Chapter 14.25
LANDSCAPING
Sections:
14.25.030 Application requirements.
14.25.050 Type I, property lines other than street frontage.
14.25.060 Type II, property lines other than street frontage.
14.25.070 Type III, street frontage.
14.25.080 Type III, street frontage in RVC in Alger.
14.25.090 Type IV, parking areas.
14.25.100 Type V, industrial adjoining residential in Bayview Ridge.
14.25.010 Purpose.
(1) Landscaping is essential to provide an aesthetically pleasing balance between the built and natural environment for the residents of Skagit County. Landscaping should be used to help:
(a) Soften and enhance the appearance of the built environment and retain the natural landscape character where possible and practical;
(b) Buffer conflicting land uses;
(c) Maintain property values;
(d) Provide shade and visual relief to parking areas and streets;
(e) Reduce stormwater runoff and erosion by providing areas for water retention and biofiltration where deemed necessary;
(f) Aid in protecting the natural landscape rural character of Skagit County by helping to maintain and enhance the rural visual landscape quality through the use of native plant materials;
(g) Avoid danger to aircraft in the AEO zone. (Ord. O20250005 § 2 (Exh. A))
14.25.020 Applicability.
(1) This Chapter applies to:
(a) Any change of use;
(b) New or replacement commercial, industrial, or institutional building;
(c) Special use; or
(d) Land division application (when required by Division 7 of this Title).
(2) For a new structure or use, substantial remodel, repair, or expansion (greater than 50 percent area) of an existing building or use, landscaping must meet all requirements of this Chapter.
(3) For a remodel, repair, or expansion (50 percent or less) to an existing building or use, landscaping is required at least equal to the percentage of the remodeled, repaired, or expanded area.
(4) No landscaping is required for an interior remodel.
(5) No additional landscaping is required for a property that already meets the requirements of this Chapter. (Ord. O20250005 § 2 (Exh. A))
14.25.030 Application requirements.
(1) A conceptual landscape plan must be included in the underlying project permit application.
(2) Plans must be drawn to scale and include:
(a) The location of buildings;
(b) Above- and belowground utilities;
(c) The location, quantities, and sizes of proposed plants and other proposed materials in the landscape area.
(3) Plans for projects including 2,000 square feet or more of landscaping over the entire development area must be prepared by a licensed landscape architect or Washington State certified nurseryman.
(4) A final, approved plan is required prior to final project approval. (Ord. O20250005 § 2 (Exh. A))
14.25.040 General standards.
The following general standards are required in all zones where landscaping is required:
(1) Existing Vegetation. Preference is to retain as much of the existing mature vegetation (not including invasive nonnative species) as possible within planting areas. Existing mature vegetation may be included in the required amount.
(2) Trees must be varieties that will not conflict with underground or overhead utilities.
(3) No artificial lawn or shrubbery is permitted in landscaped areas.
(4) Required landscaping or other vegetation within 30 feet of a driveway or street intersection must not impair the sight vision between 30 inches and eight feet from the ground. All trees must not have branches or foliage below eight feet above the street level.
(5) Erosion control measures and temporary runoff control may become part of a landscape plan.
(6) Maintenance for all landscaping and screening areas must be provided by the owner of the landscaped property. Broken or dead trees or shrubs must be replaced. All screening and landscaping areas must be kept free of weeds and trash. Failure to maintain landscaping areas may be enforced per SCC Chapter 14.09, Enforcement Procedures.
(7) Performance assurance bonding must be in a cash deposit or other assurance acceptable to the County equal to 125 percent of the estimated installation costs if landscaping improvements have not been completed prior to application for occupancy. Such deposit must be accompanied by a letter that must stipulate the completion of the landscaping no later than nine months from date of occupancy. If the conditions are not met, the County may use the deposit to perform the landscaping.
(8) Phased projects must submit a landscape plan for the site as a whole before any issuance of a building permit is granted.
(9) Alternative landscape plans that differ from the requirements contained in this Chapter may be approved as a variance. All plans must demonstrate how they meet the intent as outlined in this Chapter or that a hardship exists because of lot topography, size, or location.
(10) Landscape materials must be provided consistent with the County’s list of acceptable landscape materials.
(11) Potential conflicts between landscaping and utilities must be minimized or avoided.
(12) Where a low-impact development stormwater facility is required by SCC Chapter 14.32, the applicant may use that facility to satisfy other landscaping requirements so long as the purpose and intent of required landscaping is satisfied and the landscaping does not disrupt the function of LID stormwater facilities. (Ord. O20250005 § 2 (Exh. A))
14.25.050 Type I, property lines other than street frontage.
(1) Description. Type I landscaping is intended to provide screening of areas to reduce the visual impact of incompatible or less desirable characteristics. It is intended to be a very dense sight barrier. The planting strip must be at least 20 feet wide.
