Chapter 5 — LANDSCAPING REGULATIONS

The intent of this Chapter is to prescribe standards for landscaping to protect public security and safety, conserve and protect property, and improve the general appearance of the City of Mountain House.

(Ord. 2024-18, § 1(Exh. A), 2024)

The requirements of this Chapter shall apply to all new commercial and industrial projects, multifamily developments, mobile home parks, planned developments, and model homes. Section 9-10-506 contains specific requirements for residential zones.

(Ord. 2024-18, § 1(Exh. A), 2024)

All landscaping required by this Chapter shall comply with the following provisions:

(a)

General Planting Requirements. Unless otherwise specified, all plantings required by this Chapter shall comply with the following:

(1)

Composition. Landscaping may include natural features such as rock and stone, as well as structural features including, but not limited to, fountains, reflecting pools, and sculptures. Only recirculating water shall be used for decorative water features. Where required, planting shall include the installation and maintenance of no less than one (1) item from each of the following groups:

(A)

Group One: Trees;

(B)

Group Two: Shrubs or Vines; or

(C)

Group Three: Ground Cover, Flowers or Turf.

(2)

Water Efficient Landscape. All new landscaping shall be planned to create a water efficient landscape.

(A)

The planted area shall balance the water demands of different plant species to create an overall landscape which requires a moderate amount of water. For design purposes, planting areas shall be defined as low use, medium use, or high use areas. The water value designations of low use, medium use, or high use, shall be determined from a plant list approved by the Director. Water use values reflect the relative water use of each type of planting area. To check a landscape design for compliance, multiply the water use value in the list by its respective planting area; if the sum of the water use factors is less than the design area, the design is acceptable.

(B)

Exceptions may be granted for the following areas:

(i)

Homeowner-provided landscaping for single-family and multifamily projects;

(ii)

Cemeteries, schools, and parks;

(iii)

Registered historical sites;

(iv)

Ecological restoration projects, mined-land reclamation projects, and other projects that do not require a permanent irrigation system;

(v)

Areas in need of fire-resistant sections of vegetation; or

(vi)

Any area for which the Review Authority authorizes conditional exceptions, unless the standard specifically states that an exception cannot be granted; such exceptions may be granted if the Review Authority finds in writing that the proposed design is in substantial compliance with the purpose and intent of this chapter.

(3)

Plant Selection.

(A)

Stock Quality. Plants shall be healthy and meet minimum industry standards.

(B)

Selection. Native plants, particularly native trees and shrubs, shall be considered as the first alternative when selecting plants. Plant selection for non-residential development shall be in accordance with the plant

list maintained by the City.

(C)

Height Limitations. Plantings, excluding trees, shall extend no more than three (3) feet above any street curb in the following locations:

(i)

Within a thirty (30) foot snipe of a street intersection without a stop sign or stop light;

(ii)

Within a fifty (50) foot snipe of a street intersection containing a stop sign or stop light;

(iii)

Within a fifteen (15) foot snipe of a commercial driveway or alleyway; or

(iv)

Within a ten (10) foot snipe of a residential driveway.

(D)

Trees. When planted, the trees shall be five (5) gallons in size.

(E)

Turf Areas. Areas of turf shall be planted to meet the following requirements:

(i)

Turf shall not be permitted in planted areas ten (10) feet or less in width, or in median strips.

(ii)

Under no circumstances shall turf be installed on slopes greater than twenty percent (20%).

(iii)

Turf shall not be installed within ten (10) feet of the dripline of native oak trees, except for young trees with driplines of less than ten (10) feet.

(iv)

Turf shall be of a variety well suited to the local climate, such as tall fescue.

(F)

Mulch. A minimum of three (3) inches of an organic mulch shall be placed in shrub areas on the soil surface after planting. Nonporous materials shall not be placed under the mulch.

(b)

Earth Berms. Earth berms shall comply with the following provisions:

(1)

An earth berm may contribute toward the prescribed height of any planting, fencing, or wall; and

(2)

Mounds of earth which are used to screen or for planting shall not maintain a slope greater than two to one (2:1).

(c)

Irrigation. Irrigation systems shall be installed for all landscaped areas as follows:

(1)

Soil types and infiltration rates shall be considered when designing irrigation systems. All irrigation systems shall be designed to avoid runoff, low head drainage, overspray, or similar conditions where water flows onto adjacent property, nonirrigated areas, walks, roadways, or structures.

(2)

No overhead sprinkler irrigations systems (pop-up, impulse sprinklers, rotors) shall be installed in median strips less than ten (10) feet wide.

(3)

Any landscaping is required to use rain switches as part of any automatic irrigation system.

(4)

All landscaped areas shall be irrigated with automatic irrigation systems. Low volume spray heads and drip irrigation systems shall be used, and systems shall be compatible with any reclaimed water systems.

