Chapter 11.46 — PARKWAY STANDARDS

The purpose of these standards is to provide standards for the design and maintenance of parkways in the city. Parkways are important to individual property owners and the city as a whole for reason that include, but are not limited to, the following:

• a. Parkways provide soil volume that street trees need to grow into healthy, mature trees that provide shade, collect storm water, consume carbon and provide other environmental and health benefits.

• b. Parkways can collect and treat storm water and irrigation runoff and return it to the groundwater table.

• c. Parkways provide a buffer between sidewalks and streets.

• d. Parkways improve the curb appeal and value of homes.

• e. Parkways enhance the visual quality of the city. (Ord. 19-1074 § 7, 2019)

This chapter shall apply to all parkways in the city, as that term is defined in Title 19 of this code. The parkway design standards in Section 11.46.050 shall apply to all newly constructed parkways adjacent to residential properties, parkways for residential properties that are undergoing a major remodel (as that term is defined in Title 19) and parkways for residential properties that are disturbing, improving or changing fifty percent or more the area of the parkway adjacent to the property. Notwithstanding, parkways that are subject to an streetscape master plan adopted by the City Council shall comply with the provisions in the adopted streetscape master plan in lieu of compliance with the design standards in Section 11.46.050. (Ord. 19-1074 § 7, 2019)

"Access path" shall mean a means of access across the parkway, from the curb to the sidewalk.

"Convenience strip" shall mean a walkable surface provided for passengers to enter and exit vehicles parked at the curb. Convenience strips are a minimum 18" wide path made of hardscape paving material that is the same finished elevation as the curb and sloped two percent towards the curb, and runs parallel to, and along, the back of the curb.

"Hardscape paving material" shall mean set-in or stable landscaping paving material including, but not limited to, concrete, bricks, pavers, paving stones, and stabilized decomposed granite.

"Invasive plant" shall mean any plant that is non-native to the ecosystem and whose introduction causes or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm, or harm to human health.

"Non-vegetative ground cover" shall mean any material that conceals the bare ground and protects the topsoil from erosion or drought. Allowable non-vegetative ground cover materials include, but are not limited to, bark chips, long-term mulch product, and stone that is no smaller than three-quarter inch and no larger than one inch in diameter.

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City of West Hollywood, CA § 11.46.030

WEST HOLLYWOOD CODE

§ 11.46.050

"Parkway" shall mean the same thing as defined in Section 19.90.020 of this code.

"Public right-of-way" shall mean the area of land granting access and conveyance to the public, typically consisting of a roadway for vehicular and bicycle travel, a curb and gutter, a parkway for plantings and groundcover vegetative landscaping, and a sidewalk for pedestrian travel.

"Sidewalk" shall mean that portion of the public right-of-way located between the street curb and the adjacent property line that is paved and intended for use by pedestrians.

"Walkable plant" shall mean any natural turf or groundcover plant which has a low or flat growth habit without large clumps or woody branches, and has a high degree of tolerance to frequent foot traffic.

"Walkable surface" shall mean a firm, uniform, level walking surface that is slip-free in most weather conditions.

(Ord. 19-1074 § 7, 2019)

• a. An encroachment permit shall be obtained from the City Engineer, pursuant to Chapter 11.18 of this code, prior to:

  1. Demolishing, removing, adding to, or otherwise altering the sidewalk or parkway;

  2. Removing or installing any tree within the parkway;

  3. Installing any hardscape paving material or non-vegetative groundcover within the parkway; and

  4. Installing fences, planters, stones, monuments, statues, benches, lighting fixtures, irrigation systems, above ground sprinkler heads, art work, rails and any other objects.

• b. Exemption. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this code, the maintenance of existing plantings or non-vegetative groundcover, or the regular and routine maintenance of existing irrigation systems or objects in the parkway compliant with the provisions of this chapter within the limits of the existing parkway, shall not require an encroachment permit.

• (Ord. 19-1074 § 7, 2019)

Parkways shall be constructed according to the following requirements:

• a. No more than twenty-five percent of the parkway area shall contain hardscape paving materials. If the requirements of curbside access paving described in subsections g and h of this section, by themselves cause exceedance of this standard, this standard shall be waived and no further paving allowed.

• b. No less than fifty percent of the parkway area shall be covered with planting materials. Planting materials shall be selected from those plants listed in the Parkway Design Guide, or materials that are approved by the City Engineer and comply with the following:

  1. Do not require mowing more frequently than once every few months;

  2. Are drought tolerant and can survive with irrigation only occasionally from November through March, once a week April through June, and twice a week July

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City of West Hollywood, CA

STREETS, SIDEWALKS, PUBLIC PLACES AND

§ 11.46.050

§ 11.46.050

through October;

3. Do not exceed a height of twenty-four inches at full maturity, as measured from the surface of the parkway;

4. Do not have thorns or sharp edges;

5. Are not poisonous, noxious, or toxic when ingested or touched by persons of ordinary sensitivity;

6. Are not invasive plants or listed as prohibited in the Parkway Design Guide; and

7. Do not form a continuous hedge or screen at full maturity.

• c. Only walkable surfaces and plants shall be installed within twelve inches of a fire hydrant, water meter, utility pole, street light, or similar utility structure or equipment. If the utility owner requires a greater clearance, then that greater setback shall apply. Walkable plantings shall not obscure the visibility of the structures.

