Farmersville — Landscaping and Screening

Last reviewed: July 2, 2026

Overview

This page explains what the Farmersville zoning ordinance (Title 17) actually requires for landscaping and screening — who must provide it, minimum dimensions, planting and fence rules, plan submittal and maintenance, and how rules differ by district. The primary regulations live in Chapter 17.76 (Landscaping) and related zone chapters (examples: R-1, C‑H, C‑C, I, I‑L, P‑QP). For related topics see the citywide Farmersville Zoning overview and the Farmersville Development Standards page.

Note: This page stays strictly within the Farmersville zoning ordinance (Title 17); building-code (Title 24) or housing-law issues are out of scope. Where the ordinance text is silent, the page calls that out and tells you to Verify with the jurisdiction.

Core rules (what the ordinance requires)

• The City’s landscaping chapter establishes purpose and baseline rules: to promote attractive streetscapes, transitions between uses, energy savings, and to screen undesirable areas (see § 17.76.010) .
• The general landscaping rules apply to most new construction, larger additions, and when previously unpaved parking is paved; they require a 4‑ft public‑right‑of‑way planter strip and 75% vegetative cover of required landscaped areas (§ 17.76.020 A–E) .
• Landscape plan submittal and approval: three sets of plans showing property lines, irrigation, plant species and sizes, grading, shade coverage and other details; plans must be approved by the planning director before a building permit and landscaping finished before final occupancy (see § 17.76.040 and § 17.76.050) .
• Required irrigation and planter sizes: all landscaped areas require an in‑ground or drip irrigation system; tree planters must be at least 4 ft x 4 ft, other planters at least 2 ft wide (§ 17.76.020 G, J) .
• Planting sizes and spacing: one tree must be planted at least every 35 ft along a public right‑of‑way; trees must be 5‑gallon minimum at planting and shrubs 1‑gallon minimum (§ 17.76.020 O–Q) .
• Parking lot landscaping/screening:
  • When parking abuts a public right‑of‑way, provide a landscape area that screens the lot to a height of 3 ft (§ 17.76.030 B.1) .
  • If parking abuts a residential zone, screen the parking with a fence or wall not less than 6 ft high, except inside the front setback where maximum height is 3 ft (§ 17.76.030 B.2) .
  • Shade‑tree requirement: trees must be distributed so that at maturity 40% of parking stalls + backing area are in shade at high noon; interior parking landscaping must be at least 6% of interior area (trees excepted) and non‑tree planting limited to 3 ft height (§ 17.76.030 B.4–5) .
• Screening of open industrial storage: open industrial storage must be screened from public rights‑of‑way and adjacent commercial/residential properties to 6 ft height; screening may be modified or waived for security with concurrence of planning director and police chief (§ 17.76.020 R) .
• Fences and walls: fences, walls and vegetative screens must conform to zone standards; up to 6 ft permitted on rear and interior sides; front‑yard fences are generally limited to 4 ft with the top 1 ft required to permit visibility; measurement rules and prohibited materials are specified (§ 17.68.050) .
• When fences/walls are used as required screening they must be 75% opaque, and if constructed of wood, masonry or metal, plantings must be placed every 10 ft along the barrier (§ 17.76.020 K–L) .
• Maintenance and enforcement: all required landscaping must be maintained in a healthy attractive condition; the occupant is responsible for maintenance, and replacement of dead/dying material must conform to the original approved plan (§ 17.76.060) .

District-by-district breakdown

Below are the zoning districts in Farmersville where landscaping/screening rules are commonly applied. Each subsection summarizes the district purpose, typical uses (per the ordinance tables), key dimensional and landscaping rules that affect screening, and where the district typically applies.

R-1 (Single‑Family Residential) — R-1

• Purpose & typical uses: low‑density housing; uses are listed in the residential land use table (see § 17.24.010–020) § 17.24.010, § 17.24.020 .
• Key dimensional standards: front/side/rear yard standards and height limits are in the R‑1 article; front yard setbacks and visibility triangles apply; front‑yard fence limits (4 ft) and visibility requirements are enforced via § 17.68.050 and § references in R‑1 § 17.24.030 (see ordinance) § 17.24.030, § 17.68.050 .
• Landscaping & screening that matters in R‑1:
  • Front yard landscaping must often extend to the curb/gutter when triggered by development (§ 17.60.060 A is citywide performance standard that also applies to some residential frontages) § 17.60.060 A .
  • Front yard fences limited to 4 ft; corner‑lot sight triangles per § 17.76.030 apply § 17.76.030, § 17.68.050 .

