5.6.C Landscaping and Buffering | Sedona Land Development Code

C. Landscaping and Buffering

1. Any part of a site not used for buildings, parking, driveways, walkways, utilities, or approved storage areas shall be retained in a natural state, reclaimed to its natural state, or landscaped pursuant to the standards in this Section 5.6.

2. Required landscaped areas shall be planted at a minimum rate of one tree and three shrubs per 400 square feet.

A minimum of 50 percent of the plants on a development site shall be native species identified in the Administrative Manual.

i. A minimum of 75 percent of the plants on a development site shall be native species appropriate to the riparian or upland vegetation setting.

ii. Orchard trees may be substituted for up to 100 percent of the landscaping requirements; for example, an orchard tree may be substituted for any required tree or shrub.

Adaptive plant species identified in the Administrative Manual shall be used for the balance of plants on a development site that are not native species required in Section 5.6.C(1)b.1.

The Director may approve the use of plant species that are not identified in the Administrative Manual after the applicant demonstrates such plant species have low water usage, are drought tolerant, and freeze resistant. These plant species shall not be substituted for the required native plant species required in Section 5.6.C(1)b.1.

Artificial trees, shrubs, or plants (not including artificial turf) are prohibited.

Loose ground covers shall be contained by a curb, depressed construction, or other suitable alternative to contain the materials within the landscape area.

Vegetation shown on the landscape plan shall meet the following standards:

1. For development sites 5,000 square feet or larger, a minimum of five different plant species shall be used in the overall development site landscape plan; and

2. No one plant species shall comprise more than 50 percent of the quantity of required landscape materials.

All vegetation installed to satisfy the requirements of this section shall meet the following minimum size requirements at the time of planting:

Table 5.4 Minimum Plant Specifications
Plant Type	Minimum size
Evergreen trees	8 feet tall
Deciduous trees	2-inch caliper
Shrubs	2 feet tall

Landscaping shall meet all required standards in Section 5.4.F, Visibility Triangles.

All landscaped areas shall be protected from vehicular encroachment by curbs, wheel stops, or other barriers located two feet outside the landscaped area, with openings to accommodate surface collection of storm water runoff.

Where development is coordinated on two or more abutting sites, or where multiple parking areas are located on a single lot, or on planned development areas controlled by site plans, landscaping requirements shall be based on the entire development site, unless otherwise approved by the decision-making body.

1. If existing native and/or adaptive species of vegetation identified in the Administrative Manual meet the location requirements and intent of landscaping, buffering, or screening required in this Section 5.6, the preservation of that existing vegetation may be credited toward the landscaping, buffering, or screening materials required by this Section 5.6.

2. All existing vegetation preserved and used for credit against the requirements for new vegetation shall be protected during construction by a fence erected one foot beyond the drip line of the vegetation or pursuant to the standards in Section 5.6.C(5)c.

3. Preserved vegetation may be credited only one time toward any one buffer, screen, or other landscape requirement.

4. Shrubs and other vegetation that meet the minimum size requirements in Section 5.6.C(1)d shall be credited on a one-to-one basis.

5. Trees shall be credited according to the following criteria in the quantities shown in Table 5.5.

Table 5.5 Credits for Preserving Trees
Diameter at Breast Height (inches)	Number of Trees Credited
25 inches or greater	6
13 to 24.5 inches	4
8 to 12.5 inches	3
4 to 7.5 inches	2
2 to 3.5 inches	1

6. If preserved trees are removed, the applicant is responsible for providing the number of trees that were credited by the removed tree.

1. Trees and shrubs shall not be planted in utility easements unless there is no other practicable location on the lot where the landscaping would achieve its intended purpose. The Director may adjust the location of required landscaping to avoid utility easements; provided, that the total amount of landscaping and buffering required is not reduced.

2. Trees shall not be planted within 10 feet of the centerline of a sewer or water line.

3. Trees or shrubs planted within utility easements shall comply with the standards of the utility provider to minimize effects on facility’s maintenance and repair.

4. To avoid conflicts, new trees planted near Arizona Public Service (APS) overhead facilities shall be no taller than 25 feet in height at maturity.

5. All screening and vegetation surrounding ground-mounted transformers and utility pads shall provide 10 feet of clearance in front of access doors, and two feet on all other sides to ensure the safety of the work crews and public during maintenance and repair.

1. Required landscape and buffer areas shall be designed to serve as storm water management areas to the maximum extent practicable and consistent with their required locations and vegetation.

