Mountain View — Landscaping and Screening

Last reviewed: July 3, 2026

Overview

This page summarizes what the City of Mountain View's zoning ordinance (Chapter 36) requires for landscaping and screening: what must be shown on plans, minimum plant sizes and spacing, screening of equipment/storage and parking lots, fence/wall height rules, tree protection and replacement, irrigation and water‑conservation rules, and how these requirements are reviewed. For changes that trigger design or public review, see the city's design review and development standards processes. All statements below are grounded in the City ordinance and cited to the controlling code sections.

Note: when the page mentions related processes, it links to the city pages you will likely need: the city's overall zoning & planning overview, Zoning, Land Use, Parking, Overlay Districts, ADUs and the statewide California Building Standards Code.

Key standards (what the code actually says)

• Citywide landscaping article: the landscaping rules live in Article XI, § 36.34 (purpose, applicability, general standards, irrigation/plan requirements, tree removal, maintenance) .
• Landscape and conceptual irrigation plans must be submitted with development applications subject to development review (§ 36.34.05 and § 36.34.35) .
• Water‑conservation landscape regulations are incorporated by reference and govern where they conflict with other landscape rules (§ 36.34.30) .
• Required landscaping must be installed prior to final inspection (or secured by a performance bond if weather prevents planting) (§ 36.34.20) .
• Required landscaping must be maintained for the life of the project (watering, pruning, replacing dead plants, irrigation repairs) (§ 36.34.15) .
• Residential buffer between nonresidential uses and adjacent residential zoning: 10 ft landscaped setback plus 7 ft high masonry wall and trees spaced for mature size (§ 36.34.10(a)) .
• Minimum plant sizes: groundcover (flats or 1‑gal), shrubs (5‑gal), trees (15‑gal), and larger container sizes for Heritage tree replacement (§ 36.34.10(b)) .
• Spacing: flats 12" OC, 1‑gal groundcover 24" OC (triangular), shrubs 3–5 ft OC (species dependent), trees spaced so mature drip lines do not overlap (§ 36.34.10(c)) .
• Parking lot landscaping is required and governed by the parking article (see § 36.32.80.f) — parking landscaping and screening rules apply to lots and drive aisles (§ 36.32.80.f) .
• Corner sight‑triangle (traffic safety): a 35‑ft triangular visibility area on corner parcels where nothing may exceed 3 ft in height, except trees whose canopies clear 6 ft above grade (§ 36.34.10(m)) .
• Fences and walls: in many districts fences/walls in required setbacks (other than front and street side setback areas) may not exceed 7 ft high and are subject to development review; some residential rules treat fences >6 ft as subject to discretionary review (§ 36.34.10 (general), § 36.18.30(f), § 36.44.65) .
• Screening of mechanicals, storage and rooftop equipment: rooftop equipment must be screened so it is not visible from adjacent property/sidewalks; ground equipment must be enclosed/screened (generally up to 8 ft for ground enclosures) (§ 36.18.30(c)–(d)) .
• Tree protection / Heritage trees: removal of healthy trees discouraged; removal of a “Heritage tree” is subject to Chapter 32, Article II (Protection of the Urban Forest) permit/review procedures (§ 36.34.25) .

District-by-district breakdown

Below are the districts that include specific landscaping/screening or closely connected development-review rules in the retrieved ordinance material. Each subsection cites the ordinance sections that establish the standards or review.

R‑2 (Two‑family residential)

• Purpose & typical uses: standard two‑unit residential uses (see the land‑use tables referenced by the residential chapters; verification of uses is parcel‑specific — see § 36.10.05) .
• Landscaping/screening specifics: fences over 6 ft (and up to 7 ft) in residential districts require development review; the zoning administrator may require review for these fences (§ 36.10.55 and § 36.44.65) .
• Key dimensional standards that affect landscaping: residential setback and open area standards described in the R2 development rules (see the R2 section in Chapter 36 for exact setbacks; where accessory structures and fences are allowed, they must comply with § 36.12.35) .

(If you need the R‑2 permitted‑use chart or exact setback numbers for a particular parcel, verify with the land‑use table in § 36.10.05 — not fully reproduced in the retrieved snippets.)

