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CASE # <br /> <br />PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO LANDSCAPE REQUIREMENTS IN THE R-2 <br />AND R-3 MULTI-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS; <br /> By: Community Development Director Sylvia Frolik and <br /> Community Development Assistant Chris Anderson <br /> <br />Background: <br /> <br />As part of implementing the 2001 Comprehensive Plan, City Staff, the Planning <br />Commission and the City Council have been involved in implementing the new Plan by <br />reviewing and rewriting City Code Chapter 9, zoning and subdivision regulations. In <br />2002, the residential districts were amended. <br /> <br />Observations: <br /> <br />Since the adoption of the amendments to the residential districts, Staff has encountered a <br />great deal of difficulty in applying the new landscaping requirements in the multi-family <br />districts. The planting requirements are based on a certain number of trees and shrubs per <br />unit. After working with the new code, it became apparent 'that the requirements were <br />overly excessive and no site plan we received could effectively meet the planting <br />requirements. The plantings schedule is such that as the trees and shrubs matured, they <br />would inevitably choke each other out because of lack of adequate growing space. In <br />some instances, the site was not large enough to contain all the trees and shrubs required <br />by the planting schedule. <br /> <br />Staff discussed this matter with the Environmental Policy Task Force and they worked <br />with City Staff to draft a new planting formula that is based on canopy cover at maturity <br />rather than the current stem count requirement. This is an innovative approach to <br />establishing landscape requirements and will provide for a much healthier planting plan <br />and survival rate. For better survival rates, the Task Force is also recommending <br />decreasing the size of the deciduous and ornamental trees from 2.5 and 1.5 inch diameters <br />to l inch diameter; and decreasing the size of coniferous trees from a height of 6 feet to 5 <br />feet. <br /> <br />In summary, the amount of canopy cover required on a particular project site would be <br />based on the ratio of impervious area to the entire site, multiplied by the pervious area. <br /> <br />For example: <br /> <br />Total Lot Size: 20 acres (871,200 square feet) <br />Impervious Surface Area: 392,040 square feet (45% of Total Lot Size) <br />Pervious Surt'ace Area: 479,160 square feet (55% of Total Lot Size) <br /> <br />The required canopy cover square footage would be determined as follows: <br /> <br />85 <br /> <br /> <br />