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All required
, irrigation systems, walls, screening devices, curbing, and detention basin landscape
on the
or within the
shall be maintained as shown on the approved plans. The property owner is responsible for proper maintenance to achieve permanent, safe, and successful
as required by this section. Failure to maintain the
or
required by this section constitutes a
of the
.
A. Plant Materials
1. Any plant material in areas of required
that does not survive must be replaced with an equivalent size and species within 30
.
2. Plant material must be pruned as necessary to control size but not to disrupt the natural growth pattern or characteristic form of the plant except as necessary to achieve height clearance for visibility and pedestrian passage or to achieve a continuous
hedge if required.
3. Clipping and pruning of the plant material are required to allow maximum shading while preserving surveillance opportunities and preventing obstructive overhang into walks, curb areas, drives, and line of sight triangles as required by the
.
4. All dead or removed plant material must be replaced with plant material acceptable under the standards of the
standards. Replacement material must be a minimum 15-gallon size for trees and five gallon size for shrubs.
5. Regular landscape maintenance shall ensure water efficiency and include, but not be limited to, pruning, mulching, weeding, litter removal, aerating and dethatching
areas, and fertilizing nonnative plant materials, as necessary.
B. Inert Materials
1. Exterior
, such as benches, walls, or ramadas, must be of durable materials appropriate to the desert climate. Material with integral coloring or stucco is preferred for seating fixtures and other permanent
.
2. Inert materials used in the
areas must be of a nature to withstand the extremes of the desert climate and minimize heat gain or reflected heat.
3. The inert materials must be replaced as needed due to displacement or
.
C. Planting Areas
1. Inert materials must be used in inaccessible, narrow, or hard to maintain sections of the planting areas.
2. Landscaped areas must be kept free of trash, weeds, debris, and dead plant material and must be maintained in a clean and neat fashion.
3. Use of river rock is discouraged
to
windows.
D. Landscape Removal
1. Substantial modifications, as determined by the PDSD
, and/or removal of plant materials or other landscape elements shall require review and approval of a revised
by PDSD.
2. The removal or destruction of
that has been installed according to an approved
and not replaced constitutes a
of the
.
3. Minor modifications of the
occurring as a result of routine maintenance, necessary replacement of elements because of damage or disease, or other causes is not subject to review by PDSD.
E. Screening and Wall Maintenance
1. Paint and stucco must be renewed on the surfaces of fences and walls as needed.
2. Wooden slats in chain link fences must be replaced as needed to retain the opacity of the
.
3. Any screening device that has deteriorated to the point where it does not serve as a
must be replaced by the property owner. Vegetation used to meet the screening standards may not be replaced with new vegetation after two years past the installation. Replacement must be with another option for screening, such as a fence or a wall, in order to achieve an immediate
. This standard does not apply to the occasional replacement of single plants within a vegetative
.
F. Irrigation System Maintenance
Irrigation systems must be maintained and replaced as necessary to continue to conserve water. Detection and repair of leaky or broken pipes, valves, and fittings and malfunctioning and/or misaligned heads, emitters, and bubblers must be part of a regular maintenance program for the
.
1. Automatic Irrigation Controllers are recommended to be reset a minimum of four times a year (spring, summer, fall, and winter) to adjust for plant water requirements that vary according to the season.
2. Whenever possible, repair of irrigation equipment must be done with the originally specified materials or their equivalent.
A. Design and Review Procedures
The applicant for
approval is advised to schedule a presubmittal conference with the PDSD and Tucson Water Department staff with reference to specific design or review procedures.
B. Review Procedures
are reviewed in the same manner and concurrent with the applicable
review required for
approval. Comments on the
and requests for corrections or resubmittals are made in conjunction with responses to the applicable tentative
, or
. For
located along
and
, the additional review procedures set forth in Section 5.3 and Section 5.5, respectively, apply.
C.
Inspection and Enforcement
1. Inspections
All
required by this section must be inspected by the PDSD prior to a final certificate of occupancy being issued by the
or prior to the
being occupied.
