§ 70-512. Review criteria.

The city manager or designee, the planning and zoning commission and/or city council shall review the landscape plan to determine if the proposed plan is in conformance with the following standards and criteria:

(1)

General requirements.

a.

Landscaping shall include any combination of grass, flowers, shrubbery, deciduous and coniferous trees, succulents, cacti, xeriscape, ground cover, bark, rock or ornamental objects as listed on the approved city landscaping materials list. For the purposes of this article, ground cover shall include all kinds of plants, other than turf grass, that creep, clump, mat, or vine to cover, conceal and create a thick, low maintenance covering that binds the soil, normally reaching a maximum height of not more than 24 inches at maturity. No artificial trees, shrubs, turf or plants shall be used to fulfill the minimum requirements for landscaping.

b.

All required open space areas or areas not covered by parking areas or structures shall be landscaped.

c.

All portions of landscaping areas not planted with shrubs and trees shall be planted with grass or ground cover or decorative rock.

d.

All landscaped areas are to be automatically irrigated by an underground system providing 100 percent irrigation coverage.

e.

All landscaped islands or areas shall be curbed unless this requirement is waived for drainage purposes. The curbing requirement for landscaped areas adjacent to public walkways may be waived if it can be demonstrated that an erosion and/or drainage problem will not occur.

f.

The maximum slope of all sodded or seeded slopes shall not exceed three horizontal feet for every one vertical foot.

g.

The maximum of all slopes in landscape areas shall not exceed two horizontal feet for every one vertical foot and shall require riprap or other slope armoring features.

h.

Slopes steeper than two to one shall be retained with appropriate walls.

i.

Stormwater detention areas shall be landscaped and shall be physically, functionally and visually integrated into adjacent landscape areas. Only plants that are adapted to temporary flooding may be planted below water level. Trees and other voluminous or spreading shrubs shall not be allowed unless at maturity such trees and shrubs will not cause the detention area to detain less than otherwise required by this Code.

(2)

Minimum planting sizes.

a.

Deciduous trees shall measure a minimum of two inches in caliper at a height of six inches from the finished elevation in the area planted.

b.

Evergreen trees shall measure a minimum height of six feet from the finished elevation in the area planted.

c.

Shrubs shall be a minimum of five-gallon size.

d.

Ground covers and/or vines shall be a minimum size of one gallon.

e.

Rock and stone shall be a minimum of three-quarters-inch in size, and poured to a minimum depth of three inches over a minimum ten-mil plastic ground cover.

(3)

Open space landscape area.

a.

A landscaped open space area of at least 20 percent of the gross area of the site shall be required in all commercial and industrial zoning districts. All landscaping in parking areas, buffer areas and perimeter landscaping shall be eligible to meet this requirement.

b.

Open space area landscaping shall include at least two trees and four shrubs for each 1,000 square feet of landscaped area.

c.

Stormwater detention areas may fulfill up to one-half of the open space area requirement, provided that the area, and subject to the provisions of section subsection (1)a of this section, contain at least two trees and four shrubs for every 2,000 square feet of area and provided that the landscaping does not interfere with stormwater detention. Voluminous trees and spreading plants shall not be placed in detention ponds.

(4)

Public right-of-way landscape area.

a.

The area within 20 feet of abutting public streets (as measured from the curb or edge of pavement) shall be landscaped.

b.

Public right-of-way landscape areas shall include at least one tree and four shrubs for every 40 lineal feet of street frontage. The required trees and shrubs may be grouped in areas, provided that the total number of trees and shrubs is based upon the lineal requirement and provided that the authority controlling the right-of-way has no objection.

c.

Trees adjacent to right-of-way shall be planted a minimum distance of five feet and a maximum distance of 15 feet from the curb and shall not interfere with the placement of sidewalks.

(5)

Buffer landscape area.

a.

A buffer landscape area of at least ten feet in width shall be provided on nonresidential and multifamily property located adjacent to residentially zoned or utilized land.

b.

A buffer area of at least 20 feet in width shall be provided on industrial uses adjacent to all surrounding property.

c.

Buffer area landscaping shall include at least one tree for every 20 lineal feet.

(6)

Parking lot landscape area.

a.

An area or combination of areas equal to ten percent of the total parking lot area shall be landscaped if the lot contains 15 or more spaces. The public right-of-way landscape areas or buffer landscape areas shall not be utilized to contribute to the ten percent minimum requirement.

b.

A landscape island with a minimum width of six feet and 18 feet in length shall be provided at least every 15 parking spaces for parking rows that exceed 20 consecutive spaces.

c.

The end of all parking rows shall be divided from the primary drive aisle by landscape islands a minimum width of six feet and 18 feet in length for the entire length.

d.

Landscape islands shall be planted with a minimum of one tree and two shrubs per island. If the island is larger than 108 square feet, landscaping shall include one additional tree and two shrubs for every 108 square feet or fraction thereof.

e.

Plant materials other than groundcover shall be set back a minimum of three feet from the curb adjacent to parking spaces to avoid damage from overhanging car bumpers or doors.

f.

A landscaped area of at least six feet in depth shall be located between abutting property lines and the parking, loading, or other vehicular use area, except where permitted driveway openings are to be provided.

g.

A landscaped median with a width of at least six feet shall be located between every six rows of parking bays in lots containing more than 100 parking spaces. There shall be at least one deciduous tree and four shrubs for every 40 lineal feet of median.

(7)

Restricted planting areas.

a.

To preserve sight lines, an unobstructed view shall be maintained in compliance with the standards and specifications for the design and construction of public improvements.

b.

Evergreen trees shall not be planted at any location where they cast winter shade onto a public roadway inhibiting ice and snow melt.

c.

Trees and deep root shrubs shall not be placed on any water or sewer easement. Sod, xeriscape, shallow root plants and hardscape materials may be placed in the easement area upon approval by the affected utility departments.

d.

Landscaping materials shall be planted so that at maturity they do not interfere with service lines, sight triangles, or adjacent property, fire hydrants or electric facilities.

e.

Trees planted near public curbs should have deep root structure and shall be installed in such a manner as to prevent physical damage to sidewalks, curbs, gutters and other public improvements. Spreading, shallow root structure vegetation in these areas is not allowed.

(Code 1985, § 10-14-7; Ord. No. 10-09, § 16, 7-6-2010)