19.23.130 - Water-conserving landscaping.

A.

The purpose of this section is to establish standards and procedures for the design, installation, and management of water-conserving landscapes in order to utilize available plant, water, and land resources to avoid excessive landscape water demands while ensuring high quality landscape design.

B.

These requirements shall be applicable to new and rehabilitated landscaping for industrial, commercial, office, and institutional developments; to parks and other public recreational areas; to multifamily (five or more units) residential and PUD common areas; to model home complexes; and to city road medians and corridors.

C.

These requirements shall not be applicable to:

1.

Homeowners providing landscaping at single-family or multiple-family complexes with fewer than five units.

2.

Cemeteries.

3.

Registered historical sites.

4.

Ecological restoration projects that do not require a permanent irrigation system.

5.

Mined-land reclamation projects that do not require a permanent irrigation system.

6.

Any project with a landscaped area less than one thousand square feet, unless the community development director determines that substantial compliance with the purpose of this section as stated in Section 15.06.010 requires that a landscape plan be submitted.

D.

Landscape plans shall be prepared in accordance with the standards set forth in this section and any applicable guidelines and submitted and approved prior to the issuance of building permits.

E.

Prior to issuance of a building permit, a landscape plan application shall be submitted by the owner of the affected property, his agent, or by a public entity to which the provisions of this subsection apply for review by the community development director. The application shall be completed on forms furnished by the director.

F.

No landscape plan application shall be approved unless the community development director finds that the plan: complements the design of the project; is consistent with the provisions of this section and applicable guidelines; and is compatible with adjacent existing or future public landscaped areas, and with the elevations and appearances with existing structures located upon lots within the immediate vicinity of the lot that is the subject of such application.

G.

Each landscape plan shall consist of the following elements, including but not limited to the following information:

1.

Water Conservation Concept Statement. Each landscape plan shall include a cover sheet referred to as the "Water Conservation Concept Statement," which serves as a checklist to verify that the elements of the landscape plan have been completed. The statement shall include a brief narrative summary of the project, including calculations of the project's maximum water allowance and estimated applied water use.

2.

Planting Plan. The planting plan shall identify the location, spacing, number, and container size of all plant materials, including common and botanical names. The planting plan shall be drawn on project base sheets in a clear and legible fashion in accordance with the guidelines for this subsection.

3.

Irrigation Plan. The irrigation plan shall identify all components of the irrigation system drawn on project base sheets in a clear and legible fashion in accordance with the guidelines for this section.

4.

Annual Irrigation Schedule. The annual irrigation schedule shall be prepared with a minimum four-season water schedule for both the plant establishment period and for mature landscape. The irrigation schedule shall include run time and frequency of irrigation for each station.

5.

Soils Test. The landscape plan shall include a report of soils test that includes information on soil infiltration rate, soil texture, and agricultural suitability. No soil test shall be required if the soil type can be determined by reference to the city soil map maintained by the community development director and the soil is amended as required by the director; provided, however, a soils test shall be required if substantial amounts of soil are imported to the property.

H.

Decorative water features such as pools, ponds, and waterfalls used in landscaped areas shall incorporate recycling of water, and, where available, use reclaimed water. Decorative water features shall be designed and operated to minimize water loss.

I.

Each landscape irrigation system shall be metered for water use, separately from domestic and other nonlandscape use.

J.

Each landscape irrigation system shall be periodically audited for conformance with the approved plan, in accordance with the State of California Landscape Water Management Program—Landscape Irrigation Auditor Handbook, incorporated in this chapter by reference. Such audits shall be conducted on a regular basis, at intervals of not less than every five years.

K.

For each subdivision with model homes the developer shall submit a landscape plan and install landscaping for each model home, incorporating the requirements of this section and including:

1.

Signs identifying elements of the water conserving landscape and irrigation system design placed around the model.

2.

Literature describing water conserving landscapes to be available to individuals touring the model.

3.

The location, text, and size of signs shall be clearly shown on the landscape plan and shall be in substantial accordance with the guidelines of this section.

L.

Upon completion of the installation of the landscaping, the designer shall certify that the landscape complies with all requirements of this section. Certification shall be accomplished by completion of a landscape certificate on a form approved by the director. Failure to submit a complete and accurate landscape certificate will delay final approval of the project and/or result in discontinuance of water service.

M.

The community development director shall develop a list of plants that are commonly used in landscape designs with water requirement classifications of low, medium, and high to assist landscape designers to choose species of appropriate water demands to comply with this section and to group species of similar water demands to facilitate efficient irrigation. This list shall be included in the landscape guidelines developed to implement the provisions of this section.

(Ord. 544 §1(part), 2000).