Chapter 20.58
LANDSCAPING REQUIREMENTS
Sections:
20.58.001 Scope and purpose.
20.58.005 Landscaping required.
20.58.010 Landscape plan required.
20.58.012 Professional design criteria.
20.58.015 General standards.
20.58.020 Approval criteria.
20.58.022 Appeal of planning director’s action.
20.58.035 Installation of landscaping.
20.58.040 Landscape performance surety required.
20.58.050 Maintenance of landscaping.
20.58.001 Scope and purpose.
The provisions of this chapter apply wherever landscaping is required by the zoning requirements of this title and are intended to ensure that such landscaping is properly designed, installed and maintained. This chapter is intended to encourage the retention of existing vegetation, unique habitat and natural areas, and to maintain and protect property values, enhance environmental quality and improve the general appearance of the city. (Ord. 2147 Exh. A, 1987).
20.58.005 Landscaping required.
The extent of on-site landscaping required shall not be less than that set forth in this section, or PMC 20.26.500:
(1) All parking areas of over 10,000 square feet shall have at least five percent of the area required for parking spaces, driving aisles, and loading spaces landscaped to provide shade, reduce stormwater runoff and improve general appearance. Perimeter landscaping required for screening shall not be calculated as part of the five percent figure.
(2) The perimeter of all sites shall be landscaped the full depth of the required setbacks for the subject site, or 12 feet, whichever is less. Roads and driveways that cut through perimeter landscape areas shall be no wider and no more numerous than necessary for safe access and turning movements, as determined by the community development director or a certified traffic engineer. Remaining portions of a site (or of a phased portion of a site with an approved phasing plan) that are not covered by buildings or pavement shall be landscaped. Landscaping shall be sufficient to achieve 75 percent coverage within a three-year period.
Roads and driveways that cut through perimeter landscape areas shall be no wider and no more numerous than necessary for safe access and turning movements, as determined by the community development director or a certified traffic engineer. Remaining portions of a site (or of a phased portion of a site with an approved phasing plan) that are not covered by buildings or pavement shall be landscaped. Landscaping shall be sufficient to achieve 75 percent coverage within a three-year period.
(3) Stormwater Control Facilities. Open storm detention/retention ponds and swales that are visible from public rights-of-way or from common areas (e.g., courtyards, plazas), shall be landscaped and maintained as follows.
(a) Facilities requiring security fencing shall include vegetation around the outer perimeter of the fence sufficient to provide full screening or fencing materials (except access gates) within three years of installation. The area within the fence shall not be located in, or be considered part of, required landscaped areas.
(b) Facilities not requiring security fencing may be included in any required landscaped area, provided they do not encroach into required buffer areas nor diminish required screening. They shall be graded in a manner that allows safe access to the water’s edge, and shall be designed to provide visual amenity to the site, including: (i) a curvilinear configuration that provides a more natural pond-like appearance; and (ii) substantive vegetation typically found in and near natural ponds or wetlands. If a narrow linear bio-swale is used, it may be planted in lawn using a seed mixture appropriate for wet conditions, provided that all other plant materials otherwise required in the area of the bio-swale are incorporated into a planting area immediately around the bio-swale and within the required landscape area.
(c) All vegetation in stormwater control facilities shall be regularly maintained. Lawn areas shall be maintained in a growing condition and regularly mowed. Stormwater facilities shall be kept free of weeds, debris and sediment.
(3) The perimeter of all parking areas and associated access drives which abut public rights-of-way shall be screened with on-site landscaping, earth berms, fencing, or a combination thereof. Screening shall be located within the required perimeter landscape area and shall include a mix of plants appropriate to achieve 50 percent screening of parked vehicles up to a height of three feet within two years of plant establishment.
(4) All trash containers shall be screened from abutting properties and public rights-of-way by substantial sight-obscuring landscaping. Sight-obscuring fences and walls can be substituted for plant materials.
