Snoqualmie City Zoning Code

Maintain and protect property values;

Create a well designed landscaped environment which measurably improves the overall quality of the project and enhances the visual appearance of the community;

Preserve the natural landscape character of the Pacific Northwest and promote the use native and drought tolerant plantings;

Provide a smooth transition between adjacent properties and buffer conflicting land uses;

Provide screening for such unsightly areas as parking lots, storage areas, utility boxes or service yards so as to minimize the negative visual impact to the public.

A landscape plan is required and shall be submitted to the city with all zoning applications and/or for a building permit for the following:

Review of a landscape plan submitted with a building permit that does not include any other land use approval shall be approved by the director. Landscape plan review required as part of any other land use decision shall be processed as part of that land use decision.

Any subdivision, planned unit development, mobile home park, or structure legally existing in the city on the effective date of this code shall be exempt from compliance with these landscape regulations.

Three sets of landscape plans drawn to a scale of 1" = 50' or larger (e.g., 1" = 30', 1" = 20'). The plan should include a bar scale for reference;

Name and address or location of the project;

Vicinity map;

Scale, north arrow and date of the plan;

All property lines, easements, rights-of-way, streets, walks, vehicular drives, parking lots, existing and proposed structures, building entrances, freestanding lights, service or loading areas, signs, open spaces, plazas and recreation amenities with materials noted;

Existing and proposed contours (minimum five-foot intervals), elevations, and critical spot elevations;

Location, sizes and species of existing significant trees and heritage trees within required landscape areas. Natural areas should be designated as such;

Dimensioned landscaped areas;

Location of all trees, shrubs and ground cover to be planted;

Any proposed or existing physical elements (such as fencing, walls, curbing, benches) that may affect the overall landscape;

Parking layout, including circulation, driveway location, parking stalls and curbing;

Location of irrigation system. The source of water and type of irrigation system shall be noted;

A legend shall be included which shows symbols and type of plant;

All plant materials shall be shown on the landscaping plan at three-quarters mature size in appropriate relation to the chosen scale of the plan;

The plan shall state the estimated date for installation and completion of all plantings and finish materials;

Construction drawings for landscaping shall be submitted when requested by the city;

The landscape plan shall identify the location and dimensions of any designated critical areas and required critical area buffers;

Such other submissions consistent with this chapter as may be required by the director;

A plant schedule shall be included which indicates the scientific and common names, quantities, sizes and spacing for all plants in the landscape plan. Quantities are not required on a preliminary landscape plan;

Location of areas of soil that will be protected from disturbance, location of areas of disturbed soils that will be amended, and specifications for soil preparation.

Arrangements of plants shall enhance building designs and attractively screen parked vehicles and unsightly areas, soften visual impact of structures and enhance views and vistas.

At least 30 percent of required landscape plantings, other than street trees, shall be comprised of native vegetation.

At least 50 percent of required landscape plantings shall be comprised of drought tolerant species.

Existing vegetation may be included in the landscape plan to augment new plantings.

Landscape plans shall incorporate pedestrian and bicycle trails in conformance with a pedestrian and/or bicycle circulation plan adopted by the city.

Where wetlands, shorelines and other environmentally critical areas affect a proposed development, the landscape plan shall include measures for their protection and enhancement.

All landscaped areas shall be graded to prevent erosion and to facilitate the installation, growth and maintenance of the landscaping. Berms or mounds should be no steeper than 3 (H): 1 (V). All turf areas located in public rights-of-way shall have a grade of no greater than 3:1.

Trees and very large shrubs should be located with consideration to underground and overhead utility lines or public improvements.

Landscaping shall be designed to ensure adequate visibility and safety of vehicular traffic, bicyclists, pedestrians and other users, on and off the proposed site. Evergreen trees shall not be located where they will prevent pedestrian movement or where they will obstruct the visual line of sight of a public right-of-way.

The applicant shall retain all significant trees and heritage trees which will not constitute a safety hazard as determined by an ISA-certified arborist, and approved by the director. Areas devoted to access and areas to be cleared for required roads, utilities, sidewalks, trails or storm drainage improvements may be exempt from this requirement if approved by the director.

Plants that are not allowed in landscaped areas include, but are not limited to, ivy, holly, and noxious weeds on the King County noxious weed list.

