§ 17.04 Planting Requirements

A. Plantings Required Prior To Occupancy:

1. All plantings required by this section must be installed prior to occupancy or commencement of a use, except as allowed in subsection A2 of this section.

2. If the plantings cannot be installed prior to occupancy or commencement of a use due to seasonal conditions that may reduce survivability, the building official may issue a temporary certificate of occupancy and grant a delay of installation until the seasonal calendar dates of June 1 or November 1, whichever occurs first, and the property owner must place in an escrow account, established with the City, an amount which will cover one hundred ten percent (110%) of the estimated cost of plants and installation.

B. Plant Materials Specifications:

1. The minimum planting height of shrubs is eighteen (18) to thirty six inches (36"), depending on species or as noted in the S-series requirements.

2. The use of mulch must be confined to the areas around plantings. Lawn grass or other living ground cover, such as low growing shrubs and/or creeping plants should be used for exposed areas. Decorative landscaping gravel, cobbles or small stones may be used as a mulch alternative.

C. Planting Area Specifications:

1. The minimum width of a planting area will be specified in the base zone requirements, use regulations, or development standards for the use or development being screened or buffered. If not specified in any of the above listed provisions, the minimum width of a planting area is five feet (5'). However, a wider planting area may be needed to accommodate the number and types of plants proposed and the spacing requirements listed in table 17-1, located at the end of this section, and table 17-2, located at the end of section 17.06 of this section.

2. Screening and buffering requirements will often coincide with required trees. (See Section 16, "Landscaping and Tree Standards", of the zoning code.) In such a case, the landscaping design and the size and width of the planting area must accommodate both trees and shrubs.

D. Siting Requirements:

1. Plantings may not be located in violation of the provisions of Intersection Visibility requirements in the City Design Standards.

2. At the time of planting, trees and plantings must be separated from other structures and features on a site in order to minimize conflicts as plants mature. Table 17-1 below lists the minimum spacing between plants and between plants and other features and structures on a site. However, the minimum distances between trees, between trees and shrubs, and between shrubs may be reduced by twenty five percent (25%) to permit design flexibility or to create denser screening where desired. Distances are measured to the center of a tree or the approximate center of individual shrubs.

Table 17-1: Minimum Spacing Between Plantings and Other Features (In Feet)

<table> <tr> <th></th> <th>Large Tree</th> <th>Small Tree</th> <th>Shrub</th> </tr> <tr> <td>Large tree</td> <td>30</td> <td>24</td> <td>4</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Small tree</td> <td>24</td> <td>16</td> <td>3</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Shrub</td> <td>4</td> <td>3</td> <td>See spacing requirements in table 17-2, located at the end of subsection 17.06 of this section</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Building</td> <td>14</td> <td>8</td> <td>2</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Sidewalk</td> <td>4¹</td> <td>4¹</td> <td>3¹</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Curb/pavement</td> <td>4¹</td> <td>4¹</td> <td>2¹</td> </tr> </table>

Note to table OPD.08-1:

1. The minimum distance between plantings and sidewalks or pavement also applies to the anticipated location of a future sidewalk or paved surface.