ZOA-11-004 WATER CONSERVINGTO
RE
luly 2l,20ll
MEMORANDUM
FROM:
Planning and Zoning Commission
Anna Borchers Canning, AICP
UDC Text Amendments for Water-conserving Landscapes
Please consider the following UDC text amendments related to specifying standards for
water-conserving landscape designs.
11-38-1: PURPOSE:
D. These regulations are intended to encouraqe pr€mote the use of native and ether water-conservino
landscaoe desions and low water use plant materials and to discourage landscaping that requires high
water use for maintenance, such as large expanses of lawn or turf.
1 1-3B-5A: STANDARDS AND INSTALLATION:
A. Approved Tree Species Plan[Material:
1. The publication titled "Tree Selection Guide For Streets And Landscapes Throughout ldaho" by the
urban forestry unit of the Boise parks and recreation department (latest edition) is hereby adopted by
this reference as the city of Meridian's list of approved and prohibited tree speciesplantmaterial. The
publication categorizes the trees by size as class l, class ll, or class lll trees.
2. ln addition to the trees identified above. Table 11-3B-1 lists approved water-conservino tree species.
TAPLE 11.38.1
APPROVED WATER.CONSERVING TREE SPECIES
Common Name Botanical Name
Deciduous
Hedqe Maple Acer campestre
Amur Maple Acer qinnala
Rocky Mountain Maple Acer glabrum
Bio Tooth lt/aple Acer qrandedentatum
Box Elder Acer nequndo
Planning Department . 33 E. Broadway Avenue, Meridian, lD 83642
Phone 208-884-5533 . Fax 208-888-6854 . www.rneridiancity.org
Page 2
Norway Maple Acer platanordes
Paciflc Sunset Maple Acer truncatum x platanoides
Serviceberry Amelanchier alnifolia
Red Bud Cercis canadensis
Green Ash Fraxinus oennsylvanica
Honev Locust Gleditsia triacanthos
Kentucky Coffeetree *
Gvmnocladus dioicus
Sweetqum Liquidambar styracifl ua
Tulip Tree *
Liriodendron tulipeifera
Crabaople Malus spp
London Plane Tree *
Platanus x acerifolia
Chokecherry Prunus viroiniana
Hioan Cherry Prunus sub
Pear Pyrus callervana
Bur Oak *
Quercus macrocarpa
Chinese Scholar Tree
*
Saphora iaoonica
Conifer
Blue Atlas Cedar Cedrus atlantica'olauca'
Lawson's Cypress Chamaecypris lawsoniana
Alaskan Cedar Chamaecypris nootkantensis
Rocky Mountain Juniper Juniperus communis
Utah Juniper Juniperus utahensis
Colorado Spruce
*
Picea punqens
Vandenruolf Pine Pinus flexilis
Austrian Pine *
Pinus nigra
Ponderosa Pine *
Pinus ponderosa
Scotch Pine
*
Pinus silvestris
Note: *
Prohibited in parkways and/or required
parkino lot landscaping
3. The city recognizes that new plant varieties are being produced every year and will consider other
species not listed in these publicationg. Copies of the publicationg will be available at the
planning
department.
1 1-3B-5B: Table 4!!l!11
11-3B-5D: Table 2!!;]B-]
1 1 -3B-5H: STANDARDS AND INSTALLATION:
H. Mulching: Mulch shall be used in all required planting areas. Approved mulches may be organic, such
as bark or soil aid, or they may include rock products, such as "permabark" or similar
products. Use of
mulch, organic or rock, as the only ground cover in required planting areas is prohibited.
Requlr€d
@Peagravel,drainrock,roadbasegravel,andsimilarproductsshall
not be used as mulch. All mulch shall be contained by a curb or other edging material to contain the
mulch and prevent it from migrating to adjacent surfaces. lf rock mulch is used, a weed banier fabric
shall be used beneath the rock. lmpermeable plastic weed barriers are prohibited because they restrict
water and oxygen to the plants.