R‑3 (Multiple‑family residential)

• Purpose & typical uses: multi‑family housing; specific density, open‑area, and setback rules in the R3 standards apply to landscaping layout and usable open space (§ 36.10.60 and the R3 development figures) .
• Landscaping/screening specifics: fence/wall guidance in the R3 figure: fences or walls may be 6 ft, not exceed 7 ft, and are subject to development review (See § 36.44.45) .
• Other requirements: R3 projects must meet open‑area, parking and landscape plan requirements and will usually require development/design review so that landscaping, screening and pedestrian areas are coordinated with circulation (§ 36.10.60; § 36.44.45) .

Commercial zones (example: CN, CS, CRA)

• Purpose & typical uses: retail, office, services per the Commercial zone tables (see Chapter 36 commercial zone divisions for allowable uses) .
• Landscaping/screening specifics: commercial development is required to screen rooftop and ground equipment, provide trash enclosures of solid masonry at least 6 ft high, and any fences/walls in setbacks (other than front/street side) normally may not exceed 7 ft (development review may allow higher for security) (§ 36.18.30 (c)–(f) and § 36.34.10) .
• Parking lot and screening: commercial parking and loading adjacent to the public right‑of‑way must be screened with berming/walls and landscaping; public parking areas abutting residential parcels must have acoustically designed 7 ft high wood or decorative masonry walls subject to zoning administrator approval (§ 36.20 / § 36.32.80 / § 36.18.30) .

Industrial / M (manufacturing) zones

• Purpose & typical uses: industrial, warehousing, office‑industrial uses (see the zone tables in Chapter 36). Industrial site development standards include minimum landscape area requirements (for some industrial zones, e.g., minimum 10% landscaped site area and 50% of front yard landscape in certain subzones) — confirm the exact subzone rule for a given parcel (§ 36.20 / industrial district tables) .
• Screening: parking and outdoor storage often must be screened from the public right‑of‑way and/or adjacent residential uses with walls and landscaping; trash enclosures and ground equipment screening rules apply (§ 36.18.30; § 36.34.10) .

Planned Community (P) districts

• Purpose & typical uses: master‑planned developments with district‑specific precise plans; landscaping expectations are higher and are controlled through the planned‑community permit and precise plan process (§ 36.22) .
• Landscaping/screening specifics: example P‑district rule requires 50% of the required front setback area to be permanently landscaped and requires street trees for second‑story additions/new dwellings — precise plan will set additional standards (§ 36.22 / P district standards excerpt) .

Quick reference table — decision‑relevant standards

Practical guidance / plain‑English interpretation

• If your project is a new building, addition, change of use, or any site modification that alters landscaping or fences you will need to submit a landscape and conceptual irrigation plan as part of your permit application; include plant species (common and Latin), sizes, quantities, spacing, irrigation notes and maintenance provisions (§ 36.34.35) .
• For commercial and multi‑family projects expect a mandatory automatic irrigation system and to meet the city's water‑conservation landscape rules (§ 36.34.10(j); § 36.34.30) .
• If your site borders residential zoning, plan for the 10‑ft planted buffer + 7‑ft masonry wall (or an equivalent condition approved by the zoning administrator) and show tree size/spacing for mature canopy (§ 36.34.10(a)) .
• Want a fence higher than 6–7 ft in a residential area? Expect discretionary development review and possibly neighborhood input; you may need agreement letters from neighbors in some cases (§ 36.44.65; § 36.10.55) .
• Heritage trees have their own protection process — removing a healthy or heritage tree requires compliance with Chapter 32 (Urban Forest protections) and related permit filings (§ 36.34.25) .