Minimum sizes at installation are as follows:

Maximum Size. Species approved within a landscape plan shall have a growth pattern in scale with the development and be consistent with the preservation of significant views and the preservation of significant trees.

Type I Full Screen.

Type II Filtered Screen.

Type III Visual Buffer.

Type IV Parking Area Landscaping.

Residential Streets. Trees shall be provided along all public streets as follows:

Other Reserve Tracts and Open Space.

When street trees are removed or severely damaged, trees greater than six inches DBH shall be replaced at a ratio of two new trees per removed tree, while all trees less than six inches DBH shall be replaced at a ratio of one new tree per removed tree. Where new street trees cannot be planted due to portions of rights-of-way having been previously paved or otherwise rendered unsuitable to plant trees, a fee-in-lieu of planting is required. Such fee shall be determined by the city arborist per city policy and deposited into the city street tree account.

Street Trees.

Perimeter Landscape Areas. See Table 1.

Street Frontage. The required landscaped areas shall be equal to the front yard setback specified for the applicable zoning district and shall consist of Type III landscaping.

When street trees are removed or severely damaged, trees greater than six inches DBH shall be replaced at a ratio of two new trees per removed tree, while all trees less than six inches in diameter DBH shall be replaced at a ratio of one new tree per removed tree. Where new street trees cannot be planted due to portions of rights-of-way having been previously paved or otherwise rendered unsuitable to plant trees, a fee-in-lieu of planting is required. Such fee shall be determined by the city arborist per city policy and deposited into the city street tree account.

Type IV landscaping shall be provided within all surface parking containing 10 or more parking stalls or 3,000 square feet of vehicle use area.

Vehicle use area includes the parking lot, driveways and service areas.

For parking lots with 10 to 30 stalls, 10 percent of the vehicle use area shall be landscaped.

For parking lots with 31 or more stalls, 15 percent of the vehicle use area shall be landscaped.

At the discretion of the director, required parking lot landscaping area percentages may be reduced for development within historic overlay zones if the applicant cannot meet minimum parking requirements (See Chapters 17.35 and 17.37 SMC).

The minimum area per planting segment shall be 100 square feet, with minimum dimensions of not less than six feet on any side, and not less than 300 cubic feet of soil, in planters containing trees.

Planting areas shall be distributed throughout the parking lot. The maximum distance between any parking stall and required parking area landscaping shall be no more than 50 feet.

Shade trees shall be provided at the rate of a minimum of one per planter and/or one per 100 square feet of planter. Planting areas incorporated into LID BMPs may be exempted from the requirement for shade trees, up to a maximum of 10 percent of the landscaping area required to have shade trees.

Permanent curbs or structural barriers shall be provided to protect the landscape plantings from vehicle overhang, except where curb cuts are placed to allow water to enter LID BMPs.

Landscape planting areas shall project out into the pavement as peninsulas or islands (surrounded on at least two sides by pavement).

Trees shall be planted at least four feet from the outside edge of the planting area.

Request for Modifications. The applicant may request a modification of the landscaping requirements set forth in this chapter; provided, that modifications shall not allow disturbance of protected or environmentally critical areas and that street frontage landscaping shall be maintained.

Review. For any landscape plan that does not include any other land use approval, the director may approve modifications to the standards set forth in SMC § 17.70.060 through § 17.70.140 if the proposed landscaping is superior to that which could be achieved by strict compliance with those standards. For modifications proposed in landscape plans submitted with any other land use approval, those modifications shall be reviewed as part of that associated land use decision.

Findings. In approving modifications to the standards set forth in SMC § 17.70.060 through § 17.70.140, the director or other land use decisionmaker shall prepare written findings that the proposed modification is justified based on one of the following:

Replacement. The property owner shall replace any unhealthy or dead plant materials in conformance with the approved landscape plan per SMC § 17.70.030 and shall maintain all landscape plant material.

Maintenance Assurance. The director shall require a maintenance assurance device for a period of two years from the completion of planting in order to ensure compliance with the requirements of this section.

The required landscaping must be installed prior to issuance of the certificate of zoning compliance unless the director determines that a performance assurance device, for a period of not more than one year, will adequately protect the interests of the city. In no case may the property owner delay performance for more than one year.

If a performance assurance device is permitted under this section, the director shall require an assurance device in conformance with SMC § 17.05.100(B).