Atwater Municipal Code Ch. 8.36 Water Efficient Landscaping and Irrigation

Landscaping under this chapter is intended to:

A. Enhance the environmental value and physical appearance of development in the City of Atwater.

B. Improve the environmental performance of development by reducing heat, glare and noise; promoting the percolation of storm water; aid in improving air quality; and buffering potentially incompatible land uses from one another.

C. Promote the conservation of water and preservation of water quality by requiring drought tolerant plant material in landscaping and the retention of existing natural vegetation, thereby reducing the need for irrigation, pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers.

(Ord. CS 698, 1992)

Whenever landscaping or landscaping and irrigation plans are required by a condition of approval of a development project, the following landscape and irrigation system design and specifications shall apply.

(Ord. CS 698, 1992)

A. Plan preparation. It is required that a licensed landscape architect be employed in preparing the landscape and irrigation plans.

B. Plant materials. The selection of plant materials should include both evergreen and deciduous trees, shrubs and attractive dust and erosion-preventing ground cover. It is required that at least 90 percent of the plants selected in nonturf areas be native or well suited to the climate of the region, be drought tolerant, and require minimal water once established in the landscape. Up to ten percent of the plants may be of nondrought tolerant variety as long as they are grouped together and can be irrigated separately. Attention shall be given to the function of the plants, their appearance, height, spread, growth rate, moisture requirements, potential root damage, disease and pest susceptibility, climatic adaptability, soil type, slope, and degree of maintenance required.

C. Plant coverage. Landscaping shall be provided as specified in the conditions of approval of the development project. Plants shall be properly spaced and sized that, when mature, they will fulfill their designated function. Shrubs shall be a minimum of one gallon in size and trees shall be a minimum of 15 gallons. Although a reasonable number of growing seasons will be allowed for full plant coverage to develop, interim ground cover may be provided during this period. Interim cover of surfacing materials shall consist of rocks, gravel, wood mulch or chips, or any other acceptable material. Mulches must be minimum of three inches thick when used as an interim measure.

D. Plant maintenance. Automatic irrigation systems shall be provided to assure efficient water use with a minimum of labor and water waste. Irrigation controllers must be multiple cycle capabilities and rain sensing override switches. Plant material must be maintained in a healthy condition. Unhealthy plants shall be replaced. Planters shall be kept free of all weeds, debris and trash.

E. Planter construction. All planter areas shall have a minimum six-inch raised concrete or treated wooden curb directly behind sidewalks or pavement areas to provide protection to the landscaping and control water runoff, silt, and erosion onto the pavement. All planters constructed adjacent to buildings and structures shall be so designed to avoid irrigation water intrusion into or on that adjacent building or structure. The size and location of planter areas shall be specified on the approved plot plan or conditions of approval. The minimum width of a planter bed shall be 40 inches, or 60 inches where trees are planted, measured from the inside of curbing or acceptable permanent border.

F. Compacted soils. Prior to the planting of any materials the compacted soils surrounding a building site shall be returned to a friable condition. Friable condition shall mean returning the soil to an easily crumbled or loosely compacted condition down to a minimum depth per planting material requirements, whereby the root structure of newly planted material will be allowed to spread unimpeded.

(Ord. CS 698, 1992)

A. Three copies of the landscape plan shall be submitted for review and approval by the Community Development Director in accordance with the standards of landscape design set forth in this chapter.

B. One copy of all building elevations and site grading plans or one copy of all building plans shall be submitted together with the landscape plan. The building elevation and site grading plans shall be in sufficient detail to permit determination of the location, width and height of all doors and windows and roof overhangs on all proposed buildings within or adjacent to proposed landscape areas.

C. The landscape plans shall be legible and drawn to a scale no smaller than one inch equals 20 feet. Maximum sheet size on all drawings shall be 24 inches by 36 inches.

D. The landscape plans shall indicate property lines, important dimension lines, setback lines, walls and fences, driveways, adjacent street, outline of all structures and adjacent land uses.

E. The landscape plans shall indicate planting details, pre-emergent soil treatment rates and materials. The results of soil tests for horticultural suitability shall be submitted with the landscape plan. Soils shall be prepared and/or amended as appropriate. A minimum of three inches of mulch shall be added on nonturf areas to the soil surface after planting. Plant types that are intolerant of mulch shall be excluded from this requirement. Sheet plastic and other nonporous material shall be placed under mulch.

F. The use of turf as a plant material will not be permitted in narrow planter areas (less than ten feet in width), in traffic median strips, parking strips, between curbs and sidewalks, or on slopes that are in excess of three to one (3:1). On slopes exceeding 15 percent, a level buffer zone of 18 inches is required between bermed turf areas and any hardscape (i.e. streets, walkways, etc.).

G. The landscape plans shall include a plant list giving the common and botanical names of plants to be used, container size, spacing, and quantities of each group of plants. This plant list shall be arranged in legend form with a key number assigned to each plant. Each plant shall be identified by a key number on the plan. The size of the plant, its spacing and the quantity to be used shall follow in the legend, as the following example illustrates:

(Ord. CS 698, 1992)

A. Three copies of the irrigation plans shall be submitted with the landscape plans to the community Development Director for review and approval by the Parks and Recreation Director to ensure adequate irrigation coverage and compliance with City of Atwater requirements. The irrigation system shall be designed with water conservation in mind. Wind direction, surface drainage, soil type and application method shall be considered.

