§ 11.7. General landscaping requirements.

The landscaping requirements listed are the minimum design standards for all development regulated under the provisions of this article. These requirements shall be used by the director of community development and general services department in reviewing site plans, and may be supplemented by specific landscaping standards and specifications as established by the director of community development and general services department and approved by the mayor and council.

Landscape design and planning shall be integrated with the overall design concept for any project; therefore, the director of community development and general services department shall evaluate landscaping schemes as to their relationship to the existing natural landscape, developed and other proposed landscape including on adjacent properties and public right-of-way, and the building or buildings existing and/or proposed.

Existing tree cover and natural vegetation shall be preserved, whenever possible, or replaced with suitable vegetation.

Landscaping shall be used whenever possible to screen objectionable views or nuisances, such as parking and service areas, refuse containers, air conditioning units, transformers, etc.

All front green spaces shall be sodded. If grass seed must be used in the rear, it shall be of a variety suitable to the area that produces complete coverage.

No artificial plants, trees, or other vegetation shall be installed.

All existing, healthy deciduous and hardwood trees with a caliper of ten or more inches at a point three feet tall shall be retained, whenever feasible. If not feasible the tree shall be replaced with the same or similar type of tree in accordance with the following paragraph of this section, unless otherwise approved by the director of community development and general services department.

(Ord. of 4-28-2008)