HomeMy WebLinkAbout92-14 Landscape Standards and Requirements, Use of Drought Tolerant Plant MaterialORDINANCE NO. 92-14
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
COSTA MESA, CALIFORNIA, REGARDING USE OF DROUGHT
TOLERANT PLANT MATERIAL AND WATER CONSERVATION
MEASURES PERTAINING TO LANDSCAPE STANDARDS AND
REQUIREMENTS.
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COSTA MESA DOES HEREBY ORDAIN AS
FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The City Council of the City of Costa Mesa
finds and declares as follows:
Costa Mesa is located in southern California, a semi -arid
region; and
Water conservation is a viable means of responding to water
depletion affecting southern California, including use of drought
tolerant vegetation to reduce the dependency on the water supply
and provide effective drought planning; and
The,City's current landscape and irrigation standards do not
address drought tolerant vegetation, drought -related measures and
green waste -to -mulch programs; and
Drought. tolerant plant -material is acclimated to semi -arid
environments, thereby reducing water demands; and
Use of drought tolerant ground covers and mulch or composted
material in landscape -planters further minimize water needs, weeds
and erosion; -and
Providing areas for mulch or compost also reduces the amount
of green waste that would otherwise be landfilled; and
The State Legislature has created the Water Conservation in
Landscaping Act which requires local agencies to adopt a water
efficient landscape ordinance by January 1, 1993, or comply with
and enforce the "model water efficient landscape ordinance"
prepared by the State Department of Water Resources;
ACCORDINGLY, the City Council of the City of Costa Mesa hereby
amends Title 13 of the Costa Mesa Municipal Code as hereinafter set
forth:
Section 2. Section 13-263 of the Costa Mesa Municipal Code
is hereby amended as follows:
Sec'. 13-263. Intent.
It is the intent of this article to offer as much
latitude as possible when designing required landscaping
and irrigation. Water conservation measures shall be
addressed through the landscape and irrigation design.
Sustainable landscapes are encouraged through actions
that conserve, recycle and reuse the resources which are
invested in landscapes. Applicants are encouraged to
take full advantage of the wide range of drought tolerant
landscape materials and low water flow irrigation systems
available within the framework established by these
guidelines.
Section 3: Section 13-263.1 of the Costa Mesa Municipal
Code is hereby added as follows:
Sec. 13-263.1 Definitions
.(a) Drought Tolerant Plant Material
Those plants .that tolerate heavy clay to sandy
soils with use of limited supplemental water. Said
plants are able to thrive with deep, infrequent
watering once their rootsystems are established
(3-12 month average time period). Plants include
those that naturally grow in areas of limited
natural water supply (native and non-native plant
species) and are adaptable to weather and soil
conditions prevalent in Costa Mesa.
(b) Low Water Flow Irrigation:
A system of watering plant material using
drip/trickle, reduced water emitting devices, low
precipitation heads, soaker lines, or other similar
mechanisms, which restricts the amount of water in
:gallons per minute to allow for deep percolation
into the soil. The low water flow irrigation
system, combined with watering practices outlined
in this article, will reduce water loss through
evaporation, wind drift, and overwatering.
(c) Compost:
Biologically decomposed organic material which
includes grass clippings, leaves and other garden
debris and which may also contain vegetable and
fruit refuse.
(d) Mulch:
Shredded or chipped wood from tree branches and
trunks and from uncontaminated wood products or
lumber; this material is often mixed with leaves
and grass clippings for optimal effect.
Section 4: Subsection (1) of Section 13-264 of the Costa
Mesa Municipal Code is hereby amended as follows:
(1) Landscape and irrigation plans shall be required (except
in the R1 District) for all projects -requiring approval by the
development services director, planning commission, or city
council, or for all city -initiated projects. Such plans shall be
submitted for approval to the development services director. Said
plans shall be prepared in accordance with requirements and
standards established by the development services director pursuant
to this article and maintained in the planning division. All
unpaved areas shall be planted with an effective combination of
trees, groundcover, lawn, shrubbery and/or approved dry landscape
materials.
Section 5: Subsection (7) is hereby added to Section 13-
264 of the Costa Mesa Municipal Code as follows:
(7) Landscaping which is a part of a registered
historical site, -park, or golf course facility, as well as
landscaping and systems for cemeteries may be exempted
from the provisions of this Article, when deemed necessary and
appropriate by the Development Services Director.
Section 6: Subsection (2) of Section 13-265 of the Costa
Mesa Municipal Code is hereby amended as.follows:
(2) Irrigation system shall consist of underground piped
water lines with low water flow sprinklers and/or a drip or trickle
irrigation system. The system chosen shall be designed to provide
adequate coverage to all plant material., existing and proposed.
Water meter and line sizes shall be calculated from total water
demand; which should be, at least, the sum of the maximum
irrigation demand and all building demand. Due to the varying
irrigation requirements, separate control valves and/or
sprinkler/emitter -heads shall be used when shrubs and turf are
proposed on the same landscape plan. The irrigation system shall
be designed so that overspray and runoff onto streets, sidewalks,
structures, windows, walls, and fences are minimized. Landscaped
areas should be watered between 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. to provide
maximum benefit to the plant material and to reduce unnecessary
water loss through drift and evaporation.
