Pasco City Zoning Code
25.180 Landscaping
and Screening
25.180.010 Purpose.
The purpose of this chapter is to establish minimum standards for the provision, design, and maintenance of landscape areas and sight-obscuring methods within various zoning districts of the community, thus preserving the health, safety, and general welfare of the district. Further, it is the purpose of this chapter to achieve particular objectives, including, but not necessarily limited to, the following:
(1) Stabilize and preserve land values within and adjoining residential, commercial and industrial districts;
(2) Provide an opportunity for the development of an aesthetic visual environment within the commercial and industrial districts as well as residential districts for the benefit of the users of such districts as well as passers-by;
(3) Preserve the safety of the general public by assuring adequate lines of sight along public streets and at intersections;
(4) Provide not only for the health, safety, and general welfare of the residents, workers and visitors of the community, but also to provide for the beauty and balance of the community, as proper and necessary concerns of local government. [Ord. 3763 §10, 2006; Code 1970 § 25.75.010.]
25.180.020 Applicability – Nonconforming.
(1) The requirements contained in this chapter shall be deemed to be minimum standards for landscape and screening and shall apply to all new development, except for properties located in the C-2 central business district and the I-3 heavy industrial district. All properties developed in business park districts (Chapter 25.110 PMC) and all properties in the I-182 corridor overlay district (Chapter 25.130 PMC) shall comply with the provisions of this chapter and Chapters 25.110 and 25.130 PMC, respectively; in apparent cases of conflict between provisions, however, the most restrictive shall prevail.
(2) All developed properties existing on the date of adoption of this ordinance shall comply with the landscaping provisions of this chapter within six frost free months of written notification by the City, except those qualifying as nonconforming as defined in subsections (2)(a) and (2)(b) of this subsection:
(a) Residential. Residential front yards existing as of the effective date of this chapter and which do not meet the 50 percent live vegetation requirement for front yards shall be considered legal nonconforming yards; provided, however, that such yards must have landscaping predominantly composed of decorative rock which clearly demonstrates the owner’s intent to beautify the front yard, as opposed to simply covering the soil with a nongrowing medium to control dust. Front yards with decorative rock that are silted over or contain patches of exposed soil, or yards totally devoid of live vegetation or decorative rock, shall not qualify as legal nonconforming yards. All properties meeting the 50 percent live vegetation requirements for front yards not having a water conserving or drip irrigation system shall be considered legal nonconforming yards.
(b) Commercial/ Industrial. All commercial and industrial developments existing on the effective date of adoption of the ordinance codified in this chapter and which do not meet the landscape and screening requirements contained herein shall be considered legal nonconforming developments. Upon remodel, alteration, reconstruction or expansion of an existing building, when such change exceeds 33 percent of the assessed value of said building, the nonconforming status shall terminate and the requirements of this chapter shall apply; provided, however, that in cases where strict application of this chapter would diminish existing parking, impede safe access to the property, eliminate fire lanes or substantially infringe upon other code requirements, the Community and Economic Development Director may grant relief from full compliance with this chapter. Documentation of the relief granted and the reasons therefor shall be filed with the permit records. [Ord. 3763 §10, 2006; Code 1970 § 25.75.020.]
25.180.030 Definitions.
For purposes of this chapter, the following definitions shall be used:
“Decorative rock” shall include washed river rock, fractured basalt, lava rock (for residential properties only) and similar rock. Decorative rock shall not include crushed surfacing rock, maintenance rock or any other rock identified in Section 9-03 Standard Specifications for Road, Bridge and Municipal Construction 2006, M41-10, prepared by the Washington State Department of Transportation.
“Garden” means a planting bed where seasonal flowers, vegetables, herbs, and/or fruit are cultivated.
“Landscape” shall include, but not be limited to, live vegetation and ornamental forms of stone and mulch, but shall exclude pavement and impervious surfaces.
“Landscape area” means those individual or collective portions of the lot devoted to landscape. A developer or property owner may receive credit toward the required landscape area for pedestrian walks or ways when such walks or ways are decorative and/or textured in character and are designed as a complementary part of the landscape area. No more than 25 percent of the landscaped area can be treated with decorative pedestrian ways and be included in the overall calculations for landscaped area.
