Landscaping is accepted as adding value to property and is in the interest of the general welfare of the city. Therefore, landscaping is hereafter required of new development adjacent to public streets.

(Ord. No. 2017-12, § 1, 10-19-2017)

(1)

The landscape standards in this section apply only to local retail districts and mixed retail commercial districts.

(2)

The standards and criteria contained within this section are deemed to be minimum standards and shall apply for any new construction or for an expansion constituting more than 50 percent of the size of an existing structure.

(3)

The provisions of this section shall be administered by the building official or his/her designee.

The standards and criteria contained within this section are deemed to be minimum standards and shall apply in the event any one of the following are required: new construction building permit; accessory structure permit; addition building permit or alteration building permit requiring the seal of a registered engineer or architect; or, the issuance of a storm water pollution prevention plan (SWPPP).

(Ord. No. 2017-12, § 1, 10-19-2017)

(1)

No permits shall be issued for building, paving, grading or construction until a detailed landscape plan is submitted and approved by the building official or his designee. A conceptual or generalized landscape plan shall be shown as part of the site plan as required in Chapter 8 of this Code. Prior to the issuance of a certificate of occupancy for any building or structure, all screening and landscaping shall be in place in accordance with the landscape plan.

(2)

In any case in which a certificate of occupancy is sought at a season of the year in which the building official determines that it would be impractical to plant trees, shrubs or grass, a temporary certificate of occupancy may be issued provided a letter of agreement from the property owner is provided stating when the installation shall occur. All landscape required by the landscape plan shall be installed within six months of the date of the issuance of the certificate of occupancy.

(Ord. No. 2017-12, § 1, 10-19-2017)

(1)

Prior to issuance of a building, paving, grading or construction permit in the local retail districts and mixed retail commercial districts exceeding the requirements in section 40-260(2), a landscape plan shall be submitted to the planning department. The building official shall review such plans and shall approve same if the plans are in accordance with the criteria of these regulations. If the plans are not in accord, they shall be disapproved and shall be accompanied by a written statement setting forth the changes necessary for compliance.

(2)

Landscaping plans shall be prepared by a landscape architect, landscape contractor, and/or landscape designer, knowledgeable in plant material usage and landscape design, and shall contain the following minimum information:

a.

Minimum scale of one inch equals 50 feet;

b.

Location, size and species of all trees to be preserved (do not use "tree stamps" unless they indicate true size and location of trees).

c.

Location of all plant and landscaping material to be used, including plants, paving, benches, screens, fountains, statues, earthen berms, ponds (to include depth of water), topography of site, or other landscape features.

d.

Species of all plant material to be used.

e.

Size of all plant material to be used.

f.

Spacing of plant material where appropriate.

g.

Layout and description of irrigation, sprinkler, or water systems including placement of water sources.

h.

Description of maintenance provision.

i.

Person(s) responsible for the preparation of the landscape plan.

j.

Mark indicating North.

k.

Date of the landscape plan.

(Ord. No. 2017-12, § 1, 10-19-2017)

The following criteria and standards shall apply to landscape materials and installation:

(1)

All required landscaped open areas shall be completely covered with living plant material. Landscaping materials such as wood chips and gravel may be used under trees, shrubs and other plants.

(2)

Plant materials shall conform to the standards of the approved plant list for the City of Olmos Park (see Appendix A for the approved tree list) and the American Standard for Nursery Stock. Grass seed, sod and other material shall be clean and reasonably free of weeds and noxious pests and insects.

(3)

Trees shall have an average spread of crown of greater than 15 feet at maturity. Trees having a lesser average mature spread of crown of 15 feet may be substituted by grouping the same so as to create the equivalent of 15 feet spread of crown. Large trees shall be a minimum of two inches in caliper (measured six inches above the ground) and seven feet in height at time of planting. Small trees shall be a minimum of one inch in caliper and five feet in height at time of planting.

(4)

Shrubs not of the dwarf variety, shall be a minimum of two feet in height when measured immediately after planting. Grass areas shall be sodded, plugged, sprigged, hydro-mulched or seeded. Solid sod shall be used in swales, earthen berms or other areas subject to erosion.

(5)

Ground covers used in lieu of grass, in whole and in part, shall be planted in such a manner as to present a finished appearance and reasonably completed coverage within one year of planting.

(6)

Each tree designated as a heritage tree as defined in article X, tree preservation in chapter 32 of the City Code of Ordinances preserved on a site may be counted as two large trees when calculating the large tree requirement of any landscaping provision of this section.

(7)

Earthen berms shall have side slopes not to exceed 33.3 percent (three feet) of horizontal distance for each one foot of height).

(Ord. No. 2017-12, § 1, 10-19-2017)

(1)

Front yard. For all local retail districts and mixed retail commercial districts with less than 100 feet of frontage adjacent to a dedicated public right-of-way at least 15 percent of the front yard shall be permanent landscape area. Local retail districts and mixed retail commercial districts having 100 feet or more of frontage shall have at least 20 percent of the front yard in permanent landscape area. Developers shall be required to plant one large tree and two shrubs per 35 linear feet or portion thereof of street frontage, and any plantings used in the interior parkway shall not be used to satisfy this requirement. Interior Parkway and parking landscaping areas may be included in the required landscape area percentage.

