Staff ReportItem #4C: UDC Text Amendment -Water Conserving Landscapes (ZOA-11.004)
Application(s):
- Amendment to the text of certain sections of the UDC to encourage the use of water-conserving landscape
designs.
Summary of Request: The Planning Department is proposing changes to the UDC to offer incentives for inclusion of
water conserving landscape designs. A list of approved water-conserving tree species is included as a reference in
addition to the tree species identified in the publication entitled "Tree Selection Guide for Streets and Landscapes
Throughout Idaho" by the Urban Forestry unit of the Boise Parks & Recreation Department.
The UDC requires landscaped areas to be at least 70% covered with vegetation at maturity. The proposed
amendment allows an exception to be approved by the Director for water conserving designs that meet certain
standards.
The amendment also allows for re-use water to be used for irrigation when available.
The UDC requires a secondary source of water to be provided for irrigation. The amendment allows for an exception
to this standard to be approved for water-conserving designs that demonstrate certain criteria and allows for a waiver
by the Director for a secondary source of water to be provided.
This change is supported by a goal of the Comprehensive Plan that states, "Reduce reliance on City water (potable)
for irrigation through use of recycled water, public education and adoption of water conserving landscape guidelines."
Written Testimony: None
Staff Recommendation: Approval per the staff report
Notes:
STAFF REPORT
E IDIAN--~-
HEARING DATE: July 21, 2011
TO: Planning & Zoning Commission
FROM: Sonya Watters, Associate City Planner
208-884-5533
SUBJECT: ZOA-11-004 Unified Development Code Text Amendment -Water Conserving
Landscapes
I. SUMMARY DESCRIPTION OF APPLICANT'S REQUEST
The City of Meridian Planning Department has applied for a Zoning Ordinance Amendment (ZOA)
to amend the text of certain sections of the Unified Development Code (UDC) to encourage the use of
water-conserving landscape designs. Please see Section VII below for a complete list of the proposed
UDC amendments.
II. SUMMARY RECOMMENDATION
Staff is recommends approval of the proposed text amendments to the UDC based on the analysis
provided below and the Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law listed in Exhibit B.
III. PROPOSED MOTION
Approval
After considering all staff, applicant and public testimony, I move to recommend approval to the City
Council of File Number ZOA-11-004 as presented in the staff report for the hearing date of July 21,
2011 with the following modifications: (add any proposed modifications.)
Denial
After considering all staff, applicant and public testimony, I move to recommend denial to the City
Council of File Number ZOA-11-004 as presented during the hearing on July 21, 2011 for the
following reasons: (You should state specific reasons for denial.)
Continuance
After considering all staff, applicant and public testimony, I move to continue File Number ZOA-11-
004, to (insert specific hearing date), and direct staff to make the following changes: (insert comments
here.)
IV. APPLICATION FACTS
A. Site Address/Location: NA
B. Applicant:
Planning Department
City of Meridian
33 E. Broadway Avenue
Meridian, Idaho 83642
C. Applicant's Statement/Justification: Since its implementation on September 15, 2005, Staff has
requested several other amendments to the UDC. Staff continuously tracks the UDC in order to
identify issues that hinder the ability to efficiently and effectively administer the code. See
applicant's narrative for more information.
V. PROCESS FACTS
A. The subject application is for a Unified Development Code amendment as determined by City
Ordinance. By reason of the provisions of the Meridian City Code Title I 1 Chapter 5, a public
hearing is required before the Planning & Zoning Commission and City Council on this matter.
B. Newspaper notifications published on: June 27, and July 11, 2011
C. A public service announcement was broadcast faxed on June 23, 2011 regarding this application.
VI. COMPREHENSIVE PLAN POLICIES AND GOALS
The City's Comprehensive Plan is a vision and policy document for guiding development and the
transportation needs in the City of Meridian. Staff finds that the subject Unified Development Code
Amendment complies with and furthers the goals and objectives of the 2002 Comprehensive Plan.
