A. Water Conserving Design. Water conserving landscape designs and low water use plant materials are required and intended to discourage landscaping necessitating high water use for maintenance. Water conserving landscaping principles do not include or allow artificial turf or plants, landscape designs predominately consisting of mulch or gravel beds (including crushed rock, etc.), or areas without landscape plant material such as bare dirt or weed infested surfaces, or any landscaping that does not comply with the standards of this section. Water conserving landscaping principles include all of the following:
1. Grouping plants and trees with similar water and sunlight requirements together.
2. Limiting the application of turf to appropriate high-use areas with high visibility and functional needs.
3. Use of low water demanding plants and turf where suitable.
4. Use of automatic irrigation systems designed and operated to conserve water.
5. Incorporation of soil amendments, where appropriate.
6. Use of mulches.
7. Planting appropriate materials suited to the soil and climate.
B. Prohibited Species. The installation and maintenance of prohibited species, as indicated in the City of Whitefish Prohibited Species List on file in the Office of the City Clerk, are prohibited.
C. Landscape Design Techniques. Whenever possible, the following landscaping design techniques must be integrated into a project:
1. Existing trees, topography and other existing natural features should be retained and incorporated into a project;
2. Open areas created by building modulation should be landscaped;
3. Natural vegetation, existing grades and undisturbed open space must be preserved where possible;
4. Trees should be located on commercial frontages at appropriate spacing so at maturity building signage and entrance are clearly visible from the street and sidewalk;
5. On-site natural objects such as rocks, boulders and tree stumps should be incorporated into landscape design;
6. All landscaped areas must be graded to prevent erosion and facilitate healthy landscaping;
7. Trees and large shrubs must be located with consideration to utilities and other public improvements.
8. Firewise fuel management techniques and fire-resistant plants should be utilized.
D. Landscaping for properties with reduced or no street frontage setbacks: When possible, the additional design techniques for the WB-3 Zone and areas with limited undeveloped space should include, but not be limited to, the following:
1. Providing frameworks attached to buildings such as trellises or arbors for plants;
2. Incorporating planter guards, retaining walls, or low planter walls as part of the architecture;
3. Incorporating upper story planter boxes, “green roofs”, roof gardens or hanging plants;
4. Incorporating outdoor furniture into the site.
E. Trees, fencing and any other landscape materials in accordance with landscape plans must not cause sight distance problems with vehicles entering the adjoining street from driveways or nearby intersections (see clear vision triangle in Section 11-3-8).
F. Any open area between a fence or wall and the adjacent property line must be maintained by the property owner in a neat and orderly manner.
G. Where streams, wetlands, steep slopes, or other environmentally sensitive areas exist on a proposed development site, the landscape plan must be coordinated with measures for their protection and enhancement as required by the Water Quality Protection and Erosion and Sediment Control Provisions in Sections 11-3-29 and 11-3-33.
H. Vehicle sales lots are exempt from planting trees in the required internal landscape islands. (Ord. 23-08, 6-5-2023)