Calimesa — Landscaping and Screening

Last reviewed: July 3, 2026

Overview

This page summarizes what the Calimesa municipal zoning code requires for landscaping, screening, buffers, fences, walls, and trees. It is drawn from the city’s zoning chapters: the Fence/Wall/Screening chapter (Chapter 18.65), the Landscape Requirements chapter (Chapter 18.70), parking/landscape integration, and the water‑conservation landscape plan rules (Chapter 18.75). Where possible each rule below cites the controlling Calimesa code § and the retrieved ordinance text. Verify parcel‑specific rules with the city before construction.

Key chapters and ordinance references

• CHAPTER 18.65 — Fence, Wall, and Screening Standards (general permitting, heights, materials) — § 18.65.010 – § 18.65.060
• CHAPTER 18.70 — Landscape Requirements (buffers, parkways, parking lot planting, street trees, plant sizes) — § 18.70.120 – § 18.70.140
• CHAPTER 18.75 — Water Conservation for Landscaping (landscape plan content and hydrozones) — § 18.75.130
• Downtown Business District standards (special fence and full‑lot landscaping requirement) — § 18.39.060 and Table 18.39.060‑2
• Retaining wall limits and related fence rules — § 18.55.110

Note: the city stores these provisions within the Calimesa Code (ecode360 mirror). The code uses “fence, wall, and screening” (Chapter 18.65) and separate landscape chapters for most technical requirements.

Important internal links (first natural mention of the topic in the text):

• See the city’s zoning and development standards for district maps and dimensional standards.
• Parking landscaping requirements are summarized under parking (see parking lot planter and percent requirements).
• Design and approval processes are coordinated with design review and with overlay districts where applicable.
• Landscape plans must follow the water rules in ADUs and larger projects should check California Building Standards Code (Title 24) and Calimesa Land Use for land‑use context.

(Those links are the first inline links to the items above; see Source References for ordinance citations.)

District-by-district breakdown (Calimesa code–specific)

Note: the code frequently sets city‑wide landscape/screening standards and then adds district‑level refinements. Below are the primary district/zone contexts explicitly referenced by the landscaping and screening chapters.

Residential Districts (general)

• Purpose / typical uses: single‑ and multi‑family housing (code lists residential districts under the zoning maps; specific permitted uses are listed in the zoning chapters — see the zoning page). Not found in retrieved materials: a comprehensive list of each residential district's permitted uses in the landscaping chapter. Verify with the zoning chapter for R‑1, R‑2, etc.
• Key landscaping & screening standards:
  • Front/side yard sight‑obscuring fences: maximum 3 ft; open/double‑rail (≥75% open) fences: 4 ft — § 18.65.020(A)(1)(a) .
  • Rear yard fences: up to 6 ft at property line; freestanding fences within building setbacks may be measured and allowed up to 12 ft in specific non‑front situations (see § language) — § 18.65.020(A)(1)(b) .
  • Clear sight triangle: visual obstructions (fences, trees, shrubs) limited to 30 inches within the intersection sight triangle described in § 18.65.020(A)(1)(d) .
  • When grade differs between lots, fence height is measured from the outside natural grade; retaining walls may be topped by permitted fences — § 18.65.020(A)(1)(e–f) .
• Where it applies: any lot governed by the residential rules; review required by the planning department for new fences/walls — § 18.65.010(A)(1–2) .

Open Space Residential (O‑S‑R), Residential Estate (R‑E), Rural Residential (R‑R)

• Purpose / typical uses: larger lot and rural/residential estate areas (see zoning for exact uses). Not all fence material restrictions of urban residential areas apply identically here.
• Key differences: chain‑link fencing is explicitly allowed even when visible from the street in these districts — § 18.65.040(A)(6)(c) .
• Where it applies: O‑S‑R, R‑E, R‑R zone districts as named in the code — see the Fence/Wall allowable materials section for the exception language.