The specific objectives and actions that support the proposed amendment are listed below:
• "Amend the Unified Development Code and Future Land Use Map to implement this plan."
• "Reduce reliance on City water (potable) for irrigation through use of recycled water, public
education and adoption of water conserving landscape guidelines." (Chapter 5)
The subject application proposes to adopt water conserving la~~dscape guidelines and incentives
in accord with the objectives of the Corrzprehensive Plan.
VII. UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE
The applicant has identified specific sections of the UDC that should be amended for the code to
function efficiently and to more appropriately meet the needs of our customers and the City. This
application includes changes to only one section of the UDC as follows:
Chapter 3, Article B: LANDSCAPING REQUIREMENTS
The proposed changes are noted below in strike-out/underline format. The column marked "Reason
for Change" indicates the intended purpose of the text amendment.
Text Reason for Change
11-36-1 PURPOSE:
D. These regulations are intended to encourage pre+~ete the use of na#+ve-anrf
ether water-conserving landscape designs 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.
The proposed changes offer
incentives for inclusion of
water conserving landscape
designs at the direction of the
Comprehensive Plan.
Encourages alternative
landscape designs that use
less water.
11-36-5A STANDARDS AND INSTALLATION:
A. Approved Tree Species Rlat~-Mate~+al:
1_The publication titled "Tree Selection Guide For Streets And Landscapes
Throughout Idaho" 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 speciespla~t
reateFial. The publication categorizes the trees by size as class I, class II, or
class III trees.
2. In addition to the trees identified above, Table 11-3B-1 lists approved
water-conserving tree species.
TABLE 11-3B-1
APPROVED WATER-CONSERVING TREE SPECIES
Common Name Botanical Name
Deciduous
Hedge Maple Acer campestre
Amur Maple Acer , iq nnala
Rocky Mountain Maple Acer glabrum
Big Tooth Maple Acer grandedentatum
Box Elder Acer nequndo
Norway Maple Acer platanoides
Pacific Sunset Maple Acer truncatum x platanoides
Serviceberry Amelanchier alnifolia
Red Bud Cercis canadensis
Green Ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica
Honey Locust Gleditsia triacanthos
Kentuck Coffeetree * G mnocladus dioicus
Sweetgum Liguidambar styraciflua
Tulip Tree * Liriodendron tulipeifera
Crabapple Malus spp
London Plane Tree * Platanus x acerifolia
Chokecherry Prunus virginiana
Higan Cherry Prunus sub
Pear Virus calleryana
Bur Oak * Quercus macrocarpa
Chinese Scholar Tree * Saphora japonica
Section Text Reason for Change
Conifer
Blue Atlas Cedar Cedrus atlantica `glauca'
Lawson's Cypress Chamaecypris lawsoniana
Alaskan Cedar Chamaecypris nootkantensis
Rocky Mountain Juniper Junperus communis
Utah Juniper Juniperus utahensis
Colorado Spruce * Picea pungens
Vanderwolf Pine Pinus flexilis
Austrian Pine * Pinus nigra
Ponderosa Pine * Pinus ponderosa
Scotch Pine * Pinus silvestris
Note: * Prohibited in parkways and/or required parking lot landscaping
3_The city recognizes that new plant varieties are being produced every
year and will consider other species not listed in these publications. Copies
of the publications will be available at the planning department.
Section Text Reason for Change
11-3B-56 Table X11-3B-2 Formattin clean-u
11-36-5D Table X11-3B-3 Formatting clean-up
11-3B-5 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. €tege+red Relocated text in #N below
°
' .Pea gravel, drain
rock, road base gravel, and similar products shall 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. If rock mulch is used, a weed
barrier fabric shall be used beneath the rock. Impermeable plastic weed barriers
are prohibited because they restrict water and oxygen to the plants.