C-C (Central Commercial) — C‑C

• Purpose & uses: downtown retail/office uses per Table in Chapter 17.56 and central commercial chapter § 17.42.010–020 .
• Key dimensional standards: small lot sizes (minimums), building‑front orientation to sidewalks; on‑site parking is typically to rear/side (§ 17.42.050 C) § 17.42.050 .
• Landscaping & screening:
  • Where surface parking exists it must be screened and provide landscaping consistent with Chapter 17.76; solid fencing and six‑foot screening is required where commercial uses are not entirely enclosed (see performance standards) § 17.42.050 D–F, § 17.76.020 .

C-H (Highway Commercial) — C‑H

• Purpose & uses: highway‑oriented services (restaurants, gas stations, lodging); design quality and landscaping emphasized § 17.46.010–020 .
• Key dimensional standards: where a parcel abuts State Highway 198 provide a 20‑ft landscaped setback along the highway; other street frontages may require 15‑ft landscaped setbacks (§ 17.46.040 A.1–2) § 17.46.040 .
• Landscaping & screening:
  • The chapter explicitly requires high design quality including landscaping and screening; Chapter 17.76 standards (planter widths, irrigation, tree spacing) apply § 17.46.010, § 17.76.020 .

I / I‑L (Industrial and Light Industrial) — I, I‑L

• Purpose & uses: industrial manufacturing, warehousing, light industrial and related commercial uses (§ 17.60 for I, § 17.64 for I‑L) § 17.60.010, § 17.64.010 .
• Key dimensional standards: I‑zone has special height limits when near residential; performance standards require solid fencing and landscaping to screen development from adjacent residential zones and 6‑ft fencing for outdoor industrial sites (§ 17.60.060 C, G) § 17.60.060 .
• Landscaping & screening:
  • All outside storage and non‑enclosed industrial activity must be fenced and screened with 6‑ft solid wood or masonry fencing (or as required by zoning administrator) § 17.60.060 G .
  • Open storage screening rules in § 17.76.020 R also apply § 17.76.020 R .

P‑QP (Public / Quasi‑Public) — P‑QP

• Purpose & uses: schools, civic facilities, public works; uses per the commercial land use table § 17.22.010–020 .
• Landscaping & screening:
  • Public properties are subject to Chapters 17.76 (landscaping) and must install 6‑ft solid fencing and landscaping to screen developments adjacent to residential zones (§ 17.22.050 B–D) § 17.22.050 .

O‑S and U‑R (Open Space and Urban Reserve) — O‑S, U‑R

• Purpose & uses: conserve open space, prepare land for future development; these zones still reference Chapters 17.76/17.60 for landscaping and performance standards when development occurs § 17.20.010, § 17.16.010, § 17.76.020 .

Quick decision‑relevant standards (table)

Practical guidance & interpretation (plain‑English synthesis)

• If you are building or expanding, assume a landscape plan is required: new construction, additions over 40% or 1,000 sq ft, or when paving a previously unpaved parking lot trigger § 17.76.020 A–C .
• Design the front yard planter strip as 4 ft minimum and plan for 75% vegetative cover; include irrigation (drip or in‑ground) on the plan — these are common sticking points at plan check (§ 17.76.020 D–J) .
• For parking lots, show interior landscaping area and shade calculations on the plan to demonstrate the 6% interior and 40% shade at maturity requirements; the city enforces these percentages during site plan review (§ 17.76.030 B.4–5) .
• If your site abuts a residential zone, plan a 6‑ft solid fence or wall and/or dense planting; remember front setback areas restrict fence height to 3‑ft (§ 17.76.030 B.2) .
• Use the Farmersville design review and parking pages early in the project because landscaping decisions affect setbacks, parking layouts and possible design‑review requirements (see § 17.76 and zone performance standards) § 17.76.020, § 17.42.050 .
• Fences used for required screening must be 75% opaque; if you specify a masonry or metal wall you still must show plantings every 10 ft along the barrier (§ 17.76.020 K–L) .

(If you need tactical help on species selection that meets the WUCOLS / water‑use rules or the local street tree palette, Verify with the planning department — species lists are not included in the ordinance text.)