Section 7: Subsection (3) is hereby added to Section 13-
265 of the Costa Mesa Municipal Code as follows:
(3 ) Irrigation systems for projects one (1) acre or more
in area shall use reclaimed water whenever such water is available
to the site. Such systems shall be subject to appropriate health
standards. Recirculating water shall be used for any decorative
water'features.
Section 8: Subsection (1) of Section 13-266 of the Costa
Mesa Municipal Code is hereby amended as follows:
(1) All required landscaped areas, including landscaped
areas within parking lots, shall consist of drought tolerant plant
material and shall meet the following minimum requirements:
Section 9: Paragraph (c) of Subsection (1) of Section 13-
266 of the Costa Mesa Municipal Code is hereby amended as follows:
(c) At least fifty (50) percent of all landscaped areas
containing trees and shrubs shall be underplanted
with groundcover, with the remaining areas to
incorporate a minimum two inch (211) layer of
compost or mulch. Groundcover shall be approved by
the Planning Division.
Section 10: Paragraph (d) is hereby added to Subsection (2)
of Section 13-266 of the Costa Mesa Municipal Code as follows:
(d) Turf incorporated into the landscape design shall
not constitute more than twenty-five (25) percent
of the total landscaping area. The Planning
Division may, however, approve a landscape plan
incorporating up to fifty (50) percent turf area,
providing the turf area serves a usable and
beneficial purpose, such as active recreation.
Said turf shall be of a drought tolerant variety.
Section 11: Subsection (6) of Section 13-266 of the Costa
Mesa Municipal Code is hereby amended as follows:
(6) Each landscape plan shall address the functional
aspects of landscaping such as grading, drainage, minimal runoff,
erosion prevention, wind barriers, provisions for shade and
reduction of glare. Each landscape plan, shall demonstrate a
concern for solar access, including exposure and shading of window
areas.
Section 12: Subsection (7) of Section 13-266 of the Costa
Mesa Municipal Code is hereby amended as follows:
(7) The plant material selected shall be suitable for
the given soil and climate conditions. Plant selection shall take
into consideration water conservation through appropriate use and
groupings of plants that are well adapted to particular sites and
to particular watering needs, climatic, geological or topographical
conditions.
Section 13: Subsection (9) of Section 13-266 of the Costa
Mesa Municipal Code is hereby amended as follows:
(9) Materials such as crushed rock, redwood chips,
pebbles and stone are not satisfactory substitutes for live plant
materials although their limited use may be approved by the
Development Services Director. Mulch or compost may be used to
fulfill part of the groundcover requirement as noted in section 13-
266(1)(c) of this Article. Artificial plants are not acceptable.
Section 14: Subsection (10) of Section 13-266 of the Costa
Mesa Municipal Code is hereby amended as follows:
(10) Landscaping shall be maintained in an orderly and
healthy condition. This shall include proper pruning, mowing of
lawns, weeding removal of litter, fertilizing, replacement of
plants when necessary and application of -appropriate quantities of
water to all landscaped areas. In addition, landscape maintenance
practices which foster long-term landscape water conservation shall
be employed. Said practices may include, but not be limited to,
performing routine irrigation system repair and adjustments,
scheduling irrigation based on CIMIS (California Irrigation
Management Information System), use of moisture -sensing or rain
shut-off devices, conducting water audits and prescribing the
amount of water applied per landscaped acre.
Section 15: Subsection (15) is hereby added to Section 13-
266 of the Costa Mesa Municipal Code as follows:
(15) Compost and/or mulch
maintain a consistent
and provide complete
Section 16:
used as a groundcover shall
two inch (211) minimum layer
coverage under shrubs.
This Ordinance shall take effect and be in full force thirty
(30) days from and after the passage thereof, and prior to the
expiration of fifteen (15 ) days from its passage shall be published
once in the ORANGE COAST DAILY PILOT, a newspaper of general
circulation, printed and published in the City of Costa Mesa or, in
the alternative, the City Clerk may cause to be published a summary
of this Ordinance -and a certified copy of the text of this
Ordinance shall be posted in the office of the City Clerk five (5)
days prior to the date of adoption of this Ordinance, and within
fifteen (15) days after adoption, the City Clerk,shall cause to be
published the aforementioned.summary and shall post in the office
of the. -City Clerk a certified copy of this Ordinance together with
the names of the -members of the City Council voting for and against
the same.
CCP3(DTOL)
PASSED -AND ADOPTED this day of , 1992.
ATTEST:
City Clerk of the City of
Costa Mesa
A4V ��J
Mayolo
of the City of Costa Mesa
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
iy
City Attorney
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF ORANGE ) ss
CITY OF COSTA MESA )
I, EILEEN P. PHINNEY, City Clerk and ex -officio Clerk of the
City Council of the City of Costa Mesa, hereby certify that the
above and foregoing Ordinance No. X11 -/L% was introduced and
considered section by section at a egular meeting of said City
Council held on the _� day of 1992, and
thereafter passed and adopted as a holat regula meeting of
said City Council held on the 3jKt day of 1992,
by the following roll call vote:
AYES: COUNCIL MEMBERS
NOES: COUNCIL MEMBERS
ABSENT: COUNCIL MEMBERS:
IN WITNESS WHEREOF,
the Seal of the City
1992.
I have hereunto set my hand,ad affixed
of Costa Mesa this day of
Ci y Clerk and ex -officio Cl k
of the City. Council of the ' ty
of Costa Mesa