“Live vegetation” means healthy nursery stock consisting of shrubs, trees, ground cover or lawn. Live vegetation does not include weeds, bark or other mulches, ornamental stone or artificial plants.
“Lot” means the area within the property lines of the parcel or group of parcels upon which the proposed construction or improvements will occur, including all accessory or incidental use areas.
“Outdoor storage” means all materials, equipment, merchandise or objects kept or placed on the lot, or not within an enclosed structure, for preservation or later use or disposal; it is not intended, however, to include the following exceptions:
(a) Those objects customarily stored outside an enclosed structure due to their size and due to their being of such character as to not readily deteriorate when exposed to the elements, such as automobiles, mobile homes, boats and other vehicles, farm machinery, irrigation and heavy construction equipment, and those objects which are themselves enclosures; provided, however, that said objects are being kept primarily for immediate sale or rental to others.
(b) Neat and orderly outdoor displays of items or objects for immediate sale when such displays are incidental or accessory to an established commercial principal activity conducted from an enclosed structure; and further provided, that the area consumed by said displays does not exceed an amount equal to 10 percent of the net lot area.
“Xeriscape” means a landscape design technique that minimizes water consumption by using some or all of the following techniques:
(a) Using low water-demand or drought-resistant plants which are adaptable to the climatic, topographic, and hydrologic characteristics of a site;
(b) Reducing turf areas or using turf materials that have low water demand;
(c) Using mulches in planting areas to cover soil and save moisture;
(d) Using efficient irrigation layouts that zone plants according to their specific watering needs;
(e) Minimizing evaporation of water;
(f) Performing regular maintenance to maintain water-conserving characteristics. [Ord. 3763 §10, 2006; Code 1970 § 25.75.030.]
25.180.040 Screening required.
(1) Outdoor storage and trash collection areas shall be screened as follows:
(a) Outdoor storage and trash collection areas located in a commercial or industrial zone with existing or new development shall be screened from any adjacent residential zones and from residential zones across a public street or alley;
(b) Outdoor storage and trash collection areas in C-1 (retail business) zones shall be sight screened from all adjoining properties;
(c) Outdoor storage and trash collection areas located in a commercial or industrial zone with existing or new development and upon a lot adjacent to or visible from the following streets shall be so screened as to obscure vision of such outdoor storage afforded from said streets:
“A” Street
Broadmoor Boulevard
Broadway Street, west of Wehe Avenue
Burden Boulevard
Chapel Hill Boulevard
Columbia Street, between 1st Avenue and 10th Avenue
Court Street
Fifth Avenue, between “A” Street and Court Street
First Avenue, north of “A” Street
Fourteenth Avenue
Fourth Avenue, south of Highway 395
Highway 12
Highway 395
Interstate 182
Lewis Street
Oregon Avenue
Road 68
Sandifur Parkway
Sixth Avenue, between “A” Street and Court Street
Sylvester Street
Tenth Avenue
Third Avenue, north of “A” Street
Thirty-Fourth Avenue
Thirty-Sixth Avenue
Twentieth Avenue
Twenty-Eighth Avenue
West Clark Street
(d) Screening of outdoor storage and trash collection areas shall be accomplished by one or both of the following methods:
(i) Dense evergreen shrubs and/or trees planted to provide a year-round sight-obscuring screen to achieve a minimum height of six feet within two years of planting.
(ii) A solid or otherwise sight-obscuring fence or wall at least six feet in height.
(2) Commercial and industrial side and rear yard landscaped areas adjacent to residential districts must contain a six-foot-high continuous solid screen.
(3) For security purposes, portions of the required screening, not to collectively exceed 20 linear feet along each street or alley adjacent to the lot from which vision is obscured, may be left unobstructed and open to view.
(4) Trash collection areas provided for multiple dwellings and provided in all office, C-1, CR, BP, and C-3 districts shall be located within six-foot-high site-obscuring structure which provides a visual screen from any abutting street. In no case shall such enclosure and trash collection receptacle(s) be permitted within the required front yard setback areas.