2. Areas created to meet storm water management requirements of the City or a governmental entity, and located in a required side or rear setback area buffer or in a parking lot, shall be counted toward required landscaping and buffering in those areas, provided the area includes vegetation required by this Section 5.6.

1. Lawn or turf area shall not exceed 10 percent of the overall landscape area of a project site, except within the 500-year floodplain of Oak Creek as designated by FEMA.

2. The Director may allow greater areas of lawn or turf if it can be demonstrated that the grass species and irrigation methods will not demand high water usage.

Water features used for landscaping and design amenities, except for misting devices, shall recirculate water.

Except in Single-Family Residential and Open Spaces zoning districts, a landscape area shall be established along all streets between the public right-of-way and any buildings, parking lots, loading areas, storage areas, screening walls or fences, or other improvements in association with any use. Any area within a required front and exterior side setback area that is not occupied by improvements associated with the primary use shall be landscaped.

Off-street parking areas in multifamily residential, mixed-use, and commercial development projects shall be screened from all frontages facing a public or private right-of-way, exclusive of driveways, according to the following standards:

i. A landscape buffer a minimum of five feet in width; or

ii. A landscaped earthen berm a minimum of three feet in height with a slope no greater than 3:1 (see Figure 5-4); or

landscaped berm parking screen — Figure 5-4: Landscaped Berm used for Parking Area Screening

iii. An opaque decorative wall a minimum of three feet in height with openings six to eight feet wide to allow passage of bicycles and pedestrians from the street into the parking area (see Figure 5-5); or

wall parking screen — Figure 5-5: Wall used for Parking Area Screening

iv. Any combination of the above screening treatments.

i. Prior to the installation of landscaping within the public right-of-way, an encroachment permit from the appropriate public authority owning or controlling such right-of-way shall be submitted with the landscape plan.

ii. Maintenance, including weed control, of landscaping installed within the public right-of-way shall be the responsibility of the installer/owner or lessee/contractor.

Landscaping is required to reduce the visual impacts created by parking areas in multifamily residential, mixed-use, and commercial development projects.

Off-street parking areas in mixed-use, commercial, and industrial development projects that are located adjacent to properties with single-family residential or duplex dwelling uses shall be screened according to the following standards:

i. A landscape buffer a minimum of 10 feet in width, measured inward from the property line on all sides of the property abutting the single-family or duplex dwelling use; or

ii. A solid wall or fence no less than six feet in height.

Landscaped islands shall be included to break up parking rows. The interior area of parking lots shall be landscaped according to the following standards:

A minimum of 10 percent of the site area devoted to parking shall consist of landscaped islands; provided, however, that if permeable paving is used in all parking spaces, the minimum landscaped islands percentage may be reduced to five percent.

a. Landscape islands shall be sufficient size to accommodate required landscaping. No landscaped island shall be less than five feet in length or width and a minimum of 50 square feet.

b. Landscape islands shall be provided in parking areas along the ends of parking rows, adjacent to lot lines, and used to define the location and pattern of primary internal access drives.

a. Exclusive of perimeter landscaping and street trees, landscape islands shall each contain a minimum of one tree and three shrubs per 400 square feet.

b. A minimum of 75 percent of the required parking area trees shall be deciduous canopy-type shade trees.

Properties that meet the following criteria shall be exempt from the landscape island requirements in Section 5.6.C(2)b.2:

a. The parking lot is located in a rear setback area and contains 20 or fewer spaces, and is located behind or otherwise screened by a building from view from the public right-of-way; or

b. Reserved.

To mitigate the impacts of significant differences in property use, size, or scale, landscaped buffers shall be provided along rear and side lot lines on multifamily or nonresidential properties where such uses abut:

1. A single-family residential zoning district; or

2. A property containing a single-family residential dwelling or duplex dwelling.

1. Rear and side lot buffers are not required between properties that are separated by a street or drainageway.

2. Areas with sidewalks, walkways, multi-use paths, vehicle access, or other improvements allowing access from one property to another are exempt from buffering requirements.

3. Rear and side lot buffers are not required along any portion of the lot line covered by an access easement (e.g., vehicular connections, pedestrian walkways, etc.). In these cases, an equivalent amount of landscaping shall be installed on remaining portions of the side or rear lot lines, as applicable.

Required side and rear buffers shall conform to one or a combination of the following options:

1. A landscape buffer with spacing designed to minimize sound, light, and noise impacts on adjacent properties; or

2. A solid wall or fence no less than six feet in height, with the side of the fence or wall facing the residential development being at least as finished in appearance as the side facing the nonresidential use, and with both sides complying with Code requirements; or

3. The Director may approve alternative screening methods if the intent of this section is met.

Parking of automobiles, trucks, trailers, boats, recreational vehicles, or other motor vehicles is not allowed on any required landscape or buffer area.

