20.37.470 Waterfront district urban village – Landscaping.
A. Applicability. This section provides the landscaping requirements for all uses permitted within the waterfront district.
1. Vegetation size, species and planting standards shall be as specified in BMC 20.12.030(D) unless specified otherwise herein.
2. The provisions of this section shall apply to all new construction and to remodeling when the cost of remodeling exceeds 50 percent of the assessed valuation of the structure to the extent that there is space available for the landscaping.
3. Prior to issuance of a building permit, a scaled landscape site plan shall be submitted and approved by the planning department consistent with the provisions herein. Said plan shall specify species name, size and location.
4. Landscaping pursuant to the approved site plan shall either be installed or bonded for (in an amount no less than 150 percent of cost of material and installation) prior to issuance of a certificate of occupancy or if no certificate is required prior to final inspection approval.
5. Departures from Landscaping Requirements. The director may approve departures from the landscaping requirements pursuant to BMC 20.25.070(A).
B. Requirements.
1. Commercial Mixed-Use Areas.
a. Where open maintenance/storage yards, loading areas, internal vehicular circulation or open parking areas abut a street, trail or park, a landscape buffer a minimum of five feet deep shall be planted along the park, trail or street frontage.
2. Industrial Mixed-Use Areas.
a. Where buildings containing industrial uses abut an arterial street, trail or park, a landscape buffer having a minimum 20-foot depth shall be planted along the park, trail or street frontage.
b. Where open construction/maintenance/storage yards or loading areas abut an arterial street, trail or park, or are adjacent to land zoned commercial mixed, a landscape buffer having a minimum 10-foot depth shall be planted along the park, trail or street frontage.
c. Where open internal vehicular circulation or parking areas abut an arterial street, trail or park, a landscape buffer a minimum of five feet deep shall be planted along the park, trail or street frontage.
d. The planning and community development director may reduce or eliminate the landscape buffer in subsection (B)(2)(a) of this section if all of the following criteria can be met for the wall length within the yard being reduced:
i. At least 35 percent of the building wall area on the ground floor contains transparent windows between a height of two feet and seven feet facing the street. The 35 percent transparent window calculation only applies to the section of building within the reduced yard.
ii. When the wall length within the yard being reduced fronts a street, a customer-oriented pedestrian entry faces, and is accessible from, the street.
iii. All parking facilities are located to the side or rear of the building having a reduced yard.
iv. Unless otherwise prohibited in Table 20.37.420-A or the shoreline master program, the proposed use is retail, eating or drinking establishment, personal or business services, amusement and recreation, professional offices, the office component of an industrial use, educational facilities, or similar uses as determined by the planning and community development director.
3. Street Trees.
a. One street tree shall be provided for every 50 feet of street frontage.
b. Street trees within view corridors shall be slow growing species with narrow canopy.
4. Parking Lot Landscaping.
a. In commercial mixed-use areas, surface parking lots with 15 or more parking spaces shall provide internal landscaping at the rate of 20 square feet of landscaped area per parking stall. The landscaping shall include at least one shrub for every 20 square feet of landscaped area and one shrub per enclosed bed. One tree shall be required for every 10 open parking spaces. Vegetation ground cover shall be provided for all landscaped areas that will provide 90 percent coverage within two years. This provision may be applied at the discretion of the planning director in industrial mixed use areas when developed with a commercial use.
b. Areas between surface parking lots and adjacent property, except for ingress/egress lanes, shall be landscaped. Planting beds must be at least five feet wide. Exceptions:
i. A single five-foot-wide landscape bed may be installed between adjacent properties when parking thereon is developed in a coordinated fashion.
ii. Landscaping between surface parking lots on adjacent properties may be waived by the planning director when the parking on said properties will be shared or unbundled as specified in BMC 20.37.450(C) and (D).
c. For every 10 open parking spaces, one tree shall be installed around the perimeter of the surface parking. These trees may be grouped or spread lineally.
d. A wall or evergreen hedge designed to be maintained at a height of at least two and one-half feet and not more than three and one-half feet is required along the frontage of any street level open parking lot that fronts on an arterial street or park, or that is located in or across a right-of-way from a commercial mixed zone. Open trellis work or similar features that can be seen through may extend above the wall. Street trees with canopies above pedestrian height may be included. Planting beds must be at least five feet wide. (See Figure 20.37.470-A.)
e. Perimeter landscaping may not substitute for interior landscaping. However, interior landscaping may join perimeter landscaping as long as it extends at least four feet into the parking area from the perimeter landscape line.
f. A rain garden, bioswale or low water use alternative landscaping feature may be used to screen surface parking lots, provided the planting bed is at least five feet wide and includes shrubs or grasses which can be maintained at a height between two and one-half feet and three and one-half feet the majority of the year.
g. Interim Surface Parking. Alternative development standards may be approved by the planning director for interim surface parking lots provided stormwater is treated in accordance with city stormwater regulations and a clear timeline is established for converting the lot to an alternate use.
5. All Landscaping.
a. Landscape beds shall include trees and a mix of small, medium and large plantings for a “layered” appearance, except where landscaping standards require a hedge, or an alternative design is approved by the planning director.
b. Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED). Plant selection and maintenance shall incorporate CPTED principles to provide adequate visibility from sidewalks, trails and adjacent uses, and minimize squatting and loitering.
c. Native Vegetation. Where feasible, landscaping should include drought-tolerant or native plant species.
d. Irrigation. If permanent irrigation systems are installed, they shall utilize captured rainwater, treated wastewater or water from other non-potable source. Temporary irrigation systems may be installed for up to three years to allow new landscaping to be established.
e. Bioretention Facilities. Bioretention facilities or bioswales for stormwater treatment may be located within public rights-of-way or parks adjacent to public right-of-way in place of required street trees or landscaping. [Ord. 2019-12-040 § 20; Ord. 2013-12-090 § 10 (Exh. F)].