(1) Addressing the public interest to conserve public water resources and to promote water efficient Landscaping.

(2) Protecting and enhancing the community’s environmental, economic, recreational, and aesthetic resources by promoting efficient use of water in the community’s landscapes.

(3) Reducing water waste.

(1) “Administrative Standards” means the set of rules, procedures and requirements set forth in a landscape ordinance associated with making a permit application, assembling materials for public review, meeting the requirements of the landscape ordinance, seeking approvals, enforcement, conducting site inspections, and filing reports.

(2) “Bubbler” means an irrigation head that delivers water to the root zone by “Flooding” the planted area, usually measured in gallons per minute. Bubblers exhibit a trickle, umbrella or short stream pattern.

(3) “Designer” means a Landscape Architect, Landscape Contractor (General Engineering Contractor), Professional Engineer, or Architect as set forth by State law.

(4) “Drip Emitter” means irrigation fittings that deliver water slowly at the root zone of the plant, usually measured in gallons per hour.

(5) “Evapotranspiration” means the quantity of water evaporated from adjacent soil surfaces and transpired by plants during a specific time, expressed in inches per day, month or year.

(6) “Extra-Drought Tolerant Plant” means a plant that can survive without irrigation throughout the year once established, although supplemental water may be desirable during drought periods for improved appearance and disease resistance.

(7) “Grading Plan” means a plan showing all finish Grades, spot elevations as necessary and existing and new contours within the developed landscaped area.

(8) “Ground Cover” means live and mineral materials used in such a way as to form a continuous cover over the ground that can be maintained at a height of not more than 12 inches. Living ground cover may include: vegetative vines, low-spreading shrubs, perennial flowering or foliage plants. Mineral ground cover may include: rocks, boulders, gravel, or brick.

(9) “Hardscape” means patios, decks, and paths. Hardscape does not include driveways and Sidewalks.

(10) “Irrigated Landscaped Area” means all portions of a Development site to be improved with planting and irrigation. Natural areas shall not be included in the Irrigated Landscaped Area.

(11) “Irrigation Efficiency” means the measurement of the amount of water beneficially applied, divided by the total amount of water applied. Irrigation efficiency is derived from measurements and estimates of irrigation system hardware characteristics and management practices.

(12) “Irrigation Contractor” means a Person who has been certified by the Irrigation Association (IA) to install irrigation systems.

(13) “Irrigation Plan” means the plan that shall show the components of the irrigation system with water meter size, backflow prevention, precipitation rates, flow rate and operating pressure for each irrigation circuit, and identification of all irrigation equipment.

(14) “Landscape Architect” means a Person who holds a license to practice landscape architecture in the State of Utah.

(15) “Landscape Plan Documentation Package” means the preparation of graphic and written criteria, specifications, and detailed plans to arrange and modify the effects of natural features such as plantings, ground and water forms, circulation, walks and other features to comply with the provisions of this ordinance. The Landscape Plan Documentation Package shall include a project data sheet, a Planting Plan, an Irrigation Plan, a Grading Plan, a Soils Report, a Landscape Water Allowance, and an Irrigation Schedule.

(16) “Landscape Water Allowance” means, for design purposes, the maximum annual applied water for the established landscaped area. It is based upon the local Reference Evapotranspiration Rate, the ETO adjustment factor and the size of the landscaped area.

(17) “Landscape Zone” means a portion of the landscaped area having plants with similar water needs, areas with similar microclimate (i.e., slope, exposure, wind, etc.) and soil conditions, and areas that will be similarly irrigated. A landscape zone can be served by one irrigation valve, or a set of valves with the same schedule.

(18) “Landscaping” means the improvement of property through the addition of plants and eradication of weeds and other deleterious material. Landscaping includes any combination of living plants, such as trees, shrubs, vines, ground covers, flowers, or grass; natural features such as rock, stone, or bark chips; and structural features, including but not limited to, fountains, reflecting pools, outdoor art work, screen walls, Fences, benches, or berms. All elements of the Landscaping shall be combined in a harmonious manner to make the land more attractive for users, to screen unattractive Uses, or to act as buffers to visually separate different types of Uses.