(5) Loading and service areas shall not face any residential zone, unless no other location is possible. Loading and service areas adjacent to or across a public street or alley from a residentially zoned district shall be screened with a sight-obscuring structure matching the architecture of the building:
(a) The structure shall be set at the back of any required landscape buffer.
(b) The structure shall not encroach into any required landscaped area.
(c) Any required landscape buffers shall be graded with a 15 percent slope, creating a berm that terminates in the screening wall.
(d) The structure must be 10 feet in height as measured from the final grade of the landscaped berm.
(e) Live vegetation requirements in the landscape buffer shall be increased to the following rates:
(i) Trees shall be provided at a minimum rate of one tree for every 10 linear feet of property line and planted in groupings of three trees, with groupings spaced no more than 30 feet on center.
(ii) Shrubs shall be provided at a minimum rate of one per five linear feet of property line and spaced no more than 10 feet apart on center.
(6) Parking lots that abut a public street shall be buffered with:
(a) Live vegetation consisting of trees, shrubs and ground cover.
(b) All plant material used for parking lot buffers shall be managed and/or maintained to provide clear views between three and eight feet above the ground surface. [Ord. 3763 §10, 2006; Code 1970 § 25.75.040.]
25.180.050 Design standards.
(1) Fences, Walls and Hedges.
(a) The height of fences, walls and hedges located between a structure and street or alley shall be measured from the street curb or alley grade except in those cases where topographical irregularities occur. The height of fences, walls and hedges between a structure and a common lot line shall be measured from the grade along the common lot line or top of any structural retaining wall occurring at the common lot line.
(b) Fences and walls in commercial districts shall complement the materials used in any principal on-site structures.
(c) The height of fences, walls and hedges shall be limited to three and one-half feet. An additional one and one-half feet comprised of 85 percent transparent material is permitted for a maximum of five feet within the front yard area of residentially zoned lots, retail business and office zoned lots.
(i) Fences greater than three and one-half feet in front yards must provide address numbers to the fence in conformance with the International Building Code.
(ii) Fences greater than three and one-half feet in front yards must be equipped with Knox boxes if gates are locked.
(d) The height of fences, walls and hedges within the side, rear, and secondary front yards of residentially zoned lots, retail business and office zoned lots shall be limited to six feet. A gate or opening with a minimum three-foot width leading into at least one side yard shall be provided.
(e) All fences shall be constructed to conform to the most recent version of the Pasco Design and Construction Standards related to sight distance triangles.
(f) Fences shall not be constructed out of tires, pallets, bed springs, multi-colored materials, tarps, plastic sheets, corrugated sheet metal, except in industrial districts, wheel rims and similar or like materials not traditionally manufactured or used for fencing purposes. Hog wire, chicken wire, horseman wire mesh, v-mesh, field fence, woven field fence, welded utility fence, or any similar or like wire fencing material is not permitted in residential or commercial zones. Horseman wire mesh and the other wire fencing listed above may be permitted in suburban residential districts on tracts larger than one acre that are used for animal husbandry. Fences built with valid permits prior to the effective date of this chapter or fences on properties annexed to the City after the effective date of this chapter are exempt from this subsection.
(g) Barbed and razor wire fencing is prohibited in all residential districts, in the office district and the central business district. Barbed wire may be permitted in suburban residential districts on tracts larger than one acre that are used for animal husbandry. In the C-1 retail business district only one strand of barbed wire is permitted along the top rail or within two inches of the top rail.
(h) Electrified fences are not permitted in residential districts except as a secondary means of securing property where the electrified fence is located behind an existing fence or in suburban districts to contain permitted farm animals.
(i) In all front yards, whether on properties with single, double, or triple frontage, rails, posts and other structural fence supports shall not be visible from a public street; except that posts and rails that are an integral part of the fence design and aesthetics and not used solely for structural support may be visible from a public street.
(j) All fencing in commercial and industrial districts shall be placed on the inward side of any required perimeter landscaping, with landscape treatments occurring along the street frontage.