B. The irrigation plan shall indicate the water system point of connection and size, water pressure available and maximum demand of the system in gallons per minute or gallons per hour if appropriate. Reclaimed water may also be used as an alternate irrigation water source if it is supplied through a dual distribution system that conforms to Merced County Health Department Standards.

C. Irrigation equipment specified must be identified by manufacturers name and equipment identification number.

D. Performance date for irrigation heads and emitters including discharge rates, effective diameter and operating pressure shall be listed in the irrigation legend.

E. All locations of irrigation valves, controllers, hose bibs, quick coupler valves, sprinkler heads and backflow prevention devices, valves, filters, pressure regulators, emitters, rain switches and moisture sensors must be indicated.

F. Irrigation details must be provided to clarify particular situations. Typical details should include backflow prevention devices, valves, irrigation heads, emitters, filters, pressure regulators, moisture sensors, rain switches, check valves, irrigation controllers and any required enclosures. Manufacturers specification sheets may be substituted for details.

G. All irrigation lines must be sized.

H. Schedule 40 PVC pipe is required under all paved areas. Piping must be installed a minimum of 12 inches underground for nonpressure irrigation lines and 18 inches underground for constant pressure irrigation lines. Emitter distribution tubing may be located at grade.

I. Irrigation watering schedules for the entire year must be provided on irrigation drawings. These schedules will include an establishment (first 12 months) and post establishment period. Post establishment schedules will be divided into four quarters. Those quarters are winter, spring, summer and fall.

J. The irrigation system must be designed by a licensed landscape architect. Pop-up sprinklers in turf areas shall have minimum four-inch pop-up height. Sprinkler coverage shall be 100 percent. Heads shall be placed at a maximum of 50 percent of the diameter of throw (head to head) unless specific justification is provided for greater spacing. Sprinkler heads must have matched precipitation rates within each control valve circuit. Sprinklers and sprays shall not be used in areas less than eight feet wide. Drip and bubblers that do not exceed one and one-half gallons per minute per device shall be used. Soil moisture sensing devices are required on landscapes of 50,000 square feet or larger. Moisture sensing devices shall be installed as shown on the plans or as directed by the landscape architect. Irrigation systems shall avoid runoff, low head drainage, overspray, or similar conditions where water flows onto adjacent property, nonirrigated areas, walks, roadways or structures. Serviceable check valves are required where elevation differential may cause low head drainage. Irrigation controllers must be capable of dual or multiple programming. Controllers must have multiple cycle start capacity and a flexible calendar program. Controllers shall be set to operate between sunset and sunrise. Water application rates shall be less than one-quarter-inch per cycle. A minimum of one-hour period shall be allowed prior to the application of additional water.

K. Copies of pressure/flow calculations shall accompany the irrigation plans.

(Ord. CS 698, 1992)

All proposed landscaping and irrigation systems to be maintained by the City of Atwater shall be designed and constructed in accordance with all requirements of the City of Atwater Landscaping Improvement Standards and Specifications.

(Ord. CS 698, 1992)

Upon installation of landscaping and irrigation systems, the installer must contact the Parks and Recreation Department (irrigation and landscaping) and request an inspection. The landscape and irrigation installation must conform to the approved plans before final inspection or issuance of a certificate of occupancy by the Building Division. All inspection of City of Atwater maintained landscaping and irrigation systems will be provided by the Department of Parks and Recreation.

(Ord. CS 698, 1992)

The landscaping and irrigation system shall be maintained in accordance with the approved landscape and irrigation plan. Maintenance includes removal of weeds, litter or other debris and replacement of dead plant materials.

(Ord. CS 698, 1992)

A landscaping and irrigation plan review and inspection fee shall be paid to the Community Development Department when the building permit is issued. The amount of the fee will be determined on a square foot basis. Landscaping on a project site totaling less than 10,000 square feet shall pay a flat fee of $145.00. Landscaping totaling more than 10,000 square feet shall pay a flat fee of $280.00. The fees for Parks and Recreation facilities, golf courses and City of Atwater maintained landscaping and irrigation systems will be determined on a case by case basis.

(Ord. CS 698, 1992)

A. "Planted area" shall mean the total area of the site not covered by buildings, parking lots, driveways, patios, plazas, sidewalks, hard courts, swimming pools, spas and parkway areas.

B. "Turf" shall mean a single bladed grass or sod.

C. "Water conserving plant" shall mean any plant which exhibits drought tolerant characteristics, that is to say, will, in designed location, survive with limited supplemental water. Cool season grass, hybrid tall type fescues and warm season grasses shall be considered water conserving. A suggested listing of these plants shall be made available to the Parks and Recreation Department and may be added to at the discretion of the Community Development Director upon the recommendation of certified nurserymen, landscape architects or others knowledgeable in the field.

D. "Friable condition" shall mean returning the soil to an easily crumbled or loosely compacted condition down to a minimum depth per planting material requirement, whereby the root structure of a newly planted water conserving plants will be allowed to spread unimpeded.

(Ord. CS 698, 1992)