Extracted standards
8 individual requirements pulled out of this section’s prose, each with the sentence it came from.
Landscaping & trees
- Ground cover spacing6 inches
Ground covers shall be planted no further apart than 6 inches on center.
- Irrigation requirement
Landscaped areas shall be irrigated by an automatic system with separate stations for each hydrozone. The irrigation system shall be designed and equipped to incorporate water conservation techniques such as drip systems, moisture sensors and anti-drain valves. Sprinkler systems shall be designed to prevent water from falling onto impervious surfaces.
- Landscape planter width10 ft
Where off-street parking areas abut local or collector public streets, such areas shall be separated from an abutting street by a continuous landscaped planter which extends parallel to the street frontage of the parking area. Said planter shall be a minimum of 10 feet in width exclusive of perimeter curbs.
- Minimum shrub size1 gallon
At least 50% of all shrubs shall be of 5-gallon size, and no shrub shall be less than one-gallon size.
- Minimum tree size15 gallon
No tree shall be less than 15 gallon size.
- Parking lot tree requirement
All interior areas of parking lots shall be landscaped with a minimum of one shade tree plus one shade tree for each 4 parking spaces along with the other plant materials.
- Planter curb6 inches
All landscaped planter areas shall be completely bordered by a 6-inch P.C.C. curbing to prevent irrigation runoff and act as a wheel stop where necessary.
- Turf prohibition
Turf shall not be permitted.
From the ordinance
Landscaping. a. Landscape designs shall be consistent throughout a project site. A combination of landscape materials should be arranged in a harmonious manner as an integral part of project design to enhance building design, public view, and interior spaces and provide buffers and transitions as needed. Unrelated and random choice or placement of plant materials shall be avoided; however, variety may be employed to intensify distinction between spaces or to strengthen a sense of place or movement, or to promote energy and water conservation and mitigate erosion. b. The type, scale and proportion of landscape materials shall be appropriate to the site and/or structures to which they relate. c. Plant material shall be selected for interest in its structure, texture, color, ultimate growth and water efficiency. Plants that are native or climate adaptive to the high desert area of Lancaster and/or others that will be hardy, harmonious with project design, and of good appearance, shall be used. Drought-resistant varieties of plants shall be used wherever feasible. Turf shall not be permitted. Drought-resistant varieties of plants shall be used in accordance with Title 8, Chapter 8.50, Landscaping Installation and Maintenance of the Lancaster Municipal Code. d. Landscaped areas shall be irrigated by an automatic system with separate stations for each hydrozone. The irrigation system shall be designed and equipped to incorporate water conservation techniques such as drip systems, moisture sensors and anti-drain valves. Sprinkler systems shall be designed to prevent water from falling onto impervious surfaces. The system shall comply with Title 8, Chapter 8.50, Landscaping Installation and Maintenance of the Lancaster Municipal Code. e. All areas which are within a site which has been approved by the city for development as a site plan or approved phase thereof, which are not needed for buildings, sidewalks, vehicle access or parking, shall be landscaped. f. All landscaped planter areas shall be completely bordered by a 6-inch P.C.C. curbing to prevent irrigation runoff and act as a wheel stop where necessary. Where used as a wheel stop, the 6-inch curb may be counted toward the required length of the parking space. g. All interior areas of parking lots shall be landscaped with a minimum of one shade tree plus one shade tree for each 4 parking spaces along with the other plant materials. h. Lots of 5,000 square feet or less in area shall have the area used for vehicle ingress, egress, circulation and parking, landscaped in accordance with the following percentages: | Zone | Landscaping | |------|-------------| Only landscaped areas exclusive of curbs shall qualify toward meeting this requirement and no landscaped area with a dimension of less than 2 feet shall be credited toward meeting the landscape requirement. i. Lots of more than 5,000 square feet in area shall have the area used for vehicle ingress, egress, circulation and parking, landscaped in accordance with the following percentages: | Zone | Landscaping | |------|-------------| Only landscaped areas exclusive of curbs shall qualify toward meeting this requirement and no landscaped area with a dimension of less than 2 feet shall be credited toward meeting this landscape requirement. j. Where off-street parking areas abut local or collector public streets, such areas shall be separated from an abutting street by a continuous landscaped planter which extends parallel to the street frontage of the parking area. Said planter shall be a minimum of 10 feet in width exclusive of perimeter curbs. Up to ½ of the area of this required landscaped planter may be counted toward fulfilling the requirements of subsection A.8.h. or i. (See Section 17.16.130.B.2.E and 17.16.130.B.4., regarding landscaping in yards.) k. Trees and landscaping shall be utilized wherever possible to shade buildings as a means of enhancing energy conservation. l. No tree shall be less than 15 gallon size. At least 50% of all shrubs shall be of 5-gallon size, and no shrub shall be less than one-gallon size. Ground covers shall be planted no further apart than 6 inches on center. m. All landscaped areas shall be continuously and properly maintained in good condition. (See definition of landscape maintenance in Section 17.04.240.)