(A) Application requirements. A landscaping plan, landscaping grading plan, irrigation plan, and shading plan shall be required for all development review (minor and major), conditional use permits, surface mining permits, subdivisions, and any other permit when the Planning Director deems it necessary. The landscaping plan, landscaping grading plan, irrigation plan, and shading plan shall be submitted under one application consistent with the provisions of § 25.02.001 of this code.
(1) The landscaping plan, landscaping grading plan, irrigation plan, and shading plan may be submitted on four separate exhibits or may be combined on one to three exhibits, provided that the information required to be displayed for each plan is legible and clearly discernible.
(2) No less than the number of copies as determined by the Planning Director of the landscaping plan, landscaping grading plan, irrigation plan, and shading plan shall be submitted for approval by the Director.
(3) All landscaping shall comply with state water-efficient landscaping requirements.
(4) All plans shall show the following information:
(a) The first sheet of a multiple sheet set shall contain a title block with the name and address of the project, sheet number, and numbers of sheets and a revision block to indicate date and type of revisions;
(b) Each sheet shall show the required technical data, including scale of drawing, north arrow, date drawn, and dates of revisions (if applicable), all property lines and project limits, if other than property limits, all easements, fences, walls, curbs, roads, walks, structures, mounds, swales, manholes, banks, and all plant and landscaping materials, grading, irrigation and other exterior elements proposed. A legend shall also be included for each symbol used.
(B) Landscaping plan requirements.
(1) Trees that are native to the area, and/or suitable for the local climate as determined by the Planning Director, should be used.
(2) The location of all existing landscaping materials and where proposed landscaping material is to be placed shall be shown. Existing trees shall be preserved whenever it is practical to do so and shall be shown on the landscaping plan.
(3) The quantities, sizes, and locations of all trees, shrubs and ground cover, hydroseed and wildflower mixtures, drainage systems, etc., shall be indicated. Trees shall be a minimum 24 box size. Shrubs shall be a minimum five gallon size; however, the use of smaller plants may be approved as part of development plan review.
(C) Grading plan requirements. The grading plan shall include:
(1) Existing and proposed contours at a suitable scale for clarity and readability.
(2) Cross-sections of cuts, fills, building pads and driveways.
(3) Tops and toes of proposed cut and fill slopes.
(4) Property lines.
(5) Existing and proposed buildings, including buildings proposed to be demolished.
(6) Existing trees, including trees proposed to be removed.
(7) The drainage of all planting areas and the heights of mounds. Mounds shall not exceed three-to-one (3:1) slope, and no mound over 30 inches high shall be placed within 25 feet of any street and/or alley intersections.
(8) An adequate erosion control plan.
(D) Irrigation plan requirements. An irrigation plan shall show the following:
(1) Locations of all irrigation components, such as sprinkler heads, valves, pipes, backflow prevention devices and water taps, drip irrigation, automatic controllers, and quick couplers.
(2) Proposed radius or diameter of throw (sprinkler coverage) at a stated pressure (pounds per square inch, or psi) for each sprinkler head and drip irrigation specifications.
(3) Worst case irrigation system pressure loss calculations.
(4) Static water pressure psi, available gallons per hour (gph), water pressure zone, agency reading locations, and source of information for each one.
(5) Required water budget calculations based on the water efficient landscape ordinance requirements.
(E) Shading requirements.
(1) Parking area landscaping shall include shade trees sufficient to provide for adequate shade canopies within 15 years of age as follows:
Table 25.07-H
Percentage of Total Parking Area Required to be Shaded
Number of Parking Spaces | Percentage of Parking Area to be Shaded |
05-24 spaces | 30% minimum |
25-49 spaces | 40% minimum |
50 or more spaces | 50% minimum |
Note: Parking area to be shaded is uncovered parking spaces. Driveways, drive aisles, and spaces shaded by structures (solar panels, building overhangs, etc.) are excluded. | |
(2) Trees shall be a minimum 24 box size at planting.
(3) Trees shall be planted and maintained throughout the parking area to ensure that the percentage of the parking area that is shaded is no less than the minimum amount required by Table 25.07-H, Percentage of Total Parking Area Required to be Shaded, above. The parking area shading plan shall be developed in compliance with a landscaping plan. Each planting area shall be of adequate size for the landscaping approved and shall have adequate irrigation for that landscaping.
(F) Landscaping design standards.
(1) Landscaping shall be incorporated into the design of all off-street parking areas, including covered and decked, as follows:
(2) General landscaping provisions.
(a) These provisions apply to:
1. Landscaping throughout and immediately surrounding parking areas; and
2. Additional landscaping as required by this zoning code.
(b) Landscaped areas shall be distributed throughout the entire off-street parking area as evenly as is approved in the design of the parking facility. Landscape planters shall be located at least every fifth parking space, as shown below.