• d. Within the parkway, non-vegetative ground cover materials may be installed above firm, stable soil material and at a thickness of no more than two inches.

  1. Artificial (synthetic) turf shall not be installed in the parkway.

• e. If decomposed granite is installed in the parkways, the decomposed granite shall be four inches thick, composed of three-eighth-inch maximum gradation, and be blended with a stabilizing compound at a rate of twelve pounds per ton.

• f. All irrigation systems installed in the parkway shall be designed in a manner that results in no overspray onto the sidewalk, access walks, or street and be consistent with the applicable sections of Chapter 19.26 Landscaping Standards and State's Model WaterEfficient Landscape Ordinance. Irrigation systems shall be buried or installed in a manner that does not create a tripping hazard.

• g. A convenience strip consisting of a minimum eighteen inch wide path made of hardscape paving material that is the same finished elevation as the curb and sloped two percent towards the curb, and runs parallel to, and along, the back of the curb shall be provided on all parkways that do not provide a minimum eighteen inch walkable surface along the curb.

• h. All parkways that are not made of walkable surfaces or walkable plants shall also provide an access path consisting of a up to twenty-four inch wide hardscape paving material access path at the same finished elevation as the adjacent curb and sidewalk and sloped two percent toward the curb at the following locations:

  1. Where there are metered curbside parking spaces, at the meter locations;

  2. Where there are unmetered, striped curbside parking spaces, located every two spaces at the point where the two spaces share a border;

  3. Where there are unmetered, unstriped curbside parking spaces, located every fifty feet so as to be every two spaces at the point where the two spaces share a border; and

  4. Where there are no curbside parking spaces, located every fifty feet.

• i. All areas of the parkway consisting of hardscape paving material shall not contain any

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City of West Hollywood, CA § 11.46.050

WEST HOLLYWOOD CODE

§ 11.46.070

abrupt change in elevation greater than one-quarter inch.

• j. Paving, walkable plantings, and non-vegetative ground cover shall be installed within the parkway such that the surface elevation (the top of material) shall be installed with a slope of no more than two percent in the direction from the sidewalk to the curb. The parkway running grade (direction parallel to the street) shall match that of the street.

• k. Paving, walkable plantings, and non-vegetative ground cover shall be installed within the parkway such that the surface elevation (the top of material) of the parkway shall be flush with (provides a smooth vertical transition from one side to the other side) the adjacent street curb, walks, and sidewalks.

• l. Proposed developments shall provide for the installation and maintenance of a parkway landscaping strip with a minimum width of three feet along the entire street frontage of the site between the sidewalk and the street curb, except when determined infeasible or undesirable by the Director of Public Works.

• (Ord. 19-1074 § 7, 2019; Ord. 23-26, 1/22/2024)

• a. With the exception of street trees, the adjacent property owner shall be responsible for maintaining all elements of the parkway in front of the property.

• b. Parkway plantings shall be kept in a neat manner away from adjacent paved surfaces at all times and shall not obstruct or infringe upon the areas of curbs, walks, sidewalks, or driveways. Plantings that are not neat and obstruct or infringe upon the areas of curbs, walks, sidewalks, or driveways shall be trimmed to create a neat appearance.

• c. The adjacent property owner shall maintain all plantings within the parkway in a healthy manner by providing sufficient watering consistent with the State Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance and pursuant to a method approved by the City Engineer, so as to ensure the viability and sustainability of the parkway plantings. Dead or dying plantings shall be replaced.

• d. The adjacent property owner shall maintain the proper amount of, and orderly composition of, any ground cover materials, so as to ensure compliance with this chapter's surface elevations and slope requirements. The property owner shall not allow the ground cover materials to deposit outside of the parkway limits.

• e. All irrigation systems within the parkway shall be maintained by the adjacent property owner in a functioning and sufficient manner to ensure the viability and sustainability of the parkway plantings. Irrigation systems shall be kept free of leaks.

• f. The adjacent property owner shall maintain the parkway in a manner that is free of rubbish, debris, weeds, dead foliage, animal waste, and spent flowers.

• g. Walkable plants shall not be allowed to grow taller than six inches. (Ord. 19-1074 § 7, 2019)

A violation of this chapter is subject to the administrative penalty provisions of Sections 1.08.030 through 1.08.070 of this code. Where the violation is of a continuing nature, each day

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City of West Hollywood, CA

STREETS, SIDEWALKS, PUBLIC PLACES AND

§ 11.46.070

§ 11.46.070

or portion thereof wherein the violation continues constitutes a separate and distinct violation. It is a violation of this chapter to knowingly make a false statement in any application for a license or permit or in any report required under this chapter. (Ord. 19-1074 § 7, 2019)

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City of West Hollywood, CA § 11.50.010

STREETS, SIDEWALKS, PUBLIC PLACES AND

§ 11.50.030