A. General Landscape Standards. The landscaping standards provided in this section shall apply to all parcels within Special Purpose Housing Specific Plan (SP-7), Area VIII, and shall comply with Chapter 13.10 of the Signal Hill Municipal Code, Water Conservation in Landscaping.
1. Landscaping and a permanent irrigation system shall be maintained in the area between any property line abutting a public right-of-way and the dwelling, building or structure.
2. Landscaping and vegetation shall be maintained as follows:
a. All landscaped areas shall be kept and maintained in a manner that does not detract from the appearance of the immediate neighborhood, and that protects the health, safety and welfare of the user, occupants, and general public.
b. All landscaped areas shall be kept and maintained in a neat and clean condition, free of weeds, debris, litter, dead, diseased, or dying vegetation and broken or defective decorative elements.
c. Vegetation in landscaped areas shall be mowed, groomed, trimmed, pruned, and watered to maintain a healthy, growing condition.
d. Irrigation systems shall be kept in good working condition and repair to prevent leaks or public health hazards.
e. Vegetative overgrowth shall not be permitted in a manner that is likely to harbor rodents, vermin, insects, or other nuisances; or that impedes, obstructs, or denies pedestrian or other lawful travel on sidewalks, walkways, or other public rights-of-way.
f. All property owners shall water, prune, weed and otherwise maintain landscaping in the parkway portions of adjoining streets, including street trees.
g. Parkway landscaping shall be maintained by the abutting property owner.
B. Minimum landscape area. A minimum of ten percent of the total specific plan area shall provide and be maintained as landscaped area. Setback area and other unused areas of the site that are not intended for future use may count toward the required percentage. Parking lot landscaping may not be counted toward meeting the minimum percentage.
1. Landscape planting shall emphasize drought-tolerant and native species, complement the architectural design of structures on the site and be suitable for the soil and climatic conditions of the site. Consistent with the purposes of Cal. Gov’t Code §§ 65591 et seq. (Water Conservation in Landscaping Act), all new and rehabilitated landscape projects shall comply with the following water-conserving landscape requirements:
a. To the greatest extent possible, landscape material shall consist of drought-tolerant plants. Low-water-use plants shall be used in at least fifty percent of the total planted area. Planted areas shall consist of plant material well-suited to the given soil and climate of the region. Plant selection shall take into consideration water conservation through appropriate use and groupings of plants that are well adapted to sites and require similar watering needs and climatic, geological, and topographical conditions.
b. The maximum area permitted for living turf shall be thirty percent of the total landscaped area on the site. Higher percentages may be permitted when sod is an essential part of the development's common outdoor open space areas such as playing fields, gardens, dog runs, parks and residential model units. Turf usage shall only be permitted for highly visible and functional use areas. Natural turf shall not be permitted in areas difficult to irrigate, such as sidewalk strips, slopes over fifteen percent or narrow pathways.
c. Where decorative water features such as pools, ponds or waterfalls are used in landscaped areas, such features shall incorporate recycling of water and, where available, use of reclaimed water. Decorative water features shall be designed to minimize water loss.
C. Minimum landscaping of lot. The lot areas not utilized for vehicular and pedestrian access, shall be landscaped with plant materials, including some combination of trees, shrubs, groundcover, and living functional use turf. Decorative landscape material, such as exposed mulch, rocks, or decomposed granite may be used but is to be an integral landscape design element and shall be limited to a maximum of twenty percent of the landscape area. Artificial turf and pavers may also be used as decorative landscape; however, artificial turf shall not be used in combination with living turf.
D. All living landscaped areas shall be provided with an automatic irrigation system, unless the director finds that such an irrigation system, due to the size, location, or configuration of the landscaped area, cannot reasonably be installed and maintained.
E. Plant selection, container size and spacing shall be specified to achieve an immediate effect of a filled-in landscape and to allow sustained growth of planting materials.
F. The minimum container size for interior lot trees shall be fifteen gallons, and twenty-four-inch boxes for street trees. Tree sizes are to meet to following percentages: twenty-four-inch (or larger) boxes shall be a minimum of thirty-five percent of the total trees and fifteen-gallon containers shall be a maximum of sixty-five percent of the total trees.
G. Mature specimen trees in thirty- six-inch boxes shall be provided for larger or prominent areas in sufficient quantity, subject to the approval of the director, to provide variety and emphasis at main focal areas.
H. The minimum plant size for shrubs shall be five gallons.
I. Groundcover, including turf, shall be planted in a manner to provide one hundred percent coverage within one year of initial planting.
J. Plant material installation standards:
1. Trees planted within ten feet of a street, sidewalk, paved trail or walkway shall be a deep-rooted species or shall be separated from paved surfaces by a root barrier to prevent physical damage. A minimum distance of ten feet is required between the center of trees to streetlight standards, water or sewer lines, water meters, back-flow prevention systems, sewer cleanouts and fire hydrants.
2. Screening plant material shall be used for utilities, fences, site walls and unadorned structure walls.
3. Trees and shrubs shall be planted and maintained in a manner that protects the basic rights of adjacent property owners.
4. Trees and shrubs shall be planted so that at maturity they do not interfere with traffic safety sight areas or require trimming to keep growth to a restricted height or width.
K. Hardscape and landscape replacement. In consideration of storm water/urban runoff protection subject to Chapter 12.16 of the SHMC and soil vapor mitigation subject to Chapter 16.24 of the SHMC, turf and hardscape replacement shall require approval by the Public Works and Community Development Directors prior to installation, to ensure maximum stormwater and methane mitigation is maintained.
1. Turf Replacement. Turf is not a required or preferred landscape material. Drought tolerant landscape materials that retain water on site are strongly encouraged when replacing existing turf.
2. Turf replacement in landscape areas of two thousand five hundred square feet or greater is subject to Chapter 13.10 of the SHMC.
L. Surface parking lots/areas. A minimum of five percent of every parking lot shall be devoted to landscape excluding setbacks and vehicle overhangs. The maximum vehicular overhang shall be three feet. Surface parking shall be divided into smaller landscaped lots or courts, with defined pedestrian connections, landscaping, and shade trees. Surface parking lots should include ample shade trees to reduce the heat island effect. Twenty-four-inch to forty-eight-inch box trees are preferred. A landscape plan shall include the parking area and shall consist of a combination of trees, shrubs and groundcover, the size, quantity, species and location of each. Automatic irrigation must be provided to all landscaped areas.
M. Stormwater. Low Impact Development (LID) stormwater treatment plans shall be required as part of the landscape plans pursuant to Chapter 13 and landscape areas shall be designed for capture and treatment or infiltration capacity that is sufficient to prevent runoff from impervious surfaces. (Ord. 2022-07-1359 § 4 (Exh. D (part)))