N. Vegetation Coverage: Required landscape areas shall be at least seventy
percent (70%) covered with vegetation at maturity, with mulch used under
and around the plants. An exception may be approved by the director for Allows exceptions to the
water-conserving designs that meet both the following standards: standards for vegetation
1. The design incorporates a variety of water-conserving trees as set forth in coverage to be approved for
Table 11-3B-1 water-conserving plants, boulders rocks, decorative walls water conserving designs.
and/or permeable hardscape materials such as pavers and flaQStones; and
2. Required landscape areas shall be at least forty percent (40%) covered
with vegetation at maturity.
0. Water-conserving Design: To qualify for the exceptions for water-conserving
designs as set forth in this chapter, the applicant shall demonstrate the
followin
1. The design includes water-conserving trees as set forth in Table 11-3B-1.
2. The design includes plants 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 than fifty percent (50%) of
the total landscaped areas and shall consist of water-conserving grasses,
including but not limited to, buffalo grass, blue gamma grass, compact
fescue, zerilawn, and/or rhyzomotuous tall fescue.
4. Herbacious and/or perennial ground cover shall be drought-tolerant and
able to withstand dry conditions once established. As a guide, refer to the
recommended plants in the City of Boise Parks and Recreation "Water
Conservation Guidelines."
11-36-6 IRRIGATION STANDARDS:
B. Performance Specifications:
> ,
1. Coverage: The irrigation system shall be designed to provide one
hundred percent (100%) coverage within lawn areas with #~ead-to-dead
head-to-head spacing or triangular spacing as appropriate or oint-to- oint
dri at each lant or lantin area.
Section Text Reason for Change
2. Matched Precipitation Rates: Sprinkler heads shall have matched
precipitation rates within each control valve circuit
3. Irrigation nip Hydrozones: Sprinkler heads irrigating lawn or other
high water demand areas shall be circuited so that they are on a separate
hydrozone ^~r„~ from those irrigating trees, shrubs, or other reduced
water demand areas.
4. Overspray: Sprinkler heads shall be adjusted to reduce overspray onto
impervious surfaces such as streets, sidewalks, driveways, and parking
areas.
D. Nonpotable l~igatien Water: Use of nonpotable irrigation and/or re-use Allows for re-use water to be
water is required when determined to be available by the city public works used for irrigation when
department as set forth in section 9-1-28, "Pressurized Irrigation System", of available.
this code. Water availability during the fall and spring seasons is also
required by connecting to city potable water, city re-use water, and/or an on-
site ~-an-~-site-well as a secondary source, °~^°^+ ,.,h°r° Y°ricn~^°
. An exception may be approved for water-
conserving designs as set forth in 11-3B-50. In such cases, the requirement
for a secondary source may be waived by the director. If city potable water
is used, a separate water meter is required
VIII. EXHIBIT
A. Required Findings from the Unified Development Code
Exhibit A -Required Findings from Unified Development Code
1. Unified Development Code Text Amendments:
Upon recommendation from the Commission, the Council shall make a full investigation
and shall, at the public hearing, review the application. In order to grant a text amendment
to the Unified Development Code, the Council shall make the following findings:
A. The text amendment complies with the applicable provisions of the comprehensive plan;
Staff finds that the proposed zoning ordinance amendment complies with the applicable
(limited) provisions of the Comprehensive Plan. Please see Comprehensive Plan Policies and
Goals, Section 6, of the Staff Report for more information.
B. The text amendment shall not be materially detrimental to the public health, safety, and
welfare; and
Staff finds that the proposed zoning ordinance amendment will not be detrimental to the
public health, safety or welfare.
C. The text amendment shall not result in an adverse impact upon the delivery of services
by any political subdivision providing public services within the City including, but not
limited to, school districts.
Staff finds that the proposed zoning ordinance amendment does not propose any significant
changes to how public utilities and services are provided to developments. All City
departments, public agencies and service providers that currently review applications will
continue to do so. Please refer to any written or oral testimony provided by any public service
provider(s) when making this finding.