Checklist (what to include with permit application)

• Submit a complete landscape and conceptual irrigation plan showing species (common + Latin), quantity, size, location, spacing, and irrigation details (§ 36.34.35) .
• Meet the minimum plant sizes and spacing rules (trees 15‑gal, shrubs 5‑gal, flats or 1‑gal for groundcover; spacing per § 36.34.10(b)–(c)) .
• For commercial / multi‑family projects include automatic irrigation details (§ 36.34.10(j)) .
• Show buffers/screening where nonresidential abuts residential — 10 ft landscaped setback + 7 ft masonry wall or approved alternative (§ 36.34.10(a)) .
• If installing fences/walls, show heights and confirm whether development review or neighbor agreements are required (fences >6 ft in residential) (§ 36.44.65; § 36.10.55) .
• Show corner sight triangles and any planting or structures in the triangle (35‑ft triangle; nothing >3 ft; tree canopy >6 ft clearance) (§ 36.34.10(m)) .
• Demonstrate installation timing (installed before final inspection or secured by performance bond) and a maintenance plan (life of project) (§ 36.34.20; § 36.34.15) .
• For tree removal, check whether the tree is a Heritage tree and follow Chapter 32, Article II procedures (§ 36.34.25) .
• Show screening for mechanical equipment, trash enclosures and rooftop equipment per the applicable district standards (§ 36.18.30(c)–(f)) .

Risks & Ambiguities

Plain‑English summary

Mountain View requires a submitted landscape and irrigation plan for most new projects and for many site changes; the code sets minimum plant sizes and spacing, requires screening (especially where nonresidential meets residential), limits fence/wall heights in setbacks (usually to 7 ft), enforces sight‑triangle safety rules, requires irrigation for commercial/multi‑family landscaping, and protects Heritage trees — all enforced via development review when needed (§ 36.34 and related sections) .

Source References

• Mountain View Zoning Ordinance — Article XI: Landscaping (purpose, applicability, general standards) — § 36.34, including § 36.34.05, § 36.34.10, § 36.34.15, § 36.34.20, § 36.34.25, § 36.34.30, § 36.34.35.
• Development review and review thresholds — § 36.44.45, § 36.44.65 (administrative vs discretionary review; fences and site changes).
• Residential accessory uses and fence/accessory structure rules — § 36.12.35.
• R2/R3 district development rules and fence height notes — R‑zone standards and figures (e.g., R3 setbacks/open‑area and fence caps noted in the R3 figure). See R‑district sections 36.10.55 and 36.10.60 for related development‑review triggers and standards.
• Commercial zone general development and screening standards (rooftop, ground equipment, trash enclosure, fences/walls) — § 36.18.30.
• Parking lot landscaping reference — § 36.32.80(f) (parking landscaping requirements).

If you want direct links to the Mountain View menu pages mentioned earlier (zoning, parking, design review, overlays, ADUs, development standards) use the in‑page links at the top of this page for quick navigation.

Retrieved passages

• Mountain View Zoning Code (§ 1) High relevance show source text
• Mountain View Zoning Code (§ 1) High relevance show source text
• Mountain View Zoning Code (Section 36.44.45) High relevance show source text
• Mountain View Zoning Code (Chapter but) High relevance show source text
• Mountain View Zoning Code (CHAPTER 36) High relevance show source text
• Mountain View Zoning Code (Section 36.32.50) High relevance show source text
• Mountain View Zoning Code (§ 1) High relevance show source text
• Mountain View Zoning Code (Section 36.06.50) High relevance show source text

Cited sections

• Mountain View Zoning Ordinance — Article XI: Landscaping (purpose, applicability, general standards) — **§ 36.34**, including **§ 36.34.05**, **§ 36.34.10**, **§ 36.34.15**, **§ 36.34.20**, **§ 36.34.25**, **§ 36.34.30**, **§ 36.34.35**. (Article XI)
• Development review and review thresholds — **§ 36.44.45**, **§ 36.44.65** (administrative vs discretionary review; fences and site changes). (§ 36.44.45)
• Residential accessory uses and fence/accessory structure rules — **§ 36.12.35**. (§ 36.12.35)
• R2/R3 district development rules and fence height notes — R‑zone standards and figures (e.g., R3 setbacks/open‑area and fence caps noted in the R3 figure). See R‑district sections **36.10.55** and **36.10.60** for related development‑review triggers and standards.
• Commercial zone general development and screening standards (rooftop, ground equipment, trash enclosure, fences/walls) — **§ 36.18.30**. (§ 36.18.30)
• Parking lot landscaping reference — **§ 36.32.80(f)** (parking landscaping requirements). (§ 36.32.80)
• MountainView_ZoningCode.md

• Official Mountain View code library