(5) All portions of a lot not devoted to building, future building, parking, access drives, walks, storage or accessory uses shall be landscaped in a manner consistent with the requirements of this chapter. (Ord. 2694 § 7, 2001; Ord. 2147 Exh. A, 1987).
20.58.010 Landscape plan required.
No permit or license for new construction, including the physical expansion of an existing building or parking lot, or for moving a building shall be issued unless a landscape plan for such improvement has been approved by the planning director. This provision does not apply to single-family and multiple-family developments with four or less units. Said landscape plan shall include the following information:
(1) All existing and proposed buildings, walks, parking areas, driveways, and other hard-site elements;
(2) All areas devoted to landscaping clearly showing all existing plant materials to be retained and proposed plants to be installed. The proposed plants should be clearly labeled as to installation, size, species, planting methods, flower color, and other information necessary to describe the plant material;
(3) All proposed and existing landscape elements such as light fixtures, bollards, inert ground covers such as stone, mulch, ornamental fountains, trash receptacles, drinking fountains, landscape paving, pools, benches or other landscape furniture;
(4) All topographic features of the area to be landscaped such as berms or swales. A contour map detailing intervals at two feet shall be provided when the finish grade of proposed topographic features exceeds 15 percent;
(5) All existing and proposed drainage and watering facilities;
(6) All details necessary to show plant installation methods or special construction requirements for landscape elements. (Ord. 2196 § 8, 1989; Ord. 2147 Exh. A, 1987).
20.58.012 Professional design criteria.
Landscape plans for all projects involving new structures of 10,000 square feet or greater or 20,000 square feet or greater of affected site area shall be prepared by a professional landscape architect licensed in this state, unless this requirement is expressly waived by the community development director. For smaller projects, the community development director shall have the authority to require that a landscape plan prepared under PMC 20.58.010 be prepared by a professional landscape architect licensed in this state. Such requirement for professional design shall be made early in the development process and such action shall be based upon the following criteria:
(1) The proposed project will likely create adverse visual impacts and substantial landscape mitigation is required under SEPA;
(2) The proposed project is situated on a major arterial, entrance to the city or in a similar geographic setting where the landscape design would significantly influence the city’s visual character;
(3) The proposed project will affect environmentally sensitive or established residential areas and landscape design will be used to buffer the project’s impact on such areas. (Ord. 2346 § 1(14), 1993; Ord. 2147 Exh. A, 1987).
20.58.015 General standards.
The following general landscape regulations shall apply to all landscaped areas requiring plans except those specifically exempted:
(1) Artificial plants cannot be substituted for landscape plant materials.
(2) Landscaped areas shall be provided with adequate drainage.
(3) Landscaped areas shall not conflict with the safety or ingress/egress of persons using sidewalks.
(4) No plant materials that are poisonous, toxic or otherwise nuisances to property or people shall be used in landscape areas.
(a) Poisonous or toxic restrictions do not apply to commonly used ornamental plants such as rhododendrons.
(b) Nuisance plant materials include, but are not limited to, any plantings that:
(i) Spread in a proliferous or invasive manner beyond the area intended to be landscaped;
(ii) Cause damage to or interfere with overhead or underground utility lines; or
(iii) Cause damage to abutting pavement or foundations.
(c) The community development director may require submittal of planting characteristics of any proposed or questionable plant material as may be found in any published plant encyclopedia, or as provided by a professional horticultural consultant.
