be further limited to on-site species.
5. Golf courses may be planted with Bermuda grass.
6. To the fullest extent possible, buildings and other improvements shall be sited so as not to disturb native trees, shrubs or cacti: Where removal of this plant material cannot be avoided, all reasonable efforts shall be made to relocate this plant material in to other areas located within the buffer overlay zone: Nursery-grown native species may be planted in lieu of salvaging mature on-site material at a 3:1 ratio, however at least thirty percent of the on-site material shall be salvaged when physical conditions permit: Should revegetation and replanting be necessary, only plant material listed in the approved plant list, or approved pursuant to subdivision 2 of this subsection, shall be used in public, recreation, or common areas.
7. The restrictions of this subsection shall be imposed as covenants running with the land for subdivisions and other development resulting from rezonings or specific plans approved in the buffer overlay zone.
8. Areas adjacent to a rural public preserve are exempt from the restrictions of this Subsection I.
J. Trails Access. Public access to trails identified in the Pima Regional Trail System Master Plan Map or successor shall be reserved in subdivisions in accordance with Section 18.69.040(D) (subdivision standards).
K. Washes. Washes identified on the critical and sensitive biological communities maps, and other washes identified by the criteria applied in the maps, shall be left in their predevelopment state, subject to the following exceptions and requirements:
1. Disturbance within the wash area deemed critical and sensitive shall be permitted in association with roadway, utility and trail crossings, however:
a. Encroachment for these crossings shall not reduce the width of the critical and sensitive wash area by more than twenty percent at any cross-section of the critical and sensitive area.
b. Additional reduction may occur only where necessary to provide floodwater retention requested by the Pima County flood control district or to provide for larger drainage structures so as not to impede movement of wildlife as approved by the Arizona Game and Fish Department; and
c. Erosion protection shall only be permitted within the critical and sensitive wash area to protect fill slopes required for roadway, utility and trail crossings: Erosion protection measures shall be designed so as to not hinder the movement of wildlife.
2. Mitigation Plans for Construction Impacts.
a. Construction impacts may affect up to ten percent of the low-flow channel length where defined channels exist, or up to ten percent of the length of the centerline of flow where braided or undefined channels exist, provided that a mitigation plan for any construction impacts within the critical and sensitive wash area shall be submitted to the Pima County flood control district together with a site plan, tentative plat or development plan.
b. The mitigation plan shall reflect predevelopment wildlife habitat and visual conditions as a baseline, and provide for post-development replacement with species on the approved plant list, or approved pursuant to subsection I.2 of this section, with a similar spatial arrangement that will result in re-establishment of predevelopment habitat conditions.
L. Functional Open Space.
1. Functional open space which does not impede wildlife movement and is within or immediately adjacent to an interconnected natural open space system shall be credited as natural open space at fifty percent.
2. Functional open space which does not impede wildlife movement, is part of an interconnected open space system and creates wildlife habitat opportunities shall be credited as natural open space at one hundred percent.
3. All other functional open space, including golf courses, shall receive no credit towards natural open space requirements.
4. On those parcels where no Class I or Class II habitat is present, or have no areas eligible to be designated as natural open space, one hundred percent of designated functional open space shall be credited as natural open space.
M. Reserved.
N. Natural Open Space. Thirty percent of the land subject to the buffer overlay zone shall be preserved as natural open space, except that fifty percent of the land subject to the buffer overlay zone shall be preserved as natural open space for any land parcel subject to a specific plan or a rezoning approved on or after August 11, 1998. The landowner may, and is encouraged to, preserve a greater percentage of natural open space. The natural open space shall form an interconnected system. The selection and treatment of lands comprising the natural open space requirement shall consist of the following:
1. One hundred percent of all Class I habitat area;
2. Any balance of acreage needed to achieve the natural open space requirement shall be composed primarily of Class II habitat areas, if available, or functional open space to be credited pursuant to subsection L of this section.
3. Boundaries of designated natural open space shall be surveyed and identified on the final plat or, where a plat is not required, may be described in:
a. Covenants running with the land; or
b. Conservation easement pursuant to Arizona Revised Statutes Section 33-271, et seq.; or
c. Dedication to and acceptance by the county for the county parks system as natural open space;
d. The building permit or zoning permit, where not otherwise designated by plat, covenant or conservation easement.
4. Master Planned Development. Boundaries of designated natural open space shall be surveyed and identified on a master subdivision plat. Minor alterations of the boundary may be allowed in a resubdivision of one or more lots of the master subdivision plat with the consent of the planning director provided that in so doing:
a. The new boundaries are surveyed and identified on the resubdivision plat;
b. The resubdivision does not create any less total amount of natural open space than shown on the master subdivision plat;
c. The performance standards of this chapter are in no way diminished; and
d. No special condition of a rezoning or specific plan is violated.
5. For land parcels located within the buffer overlay zone of the Cienega Creek Preservation Area, the one hundred-year floodplain and erosion hazard setback area shall be preserved as natural open space.
O. Visual Quality Standards.
1. This subsection shall apply only to the rezoning of land subject to this chapter.
2. All development in areas identified as having high visual sensitivity, according to the procedures set forth in county site analysis requirements, shall have minimal visual impact. Development in these areas shall be designed to be in harmony with the form, line, color, texture and scale of the existing landscape.
3. All development in areas identified as having medium visual sensitivity, according to procedures set forth in county site analysis requirements, shall remain subordinate to the existing landscape when viewed in the middle ground (one-fourth to two miles). Development in these areas shall be designed to be in harmony with the form, line, color and scale of the existing landscape.
4. Nothing contained in the visual quality standards shall limit uses or lessen densities otherwise allowed, but may govern specific location and design of the development.
(Ord. 2011-2 § 16, 2011; Ord. 2011-1 § 2 (part), 2011; Ord. 1998-51 § 3, 1998; Ord. 1998-38 § 1 (part), 1998; Ord. 1988-116 § 1 (part), 1988)