Calabasas — Landscaping and Screening

Last reviewed: July 1, 2026

Overview

This page summarizes what the City of Calabasas requires for landscaping and screening under the local land use code (Title 17). It covers mandatory landscape areas, irrigation and plant-material rules, parking-lot and equipment screening, fence/wall height and design limits, and special buffering between different districts. All requirements below are drawn from the Calabasas development code; check the cited sections for full legal text and verify project‑specific interpretation with the city. See the city Calabasas Zoning and Calabasas Development Standards pages for zoning maps and dimensional references.

Key rules (quick summary)

• Screening between commercial and residential parcels: a 6‑foot solid decorative masonry wall is required where a commercial zoning district abuts residential § 17.20.170 .
• General fence/wall height limits: 42 in. at front property line; up to 6 ft elsewhere (with measured transition rules) § 17.20.100 .
• Landscaping design & irrigation: plant hydrozones, smart controllers, curbing, and drought‑tolerant/native species preferred § 17.26.050 .
• District‑specific buffers (examples): CR requires 10 ft street landscape buffer with a 42‑inch berm; CB requires 15 ft landscape buffer to parking and 30 ft to buildings § 17.26.050 and related subsections .

District-by-district breakdown

Below are the Calabasas zoning districts with the most decision‑relevant landscaping and screening rules. Each district header is the code name used in Title 17; where the code delegates to a master plan or project review, that is noted.

Important: district land uses and base dimensional standards (setbacks, height, FAR, lot coverage) are located in the city's zoning chapters — consult the Calabasas Zoning and Calabasas Development Standards pages for maps and non‑landscape numeric standards.

RS (Residential Zone)

• Purpose & typical uses: single‑family residential and accessory uses; typical front‑yard/lawn contexts. See zoning chapters for permitted uses. Consult Calabasas Land Use.
• Landscaping requirements: 50% of the required front setback must be permanently landscaped; street trees are required for structures taller than 18 ft § 17.26.050 .
• Fences/walls: residential fences that meet height limits are generally exempt from land‑use permits unless in a scenic corridor; fences must follow the general height table described in § 17.20.100 .
• Where it applies: city parcels zoned RS (see the zoning map) — verify parcel zoning on the Calabasas Zoning page.

CR (Regional/Community Retail/Commercial)

• Purpose & typical uses: larger commercial retail and neighborhood commercial; see the zoning chapter for a full list of uses.
• Key landscape/screen rules: a minimum 10‑ft landscape buffer along all street frontages including a 42‑inch mounded berm (2:1 slope); 5‑ft interior screen planting when a building is not placed at the property line; property lines next to residential zones require a 10‑ft landscaped setback with trees at least every 20 ft § 17.26.050 .
• Parking and screening: use medium/large trees to shade sidewalks and parking areas; parking‑lot screening and shade targets apply (see parking rules) § 17.26.050 .

CL, CO, CMU (Neighborhood Commercial, Office, Commercial Mixed‑Use)

• Purpose & typical uses: neighborhood commercial, office, and commercial mixed use.
• Landscape/screen rules: property lines adjacent to residential zones shall have a 10‑ft landscaped setback where required by the review authority, including trees every 20 ft § 17.26.050 .
• Chain link restrictions and screening: when chain link is permitted it must be screened with vegetation where adjacent to public areas § 17.20.100 .

CB (Central Business)

• Purpose & typical uses: downtown core / higher intensity mixed use.
• Required buffers: minimum 15‑ft landscaped area from property line to parking and 30‑ft to buildings; landscaping must create a park‑like street frontage and screen parking expanses § 17.26.050 .
• Parking‑area screening: parking areas must be screened to a minimum height of 42 in. from the curb by landscaping, berms/mounding, decorative fences or walls, or combinations § 17.26.050 .
• Where to check design details: the Old Town / CT design plans may modify standards for historic or special‑area blocks; see the CT note below and Calabasas Design Review.

CT (Old Town / Town Center)

• Purpose & typical uses: Old Town/center area subject to special master plan.
• Landscaping authority: the Old Town Calabasas Master Plan and Design Guidelines determine CT landscape requirements (project‑level rules rather than blanket numeric standards) § 17.26.050.d .
• Where it applies: parcels within the CT mapped area; consult the master plan and Calabasas Overlay Districts for site‑specific rules.

HM, OS, PF, REC (Historic, Open Space, Public Facilities, Recreation)

• Purpose & typical uses: parks, open space, public facilities and special historic areas.
• Landscape approach: these zones have project‑specific landscape requirements established as part of land use permit approval (no single numeric rule; design to be approved by the review authority) § 17.26.050.C.3 .
• Wildlife & biological sensitivity: in open space and resource areas, fencing may be required to be wildlife‑friendly (see the RR/HM/OS rules below) § 17.20.100.G/H .

RR, RC (Rural Residential / Resort/Commercial)

• Chain link and screening rules: chain link fencing is allowed only in certain districts and only behind front setbacks, with dense vegetation required to screen the fence from adjacent parcels and public areas § 17.20.100.F .
• Wildlife‑friendly fencing: where parcels in RR, HM, and OS are adjacent to mapped biological corridors or sensitive habitat, perimeter fencing is generally required to be wildlife friendly; non‑wildlife‑friendly fencing is allowed for immediate development areas and safety reasons only § 17.20.100.H .

