Lincoln City City Zoning Code
CHAPTER 17
55 LANDSCAPING STANDARDS
§ 17.55.010 Purpose.
The goals of landscaping are to increase aesthetic value; provide environmental benefits, such as controlling erosion and functioning as part of the natural hydrologic cycle; provide an attractive natural balance to built areas; reduce runoff; screen or buffer uses; and to frame or complement views. The purpose of this chapter is to provide for the design, selection, installation, and maintenance of landscaping that will satisfy the aforementioned goals. This chapter also seeks to provide for selection of plant materials that will provide long-term growth, a balance of year-round coverage and greenery, and a variety of species for a healthier, drought-tolerant, disease-resistant plant inventory.
(Ord. 2020-13 § 25)
§ 17.55.020 Applicability.
The standards of this chapter shall apply to:
A.
All Type II and Type III procedures.
B.
New construction.
(Ord. 2020-13 § 25; Ord. 2022-25 § 52)
§ 17.55.030 Landscaping requirements for detached single-unit dwellings, attached single-unit dwellings, manufactured dwellings, and duplexes.
A.
Maximum Impervious Surface. Maximum coverage of an individual lot or parcel in impervious surfaces shall be limited to a percentage of the gross area of the lot or parcel, according to zone, as listed in Table 17.55.030-1.
Table 17.55.030-1** | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
R1 | R1RE | VR | RM | NCR | RR | OPD I-M | OPD OF | NBMU | NBD |
55% | 55% | 55% | 55% | 55% | 65% | 75% | 80% | 90% | 90% |
Notes: |
|---|
**55% for any zone not listed in Table 17.55.030-1. |
1.
Exemptions and Adjustments.
a.
Flag lot access ways (i.e., the "flagpole") shall not be counted as part of the impervious surface area on the site. They shall also be deducted from the gross square footage of the site when determining the allowable percentage.
b.
Recorded, legal access easements shall not be counted as part of the impervious surface area on the site. They shall also be deducted from the gross square footage of the site when determining the allowable percentage.
c.
Eco-roofs, installed or inspected and approved by a certified professional, shall not be counted as part of the impervious surface area on the site. They shall also be deducted from the gross square footage of the site when determining the allowable percentage.
d.
For example, a lot in the R1RE zone is 5,000 square feet. It contains a 1,000-square-foot flagpole/recorded, legal access easement/eco-roof. Five thousand less 1,000 equals 4,000. Fifty-five percent of 4,000 equals 2,200; therefore, no more than 2,200 square feet of the site can be impervious, but the 1,000-square-foot area of the flagpole/recorded, legal access easement/eco-roof does not count against the 2,200 square feet of allowed impervious area.
e.
For existing lots between 3,000 square feet and 4,000 square feet, maximum impervious surfaces shall be an additional five percent above the limit listed in the table above.
f.
For existing lots less than 3,000 square feet, maximum impervious surfaces is an additional 15 percent above the limit listed in the table above or 100 percent, whichever is less.
B.
Landscaping Requirements. Landscaping is required on all disturbed portions of the site not covered by buildings, structures, or impervious surfaces. Existing plants and trees that are healthy and noninvasive count towards the minimum requirements listed below, provided they will be protected during development adequately enough to ensure future preservation.
1.
At a minimum, the site shall contain the following spaced and/or grouped according to best planting practices and aesthetics:
a.
One tree per 150 feet of total lot perimeter; and
b.
One shrub per 30 feet of total lot perimeter; and
c.
The remainder of the site that is not covered by buildings, structures, or impervious surfaces shall be covered with living or nonliving ground cover as outlined in subsection (C) of this section and LCMC § 17.55.050.
C.
Ground Cover and Mulch.
1.
Mulch between plantings shall be at least a two- to three-inch-thick layer to ensure effective erosion control and to avoid leaching of excessive nutrients.
2.
Acceptable mulch materials are straw, well-aged compost and leaves, wood mulch or bark dust, or wood nuggets that are a minimum diameter of one inch. Mulching with manure that has not been composted or aged is prohibited.
3.
Nonliving ground cover materials such as noncompacted pea gravel, river rock, pumice, stones, boulders, bark dust, and cedar chips are acceptable ground cover.
4.
Standards for living ground cover are those set out in LCMC § 17.55.050.
(Ord. 2020-13 § 25; Ord. 2022-25 § 53)
§ 17.55.040 Landscaping requirements for all development other than detached single-unit dwellings, attached single-unit dwellings, manufactured dwellings, and duplexes.
A.
Landscaping is required on all portions of the site not covered by buildings, structures, or impervious surfaces.
B.
Existing plants and trees that are healthy and noninvasive count towards the tree and shrub requirement below, provided they will be protected during development adequately enough to ensure future preservation.
1.
At a minimum, the site shall contain the following spaced and/or grouped according to best planting practices and aesthetics:
a.
One tree per 100 feet of total lot perimeter; and
b.
One shrub per 30 feet of total lot perimeter; and
c.
The remainder of the site that is not covered by buildings, structures, or impervious surfaces shall be covered with living or nonliving ground cover as outlined in subsection (C) of this section and LCMC § 17.55.050.
