3B Public Hearing 2010 0119 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Water Efficient Landscape Zoning Code Amendment2 January 19, 2010 the City Council adopted a resolution in February 2006 that encourages the use of StopWaste.Org Bay Friendly Landscaping protocols and establishes these as reference documents. DISCUSSION The proposed revised landscape ordinance differs from these existing requirements in a number of ways which are significantly more restrictive than existing regulations. Applicability and Submittal Requirements Currently, the Zoning Code requires that landscape plans be submitted with all development applications that require Site Plan Approval. h-rigation is required for all new or renovated landscape areas greater than 500 square feet, except for single-family residences. Applicable projects under the revised Article 19 would be those that require Site Plan Review as well as any: • New and rehabilitated landscaping areas in commercial, industrial and developer-installed residential projects that are 2,500 square feet or greater; or • New residential landscapes which are not developer-installed, that are 5,000 square feet or greater. The amended landscape ordinance would require a landscape plan ("Landscape Documentation Package"), an irrigation plan ("Irrigation Design Plan") and a Soil Management Report for applicable projects. Details of Proposed Changes per the State-Mandated Water Efficiency Landscape Ordinance Existing regulations in the Zoning Code encourage, but do not require, many water saving measures. Under the revised landscape ordinance many of these recommendations would become mandatory. New measures would result in further conservation of water usage as well as minimization of invasive species and yard waste. These include: limitation of turf to areas with slopes Less than 25 percent; • hydro-zoning (grouping according to water needs) of plants; • smart timers; • irrigation systems that limit overspray onto paved areas; and • limitation on the use of sprinklers to the hours between 8 pm and ] 0 arn. Details of Proposed Changes per the State-Mandated Water Efficiency Landscape Ordinance These heightened requirements for the above applicable projects will be complemented by a series of recommended practices taken from the Bay Friendly Landscape protocols developed by StopWaste.Org. These include: • the use of compost as soil amendments; • greater amounts of native or drought-tolerant planting; • limitation of turf areas to 25 percent of the landscape area, with sports or multiple uses fields exempted