(d)

Erosion Control. Erosion shall be controlled as follows:

(1)

Slopes created through grading during construction shall be (re)planted with groundcover at a maximum of eighteen (18) inches on center or (re)planted with shrubs;

(2)

Slopes shall be restricted to a maximum 2:1 slope ratio;

(3)

Slopes greater than six (6) feet in vertical height shall be planted with groundcover a maximum of eighteen (18) inches on center;

(4)

Erosion shall be controlled on all graded sites which remain vacant prior to building construction; and

(5)

Protective netting may be required on an interim basis to ensure bank stability.

(e)

Protective Curbing. Protective six (6) inch concrete curbs or standard concrete wheel stops shall be required where planting or screening abuts parking stalls or driveways.

(f)

Timing of Installation. All required landscaping and irrigation shall be installed prior to the issuance of the Certificate of Occupancy or final inspection, unless a delay is granted by the Director.

(g)

Safety. Landscaping and screening shall meet the following safety requirements:

(1)

Landscape or screening elements which pose an unusual public health or safety threat shall not be permitted;

(2)

The height, spread, and growth habit of all plantings shall not interfere with or obstruct ease of movement; and

(3)

Street trees, shall be pruned so that no branch shall extend over the sidewalk lower than six (6) feet above curb level.

(h)

Maintenance. Landscaping and screening shall be maintained as follows:

(1)

Plantings shall be maintained in good growing conditions and, whenever necessary, replaced with new plant ma[terials];

(2)

Lawn and ground cover shall be trimmed and mowed regularly and planting areas shall be kept free of weeds and debris;

(3)

Plantings shall be fertilized, cultivated, and pruned on a regular basis, and good horticultural principles shall be practiced;

(4)

When necessary, plantings shall be appropriately staked, tied, or otherwise supported. Supports shall be regularly monitored to avoid damage to plants;

(5)

All landscaping and related equipment, including, but not limited to, plant material, screening devices, walkways, benches, fountains, and irrigation systems, shall be maintained by the property owner; and

(6)

All required screening materials shall be maintained in good condition and, whenever necessary, repaired or replaced.

(i)

Replacements. When replacing vegetation, native plants, particularly native trees and shrubs, shall be considered as the first alternative.

(j)

Landscape Plans. Landscape Plans, including location, variety, irrigation, and other information necessary to determine compliance with these requirements must be submitted and approved by the Director whenever landscaping is required. For large scale projects, the Director may require these plans to be prepared by a Landscape Architect.

(Ord. 2024-18, § 1(Exh. A), 2024)

The planting of trees along streets is required for all new residential developments as follows:

(a)

Spacing. Trees shall be spaced at a maximum of sixty (60) foot intervals or a minimum of one tree per lot frontage, except in the Rural Residential Zone, in which case a minimum of three (3) trees are required for each lot frontage.

(b)

Corner Lots. For corner lots, street trees shall be required on both street frontages. The trees cannot interfere with sight distances and setbacks.

(c)

Size. Trees shall be five (5) gallons in size.

(d)

Location. Trees shall be located such that at fifteen (15) years of age the crown will not encroach across side property lines.

(e)

Location from Driveways. Trees shall be located a minimum of ten (10) feet from driveways.

(f)

Location from Rights-of-Way. Trees shall be located a minimum of four (4) feet and a maximum of ten (10) feet outside of the road right-of-way.

(g)

Street Frontages. Street trees shall be required along street frontages where noise attenuation walls are required. They shall be placed in the yard or integrated with a serpentine wall.

(h)

City Tree List. Trees shall be chosen from the City Tree List.

(i)

Exceptions. Exceptions to street tree planting may be permitted on those lots where proper spacing is not possible provided the exceptions are granted by the Director of the Community Development Department.

(j)

Maintenance. Street trees shall be maintained by a public or private entity as follows:

(1)

Plantings shall be maintained in good growing condition and, whenever necessary, replaced with new plant materials;

(2)

Planting areas shall be kept free of weeds and debris;

(3)

Plantings shall be fertilized, cultivated, and pruned on a regular bases, and good horticultural principles shall be practiced; and

(4)

When necessary, plantings shall be appropriately staked, tied, or otherwise supported. Supports shall be regularly monitored to avoid damage to plants.

(k)

Timing of Installation. Required street trees, including irrigation systems, shall be completely installed prior to the final inspection of the building.

(l)

Developer Responsibility. Developers shall be responsible for the landscaping of local streets and those collector streets that are not in the Public Land Equity Program, in accordance with the Master Plan, the Specific Plan and the Mountain House CSD Design Manual.

(m)

Requirements in Industrial and Commercial Areas. In industrial and commercial areas, along collector streets, two (2) rows of large canopy shade trees shall be planted on each side of the roadway, flanking the sidewalks.

(1)

Said trees shall be spaced an average of thirty (30) feet or less on center and shall be placed no closer than eight (8) feet to street light standards.

(2)

One (1) row of trees shall be planted within the parkway strip and one (1) row shall be planted within the front or side yard, five (5) feet from the edge of the sidewalk.

(3)

The Director may modify the requirement for plantings in the front or side yard to permit clustering of planting, or the Director may eliminate the requirement for plantings in commercial areas where the structures have minimal setbacks.

