Article IV — General Development Standards

This section of identifies three streetscape concepts to be applied along designated street frontages within the specific plan project boundaries. Each concept is intended to address a specific design concern.

• A. Acacia Street and Eucla Avenue. These streets are the entrances into the Town Core residential area as well as the entrance into the Mixed Use - Residential/Industrial area. The landscaping concept along these street frontages should appear residential. Such landscaping techniques

would include use of lawn for groundcover and ornamental trees. The entrances into the business park should be treated with low level monument style signage and subdued groundcover.

• B. General Landscape Design Standards. The following general guidelines are intended to promote a consistent and careful treatment of street tree plantings and landscaping programs.

  1. Unless a formal design is recommended during the design review process, street tree planting should generally consist of random patterns. Interesting tree massing with random spacing are encouraged to provide an undulating and varied streetscape, with view "windows" created at selected points. In some cases, often depending on adjacent architectural styles, a more formal "on-center" spacing of a single tree species may be more appropriate. Whether a formal or informal design concept is used, the selected design concept should be reflected along the entire length or substantial continuous segment of the street.

  2. Street trees along Acacia Street and Eucla Avenue should be planted in groundcover, or low shrubs.

  3. Landscaping should be intensified to emphasize entries, transitions and destinations. Entries should be enhanced with tree, shrub and groundcover plantings.

  4. All community-wide and common area landscape plantings shall be adequately irrigated and maintained. Automatic irrigation systems should be utilized to insure the continued growth of plant materials.

  5. Landscaping should be used to accentuate view windows into commercial office and residential neighborhoods. Trees and shrubs can be planted to frame or screen views selectively.

  6. Vegetation of varying heights, textures, and colors should be used in conjunction with walls and fences to define discreet boundaries.

  7. Walls and fences should be designed as an integral element of the streetscape design concept, enhancing and complementing the landscaped setback areas.

  8. Primary landscape elements should be "mature" specimen, long-lived trees, with perennial shrubs and/or groundcover included where appropriate. Annual flower beds can serve as attractive accent elements, particularly at entry monument locations.

  9. Landscape elements should complement architectural design elements. Expansive horizontal and vertical surfaces, comprised of singular materials should be modulated or, interrupted by foliage masses.

  10. Within individual projects, trees should be used to define and enclose exterior spaces intended for different activities.

11. Landscaping and architectural features should be used to screen from view certain visually undesirable elements such as parking, storage, loading, refuse containers, utilities and irrigation controls.

• (Ord. 938 § 1 (IV (A)), 1990; Ord. 1314, 9/24/2024; Ord. 1315, 10/8/2024)

The following standards shall apply to all developments/improvements within Specific Plan No. 23.

• A. Utilities. All utilities within the project boundaries to serve the uses and buildings therein shall be installed underground.

• B. Mechanical Equipment. Roof mounted mechanical equipment including, but not limited to, air conditioning, heating, and ventilating and exhaust ducts, shall be screened from view from any surrounding property, street or highway. Said screening shall be designed in such manner as to appear to be an integral component of the overall building architecture. This can be accomplished by full roof treatments, equipment wells, and architectural design features. Lineof-sight drawings shall be required as a component of all design review submittals to verify equipment screening. Wall or ground mounted equipment shall be enclosed in a manner which incorporates the same materials used in the building.

• C. Trash Storage. Enclosed trash storage area(s) built to the city's standard specifications shall be provided in appropriate locations pursuant to city standards.

• D. Walls/Fences. Walls shall be permitted and/or required pursuant to the following provisions. All walls shall be constructed of decorative concrete tilt-up or masonry as described in Definitions in this chapter.

  1. Required Walls. Walls shall be required to screen truck and storage areas where allowed by this specific plan. Interior walls may be required by the review authority pursuant to Chapter 18.12 of this title as a component of the design review process. All screening walls shall be architecturally compatible with the buildings within the project and shall incorporate vertical landscaping such as vines, trees and shrubbery. The vertical landscaping elements shall be located on the public right-of-way side to provide visual relief from the horizontal expanse. The height of the screening walls shall be governed by the view shed from the surrounding areas which shall take into consideration the height of equipment and/or trucks to be stored behind said walls.

  2. Permitted Walls. Walls shall be permitted on or within all property lines not abutting streets and on or to the rear of all required yard setback lines abutting streets. The height of such walls shall be set by the director of community development after giving reasonable due consideration to alternative screening techniques and devices. Walls not over forty-two inches in height may be permitted within the required setback areas.

  3. Corner Cutback Areas. The cutback line shall be in a horizontal plane, making an angle of forty-five degrees with the side, front, or rear property line. It shall pass through a point not less than ten feet from the intersection of the front, side, or rear property line; or ten feet from the edges of a driveway where it intersects the street or alley, as the case may be.

     • a. Streets and Alleys. There shall be a corner cutback area at all intersecting or intercepting streets and/or alleys.

• b. Driveways. There shall be a corner cutback area on each side of any private driveway intersecting a street or alley.

• (Ord. 938 § 1 (IV (B)), 1990; Ord. 1314, 9/24/2024; Ord. 1315, 10/8/2024; Ord. 1324, 6/10/2025)

Article V. Plan Review and Disposition

A development plan review shall be required. No person shall construct any building or structure, or relocate, rebuilt, alter, enlarge or modify any existing building or structure, until a development plan has been reviewed and approved in accordance to the provisions of Chapter 18.12 of this title, or until a minor modification has been approved by the director of community development in accordance with the provisions of Section 18.538.170 . Prior to the submittal of any formal application to the community development department the applicant may request an informal review and comments regarding the city development policies and standards. An application for conceptual design review shall be accompanied by any applicable fee and the following materials:

• A. A scaled site plan.

• B. Conceptual architectural floor plans and building elevations.

• C. A preliminary grading plan.

• D. A conceptual landscape plan.

• E. Breakdown of land uses, i.e., parking (compact vs. standard), floor area(s), building coverage(s), landscape coverages, etc.

• F. Written description of all proposed uses.

• (Ord. 938 § 1 (V (A)), 1990; Ord. 1314, 9/24/2024; Ord. 1315, 10/8/2024; Ord. 1324, 6/10/2025)

Minor modifications to the provisions of this specific plan are intended to provide for the reasonable deviation of review and/or development requirements pursuant to the provisions of this section.

• A. The director of community development without public hearing, may grant a variance allowing a minor modification from the requirements of this specific plan limited to the following:

  1. Reduction of open areas by permitting portions of a building to extend into and occupy not more than ten percent of the area of a required yard.

  2. Waive the development review requirement for minor alterations to existing structures which conform to the following:

     • a. Repainting of an existing structure the same or similar color hue which currently exists on the site.

     • b. Minor alterations in location of landscape features or plant materials from an approved landscape plan.

     • c. Minor alterations to approved plans which would not create a noticeable difference in the building design. Such minor alterations would not include the elimination of approved building materials.

• B. In granting a minor modification, the director of community development shall make the findings in accordance with Section 18.204.020 of this title.

• C. The determination of the director of community development may be appealed to the planning commission pursuant to the provisions of this chapter.

• (Ord. 938 § 1 (V (B)), 1990; Ord. 1314, 9/24/2024; Ord. 1315, 10/8/2024)

The determinations of the director of community development and/or the planning commission as applicable, may be appealed to the city council pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 18.212 of this title.

EXHIBIT A

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(Ord. 938 § 1 (V (C)), 1990; Ord. 1314, 9/24/2024; Ord. 1315, 10/8/2024; Ord. 1324, 6/10/2025)