The following structures and fixtures may be included in a required landscape or buffer area, in addition to the required landscaping:

i. Street furniture (e.g., benches);

ii. Hardscape (e.g., brick pavers, scored concrete); and

iii. Structures to protect trees (e.g., tree grates and curbs).

Prior to the issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy, the applicant shall:

1. Satisfactorily pass a site inspection by a City official that verifies the development site complies with the standards in this Section 5.6; or

2. Provide surety acceptable to the City and equal to 125 percent of the total cost of landscaping improvements in accordance with a written estimate, prepared by a landscape architect or other landscape designer, based on the approved landscaping plan. A signed conditional Certificate of Occupancy agreement with the City shall accompany the surety and estimate.

All required landscaped areas shall be provided with a permanent and adequate means of underground irrigation.

It shall be the responsibility of the owner, lessee, heirs, assigns, agent, homeowners association or other liable entity of the property to permanently maintain all approved landscaping in accordance with the approved landscape plan.

1. Required maintenance shall include regular watering, pruning, mowing, fertilizing, clearing of debris and weeds, removal and replacement of dead plants and repair and replacement of irrigation systems and architectural features.

2. Any required plant materials not surviving shall be replaced with plants of the same size, variety, and quality as those removed within 30 days of their demise or in the next planting period. This requirement may be waived by the Director if the remaining landscaping on site satisfies the minimum landscaping requirements.

3. Failure to maintain approved landscaping shall constitute a violation of this LDC.

4. Maintenance of landscaping within the public right-of-way shall be included in accordance with the terms of encroachment permits authorizing such landscaping.

5. All plants shall be allowed to grow in natural patterns. Over-pruning or pruning plants into unnatural shapes is prohibited.

6. Vegetation shall be selected, placed, and maintained, so that at maturity it does not interfere with utility lines, buildings, traffic sight lines, vehicular parking, pedestrian circulation, and property rights of adjacent owners, and would not significantly damage or create upheaval of sidewalks and pavement.

1. No existing trees on any lot or parcel shall be removed and no person shall strip, excavate, grade, or otherwise remove top soil from a site without a site development plan, a tree removal plan, a grading plan, or a landscape plan.

2. The City may retain the services of a qualified arborist as deemed necessary to assist in the review process. The cost of the arborist’s review shall be paid by the applicant requesting the tree removal.

No existing trees shall be removed from any lot or parcel except those that meet one or more of the following criteria:

1. The tree is located in an area where structures or improvements will be placed and nonremoval would unreasonably restrict the economically beneficial use of the lot or parcel; or

2. The tree must be removed because it is dead, diseased, injured, in danger of damaging existing or proposed structures, or abuts or overhangs a building so as to interfere with the growth of other trees or existing utilities, create unsafe vision clearance, or conflicts with other ordinances or regulations; or

3. The tree is identified on an adopted city, county, or state list of trees that are invasive species, exotic, noxious, or discouraged tree species for the Sedona area; or

4. The tree is a potential fire hazard.

Trees not specifically authorized for removal from a property shall be protected during construction activities to prevent root damage, soil compaction, and trunk damage. The following standards shall apply:

i. All trees which are to be saved within the construction envelope shall be fenced during construction to avoid compaction of the root system, and low branches from being broken.

ii. Protective fencing and barriers shall be no smaller than one foot past the diameter of the dripline of the tree to be saved and shall be a minimum of three feet in height.

Trees within five feet of a structure’s walls or trees that overhang a driveway or patio are exempt from this requirement; provided:

i. That six or more inches of gravel is placed over that portion of the dripline to reduce compaction damage; and

ii. It can be demonstrated that construction activities would be unduly hindered by the fencing requirement.

Other recognized procedures for tree preservation may be approved by the Director.

1. If any existing trees are removed that do not meet the criteria in Section 5.6.C(5)b, Tree Removal Plan Requirements, new or transplanted trees shall be planted on the property in the same quantity as those removed and shall meet the minimum plant size requirements in Section 5.6.C(1)d.

2. This requirement may be waived by the Director if the remaining trees on site satisfy the minimum tree planting requirements.

Trees that are cut down shall be removed from the lot or parcel within two weeks, chipped on site, or cut and stored for firewood on the property in a manner that does not encourage the propagation of insects or risk of wildfire. [Res. 2019-19 Exh. A, 10-8-19].