(k) No fence, wall or hedge, landscape material or foliage higher than three feet above curb grade shall be located or planted within an area 20 feet along the property lines from the intersection of two streets, including the area between such points, or 15 feet from the intersection of a street and an alley; provided, however, that if an alternative fence material is used, such as masonry, wrought iron, wood, or combination thereof, then the fence must be 75 percent transparent and may be a maximum six feet in height; or a smaller, 75 percent transparent fence set upon a maximum three-foot wall or other structure not exceeding a combined height of six feet may be erected within said area of intersection of street and alley, so long as the fence is at all times unobstructed by foliage or other matter.
(l) All residential fencing within the I-182 overlay district, as defined by PMC 25.130.020, adjacent to the I-182 right-of-way shall be constructed of masonry block. Replacement of preexisting Surewood fences within the district shall use masonry block or cedar material prescribed by the City as prestained, knotless cedar 23/32-inch thick, five and one-half inches wide and six feet tall.
(2) Clearance Distances. Where a fire hydrant is located within a landscape area it shall be complemented by a minimum clearance radius of three feet; no tree, as measured from its center, shall be located within 10 feet of a street light standard, or within five feet of a driveway or a fire hydrant.
(3) Commercial and Industrial Districts.
(a) The first 10 feet of all commercial and industrial property abutting an arterial street and the first five feet of all commercial and industrial property abutting a local access street shall be treated with landscaping at the time the property is developed. No less than 65 percent of the landscaped area must be treated with live vegetation at the time of planting.
(b) In addition to the requirements contained in this chapter and unless specified otherwise in Chapter 25.130 PMC, commercially and industrially zoned properties adjacent to properties in less intense zoning districts shall have a 10-foot landscape buffer on the side immediately adjacent to the less intense zoning district. The landscaped buffer shall meet the following standards:
(i) Live vegetation within the landscape buffer shall be planted with a mix of evergreen and deciduous trees and shrubs interspersed throughout the landscape buffer.
(ii) The live vegetation shall consist of 40 percent evergreen trees.
(iii) Trees shall be provided at a minimum rate of one tree for every 20 linear feet of property line and spaced no more than 30 feet on center spacing along each property line, unless planted in groupings of three trees, with groupings spaced no more than 50 feet on center along each property line.
(iv) Shrubs shall be provided at a minimum rate of one per eight linear feet of property line and spaced no more than 16 feet apart on center.
(v) Parking lots located adjacent to properties in less intense zoning districts require 100 percent of the landscape buffer to be planted with live vegetation.
(c) The area between property lines and the back edge of street curbs, within right-of-way and exclusive of sidewalks and driveways for ingress/egress, shall be treated with landscape materials.
(4) Residential Districts. At least 50 percent of the required front yard area for all residential property, including right-of-way but excluding driveways, shall be treated with live vegetation. Planting strips shall be treated as per PMC 12.12.070; and
(5) All areas of a lot or parcel not landscaped or covered with improvements shall be maintained in such a manner as to control erosion and dust. Gardens within established landscapes are excluded from this provision in residential districts. Front yard areas not covered by the required 50 percent live vegetation must be covered by mulches or decorative rock. [Ord. 4770 § 4, 2025; Ord. 4734 § 2, 2024; Ord. 4680 § 1, 2023; Ord. 4157 § 1, 2014; Ord. 4110 § 28, 2013; Ord. 3763 §10, 2006; Code 1970 § 25.75.050.]
25.180.060 Special design standards.
In addition to the design standards contained in PMC 25.180.050 the following standards shall be required for landscaping in the following areas:
(1) Sandifur Parkway Standards. Properties abutting Sandifur Parkway, from Broadmoor Boulevard to Road 68, shall, at the time of development or redevelopment as provided herein, landscape all areas between the back of curb and the property line. This landscape area shall contain a five-foot wide meandering sidewalk approved by the City Engineer. Every 140 linear feet of landscaped area shall contain one six-to-seven-foot Colorado blue spruce; three, two-inch caliper Greenspire lindens, 35 15-to-18-inch tall Blue Chip junipers; 26 15-to-18-inch tall Gold Star potentillas; 24 12-to-15-inch tall dwarf Oregon-grapes; and 25 18-to-42-inch tall dwarf winged euonymus shrubs. All but the Colorado blue spruce shall be on a 12-inch-high berm between the curb and the sidewalk. Polyedging shall be used at all turf and shrub bed borders. Except for the shrub bed areas and sidewalk the remainder of the landscaped area shall be planted with lawn. An automatic irrigation system shall be provided.