2. Enforcement
With the permission of the owner or tenant,
staff may enter a
or any part of a
for the purpose of performing inspections to verify compliance with the standards of this section.
D. Variances
A. Tucson’s setting is in the Sonoran Desert, a unique biological community known as the Arizona Uplands found only in southern Arizona and limited areas of northern Mexico. Some of the plants and
living in this area are found nowhere else in the world. One of the most distinctive plants is the Saguaro cactus (Carnegiea gigantea), a visual symbol synonymous with Tucson and the Sonoran Desert. The Saguaro, along with certain other Sonoran genus and species, is extremely slow growing and not easily transplanted with success.
B.
in the Tucson area has decreased the number of these unique native plants resulting in the loss of a natural resource.
-wide goals and policies for preservation of the native plants found in the Sonoran Desert have been established in the Vision: A Guide for the Future of the City of Tucson, adopted in 1989 and in the
, Section 2, Vegetation and Wildlife, adopted in 1992. This section addresses the preservation of native
that provides much of the visual character of the Sonoran Desert and supports wildlife.
C. In conjunction with
, buffelgrass invasion is spreading along
, wash systems and into the undisturbed Sonoran Desert. Buffelgrass (Pennisetum ciliare) is converting a fire-resistant desert to flammable grassland. In 2005, the state of Arizona placed buffelgrass on the Arizona Noxious Weed List prohibiting its entry or sale in the
. Buffelgrass is a wildfire risk to desert ecosystems threatening life, property, tourism and the regional economy. Buffelgrass, as it burns, can kill the Saguaro cactus, other
and is detrimental to desert wildlife species including the desert tortoise and mule deer.
D. This section is intended to encourage
of healthy native plants through sensitive
design that minimizes the disruption of areas within the
containing native plants, while allowing for salvage and transplanting plants on the
that are likely to survive. The section also provides for replacement of plants that are removed for
at ratios to assure site
and to compensate for probable loss of transplanted and replacement plants.
credits are offered to encourage
. Mature trees and Saguaros should be given particular consideration for
. When
is not possible, emphasis should next be given to plant salvage for use elsewhere on the
, and lastly, if plants are removed from the
, the
concept should emphasize the recreation of the natural character and plant distribution similar to the undisturbed vegetation on and
to the subject
.
These standards provide for the preservation, protection, transplanting, and replacement of existing designated native plants including cacti, succulents, trees, and shrubs through the establishment of comprehensive procedures, requirements, and standards that protect the public health, safety, and general welfare by:
A. Preserving a sense of place through the potential enhancement of the community’s appearance from public
and between incompatible
;
B. Maintaining property values, the quality of life, and lifestyles valued and enjoyed by the community through the preservation of the unique Sonoran vegetation;
C. Contributing to economic
through the maintenance of a regional identity that attracts tourism and new businesses, while promoting business retention and expansion;
D. Improving air quality through the preservation of mature vegetation that removes carbon monoxide and filters dust and particulates from the air;
E. Promoting water conservation through retention of existing
that requires no supplemental irrigation;
F. Assisting in climate modification and reducing energy costs through the use of
to shade
,
,
, and other outdoor areas;
G. Retaining vegetative features of habitats that are important to native wildlife species; and,
H. Stabilizing desert soils by minimizing soil
through preservation of or
with native plants.
The provisions of this section apply to all
as listed below.
A. New
All new
proposed in the City of Tucson shall comply with the standards of this section.
B. Expansions of Existing
1. If the expansion is less than 25%, the standards of this section apply only to the proposed expansion area.
2. If the expansion is 25% or greater or if expansions after March 24, 1997, cumulatively result in a 25% or greater expansion in land area,
,
, or
, the standards of this section apply to the proposed expansion area and the remaining undeveloped .
