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6. LANSCAPE ORD AMEND 02-08-2012Sec. 30-934. -Landscaping. (a) General requirements. The following general requirements are applicable to all districts: (1) All exposed ground areas surrounding or within a principal or accessory use, including street boulevards, which are not devoted to drives, sidewalks, patios, or other such uses shall be landscaped with grass, shrubs, trees, or other living ornamental landscape materials. (2) All landscaped areas shall be kept neat, clean and uncluttered. (3) No landscaped area shall be used for the parking of vehicles or the storage or display of materials, supplies or merchandise. (4) Undisturbed areas of existing natural vegetation maintained free of noxious weeds need not be altered. (5) A reasonable attempt shall be made to preserve as many existing trees as is practical and to incorporate them into the proposed development plan. (6) Slopes greater than three feet horizontal to one foot vertical (3:1) will not be permitted without approval by the city. Only under special conditions or unique circumstances will steeper slopes be permitted. Slopes adjacent to pedestrian systems, inslopes of roadways, ponding, sedimentation areas, and other water or wetland features may not have a slope greater than 4:1. (7) In all multifamily, commercial and industrial zoning districts, the maintained/manicured landscaped areas shall have inground/underground irrigation systems. (b) Multifamily districts and nonresidential uses in residential districts. Landscaping requirements for multifamily districts and nonresidential uses in residential districts are as follows: (1) Applicability of requirements. All properties shall comply with the requirements of this subdivision when new development or expansions are to occur on these properties, except for single-family dwelling unit ortwo-family dwelling unit lots. (2) Landscape plan. Landscape plans shall be prepared by a landscape architect or other qualified individual acceptable to the city. Landscape plans shall be drawn to a scale of not less than one inch equals 50 feet and shall include the following information: a. The name and address of the property ownerand/or developer. b. The name of the project. c. The name of the preparer of the plan. d. The date of plan preparation. e. Boundary lines of the property with accurate dimensions, and note with scale and north arrow. f. The locations of existing and proposed buildings, parking lots, public roads, easements and other improvements. g. The location, approximate size and common name of existing trees. h. A planting schedule containing: 1. Symbols. 2. Quantities. 3. Common names and botanical names. 4. Size of plant materials. 5. Root condition specifications. 6. Special planting instructions. i. Planting details illustrating proposed locations of all new plant material, including proposed walls, fences, planters, landscaped islands, and other landscaping-relaxed improvements. j. Details of restoration of disturbed areas, including areas to be sodded and seeded. k. Location of existing wetlands. (3) Minimum requirements. All open areas of a lot which are not used and improved for required parking areas, drives or storage shall be landscaped with a combination of overstory trees, omamental trees, coniferous trees, shrubs, flowers, and turf or ground cover materials. The number of trees on the lot, tract, or parcel shall not be less than the perimeter of the described area as measured in feet divided by 40. a. Overstory trees. Fifty percent of the required trees shall be overstory trees. b. Ornamental trees. Twenty-five percent of the required trees shall be ornamental trees. c. Coniferous trees. Twenty-five percent of the required trees shall be coniferous trees. d. Additional landscaping. In order to accomplish an adequate buffer, additional landscaping over and above the required amount maybe requested by the city. e. Minimum size and root condition of trees. Minimum size and root condition of required trees shall be as follows: 1. Overstorytrees shall be two inches in diameter as measured six inches above the ground, and trees must be balled and burlapped. 2. Ornamental trees shall be 11/z inches in diameter as measured six inches above the ground, and trees must be balled and burlapped. 3. Coniferous trees shall be six feet in height, and trees must be balled and burlapped. Species. All required trees shall be of species which are classified as overstory, ornamental, and coniferous trees bythe American Nurseryman's Association. 2. Not more than 50 percent of the required number of overstory or ornamental trees shall be composed of one species. 3. All plant materials shall be indigenous to the hardiness zone of the area in which the city is located. The use of drought tolerant plant materials are encouraged to meet landscaping requirements. g. Credits 1. for oversizing required trees. The total number of required overstorytrees may be reduced by one tree for each new deciduous tree measuring 41/z inches or more in diameter, or each new coniferous tree measuring ten feet or more in height, which is planted on the lot or tract. In no event, however, shall this credit result in a reduction in the total number of required trees by more than 25 percent. -2_£~i~for existing trees. The total number of required new trees maybe offset by the retention of existing trees on the lot provided that such trees satisfy the requirements. of this section as to size and species. A sliding scale shall be used to determine the amount of credit for existing trees. Existing trees between four inches in diameter and less than eight inches in diameter will receive credit for one tree. Existing trees eight inches in diameter or greater will receive credit for two trees. Credit cannot exceed 50 percent of the total requirement. 3 Credit for decorative gardens native plant communities. The total number of h. Purposely left blank Maintenance. The property owner of the lot upon which required landscaping or screening is located shall maintain all materials in a sightly and healthy growing condition. Trees removed due to damage disease or death shall be replaced. j. Placement of plant materials. 1. All required landscaping shall be located on the lot occupied bythe use, building, facility, or structures. No landscaping shall be located within any public right-of-way unless approvedbythe city. 2. Plant materials shall be located to provide reasonable access to all utilities. 3. At all intersections, sight visibilitytriangles shall be kept clear of landscape materials that would obstruct the sight lines of motorists at intersecting streets. (c) Installation. All landscape improvements required bythis subsection shall be installed bythe owner no later than one year after the issuance of a building permit for the subject property. Replacement of any dead trees, shrubs, ground covers and sodding shall be responsibility of the property owner. (d) Inspection. Twelve months after the date of issuance of a building permit, the city may conduct a field inspection of the subject site to assure compliance with the requirements of this subdivision and implementation of the approved landscape plan. (e) Exceptions and adjustments. Where a strict application of this subsection is not possible due to unique topographic landform, irregular lot shape or historic features worthy of preservation, the applicant may present an alternative landscape and screening plan to the city for alternate approval. (f) Performance guarantee. If required landscape improvements have not been completed at the time a certificate is requested for occupancy of a property, a financial guarantee to ensure completion of the improvements shall be supplied prior to issuance of the certificate of occupancy. The financial guarantee shall be in an amount equal to approximately 100 percent of the value of the uncompleted landscape improvements, and shall be released one year after completion of the required landscape improvements following written request from the property owner. Developers who have posted a previous financial guarantee in connection with the installation of public improvements shall not be required to post a separate guarantee, but the financial guarantee shall remain in place in an amount equal to approximately 100 percent of the value of uncompleted landscape improvements until all required landscape improvements are completed. Sec. 30-935. - Landscaped islands in off-street harking areas. (a) All off-street parking areas shall include unpaved, landscaped islands that are reasonably distributed throughout the parking area. These islands should be located to breakup expanses of paved areas and facilitate traffic control. Islands shall be provided in a ration of at least one island per 15 parking spaces. (b) Landscaped islands shall be equal to the size of a parking stall.