(5) The community development director shall prepare standards for the development of landscaping plans. The standards shall be based upon available technical and professional information regarding plant types and their required climate conditions, microclimate characteristics, installation and maintenance. Standards for landscaping plans shall generally consist of the following:
(a) Landscaping design consideration including the microclimates that affect plant health and horticultural compatibility;
(b) Defined thresholds for submitting different levels of landscaping plans, based upon adopted thresholds for landscaping requirements;
(c) Minimum landscape application requirements necessary to determine if the landscaping conforms to all adopted site design and landscaping standards;
(d) Plant stock standards (including source and size) that assure healthy and viable plantings according to their proposed locations and intended purposes;
(e) Installation standards that define adequate soil preparation and hydrology needs and that assure the health and survival of plantings;
(f) Necessary means of protecting and preserving vegetation;
(g) Methods for preserving significant or heritage trees;
(h) Maintenance standards that assure the health of plantings in buffers, open space and cultivated areas;
(i) The size, type and spacing of trees and shrubs necessary to implement all screening and buffering standards as required by this title. (Ord. 2694 § 7, 2001; Ord. 2196 § 9, 1989; Ord. 2147 Exh. A, 1987).
20.58.020 Approval criteria.
The planning director shall, within 15 days of filing of a landscaping plan, approve, approve with conditions, return for modifications, or deny said landscape plan. Such action shall be based upon the following criteria for approval:
(1) The entire landscape area shall be covered with a suitable landscape material consisting of sod, vegetative groundcover, shrubs, trees, bark, mulch, gravel and/or stone. The design and layout of such landscaping should be such so as to minimize maintenance requirements.
(2) The facilities for watering and drainage shall be adequate to ensure that the landscape area is maintained in green and growing condition and that no soil, bark, mulch, gravel, stone or similar materials are allowed to wash off the landscape area into parking areas, driveways, public streets, sidewalks, gutters or storm drainage facilities.
(3) No plant materials or landscape features shall be situated in such a manner so as to inhibit vehicle sight distances or otherwise create a traffic hazard.
(4) Preservation of existing vegetation shall be incorporated into landscape design whenever practical.
(5) Installation of a diversity of vegetative species and size shall be incorporated into a landscape design to the extent that the design complements the site buildings and functions.
(6) The plant materials or landscape features shall be designed and situated in a manner that makes the project visually compatible with its surroundings to the extent possible. (Ord. 2147 Exh. A, 1987).
20.58.022 Appeal of planning director’s action.
Any decision of the planning director pursuant to PMC 20.58.015 may be appealed to the hearing examiner as an interpretation review pursuant to Chapter 20.87 PMC, provided said appeal is filed within 10 business days of the director’s decision. (Ord. 2268 § 40, 1991; Ord. 2147 Exh. A, 1987).
20.58.035 Installation of landscaping.
All landscaping required by this title shall be installed prior to issuance of a final certificate of occupancy. Upon a finding that the time of year when a certificate of occupancy would be issued is inappropriate for installing all or part of the landscaping, due to weather constraints, the community development director may allow said plantings to be deferred for up to six months immediately following issuance of a certificate of occupancy. (Ord. 2513 § 1 (Att. A § 5.a), 1997; Ord. 2147 Exh. A, 1987).
20.58.040 Landscape performance surety required.
All landscaping required pursuant to this title for qualifying developments, regardless of when installed, shall be secured by an assignment of funds or other surety as deemed acceptable to the community development director. For purposes of this section, “qualifying development” are those projects deemed “large projects” on the adopted fee schedule for the city. All other projects shall post surety only if all or part of said plantings have not been installed at time of certificate of occupancy, pursuant to PMC 20.58.035. All surety shall be posted in an amount and form as specified in adopted city administrative procedures. The surety shall be used for completion of required landscaping in the event that said landscaping or any portion thereof is not installed pursuant to PMC 20.58.035 nor maintained pursuant to PMC 20.58.050. (Ord. 2513 § 1 (Att. A § 5.b), 1997; Ord. 2147 Exh. A, 1987).
20.58.050 Maintenance of landscaping.
All landscaping required by this title shall be maintained in an attractive, green and growing manner. Where landscaped areas are not maintained to prevent weeds and trash and to ensure that plant materials are living and healthy, the subject property shall be considered in violation of this title and subject to the enforcement provisions set forth in Chapter 20.95 PMC. (Ord. 2147 Exh. A, 1987).