(2)

Interior parkway. This interior parkway is defined as the area of varying width located in the public right-of-way starting at the back of curb adjacent to the street and ending at the edge of the sidewalk required under section 40-112 or section 40-140 of the City Code of Ordinances. Lots fronting two major thoroughfares, such as McCullough, El Prado, and Olmos, shall be required to install the interior parkway on both street frontages. Interior parkways shall contain a minimum of one understory tree and two shrubs per 35 linear feet or portion thereof of street frontage. These required trees shall be evenly spaced throughout the length of the landscape buffer. The interior parkway shall have continuous living material cover consisting of grasses and groundcover and/or vines.

a.

To provide a uniform aesthetic, only plants from the following list may be used in the interior parkway:

i.

Understory trees

1.

Texas Redbud (Cercis canadensis x texensis)

2.

Thornless Retama (Parkinsonia microphylla)

3.

Crape Myrtle 'Osage' (Lagerstroemia 'Osage')

ii.

Shrubs

1.

Esperanza, Yellow Bells (Tecoma stans var. augustata)

2.

Mexican Bush Sage (Salvia leucantha)

3.

Dwarf Yaupon Holly (Ilex vomitoria)

4.

Hummingbird Bush (Anisacanthus quadifidus x wrightii)

5.

Texas sage (Leucophyllum frutescens)

iii.

Grasses

1.

Gulf Muhly (Muhlenbergia capillaris)

2.

Lindheimer's Muhly (Muhlenbergia lindheimeri)

3.

Pink Flamingos Muhly (Muhlenbergia 'Pink Flamingos')

4.

Mexican Feather Grass (Nessella tenuissima)

iv.

Groundcovers and vines

1.

Asian Jasmine (Treche/ospermum asiaticum)

2.

'New Gold' Lantana (Lantana 'New Gold')

3.

Giant Liriope (Liriope muscari)

4.

Bougainvillea (Bougainvillea spp.)

(3)

Parking landscaping. At least five percent of the total area of each parking space area (parking landscaping) shall be composed of pervious landscaped islands, peninsulas, medians or planters. Perimeter landscaped areas shall not be included in the required percentage for this parking landscaping. There shall be a minimum of one medium tree and two shrubs planted in the parking area for every ten parking spaces (or fraction thereof) within parking lots with at least five spaces. All landscape areas shall be protected by a monolithic curb or wheel stops and remain free of trash, litter, and car bumper overhangs.

(4)

All existing trees which are to be preserved shall be provided with a permeable surface under the existing dripline of the tree or as required by article X, tree preservation in chapter 32 of the City Code of Ordinances. All new trees shall be provided with a permeable surface under the dripline a minimum of four feet by four feet.

(5)

A minimum of 50 percent of the total trees required for the property shall be large trees as specified on the approved plant list. Small trees or understory trees shall be used under existing or proposed overhead utility lines at a ratio of two small/understory trees per one large tree.

(6)

Necessary driveways penetrating the public right-of-way shall be permitted through all required landscaping in accordance with city regulations.

(Ord. No. 2017-12, § 1, 10-19-2017)

(1)

Rigid compliance with these landscaping requirements shall not be such as to cause visibility obstructions and/or blind corners at intersections or driveways. Landscaping within the sight distance triangle area shall be designed to provide unobstructed cross-visibility at a level between three and six feet. Trees may be permitted in this area provided they are trimmed in such a manner that no limbs or foliage extend into the cross-visibility area.

a.

The areas of property located at a corner formed by the intersection of two or more public rights-of-way shall have a sight distance triangle with two sides of each triangle being a minimum of 30 feet in length from the point of the intersection and the third side being a line connecting the ends of the other two sides.

b.

The areas of property on both sides of the intersection of an alley or driveway accessway and public right-of-way shall have sight distance triangle with two sides of each triangle being a minimum of 15 feet in length from the point of intersection and the third side being a line connecting the ends of the other two sides.

(2)

In the event other visibility obstructions are apparent in the proposed landscape plan, as determined by the building official, the requirements set forth herein may be adjusted to the extent to remove the conflict.

(Ord. No. 2017-12, § 1, 10-19-2017)

(1)

The owner, tenant and/or their agent, if any, shall be jointly and severally responsible for the maintenance of all landscaping. All required landscaping shall be maintained in a neat and orderly manner at all times. This shall include, but not to be limited to, mowing (of grass of six inches or higher), edging, pruning, fertilizing, watering, weeding, and other such activities common to the maintenance of landscaping. Landscaped areas shall be kept free of trash, litter, weeds, and other such material or plants not a part of the landscaping. All plant material shall be maintained in a healthy and growing condition as is appropriate for the season of the year.

(2)

Plant materials which die shall be replaced with plant material of similar variety and size, within 90 days. Trees with a trunk diameter in excess of six inches measured 24 inches above the ground may be replaced with ones of similar variety having a trunk diameter of no less than three inches measured 24 inches above the ground, or as required by article X, tree preservation in chapter 32 of the City Code of Ordinances.

(3)

A time extension may be granted by the building official if substantial evidence is presented to indicate abnormal circumstances beyond the control of the owner or his agent.

(4)

Failure to maintain any landscape area in compliance with this section is considered a violation of this section.

(Ord. No. 2017-12, § 1, 10-19-2017)

APPENDIX A: TREE LIST
LIST OF APPROVED TREES FOR PLANTING IN
THE CITY OF OLMOS PARK

(Ord. No. 2017-12, 10-19-2017)