(2) Applicability.
(a) A 20-foot-wide Type I buffer is required on all development within SRT, BR-LI, BR-HI, NRI, H-I and RMI zones where it abuts URR, RI, RRv, RVR, BR-R, H-R, H-URv and R zoned land. Entire property lines need not be landscaped if applicant can demonstrate the activity (building or use) is adequately screened and agrees to additional Type I landscaping with future applications. A request for a reduction must be by administrative decision pursuant to SCC Chapter 14.06. Requirements for the NRI zone are found within that zone.
(b) Type I landscapes may be applied as conditions to discretionary land use applications.
(3) Amount of Plantings Within the Planting Strip.
(a) Trees. Two alternating rows of evergreen trees, with a minimum of two-and-one-half-inch caliper and planted at intervals of no greater than 20 feet on center. The trees must be backed by a sight-obscuring fence, a minimum of five feet high, that may be removed when the trees reach 10 feet high. Applicant may eliminate the fence by increasing the required width of the planting area by 10 feet. In the Airport Environs Overlay (AEO), tree height at maturity may be no greater than the maximum building height for the specific site.
(b) Shrubs. Shrubs must be planted a minimum of five feet wide using plants that are three and one-half feet in height at the time of planting. A combination of plant materials and landscape materials must be planted so that the ground surrounding the shrubs will be covered within three years.
(c) Alternatively, a wall at least six feet high may be used for screening to reduce the planting width five feet and must be constructed of masonry, block, or textured concrete. (Ord. O20250005 § 2 (Exh. A))
14.25.060 Type II, property lines other than street frontage.
(1) Description. Type II landscaping is intended to provide a visual separation between uses and land use districts.
(2) Applicability.
(a) A 10-foot-wide Type II buffer is required on all development within URC-I, AVR, AVR-L, RFS, RVC, RC, SSB, and RB zones where it abuts URR, RI, RRv, RVR, BR-R, H-R, H-URv and R zoned land. Entire property lines need not be landscaped if applicant can demonstrate the activity (building or use) is adequately screened and agrees to additional Type II landscaping with future applications. A request for a reduction must be by administrative decision pursuant to SCC Chapter 14.06.
(b) Type II landscapes may be applied as conditions to discretionary land use applications.
(3) Amount of Plantings.
(a) Trees. Evergreen and deciduous trees, with no more than 50 percent being deciduous, a minimum of two-and-one-half-inch caliper and planted at intervals of no greater than 20 feet on center. In the Airport Environs Overlay (AEO), tree height at maturity must be no greater than the maximum building height for the specific site.
(b) Shrubs. A minimum of three and one-half feet in height and other plant materials planted so that the ground will be covered within three years. (Ord. O20250005 § 2 (Exh. A))
14.25.070 Type III, street frontage.
(1) Description. Type III landscaping is intended to provide aesthetic enhancement, retain the natural landscape character and soften the appearance of streets, parking areas and building elevations of applications subject to this Section. This is the typical landscape requirement that every commercial/industrial application must meet.
(2) Applicability.
(a) An eight-foot-wide Type III buffer is required on the street frontage of all development within all commercial/industrial zones. Entire property lines need not be landscaped if the applicant can demonstrate the activity (building or use) is adequately screened and agrees to additional Type II landscaping with future applications. A request for a reduction must be by administrative decision pursuant to SCC Chapter 14.06.
(b) Type III landscapes may be applied as conditions to discretionary land use applications.
(3) Amount of Plantings.
(a) Standards for AVR, AVR-L, NRI, BR-LI, BR-HI, RFS, SRT, and RMI Zones.
(i) Trees. Evergreen and deciduous trees, with no more than 50 percent being deciduous, a minimum of six feet in height, and planted at intervals no greater than 30 feet on center, or maximum spacing of one tree for every 30 feet of road frontage may be planted in groupings so as not to visually block a business entrance. In the Airport Environs Overlay (AEO), tree height at maturity must be no greater than the maximum building height for the specific site.
(ii) Shrubs and Berms. Minimum of three and one-half feet in height, and lawn or ground cover planted so that the ground will be covered within three years or earth mounding (berms) an average of three and one-half feet in height planted with shrubs, or ground cover so that the ground will be covered within three years and produce a landscape at least three and one-half feet in height.
