19.09.08 Landscaping in Parking Areas

In addition to the planting standards in Chapter 19.06, the following requirements shall apply to all landscaping of off-street parking areas: 1. Parking Areas Adjacent to Public Streets. All parking areas (not including a driveway for an individual dwelling) for non-residential or multi-family residential uses that are adjacent to public streets shall have landscaped strips of not less than ten feet in width placed between the sidewalk and the parking areas, containing a berm, hedge, or screen wall with a minimum height of three feet to minimize intrusion of lighting from headlights and other lighting on surrounding property. Trees, both deciduous and evergreen, shall be placed in the strip with spacing of no more than thirty feet between trees except in the clear sight triangle, and except where located beneath powerlines. The standards of section 19.06.06, Planting Standards and Design Requirements, shall apply for the minimum size of vegetation. Within regional parks this requirement may be met through the use of intermittent planter beds rather than a berm, hedge, or screen wall; trees or shrubs may be clustered in the planter beds where necessary to shield light spillage. 2. Curbs. All landscaped areas abutting any paved surface shall be curbed (not including a driveway for an individual dwelling). Boundary landscaping around the perimeter of the parking areas shall be separated by a concrete curb six inches higher than the parking surface. 3. Clear Sight. See 19.06.11, Clear Sight Triangles. 4. Components of Landscaped Areas. All landscaped parking areas shall consist of trees, shrubs, and groundcover. Areas not occupied by structures, hard surfaces, vehicular driveways, or pedestrian walkways shall be landscaped and maintained. All landscaped areas shall have an irrigation system. 5. Required Parking Islands. a. Islands on Doubled Rows of Parking. On doubled rows of parking stalls, there shall be one 36-foot by 9-foot landscaped island on each end of the parking rows, plus one 36-foot by 9-foot landscaped island to be placed at a minimum of every twenty parking stalls. Each island on doubled parking rows shall include a minimum of two trees per planter. See 19.06.06, Planting Standards and Design Requirements, for the minimum size of vegetation. b. Islands on Single Rows of Parking. On single rows of parking or where parking abuts a sidewalk, there shall be one 18-foot by 9-foot landscaped island a minimum of every ten stalls. Islands on a single parking row shall have a minimum of one tree per island. See 19.06.06, Planting Standards and Design Requirements, for the minimum size of vegetation. i. Exception: landscaped islands are not required in single rows of parking that abut or are no farther than 6 feet from a landscaped area containing an equal or greater number of trees as would have been provided in islands, in addition to trees required for the landscaped area. Such trees shall be located within 9 feet of the edge of parking area, and shall have a canopy width that, at maturity, will extend into the parking area. c. Landscaped islands at the ends of parking rows shall be placed and shaped in such a manner as to help direct traffic through the parking area. d. Exception: Parking lots in regional public parks are exempt from landscaped island requirements, in the areas where events will be held. The intent of the exception is to facilitate improved pedestrian and vehicular connectivity for city events with heavy foot traffic, such as carnivals and farmer’s markets. 6. Completion of Landscaping. All landscaping improvements shall be completed in accordance with the approved Site Plan, subdivision plat, landscape plan, irrigation plan, or other approval and shall be bonded for in accordance with Section 19.12.05.