Downtown Business District

• Purpose / typical uses: pedestrian‑oriented retail/service uses; the code imposes stricter landscape and screening integration to create an urban character.
• Key standards:
  • Fences/walls in front/setback areas are discouraged; when present they have lower permitted heights — front/side yard solid structures (max 2 ft 6 in) or openwork 4 ft per Table 18.39.060‑2 — § 18.39.060 / Table 18.39.060‑2 .
  • Landscaping: every project must landscape all portions of the lot not occupied by structures, required parking, or walkways; no vacant parcel areas may be left untreated — § 18.39.060(4) .
  • Loading, refuse, transformers and utility equipment must be screened and integrated architecturally — § 18.39.060(1)(f–g) .
• Where it applies: parcels designated Downtown Business on the zoning map and subject to the Downtown chapter rules.

Commercial and Industrial Districts

• Purpose / typical uses: commercial (retail, office) and industrial activities (manufacturing, warehousing).
• Key standards:
  • Fences and walls must be architecturally integrated; commercial/industrial projects adjacent to residential uses must install a 6‑ft decorative concrete block wall plus buffer planting per Chapter 18.70 — § 18.65.030(A)(1) .
  • Perimeter walls visible to rights‑of‑way, parking lots, or Interstate 10 must be decorative masonry with articulated planes and landscape recesses at minimum intervals (every 100 ft one 24" x 8' landscaped recession; trellises required where walls exceed 5 ft in height and 50 ft in length) — § 18.65.030(A)(2) & (a–b) .
• Where it applies: commercial and industrial zone districts city‑wide; design requirements enforced during DPR/CUP as applicable.

Code‑wide landscape and screening standards (applies across districts)

• Buffers between incompatible uses: minimum 10 ft buffer width; buffer planting must include a mix of large evergreen trees and shrubs. Trees: minimum 8 ft height at planting with expected 35 ft mature height and 30 ft spacing; shrubs: minimum 1.5 ft at planting, expected 6 ft within 5 years — § 18.70.140(A)(2–4) .
• Parking lot screening and planters:
  • Perimeter parking lot screen: three‑foot earthen berm or landscaped shrub buffer at least 5 ft wide; internal planter islands minimum 5 ft (excl. curbs) — § 18.70.130(A)(1–4) .
  • Interior parking landscaping minimums by lot size: 5–24 spaces = 6.0%, 25–49 = 8.5%, 50+ = 11.0% of total parking area to be landscaped — § 18.70.130(A)(5) .
  • Parking lot trees: 24‑inch box minimum for general trees; specimen trees for larger commercial entries may require 36‑inch box — § 18.70.130 & § 18.70.140 .
• Mounding: mounds not to exceed 3:1 slope; mounds over 30 inches must not be within 10 ft of street/alley intersections; minimum 6 ft landscaping along exterior of perimeter walls and fences — § 18.70.130 & § 18.70.140(B)(2,3) .
• Landscape plans and water conservation: all required landscape plans must show hydrozones, planting lists (botanical name/container size/spacing), irrigation, stormwater BMPs, soil amendments, and include the statement of compliance with Chapter 18.75 and the signature of a landscape professional — § 18.75.130(2–13) .
• Tree protection: no building, grading, or improvements within 10 ft of any existing tree trunk; design retaining walls and drainage to avoid root damage and excessive compaction in dripline areas — § 18.70.120(D–I) .
• Retaining walls: upslope retaining walls maximum 6 ft; downslope facing right‑of‑way max 3 ft; terraced walls and spacing rules apply — § 18.55.110(A)(1–5) .

Decision‑relevant standards table

Practical guidance and interpretation

• Treat Chapter 18.65 and 18.70 together during design review: fences, walls, and landscape buffers are integrated. Planning approval is required for virtually all new fences/walls/screens; for most new developments fence/wall details must be included in the DPR/SP/CUP submittal — § 18.65.010(A)(1–2) .
• When proposing a tall perimeter wall (greater than 6 ft) expect the city to require the wall to be set back to the required building setback or 10 ft, with the area between the property line and wall landscaped to mitigate visual impacts — § 18.65.020(A)(2)(b) .
• Parking lots and commercial frontages will be scrutinized for continuity of screening and tree spacing (street trees must be selected from the city's approved list; street tree size typically 24‑inch box) — § 18.70.130 & § 18.70.140 .
• On corner lots, landscape areas and sight‑distance requirements are strictly enforced (minimum corner landscape areas and specimen tree sizes are specified) — § 18.70.140(C) .
• Wall materials and treatments are evaluated for architectural integration; long runs of wall require trellises, recesses and planting space to avoid monotony and graffiti vulnerability — § 18.65.030(A)(2)(a–b) .