(2) Broadmoor Boulevard Standards.
(a) Properties abutting Broadmoor Boulevard from I-182 to Sandifur Parkway shall, at the time of development or redevelopment, as provided herein, landscape the undeveloped portion of the right-of-way. The landscaped design shall include a curvilinear shrub bed containing 77 two-and-one-half-inch caliper Columnar “Armstrong” maple trees; 156 15-to-18-inch wide mugo pine; and 198 15-to-18-inch dwarf winged euonymus shrubs. The remainder of the area is to be planted with lawn and 16 two-and-one-half-inch caliper Thundercloud plum trees. Polyedging shall be used at all lawn and shrub bed borders. An automatic irrigation system shall be provided.
(b) Properties abutting Broadmoor Boulevard, from I-182 south to the FCID right-of-way, shall at the time of development or redevelopment, as provided herein, landscape the undeveloped portion of the right-of-way. The landscaped design shall include a curvilinear five-foot-wide sidewalk and alternating pattern of Amur maple trees spaced every 50 feet. The remainder of the area is to be planted with lawn. An automatic irrigation system shall be provided.
(3) Chapel Hill Boulevard. Properties abutting Chapel Hill Boulevard from Broadmoor Boulevard to Finnhorse Lane shall at the time of development improve Chapel Hill Boulevard with a 12-foot landscaped median containing Amur maple trees every 50 feet. The remainder of the area is to be planted with lawn. An automatic irrigation system shall be provided.
(4) Shelter Belt. The Shelter Belt is a landscaped buffer identified in the Comprehensive Plan that is to be located north of East Lewis Street and east of Oregon Avenue. Commercial properties abutting the Shelter Belt shall at the time of development or redevelopment as provided herein provide a vegetative and structural screen between areas designated for future commercial and residential land uses in the Comprehensive Plan. All commercial properties abutting residentially designated lands shall provide a 15-foot landscaped area along the property line between the commercial property and the future residential property. This landscaped area shall contain one pine tree every 40 linear feet, alternating with one Blue Chip juniper every 40 feet. Other tree species may be planted as approved by the Director of Administrative and Community Services.
(5) Oregon Avenue. All properties fronting on Oregon Avenue shall at the time of development or redevelopment as provided herein install lawn with street trees every 50 feet in the required landscaping area on Oregon Avenue. The lawn shall provide 100 percent coverage of the required landscaped area.
(6) Perpetual Maintenance. The developer, the owner(s), their agent(s) and assign(s) of commercial or industrial property shall be responsible for providing for the continued maintenance of all landscaped areas within the public right-of-way. The developer of residential properties abutting major streets requiring planting strips in the public right-of-way shall provide a common area fee as determined through the platting process for the repair and maintenance of said planting strips. The common area fees shall be deposited in the Boulevard Perpetual Maintenance Fund account to cover the cost of maintenance and repairs. [Ord. 3763 §10, 2006; Code 1970 § 25.75.060.]
25.180.070 Parking lot landscaping.
(1) The width of parking lot buffers shall be as follows:
(a) Parking lots between the building and an arterial street shall have a minimum buffer of 10 feet between the parking lot and the property line.
(b) Parking lots adjacent to local access streets and alleys shall have a minimum buffer of five feet between the parking lot and the property line.
(2) Interior parking area landscaping shall be provided within all parking lots with 10 or more parking stalls for the purpose of reducing surface water runoff, providing shade, and diminishing the visual impacts of large paved areas. All other required buffers and setbacks shall not count toward the interior parking lot landscaping requirements. Parking lots within industrial districts shall be excluded from any interior parking lot landscape requirement.
(a) All developments shall provide interior parking landscape areas at the following rates:
(i) If parking lots have 10 to 30 parking stalls, then 20 square feet of interior parking landscape per parking stall shall be provided.
(ii) If parking lots have 31 to 50 parking stalls, then 25 square feet of interior parking landscape per parking stall shall be provided.
(iii) If parking lots have 51 or more parking stalls, then 30 square feet of interior parking landscape per parking stall shall be provided.