Page 3
11-38-5: STANDARDS AND INSTALLATION:
N. Veqetation Coveraqe: Required landscape areas shall be at least seventy percent (70%) covered with
veqetation at maturity, with mulch used under and around the plants. An exception may be approved bv
the director for water-conservinq desiqns that meet both the followinq standards
1 . The desiqn incorporates a variety of water-conservinq trees as set forth in Table '1 1-38-'1, water-
conservinq plants, boulders, rocks, decorative walls
and/or permeable hardscape materials such as
O. Water-conservino Desion: To oualifo for the exceotions for water-conservinq desiqns as set forth in this
chaoter, the applicant shall demonstrate the followinq
1 . The desiqn includes water-conservinq trees as set forth in Table '1 1-3B-1
2. The desion includes olants that can thrive in climates with approximately ten (10) to twelve
(12)
inches of annual rainfall.
3. Lawn and turf areas shall not comprise more fifty percent (50%) of the lolal landscaoed areas
and shall consist of water-conservino orasses. includ ino but not limited to, buffalo qrass, blue
oamma
orass. comDact fescue. zenlawn. and/or rhyzomotuous tall fescue.
4. Herbacious and/or oerennial oround cover shall be drouqht-tolerant and able to withstand drv
conditiols once established. As a oulde, fcfel ta the recommended plants
in the City of Boise Parks
and Recreation "Water Conservation Guidelines."
1 1 -38-6: IRRIGATION STANDARDS:
B. Performance Specifications:
, perfe.manee
spe6i si and point sf
@ien+
1. Coverage: The irrigation system shall be designed to provide one hundred percent (100%)
coverage
within lawn areas with head+e+€ad head{o-head spacing or triangular spacing as appropriate or ooint-
to-ooint (drio) at each olant
or olantinq area.
2. Matched Precipitation Rates: Sprinkler heads shall have matched precipitation rates within each
control valve circuit
3. lnigation Dis+d€ts Hvdrozones: Sprinkler heads irigating lawn or other high water demand areas
shall be circuited so that they are on a separate hydrozone erdistriGts from those irrigating trees,
shrubs, or other reduced water demand areas.
4. ....
D. Nonpotable l+igatiee Water: Use of nonpotable irrigation and/or re-use water is required when
determined to be available by the city public works department as set forth in section 9-'l-28,
"Pressurized lrrigation System", of this code. Water availability during the fall and spring seasons is also
required by connecting to city potable water.rity re-use water. a well as a
secondary sourc An exceotion may be
aooroved for water-co no desions as set forth in 11-38-50. ln such s, the requirement for a
secondary source may be waived by the director. ll city potable water is used, a separate water meter
is required .
DaveB and flaostones: and
2. Reouired landscape areas shall be at least forty percent (40%) covered with veqetation at maturity.
Attn. ----
-,
by Page 1 of 1
From: Machelle Hill
Sent: Thursday, June 02,2011 1:12 PM
Subject: FW: City of Meridian Dev App - ZOA 1l-004
City of Meridian
City Clerk's Office
33 E. Broadway Avenue
Meridian, lD 83642
Planning and Zoning Commission
Development Application Transmittol
To: Citv Departments Comments due by: June 30,2011
Transmittal Date: June 2,20'11 File No.: zoA 11-004
Hearing Date: July 7,2011
Request: Public Hearing - Amend
the text of certain sections of the Unilied Development
Code (UDC) to encourage the use of water-conserving landscape designs for UDC
Text Amendment - Water Conserving i:
By: Meridian Planning Department
Location of Property or Project:
The City of Meridian is requesting comments and recommendations on the application referenced above. To
review
detailed information about the request, please click on the file number above to take you directly to the
application.
We request that you submit your comments or recommendations by date specified above. \Men responding,
please
reference the file number of the project. lf responding by email, please send comments to
clerk@merid ia ncity.orq
For additional information associated with this application please contact City Clerk's Office at number below
Thank you,
Machelle Hill
Meridian City Clerk's Office
33 E. Broadway Avenue
Meridian, lD 83642
(208) 8884433
mh ill@merid iancitv. oro
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