2.
If islands are required in parking areas, each island must contain at least one tree, sized appropriately for the area of the island. The remainder of the island must be covered with shrubs and/or living or nonliving ground cover, subject to the standards set out in subsection (C) of this section and LCMC § 17.55.050. Islands count towards the parking landscaping requirement.
C.
Ground Cover and Mulch.
1.
Ground cover used as mulch between plantings shall be placed at a minimum two- to three-inch-thick layer to ensure effective erosion control and to avoid leaching of excessive nutrients.
2.
Acceptable mulch materials are straw, well-aged compost and leaves, wood mulch or bark dust, or wood nuggets that are a minimum diameter of one inch. Mulching with manure that has not been composted or aged is prohibited.
3.
Nonliving ground cover materials such as noncompacted pea gravel, river rock, pumice, stones, boulders, bark dust, cedar chips, or similar, are acceptable nonliving ground cover.
4.
Standards for living ground cover are those set out in LCMC § 17.55.050.
(Ord. 2020-13 § 25; Ord. 2022-25 § 54)
§ 17.55.050 Selection, preparation, and installation for all landscaping.
A.
Selection of Materials.
1.
Noxious vegetation as defined in LCMC § 8.12.010 or by the Oregon Department of Agriculture is prohibited. Noxious weeds as defined in LCMC § 8.10.020 are prohibited.
2.
All selections must be healthy and disease-free at the time of planting.
3.
Sizes of Plantings.
a.
Deciduous trees must be a minimum of one-half caliper inches at the time of planting.
b.
Conifer trees must be a minimum of four feet in height at the time of planting.
c.
Ground cover plants must be at least four-inch pot size.
d.
Shrubs must be at least one-gallon size at the time of planting.
e.
Plantings at their mature height shall not be higher than five feet if they would block the view of any shoreline of the Pacific Ocean, Siletz Bay or Devils Lake.
f.
All plantings must be one, or a combination of, the following: native to the Pacific Northwest; selected from the City of Lincoln City Guide to Landscape Selections; or suitable for the site conditions as certified by a written and signed statement from a landscape architect licensed in the state of Oregon, a licensed landscape contractor, or a landscape nursery person.
B.
Preparation.
1.
The entire site must be cleared of noxious vegetation as defined in LCMC § 8.12.010 and by the Oregon Department of Agriculture, as well as noxious weeds as defined in LCMC § 8.10.020, prior to installation of landscaping.
2.
The entire site must be cleared of weeds, as well as dead, dying, or diseased vegetation prior to installation of landscaping.
C.
Installation.
1.
Plant materials must be installed to current nursery industry standards.
2.
Plant materials must be properly supported to ensure survival. Support devices such as guy wires or stakes must not interfere with vehicular or pedestrian movement.
3.
All landscaping shall be installed prior to final inspection by the department or:
a.
Agreement to Delay Installation. If all landscaping has not been satisfactorily completed prior to the final inspection by the department and the director determines that a delay in completion of the landscaping is appropriate because there has not been a reasonable amount of time for the completion of the landscaping or for other reasons, then the director may require, as a condition of use of the site, a landscaping agreement signed by the owner, in a form satisfactory to the director. A landscaping agreement shall:
i.
Identify all landscaping to be completed and establish a time period, not to exceed 120 days, within which the owner shall complete the landscaping;
ii.
If the identified landscaping is not completed within the established time period, then this shall be considered a Class B violation with a fine of up to $1,000 per day for each day the identified landscaping remains incomplete.
(Ord. 2020-13 § 25; Ord. 2022-25 § 55)
§ 17.55.060 Irrigation and maintenance.
A.
Irrigation. The intent is to ensure that plants will survive the critical establishment period when they are most vulnerable due to lack of watering. Irrigation systems shall be provided for all planted areas for a period of at least two years, or until it is demonstrated that new plants have become naturalized.
B.
Continuous maintenance of property includes, but is not limited to, weeding, pruning, removing and eradicating invasive and noxious plants, removing diseased or dead vegetation and replacing with healthy specimens, and removing litter, trash, and debris. Failure to maintain property in accordance with this chapter shall be considered a Class B violation.
(Ord. 2020-13 § 25)
§ 17.55.070 Clear-vision requirements.
Landscaping shall be in conformance with the clear-vision area requirements set out in LCMC § 17.52.060.
(Ord. 2020-13 § 25)
§ 17.55.080 Living landscaping as screening.
A.
When screening is required, the applicant may choose to use vegetation as the screening method. If so, the following standards must be met:
1.
Screening shall be in the form of a hedge.
2.
The hedge shall consist of evergreen shrubs and shall be native to the Pacific Northwest and suitable for the site conditions as certified by a nursery person or a landscape architect licensed in the state of Oregon or selected from the City of Lincoln City Guide to Landscape Selections.
3.
Selected shrubs must have a mature height of at least six feet.
4.
Shrubs must be of sufficient size and number to provide solid sight obstruction, at a minimum of six feet in height, at the time of planting.
(Ord. 2020-13 § 25)