(b) Interior parking lot landscape areas distributed as planting islands or strips shall have an area of at least 100 square feet and with a narrow dimension of no less than five feet in any direction.
(c) Priority for location of interior parking lot landscaping shall be:
(i) First, at the interior ends of each parking bay in a multiple lane parking area. This area shall be at least five feet wide and shall extend the length of the adjacent parking stall. This area shall contain at least one tree.
(ii) Second, with the remaining required square footage of landscape area being equally distributed throughout the interior of the parking lot either as islands between stalls or landscape strips between the two rows of a parking bay or along the perimeter of the parking lot. Interior landscape islands shall be at least five feet wide and shall extend the length of the adjacent parking stalls. Landscape strips must be a minimum five feet wide.
(d) Up to 100 percent of the trees required for the interior parking lot landscape may be deciduous.
(3) All parking lot buffers and interior parking lot landscape areas shall be treated with a variety of landscape elements, with no less than 65 percent of said landscaped areas treated with live vegetation at the time of planting.
(4) Landscaped areas and buffers must be adequately protected from damage by vehicles through the use of a permanent curbing.
(5) Parking lots and the accompanying landscaping shall be configured so that no parking stall shall be located more than 75 feet from the edge of any interior parking lot landscape area.
(6) One tree shall be provided for every six (1:6) parking spaces.
(7) Trees shall be evenly distributed throughout the interior parking lot landscape.
(8) For all parking lots that contain greater than 400 parking stalls, pedestrian walkways shall be provided as follows:
(a) Pedestrian walkways within parking areas shall provide a distinct linkage between a main entrance to the building and a concentration of vehicle parking stalls.
(b) A minimum five-foot-wide pedestrian connection shall be clearly defined in a combination of two or more of the following ways (except walkways crossing vehicular travel lanes):
(i) A six-inch vertical curb in combination with a raised walkway.
(ii) A trellis, special railing, bollards, and/or other architectural features to accent the walkway between parking bays.
(iii) Special paving, such as concrete, or contrasting surfacing, in an asphalt area.
(iv) A continuous landscape area minimum of four feet wide shall be provided on at least one side of the walkway. [Ord. 4110 § 28, 2013; Ord. 3763 §10, 2006; Code 1970 § 25.75.070.]
25.180.080 Standards for all landscape areas.
(1) All new plants, except those planted on single-family residential properties, shall conform to American Nursery and Landscape Association (ANLA) grades and standards as published in the “American Standard for Nursery Stock” manual (ANSI Z60.1 or latest edition).
(2) Single-stemmed trees required pursuant to this chapter shall at the time of planting conform to the following standards:
(a) Deciduous trees shall have a minimum caliper of one and three-quarters inches and a height of eight feet.
(b) Coniferous evergreen trees shall be at least five feet in height.
(3) Multi-stemmed trees shall be permitted as an option to single-stemmed trees provided that such multi-stemmed trees are:
(a) At least six feet in height;
(b) Not allowed in street rights-of-way;
(4) When the width of any landscape strip, buffer and setback is 15 feet or greater, the required trees shall be staggered in two or more rows.
(5) Shrubs shall be:
(a) At least an ANLA container class No. 2 (two-gallon) size at time of planting,
(b) At least 18 inches in height at the time of planting,
(6) Shrubs within required parking lot landscape areas shall be maintained at a height not exceeding 42 inches.
(7) Live vegetation used as ground cover shall be planted and spaced to result in total coverage of the required landscape area in two years.
(8) Lawns shall be planted with grass species normally grown as permanent lawn in Franklin County. Lawn areas may be sodded, sprigged, or seeded, except that solid sod shall be used in commercial zones for swales or other areas subject to erosion.
(9) Plant selection shall consider adaptability to climatic, hydrologic, geologic, and topographical conditions of the site.
(10) Plants having similar water use characteristics shall be grouped together in distinct hydrozones.
(11) Where the landscape materials used in required landscape areas depend on regular watering for sustenance, a water-conserving, automatic or drip irrigation system shall be provided.
(12) Lava rock shall not be permitted in any commercial landscaped areas.
