A. Intent: The developer, the developer’s successor, and/or subsequent owners of a site for which landscape plans were required shall be responsible for the maintenance, repair, and replacement of all landscaping elements. Park strips shall be maintained by the owner of property abutting city easements, rights of way and park strips.
B. Irrigation Systems: Irrigation systems shall be maintained in good working condition and adjusted to ensure optimal operation and efficient water use.
C. Malfunctioning systems that are no longer conveying water as specified shall be repaired or replaced.
D. Landscaping: All landscape plants shall be maintained in good condition to present a healthy, neat, and orderly appearance. Plants not in this condition shall be removed and replaced when necessary.
E. Trees: Tree maintenance and pruning on private property shall be the responsibility of the property owner or tenant.
1. For any tree in a park strip or within the landscape setback area where there is no park strip, property owners or tenants are not permitted to remove or conduct major pruning (twenty percent (20%) or more of the crown), without prior approval from the city's urban forester. As a condition of such approval, the permittee may be required to replace the tree.
2. Protect trees against damage caused by maintenance equipment, such as lawn/sod/turf mowers, weed trimmers, snowblowers and snowplows.
F. Grounds Maintenance: Landscaped areas shall be kept free of refuse and debris.
G. Clearance and Visibility. Any portion of a tree that is in the park strip public right of way or that overhangs the public right of way from private property may be removed up to the property line at any time without notice by the City. However, the requirements below are minimums that shall be maintained.
1. Trees adjacent to pedestrian walkways shall have a minimum canopy clearance of eight feet (8') at all possible perpendiculars between the walkway surface and tree.
2. Tree canopies that extend over streets shall be pruned to provide canopy clearance of at least fourteen feet (14') at all possible perpendiculars between the street surface and tree.
3. Plants in the intersection sight triangle shall be pruned to maintain maximum heights specified in this standard. (Ord. 21-10, 6-9-2021; amd. Ord. 23- 09, 3-22-2023)