Standalone standards and guidelines (design, irrigation, trees, shading)

• Landscape plan contents and design standards (relation to architecture, preservation of native species, grouping hydrozones, parkway coordination) are required on landscape plans and enforced at plan review § 17.26.050.A .
• Irrigation: all planting areas must have an approved automatic irrigation system; irrigation controllers must be digital/smart with multi‑program capabilities and sensor inputs § 17.26.050.C / 17.26.050.C.1.c/d .
• Curbing: planting areas must be bordered by concrete curbing at least 6 in. high and 6 in. wide § 17.26.050 .
• Parking‑lot shade: landscape program should provide shading for 50% of parking area within 15 years via trees and islands § 17.26.050 .
• Screening mechanical/utility equipment, loading and service areas: must be architecturally compatible and landscaped so equipment is not visible from the right‑of‑way § 17.20.170.B–C .

Most decision‑relevant standards (table)

Checklist (what an applicant must supply / satisfy)

• Submit a complete landscape plan that meets the plan content requirements in § 17.26.030 and design criteria in § 17.26.050 (hydrozones, native/drought‑tolerant palette) .
• Show irrigation details: automatic system with smart controllers and separate hydrozone valves § 17.26.050.C .
• Demonstrate required buffers for the site’s zoning district (e.g., 10 ft CR street buffer with 42 in. berm; 15/30 ft CB buffers) § 17.26.050 .
• Provide screening details for rooftop, ground‑mounted mechanical equipment and for loading/service areas per § 17.20.170 .
• If installing fences/walls, show compliance with height and articulation rules (front‑line 42 in., transitions, landscaped recesses every 100 ft) § 17.20.100 .
• For parking lots, show planting islands, tree counts (shade tree per X stalls) and a shading schedule that achieves 50% shade within 15 years § 17.26.050 .
• If the property abuts sensitive habitat or mapped wildlife corridors, show wildlife‑friendly fencing or justify exceptions per § 17.20.100.H .
• If a project is in CT/Old Town or any overlay (-DP, scenic corridor, Calabasas Highlands), provide the required master plan/design compliance materials and obtain applicable permits; consult Calabasas Overlay Districts and Calabasas Design Review as early as possible § 17.26.050.d .

Risks & Ambiguities

Plain‑English summary

Calabasas requires meaningful landscaping and screening so new commercial and non‑residential development is buffered from homes and public streets, parking lots are shaded and softened, and equipment and storage areas are hidden — for example, a commercial lot next to housing normally needs a 6‑ft masonry wall and many commercial zones require 10‑ft street buffers or berms; all projects must submit a landscape plan and automatic irrigation details § 17.20.170; § 17.26.050; § 17.20.100 .

Source References

• § 17.20.170 — Screening between uses; screening of equipment and loading/service areas.
• § 17.20.100 — Fences, walls and hedges (height limits, design, prohibited materials, chain link rules, wildlife fencing).
• § 17.26.050 — Landscape standards: design guidelines, irrigation, plant materials, curb/irrigation detail, district‑specific landscaping (RS, CR, CB, CL/CO/CMU, CT, HM/OS/PF/REC).
• § 17.20.180 — Setback requirements and exemptions (fence/wall exemptions when ≤ 6 ft outside front setback).
• § 17.12.200 — Outdoor storage screening requirements (storage must be screened from public right‑of‑way).
• Calabasas Development Code introductory and organization material (Title 17 user guide and zoning table references).

If you need the full ordinance text for a particular subsection (for example the detailed planting counts for a commercial parking lot island layout), request the exact § and I will extract and summarize the operative language. For parcel‑specific interpretations (setbacks, scenic corridor applicability, wildlife corridor mapping) verify with the city's Community Development Department.

Retrieved passages

• Calabasas Zoning Code (§ 3) High relevance show source text
• Calabasas Zoning Code (§ 3) High relevance show source text
• Calabasas Zoning Code (§ 3) High relevance show source text
• Calabasas Zoning Code High relevance show source text
• Calabasas Zoning Code (section shall) High relevance show source text
• Calabasas Zoning Code (section shall) High relevance show source text
• Calabasas Zoning Code High relevance show source text
• Calabasas Zoning Code (Section 17.20.100.) High relevance show source text

Cited sections

• **§ 17.20.170** — Screening between uses; screening of equipment and loading/service areas. (§ 17.20.170)
• **§ 17.20.100** — Fences, walls and hedges (height limits, design, prohibited materials, chain link rules, wildlife fencing). (§ 17.20.100)
• **§ 17.26.050** — Landscape standards: design guidelines, irrigation, plant materials, curb/irrigation detail, district‑specific landscaping (RS, CR, CB, CL/CO/CMU, CT, HM/OS/PF/REC). (§ 17.26.050)
• **§ 17.20.180** — Setback requirements and exemptions (fence/wall exemptions when ≤ **6 ft** outside front setback). (§ 17.20.180)
• **§ 17.12.200** — Outdoor storage screening requirements (storage must be screened from public right‑of‑way). (§ 17.12.200)
• Calabasas Development Code introductory and organization material (Title 17 user guide and zoning table references). (Title 17)
• Calabasas_ZoningCode.md

• Official Calabasas code library