(13) Xeriscape areas may use alternate forms of irrigation, if part of an approved xeriscape plan. In approving an area as a xeriscape area, the City shall apply all or some of the following criteria:
(a) Analysis of the site, considering such factors as slopes, drainage, winds, and existing and proposed site improvements.
(b) Use of appropriate techniques for soil improvements to support plant growth.
(c) Use of low water-demand or drought-resistant turf grasses and plant materials.
(d) Use of mulches and other ground covers in planting areas that cover soil, save moisture, and protect from soil erosion.
(e) Use of an appropriate type of irrigation for each area of the xeriscape landscape.
(f) Use highly efficient irrigation systems, such as drip irrigation. [Ord. 3763 §10, 2006; Code 1970 § 25.75.080.]
25.180.090 Plan required.
(1) Prior to issuance of building permits, two copies of a site plan shall be submitted to the Community and Economic Development Department for review for consistency with the provisions of this chapter. The site development plan must be drawn to scale and shall include the following:
(a) All relevant data regarding the existing site that will include a vicinity map, location and name of existing adjacent streets, driveway locations, walkways, property lines, and/or easements.
(b) Boundaries, dimensions, and size in acres of the site.
(c) Indication of adjoining use.
(d) Layout of all use areas within the site, including parking areas and interior circulation areas, including truck circulation for loading/unloading.
(e) Landscape plan with:
(i) Identification of any existing trees or plantings that are to remain on the site; existing trees should be identified according to caliper and their common name. Existing trees and shrubs may be counted towards landscape requirement standards provided they are depicted on the plan, retained in their location, and meet minimum standards for plant health.
(ii) Location of all proposed landscape areas, including the location of all landscape elements and the size, common name, scientific name, spacing, and quantity of all live vegetation to be planted.
(f) Area in square feet and dimensions of individual and collective landscape areas.
(g) Irrigation plan showing the layout and type of all irrigation systems.
(h) Location and description of all existing and proposed structures such as buildings, berms, walls, fences, screens, storage areas, street furniture including refuse containers, and lighting.
(i) Location of all existing and proposed utilities, vaults, and boxes.
(j) Schematic building elevations showing exterior building walls.
(2) Excluding single-family residential districts and commercial /industrial development with 10 parking spaces or less, landscape plans shall be prepared by a Washington State registered landscape architect, Washington State certified nurseryman, or Washington State certified landscaper.
(3) Excluding single-family residential districts and commercial /industrial development with 10 parking spaces or less, an affidavit signed by an individual specified in subsection (2) of this section, certifying that the site landscaping has been installed consistent with the approved site landscape plan, shall be submitted to the Community and Economic Development Department within 30 days of installation completion, unless the installed landscaping has been inspected and accepted by the Community and Economic Development Department.
(4) The required landscaping shall be installed to coincide with the completion of the building. However, the time limit for compliance may be extended to allow installation of such required landscaping during the next appropriate planting season. For single-family dwellings, the landscaping must be installed no later than three months after issuance of a certificate of occupancy. [Ord. 3763 §10, 2006; Code 1970 § 25.75.090.]
25.180.100 Conditions of approval.
Upon receipt of a completed building permit application the landscaping and site development plan shall be forwarded to the City Planners for review and approval. [Ord. 3763 §10, 2006; Code 1970 § 25.75.100.]
25.180.110 Maintenance – Responsibility.
All landscape and screening required under this chapter shall be so maintained as to not detract from the purpose of this chapter and shall be kept reasonably free of weeds and trash. The owner, occupants and persons responsible for or having control of the premises shall be responsible for such maintenance and said maintenance shall at a minimum conform with the following:
(1) The owners, their agents and assigns, are responsible for providing, protecting, and permanently maintaining all landscaping material, areas and plants required by this chapter in a healthy, growing condition, replacing it when necessary, and keeping it free of refuse and debris;
(2) Dead or diseased plants must be replaced within 30 days of notification, or as soon as practical in regard to freezing weather, or complex situations involving removal and replacement of large trees;
(3) Plant material must not interfere with public utilities, restrict pedestrian or vehicular access, or constitute a traffic hazard.
(4) All fencing, walls and other features used for screening purposes shall be kept free of litter, debris and weeds. [Ord. 3763 §10, 2006; Code 1970 § 25.75.110.]