A. Scope. Amenity landscaping shall be provided for certain specific plans, development plans and land uses in addition to the screening requirements of Section 18.73.040 of this chapter. For example, amenity landscaping can be required as a condition of rezoning, as a requirement of cluster option approval or other action of the design review committee (historic, campus park industrial, rural village center, major resort, scenic routes, etc.), or for Hillside Development zone revegetation compliance. Buffer areas provided to satisfy screening requirements may be used to reduce site gross area in calculating the amenity landscaping for these land uses. Where amenity landscaping is required or used, but is not determined by parking area calculations, the area, type, density and height of the amenity landscaping shall be approved by the specific review body assigned the review function (e.g. design review committee; subdivision and development review committee).
B. Parking Area Amenity Landscape Requirements.
1. Scope. Any development that requires ten or more parking spaces (except for development within the ML zone and RVC zone adjacent to the ML zone and development of single-family dwellings where all parking is contained within structures or carports on individual, subdivided lots);
2. Standard. An area equal to at least ten percent of the gross parking area shall be devoted to amenity landscaping. Required buffer areas may be subtracted from the gross parcel area in order to determine the gross parking area for purposes of landscaping calculations only;
3. Amenity options. The ten percent requirement may be satisfied with the use of combinations of the following elements:
a. Pedestrian median walkways within parking lots,
b. Twenty-five percent of the area of standard nondecorative concrete sidewalks on site,
c. One hundred percent of the area of decorative sidewalks (embossed concrete, exposed aggregate, tile, brick, etc.) on site,
d. Landscaped traffic islands, planters or medians within parking areas not required by Chapter 18.75,
e. Interior project landscaping; such as building foundation planting, planters, mini-oases, landscaped entryways and assembly areas, sculpture gardens, fountains, demonstration gardens,
f. Courts, ramadas and covered walkways,
g. Vegetated roofs, limited to plants selected from the approved plant lists within the Landscape Design Manual available at the development services department, pursuant to Section 18.73.030(A).
4. For additional requirements, refer to Chapter 18.75, Off-Street Parking and Loading Standards.
C. Stormwater Harvesting Option.
1. Amenity landscaping reduction for stormwater harvesting. The ten percent amenity landscaping requirement may be reduced by half when the following stormwater harvesting elements are installed:
a. All pedestrian walkways and sidewalks shall use accepted porous/pervious pavement, pavers or bricks, or similar water-permeable surface; and
b. All landscaped traffic islands shall meet stormwater harvesting requirements for landscape planters in Section 18.75.040(F).
(Ord. 2015-7 § 5 (part), 2015; Ord. 2013-42, § 5, 2013; Ord. 2006-97 § 1 (part), 2006; Ord. 2003-72 § 4 (part), 2003; Ord. 1985-171 § 1 (part), 1985)