(n)

Tree List. Tree selection shall be in accordance with the tree list maintained by the City.

(Ord. 2024-18, § 1(Exh. A), 2024)

The following requirements shall apply to all open, off-street parking areas and off-street loading areas, including nonresidential driveways:

(a)

Parking areas with more than twenty (20) stalls shall provide a minimum of five percent (5%) of landscaping within the perimeter of the parking area, not including landscaping along the street frontage.

(b)

One tree shall be required for each five (5) parking stalls, or portion thereof, and shall be evenly spaced throughout the parking lot.

(c)

A ten (10) foot wide landscaped strip shall be installed between parking areas and adjacent public streets.

(d)

Planters which abut parking stalls shall be a minimum of five (5) feet wide. A minimum eighteen (18) inch wide paved strip shall be added to the adjacent parking stall to allow access to and from vehicles.

(e)

Unless otherwise specified, parking areas abutting a residential zone, an area shown on the General Plan for residential use, or an existing residential use, shall be screened with a solid masonry wall six (6) to seven (7) feet in height along the abutting property line, and a five (5) foot planting strip shall be installed adjacent to the wall and the parking area.

(f)

Parking lots shall be surrounded by hedges, shrubs and/or berms to mitigate the visual impacts on adjacent streets or uses. Hedges and shrubs shall be mature. The height of hedges or shrubs shall be maintained to provide visibility for safety.

(g)

Planting islands within parking areas shall be adequately sized to allow parking lot trees and shrubs to thrive, and to allow adequate clearance for car doors, bumper overhangs and visibility.

(Ord. 2024-18, § 1(Exh. A), 2024)

9-10-506 - Requirements for Residential Zones.

The following requirements shall apply in the residential zones:

(a)

Multifamily Developments. The following requirements shall apply to developments which result in five (5) or more multifamily dwelling units:

(1)

All areas not used for buildings, parking, driveways, walkways, recreational facilities, or other permanent facilities shall be landscaped; and

(2)

Site development shall incorporate the surrounding topography and provide for the preservation of natural features such as water courses, native oaks, heritage trees, wooded areas, and rough terrain.

(b)

Mobile Home Parks. The following requirements shall apply to mobile home parks:

(1)

All areas not used for buildings, parking, driveways, walkways, recreational facilities, or other permanent facilities shall be landscaped; and

(2)

Site development shall relate harmoniously to the surrounding topography and provide for the preservation of natural features such as water courses, native oaks, heritage trees, wooded areas, and rough terrain.

(c)

Planned Developments. The following requirements shall apply to planned developments:

(1)

The number of trees for the site shall equal at least twice the number of dwelling units, excluding street and erosion control trees;

(2)

Additional plantings shall be provided, particularly in open space areas, to accent buildings, screen parking areas, and provide variety; and

(3)

A landscaping plan prepared by a licensed landscape architect shall be required. The landscaping plan shall include the following:

(A)

A site plan and sections illustrating the proposed location and size of landscape elements such as plantings, structures, walkways, fencing, and screening;

(B)

Scale drawings and specifications depicting the design, colors, materials, dimensions, structural supports, and electrical components of the proposed plan; and

(C)

Planting, irrigation, lighting, and grading specifications.

(d)

Model Homes. One (1) model home shall demonstrate via signs and information the principles of water efficient landscapes described in this Title.

(1)

Signs shall be used to identify the model as an example of a water efficient landscape which features elements such as hydrozones, irrigation equipment, and others which contribute to the overall water efficient theme.

(2)

Information and handouts shall be provided about designing, installing, and maintaining water efficient landscapes.

(Ord. 2024-18, § 1(Exh. A), 2024)

The following requirements shall apply to all commercial projects:

(a)

Landscaping Requirements. All areas not used for buildings, parking, driveways, walkways, or other permanent facilities shall be landscaped. A minimum ten (10) foot wide planting strip shall be required along adjacent streets. The strip shall be continuous except where crossed by driveways and walkways.

(Ord. 2024-18, § 1(Exh. A), 2024)

The following requirements shall apply to all industrial projects:

(a)

Landscaping Requirements. All areas not used for buildings, parking, driveways, walkways, approved outdoor storage areas, or other permanent facilities shall be landscaped. At a minimum, a ten (10) foot wide planting strip is required along adjacent streets. The strip shall be continuous except where crossed by driveways and walkways.

(Ord. 2024-18, § 1(Exh. A), 2024)

For commercial and industrial projects, a minimum ten (10) foot wide planting strip shall be required along all Interstate highways, State Route 99, all on- and off-ramps thereof, and all scenic routes that are defined in the General Plan.

(Ord. 2024-18, § 1(Exh. A), 2024)

9-10-510 - Modification of Requirements.

The requirements of this Chapter may be modified by the Director in cases where it is demonstrated that an alternative to said requirements would meet the intent of this Chapter and result in an equal or greater amount of landscaping. Decisions of the Director pursuant to this Section may be appealed using the Staff Review with Notice Procedure set forth in Chapter 4 of Division 2.

(Ord. 2024-18, § 1(Exh. A), 2024)