Checklist (what an applicant must satisfy)

• Include fencing/wall/screening details on the project DPR, SP or CUP as required — § 18.65.010
• For any new landscape plan, provide a full landscape plan meeting Chapter 18.75 (hydrozones, plant list with botanical names, container sizes, spacing, irrigation, BMPs, professional signature) — § 18.75.130(2–13)
• If adjacent to an incompatible use, provide a 10‑ft buffer with specified tree/shrub sizes and spacing — § 18.70.140(A)(2–4)
• Design parking lot planters and perimeter buffer to meet 5 ft minimum planter widths, planter construction, and interior parking area percent targets — § 18.70.130(A)(1,4–6)
• Ensure any front/side yard fencing complies with the 3 ft / 4 ft open limits and sight triangle rules — § 18.65.020(A)(1)(a,d)
• Check tree protection measures for existing trees (no improvements within 10 ft of trunks; drainage/compaction protections) — § 18.70.120(D–I)
• Use allowed materials and avoid prohibited materials; if decorative masonry/wrought iron are required, show materials and trellis/recess details — § 18.65.040 & § 18.65.050 & § 18.65.030

Risks & Ambiguities

Plain‑English summary

Calimesa requires both landscape buffers and carefully designed fences/walls: small, low fences in front yards; taller, masonry or decorative walls with planting on nonresidential edges; 10‑ft buffers between incompatible uses with specified tree/shrub sizes; parking lots must include perimeter and interior planting and meet minimum planted percentages; all landscape plans must meet water‑conservation documentation and be approved by planning. Key rules are in Chapters 18.65, 18.70 and 18.75 of the Calimesa Code.

Source References

• City of Calimesa, CHAPTER 18.65 — Fence, Wall, and Screening Standards: § 18.65.010 – § 18.65.060 (general provisions, location/height, design, materials, prohibited types, exemptions) — ecode360 copy (Downloaded) — § 18.65.010, § 18.65.020, § 18.65.030, § 18.65.040, § 18.65.050, § 18.65.060
• City of Calimesa, CHAPTER 18.70 — Landscape Requirements (buffers, parkway, parking lots, street trees, mounding): § 18.70.120, § 18.70.130, § 18.70.140
• CHAPTER 18.75 — Water Conservation for Landscaping (landscape plan contents and hydrozones): § 18.75.130
• Downtown Business District landscaping & fence/table rules: § 18.39.060 (Table 18.39.060‑2)
• Retaining walls & fence interaction: § 18.55.110

Retrieved passages

• Calimesa Zoning Code (§ 18.70.140) High relevance show source text
• Calimesa Zoning Code (§ 18.70.140) High relevance show source text
• Calimesa Zoning Code (§ 3) High relevance show source text
• CMC § 18.65.020 (§ 18.65.020) High relevance show source text
• Calimesa Zoning Code (section shall) High relevance show source text
• CMC § 18.39.060 (Chapter 18.65) High relevance show source text
• CMC § 18.39.060 (§ 18.39.060) High relevance show source text
• Calimesa Zoning Code (§ 18.70.120) High relevance show source text

Cited sections

• City of Calimesa, CHAPTER 18.65 — Fence, Wall, and Screening Standards: **§ 18.65.010 – § 18.65.060** (general provisions, location/height, design, materials, prohibited types, exemptions) — ecode360 copy (Downloaded) — **§ 18.65.010, § 18.65.020, § 18.65.030, § 18.65.040, § 18.65.050, § 18.65.060** (CHAPTER 18.65)
• City of Calimesa, CHAPTER 18.70 — Landscape Requirements (buffers, parkway, parking lots, street trees, mounding): **§ 18.70.120, § 18.70.130, § 18.70.140** (CHAPTER 18.70)
• CHAPTER 18.75 — Water Conservation for Landscaping (landscape plan contents and hydrozones): **§ 18.75.130** (CHAPTER 18.75)
• Downtown Business District landscaping & fence/table rules: **§ 18.39.060** (Table 18.39.060‑2) (§ 18.39.060)
• Retaining walls & fence interaction: **§ 18.55.110** (§ 18.55.110)
• Calimesa_ZoningCode.md