(c) Nothing in this section shall preclude the installation of additional landscaping and the planting of additional trees so long as such planting is consistent with visibility regulations;
(d) Any open areas in the interior shall be landscaped with appropriate plant materials and maintained in good condition as provided in this code;
(e) All landscaped areas shall be designed so that plant materials are protected from vehicle damage, encroachment or overhang;
(f) All trees shall be double-staked and secured with a rubber or plastic strip, or other commercial tie material. Wire ties and twist-a-brace shall not be used;
(g) No trees shall be planted within 25 feet of driveways, alleys and/or street intersections;
(h) All landscaping shall be within planters bounded by a curb at least six inches high;
(i) A six-inch-high curb with a 12-inch-wide concrete walkway shall be constructed along planters on end stalls adjacent to vehicle parking spaces;
(j) In urban areas, all parking areas shall be screened from view along the entire perimeter of the parking lot by the construction of either a three-foot-high and three-foot-wide earthen berm, or a five-foot-wide planter with shrubbery that can be maintained at a height of three feet. When the parking area is adjacent to a public road right-of-way, the berm or planter shall be five feet in width.
(k) In addition to the perimeter landscaping required by this code, parking areas of five spaces or more shall be required to provide additional landscaped areas within the parking area. A minimum percentage of the total parking area shall be landscaped as follows:
Table 25.07-I
Minimum Percentage of Total Interior Parking Area to be Landscaped
Parking Spaces Required | 5-24 Spaces | 25-49 Spaces | 50+ Spaces |
Percentage to be landscaped | 5.0% | 7.5% | 10.0% |
Percentage to be landscaped — Along state and county scenic highways | 6.0% | 8.5% | 11.0% |
(G) Walkways. At the discretion of the appropriate authority, a barrier-free, four-foot-wide paved walkway may be provided through the required planter at street and driveway intersections to provide unencumbered access for persons with disabilities from the sidewalk to the parking lot. No planting area shall by bisected by a handicap walk making it less than five feet wide.
(1) Such a walkway shall be located so as to facilitate the most direct movement of persons using sidewalk curb ramps, if provided;
(2) Bus shelters may be located within this planter if approved by the Planning Director. Such shelters shall not be placed so as to reduce the number of trees which are otherwise required by this code.
(3) General plant materials provisions.
(a) Existing mature trees on the site shall be preserved whenever it is practical to do so;
(b) All plant materials shall be maintained free from physical damage or injury arising from lack of water, chemical damage, insects, and diseases. Plant materials showing such damage shall be replaced by the same or similar species;
(c) Planting areas shall be kept free from weeds, debris, and undesirable materials which may be detrimental to public safety, drainage, or site appearance;
(d) Drought tolerant species and California native species are to be used to the maximum extent possible over non-drought tolerant and nonnative species.
1. The quantity and extent of drought-tolerant species shall be dependent on the climatic zone of the project;
2. Landscaping may include natural features such as rock and stone, non-drought tolerant plants, and structural features such as fountains, reflecting pools, art work, screens, walls, and fences.
(e) Plant materials shall be grouped together in regard to water and soil requirements. In order to conserve water, alternative types of low volume irrigation concepts may be used, including, but not limited to, drip, rotary spray (in areas 15 feet wide or larger), mini-spray, bubbler, and low volume sprays.
(4) General irrigation provisions.
(a) An automatic irrigation system for all planted areas shall be required.
(b) The layout of the system should consider meter water pressure, pipe size and length, dripping and type of heads.
(c) Sprinkler spacing shall not exceed the manufacturer’s recommended spacing or, if no spacing is recommended, spacing shall not exceed 60% of the diameter of throw (sprinkler coverage). Head-to-head spray coverage is required.
(d) Sprinklers in hazardous locations shall be flush mounted on high pop models only.
(e) Backflow prevention devices for sprinklers shall comply with the latest edition of the Building Code, as adopted by the County.
(H) Request for modification from landscaping standards. The Planning Director may, without notice or hearing, permit modifications to the landscaping requirements where topographic or other physical conditions make it impractical to require strict compliance with these requirements.
(I) Enforcement of landscaping design standards.
(1) Prior to the issuance of a final building occupancy certificate, all required landscape planting and irrigation shall have been installed and be in a condition acceptable to the Planning Director.
(a) The plants shall be healthy and free of weeds, disease or pests;
(b) The irrigation system shall be properly constructed and in good working order.
(2) At the discretion of the Director, the County can require financial security, per year, to ensure the maintenance of landscape.
(Ord. 1043 § 3 (part), 2022)