C. Concurrent Applicability of Other Related Sections
The standards of this section; the Hillside Development
(HDZ) (Section 5.2); the Environmental Resource
(ERZ) (Section 5.7); the Watercourse Amenities, Safety, and Habitat (WASH) ordinance (Section 29 of the Tucson Code); the Scenic Corridor
(SCZ) (Section 5.3); and the Landscape and Screening Standards (Section 7.6) are all calculated separately. Plants or areas preserved or planted for the purposes of compliance with one standard may be considered for the purposes of compliance with this section.
D. Exceptions
The provisions of this section do not apply to the following:
1. Single-
residential
on
recorded before March 24, 1997, or single-
residential
on a
within a
that is subject to an approved
after the sale and
of a principal on that
;
2. Single-
residential
for which a tentative
has been submitted or approved prior to July 1, 1997, per Article 8,
Standards, provided the is recorded within one year from the approval date of the final , is in place, and 50% of the are developed within five years after July 1, 1997;
3.
on a
that does not contain any plant on the
List as demonstrated by the applicant and subject to approval through procedures established at the Planning and Development Services Department (PDSD). This application can be submitted prior to an applicable review process and approved for an exception on the
. The approved exception is valid for up to one year from the date of the approval; or,
4.
on a
or
that contains
that will not be substantially impacted by
on the
as demonstrated by the applicant per this section and subject to approval through procedures established at the PDSD, provided that construction occurs per the approved plan.
A. Submittal Requirements
A
in accordance with Section 2-12.0.0 of the Administrative Manual is required for all
under the applicability of this section according to the methodology selected by the applicant as outlined in Section 7.7.5, Plant Preservation Standards. If buffelgrass is present, populations are to be mapped and included as part of the or the . Continued buffelgrass eradication and monitoring methodology, including common areas, is required for developed and undeveloped portions of a .
1. If the
Methodology is selected, a Native
, an Analysis, and a Plant Preservation and Salvage Plan in accordance with Section 2-11.4.4 of the Administrative Manual must be submitted.
B. Plan Approval Prior to
Modifications
1. No grubbing,
, construction, or salvaging of any plants on the
may take place prior to the submittal and approval of the required
.
designated in the Technical Standards Manual may not be destroyed,
, salvaged, transplanted, or removed from the
except in accordance with the approved Plan. Once a
has been approved, a salvage-only permit may be issued. The salvage-only permit may be issued upon completion of one of the following conditions:
a. For rezoning or annexation cases, ordinance adoption by the Mayor and Council;
b. For tentative
or
plans, approval from all
departments and public and semipublic agencies that review the
or plan; and,
c. For
, an official submittal to the PDSD with all
review fees paid in full.
2. The salvage-only permit does not allow
grubbing,
, or construction of any kind, other than the salvaging of those materials as indicated on the approved
. No
, even if indicated on the approved
for removal or destruction, may be destroyed or removed from the
until a
permit has been issued for the
.
C. Plan Approval Prior to Permitting
The
must be submitted prior to or concurrently with any plan(s) required for
approval, including a grubbing/
plan,
,
, or tentative
. No permits may be issued prior to submittal and approval of the
.
D. Professional Expertise
Preparation of all elements of the
and on-
monitoring as required under Section 7.7.5.C.5, On-
Monitoring, must be performed by a plant professional, such as:
1. An arborist certified by the International Society of Arboriculture;
2. A landscape architect; or,
3. A horticulturist, biologist, or botanist with a minimum B.A. or B.S. in an appropriate arid environment natural resource field.
E. Plant Disposition
The
must indicate the disposition of
in excess of those needed to meet the standards of this section and other applicable standards. It is encouraged that all
that are not proposed to remain on-
be salvaged and transplanted off-
. The Plan shall affirm, by a statement on the Plan,
with the requirements of the Federal Endangered Species Act and the Arizona Native Plant Law. Applicants are advised that required salvage permits that must be obtained from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the applicable Endangered and Threatened genus and species and required notification that must be provided to the Arizona Department of Agriculture prior to
modification. Compliance with this section does not constitute
with
or
regulations.
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