(19) “Microclimate” means an area within the overall landscape which shares similar elements such as slope, exposure, wind, soil conditions, etc.

(20) “Mulch” means any material such as bark, wood chips or other materials left loose and applied to the soil.

(21) “Non-Drought Tolerant Plant” means a plant that will require regular irrigation for adequate appearance, growth and disease resistance.

(22) “Planting Plan” means a plan that shall clearly and accurately identify and locate new and existing trees, shrubs, ground covers, turf areas, driveways, Sidewalks, hardscape features, and Fences, and which includes a planting schedule showing graphic symbols (if applicable), botanical names, common names, quantity, and plant size.

(23) “Precipitation Rate” means the depth of water applied to a given area, usually measured in inches per hour.

(24) “Rain Shut-Off Device” means a device wired to the automatic controller that shuts off the irrigation system when it rains.

(25) “Reference Evapotranspiration Rate” or “ETO” means a standard measurement of environmental parameters which affect the water use of plants. ETO is expressed in inches per day, month or year and is an estimate of the evapotranspiration of a large field of four to seven-inch tall, cool season grass that is well watered. The average annual ETO for the West Valley City area is 31.17 inches.

(26) “Rehabilitated Landscaping” means site Alterations of 75 percent or more.

(27) “Runoff” means irrigation water that is not absorbed by the soil or landscape area to which it is applied and which flows onto other areas.

(28) “Secondary or Reuse Water” means non-potable water suitable for irrigation purposes. This water would be available in a pressurized system.

(29) “Soils Report” means a report by a soils laboratory indicating soil type(s), soil depth, uniformity, composition, bulk Density, infiltration rates, and pH for the topsoil and subsoil for a given site. The soils report also includes recommendations for soil amendments.

(30) “Spray Sprinkler” means an irrigation head that sprays water through a nozzle.

(31) “Stream Sprinkler” means an irrigation head that projects water through a gear rotor in single or multiple streams.

(32) “Turf” means a surface layer of earth containing mowed grass with its roots.

(33) “Water Conserving Plant” means a plant that can generally survive with available rainfall once established although supplemental irrigation may be needed or desirable during spring and summer months.

(1) Applicability. The provisions of this section shall apply to all new and rehabilitated Landscaping for public agency projects, private Development projects, developer-installed Landscaping in multi-unit residential projects, and developer-installed Landscaping in single-unit residential projects that require a review process.

(2) Documentation. Landscape Plan Documentation Package. A copy of a Landscape Plan Documentation Package shall be submitted to and approved by the City prior to the issuance of any permits. A copy of the approved Landscape Plan Documentation Package shall be provided to the property Owner or site manager and to the local retail water purveyor. The Landscape Plan Documentation Package shall be prepared by a Designer who certifies that the package satisfies the requirements of this Chapter and its contents have been prepared or reviewed by individuals meeting State Code regulations. The Landscape Plan Documentation Package shall consist of the following items:

(3) Landscape Design Standards. Plant Selection. Plants selected for landscape zones shall consist of plants that are well-suited to the microclimate and soil conditions at the project site. Plants with similar water needs shall be grouped together as much as possible.

(4) Irrigation Design Standards. Irrigation design standards for this Chapter shall be as outlined in the latest version of the “Minimum Standards for Efficient Landscape Irrigation System Design and Installation” prepared by the Utah Irrigation Association. In addition, the following portions of this Section shall also be applicable:

(5) Plan Approval, Construction Inspection and Post-Construction Monitoring. As part of the building permit approval process, a copy of the Landscape Plan Documentation Package shall be submitted to the City for approval before construction begins. With the Landscape Plan Documentation Package, a copy of the Landscape Water Allowance Worksheet shall be completed by the Designer and submitted to the City. Once approved, the Landscape Water Allowance Worksheet will be transmitted to the local water purveyor.

(1) Lawn shall be prohibited in Parkstrips and in areas less than eight feet in width.

(2) No more than 35 percent of the Front and Side Yard landscaped area shall be lawn. Residential lots with less than 250 square feet in landscaped area shall be exempt from this standard.