Checklist

• Submit three sets of landscape plans showing property lines, irrigation, plant list with botanical/common names, container sizes, mature spread & height, shade and interior landscaping calcs (§ 17.76.040)
• Provide 4‑ft ROW planter strip where required and ensure 75% vegetative cover of required landscaped areas (§ 17.76.020 D–E)
• Specify tree sizes (5‑gal minimum) and spacing (1 tree per 35 ft along ROW) and 4x4 tree planters (§ 17.76.020 O–P, G)
• For parking lots: show 6% interior landscaping area and 40% shade at maturity calculations (§ 17.76.030 B.4–5)
• If abutting residential zones show 6‑ft screening (or reduced 3‑ft in front setback), and indicate fence opacity and plantings every 10 ft if using solid barrier (§ 17.76.030 B.2; § 17.76.020 K–L)
• Provide irrigation details and estimated monthly water usage on the plan (§ 17.76.040 A.4)
• Expect planning director approval prior to building permit issuance and completion of landscaping as a CO condition (§ 17.76.040–050)

Risks & Ambiguities

Plain‑English summary

If you build or significantly alter a site in Farmersville, you will almost always need an approved landscape plan: show irrigation, species and sizes, planter dimensions, parking lot interior landscaping, and any screening fences/walls (6‑ft next to residential, 3‑ft along front setbacks). The city will withhold final occupancy until required landscaping is installed unless you post security. All of these requirements are set out in Chapter 17.76 (Landscaping) and reinforced in individual zone performance standards (examples: § 17.76.020–060, § 17.76.030, § 17.68.050) .

Source References

• Chapter 17.76 — LANDSCAPING (purpose, general provisions, submittal, CO, maintenance) § 17.76.010–060
• Parking/landscaping specifics and sight‑triangle rules § 17.76.030
• Fence rules (front‑yard fences, measurement, prohibited materials) § 17.68.050
• Plan submittal, CO, and maintenance details § 17.76.040–050–060
• R‑1 Single Family Residential (purpose and permitted uses) § 17.24.010–020
• Central Commercial (C‑C) performance standards (screening requirement) § 17.42.050
• Highway Commercial (C‑H) landscaped setback requirements § 17.46.010–040
• Industrial / Performance standards (screening and 6‑ft fence) § 17.60.060
• I‑L Light Industrial district purpose and uses § 17.64.010–020
• P‑QP Public/Quasi‑Public (screening adjacent to residential) § 17.22.050
• Definition of “Landscaping” § 17.08.204 (definition)
• Use the citywide Farmersville Zoning overview and the Farmersville Development Standards page for related guidance and links to design guidelines.

If you need the ordinance PDF or a direct municipal code URL, contact the Farmersville planning department or check the city’s online municipal code; the uploaded ordinance excerpts above were used to compile this page.

Retrieved passages

• Farmersville Zoning Code (chapter may) High relevance show source text
• Farmersville Zoning Code (§ 1) High relevance show source text
• Farmersville Zoning Code (Section 17.53.073.) High relevance show source text
• Farmersville Zoning Code (Chapter 17.100.) High relevance show source text
• Farmersville Zoning Code (§ 2) High relevance show source text
• Farmersville Zoning Code (§ 5) High relevance show source text
• Farmersville Zoning Code (title shall) High relevance show source text
• Farmersville Zoning Code (§ 14) High relevance show source text

Cited sections

• Chapter **17.76 — LANDSCAPING** (purpose, general provisions, submittal, CO, maintenance) **§ 17.76.010–060** (§ 17.76.010)
• Parking/landscaping specifics and sight‑triangle rules **§ 17.76.030** (§ 17.76.030)
• Fence rules (front‑yard fences, measurement, prohibited materials) **§ 17.68.050** (§ 17.68.050)
• Plan submittal, CO, and maintenance details **§ 17.76.040–050–060** (§ 17.76.040)
• R‑1 Single Family Residential (purpose and permitted uses) **§ 17.24.010–020** (§ 17.24.010)
• Central Commercial **(C‑C)** performance standards (screening requirement) **§ 17.42.050** (§ 17.42.050)
• Highway Commercial **(C‑H)** landscaped setback requirements **§ 17.46.010–040** (§ 17.46.010)
• Industrial / Performance standards (screening and 6‑ft fence) **§ 17.60.060** (§ 17.60.060)
• I‑L Light Industrial district purpose and uses **§ 17.64.010–020** (§ 17.64.010)
• P‑QP Public/Quasi‑Public (screening adjacent to residential) **§ 17.22.050** (§ 17.22.050)
• Definition of “Landscaping” **§ 17.08.204** (definition) (§ 17.08.204)
• Use the citywide Farmersville Zoning overview and the Farmersville Development Standards page for related guidance and links to design guidelines.
• Farmersville_ZoningCode.md
• 2025 California Wildland-Urban Interface Code.md

• Official Farmersville code library