§ 24-115. Landscape standards.

A.

General Standards. The following standards apply within all urban zones.

1.

Plant Selection. Plants shall be selected from a County-approved list of native and non-native, drought-tolerant and non-invasive species.

2.

Turf lawns.

a.

Turf shall be prohibited on slopes twenty-five (25) percent or greater.

3.

Plant Groupings. Where irrigation is proposed, plants shall be grouped in separate hydrozones (i.e., plants within each irrigation valve area shall have the same watering requirements).

4.

Water Features. Decorative water features (e.g., fountains, ponds, waterfalls) shall have recirculating water systems.

5.

Public Safety. Plant species shall be selected and located so that at maturity they do not interfere with pedestrian, bicycle, or vehicular circulation and do not conflict with overhead lights, or utility lines.

B.

Residential Zones. The following standards shall apply within all urban residential zones:

1.

No more than fifty (50) percent of required front and side setbacks may be covered with paving or other impervious surfaces. The review authority may grant exceptions to this requirement for small or irregularly-shaped parcels if compliance would result in inadequate vehicular or pedestrian access to the site, or to accommodate accessibility for disabled persons.

2.

Front yard landscaping shall not completely obscure views of the street and adjoining neighbors.

3.

Unpaved areas shall be landscaped with any combination of living plants such as trees, shrubs and grass or related natural features such as rock, stone or bark chips. Decorative hardscape featuring pervious materials are permitted within required unpaved areas.

4.

For multi-family residential dwellings, all front setbacks that are not occupied by a structure or used for required parking shall be landscaped or maintained as open space.

C.

Commercial, Mixed Use, and Industrial Zones. The following standards shall apply to projects within commercial, mixed use, and industrial zones.

1.

The minimum landscaped area on a site shall be as shown in Table 24-115-1 (Minimum Landscaped Area in Commercial, Mixed Use and Industrial Zones). This minimum area is based upon the applicable zone and the gross floor area of all structures within the site.

TABLE 24-115-1 MINIMUM LANDSCAPED AREA IN COMMERCIAL, MIXED USE AND INDUSTRIAL ZONES
Zones	Minimum Landscaped Area [1]
MU	15%
GC, NC, CC, REC, SE	10%
LI, GI, HI	5%
RBP	30% [2]

 

Note:

[1]

Based on gross floor area of structures located on-site.

[2]

Forty (40) percent on parcels ten (10) acres or larger

2.

All front setbacks that are not occupied by a structure or used for required parking shall be landscaped or maintained as open space. Impervious surfaces are prohibited within setbacks, except for driveways, emergency access lanes, pedestrian walkways, bicycle paths, and similar improvements as determined by the Zoning Administrator.

3.

Drought-tolerant landscaping is encouraged to satisfy minimum landscaped area requirements.

(Ord. No. 4062, § 1, 9-10-13)