(b) Standards for URC-I, RVC, RC, SSB, and R Zones.
(i) A minimum of two groupings 50 square feet each must be provided.
(ii) A minimum of one tree in one group and two trees in the second group.
(iii) Shrubs must be adequate to cover the minimum square footage requirement. (Ord. O20250005 § 2 (Exh. A))
14.25.080 Type III, street frontage in RVC in Alger.
(1) Description. Type III landscaping is intended to provide aesthetic enhancement, retain the natural landscape character and soften the appearance of streets, parking areas and building elevations of applications subject to this Section.
(a) An eight-foot-wide Type III buffer is required on the street frontage of all development within the Alger RVC zone. Stormwater biofiltration is encouraged to be incorporated into any landscaped area. Parking must be located to the side and rear of buildings or in on-street parking lanes. In the Rural Village Commercial area north of Alger Cain Lake Road, the pathway may be in the outside 20 feet of the 100-foot-wide Old State Route 99 right-of-way.
(b) Type III landscapes may be applied as conditions to discretionary land use applications.
(2) Amount of Plantings.
(a) Street trees in the amount of one tree per 30 feet of street frontage. All street trees must be deciduous. Trees may be grouped informally to enhance the rural environment.
(b) Shrubs and ground cover so that the ground will be covered within three years.
(3) Pedestrian and Bicycle Pathways.
(a) Street frontage must include a pedestrian pathway at least five feet wide. The pathway may be constructed of crushed rock or asphalt. In the Rural Village Commercial area north of Alger Cain Lake Road, the pathway may be in the outside 20 feet of the 100-foot-wide Old State Route 99 right-of-way. Bicycle paths north of Alger Cain Lake Road must be located within the inner 60-foot right-of-way. (Ord. O20250005 § 2 (Exh. A))
14.25.090 Type IV, parking areas.
(1) Description. Type IV landscaping is intended to provide relief and shade in parking areas.
(2) Amount of Plantings. Applications within RFS, RMI, AVR, AVR-L, NRI, BR-LI, BR-HI, and SRT zoning designations must have a minimum of 16 square feet of landscaping for every parking stall.
(3) Design.
(a) Each area of landscaping must contain at least 100 square feet of area and must be at least four feet in any direction. The area must contain at least one tree at least six feet in height and with minimum size of one and one-half inches in caliper measured six inches above existing grade if deciduous. Deciduous trees must have a clear trunk at least five feet above the ground. The remaining ground area must be landscaped with a variety of plant materials to include low shrubs, two feet at maturity, perennials, annuals and ground cover.
(b) A landscaped area must be placed at the end of each parking row in a multiple lane parking area. This area must be at least four feet wide and must extend the length of the adjacent parking stall.
(c) If less than six stalls are required, a minimum of 100 square feet must be landscaped. The area does not need to meet the dimensional standards of SCC 14.25.080(3)(a).
(d) Up to 100 percent of the trees proposed for the parking area may be deciduous.
(e) The trees must be protected from the public, either pedestrian or motor vehicles, by appropriate curbs, tree guards or other protective devices.
(f) Applications Within All Other Commercial/Industrial Zoning Designations. For every 10 required stalls, a minimum of 200 square feet of landscaping must be provided including at least three trees and a mix of shrubs and ground covers. (Ord. O20250005 § 2 (Exh. A))
14.25.100 Type V, industrial adjoining residential in Bayview Ridge.
(1) Description. Type V landscaping is intended to provide a visual and noise buffer of industrial uses where they adjoin residential zones at Bayview Ridge.
(2) Applicability. Type V landscaping is required along the entire property line for development within BR-LI or AVR-L where it abuts BR-R or RRv.
(3) Requirements.
(a) Width. Plantings and screening must total 30 feet in width.
(b) Plantings.
(i) Existing vegetation within the required buffer width that functionally meets or exceeds these planting requirements must be retained.
(ii) At least three alternating rows of evergreen trees, with a minimum of two-and-one-half-inch caliper and planted at intervals of 20 feet or less on center.
(iii) Shrubs must be planted no more than five feet apart using plants that are at least three and one-half feet in height at the time of planting. A combination of plants and landscape materials must be placed so that the ground surrounding the shrubs will be covered within three years.
(c) Screening.
(i) A masonry, block, or textured concrete wall, or fully obscuring wood fence is required and must be architecturally integrated with colors and textures of the surrounding development.
(ii) Where existing vegetation exceeds 150 percent of the required landscaping width, no wall or fence is required. (Ord. O20250005 § 2 (Exh. A))