The objective of this chapter is to establish landscaping regulations that achieve the following:
(A) Conserve water through the selection of plants consistent with Tulare’s Mediterranean climate, and the design of water efficient landscapes;
(B) Enhance the aesthetic appearance of the city by promoting development that is well landscaped, properly irrigated and effectively maintained. Further, encourage a landscaping scheme that facilitates the following design concepts, where possible:
(1) Extensive use of vines on bare walls and fences;
(2) Use of plantings to create shadows and patterns against walls;
(3) Use of trees to create canopies and shade, especially in parking lots;
(4) Use of flowering trees in informal groups to provide color and a focal point;
(5) Use of informal massing or colorful plantings to create visual interest;
(6) Use of berms, hedges low walls and landscaping to screen parking areas, trash enclosures and utility areas from public rights-of-way;
(7) Use of space between buildings and streets for landscaping with a hierarchy of plants including, trees, shrubs and turf or groundcover; and
(8) Use of a colorful landscaped edge at the base of buildings to avoid pavement being located at the base of structures.
(C) Reduce ambient temperatures along streets, in parking lots and around buildings in an effort to conserve energy that is related to cooling.
(D) Preserve the integrity of residential neighborhoods by using landscaping to screen incompatible uses, provide shade for pedestrian and vehicular traffic, and enhance the beauty of the residential setting.
(E) Provide for both solar access for energy generation or for winter warming by properly placing trees in locations that encourage such purposes.
(Ord. 15-11, passed 12-15-2015; Ord. 10-24, passed 12-21-2010)