SECTION 3.5400 RESIDENTIAL LANDSCAPING, STREETSCAPING, AND AMENITY STANDARDS 3.5401 RESIDENTIAL LANDSCAPE STANDARDS a) These standards shall apply to any single family detached and duplex residential zoning classification. Any area within a planned development district or overlay district containing landscaping standards shall be regulated by the standards contained in those respective ordinances. b) Permitted tree species shall be those identified in the City of Midlothian s approved tree list (see Section 4.5404) and shall not be planted in utility easements or rights of way, nor shall be placed in an area such that the mature canopy of the tree will interfere with overhead utility lines. No trees shall be planted within 10 feet of a fire hydrant or within required visibility sight triangles at street intersections. c) Native, drought resistant tree and plant materials shall be permitted. Authorized plant materials and sizes shall be those identified in Section 4.5404 along with any other additional requirements as indicated in Section 4.5400. d) All required trees shall be planted prior to any request for final building inspection and no Certificate of Occupancy shall be issued until such plant materials have been installed. 1) The Planning Director or the designated representative, may provide temporary relief from this provision in accordance with Section 4.5400. e) All plant material shall be maintained in a healthy and growing condition and must be replaced with plant material of similar variety and size if damaged, destroyed, or removed. All landscape areas shall be kept free of trash, litter, weeds, dead plants and turf, and other similar deleterious materials. f) Credits may be applied towards the residential tree planting requirements for the preservation of protected trees as defined in Section 11, Tree Preservation. g) An automatic irrigation system is required for all landscaping. The irrigation system shall be designed with zones to water plants based on best management practices for the sustainability of the landscaped area. Section 3 Page 33 of 51
1) The irrigation system shall be designed with efficient water usage as an operational goal. 2) The installed irrigation equipment shall include appropriate shut off devices, manual override and rain/freeze sensors. h) In conjunction with new construction, all lawns and landscaping shall be irrigated by an underground automatic system. 1) This system shall adhere to the manufacturers' specifications and the rules and regulations established by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) or successor agency, unless local regulations are more restrictive. 2) On large area lots, the area of irrigation may be limited to the front yard, side yard(s) and around the perimeter of the foundation or 12,000 square feet, whichever is more. SECTION 3.5402 LANDSCAPING REQUIREMENTS FOR SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL USES (ATTACHED AND DETACHED): a) The shrub and tree requirement listed in this Section shall constitute the minimum landscape requirement for both single family attached and detached residential uses. b) Front yard shrubs are required for each residential lot and shall be placed along the front, street facing portion of the house near the foundation. Individual shrubs shall be a minimum of three (3) gallon in size totaling a minimum of fifty four (54) gallons total, equaling a minimum of eighteen (18) such shrubs per residential lot. c) For lot sizes less than 9,000 square feet, the following landscaping is required for each residential lot: 1) Two (2) shade trees in the front yard with a minimum caliper of three inches measured at a height of six inches above the ground. d) For lot sizes between 9,000 to 14,000 square feet, the following landscaping is required for each 1) Three (3) shade trees (minimum 3 inch caliper measured 6 inches above the ground) in the front yard. Section 3 Page 34 of 51
2) One (1) ornamental tree (minimum 3 inch caliper measured 6 inches above the ground) to be placed at the preference of the owner, builder or developer within the residential lot. e) For lot sizes between 14,000 to 20,000 square feet, the following landscaping is required for each 1) Three (3) shade trees (minimum 3 inch caliper measured 6 inches above the ground) in the front yard. 2) Two (2) ornamental tree (minimum 3 inch caliper measured 6 inches above the ground) to be placed at the preference of the owner, builder, or developer within the residential lot. f) For lot sizes greater than 20,000 square feet, the following landscaping is required for each 1) Three (3) shade trees (minimum 3 inch caliper measured 6 inches above the ground) in the front yard. 2) Three (3) ornamental trees (minimum 3 inch caliper measured 6 inches above the ground) to be placed at the preference of the owner, builder, or developer within the residential lot. SECTION 3.5403 LANDSCAPING REQUIREMENTS FOR MULTIFAMILY USES (APARTMENTS, TRIPLEX, FOUR PLEX, TOWNHOMES, ETC.): a) A required minimum 15 foot landscape buffer easement shall be provided adjacent to all streets, and be exclusive of street rights of way or utility easements, with such buffer easement to be maintained by the property owner or a designated maintenance association or district. The following landscaping is required within the required landscape buffer easement: 1) One (1) shade tree (three inch caliper minimum) or one (1) ornamental tree shall be planted every 500 square feet of landscape buffer. The number of required trees shall be calculated solely on the area within the perimeter of the required landscape buffer easement. 2) Credits may be applied towards the residential tree planting requirements and within the landscape buffer easement for the preservation of protected trees as defined in Section 4.5408. Section 3 Page 35 of 51
3) At the time of site plan review, the width of the required landscape buffer easement may be reduced to provide for the location of public improvements subject to approval of the City Council following receipt of recommendation from the Planning and Zoning Commission. b) Where parking lots and drives are located adjacent to the required landscape buffer, ten (10) evergreen shrubs (each five gallon minimum size) shall be planted per five hundred (500) square feet of landscape buffer. The number of required shrubs shall be calculated solely on the area of the required landscape edge. 1) A berm may be placed within the landscape edge in lieu of the required shrubs except in situations where said shrubs will be required for a headlight screen. 2) The berm shall be 18 to 40 inches above the average grade of the street or parking lot curb, and the slope of said berm shall not exceed a three to one slope. 3) Proposed berm design shall be reviewed by the Director of Planning or designee. c) Parking area landscaping: 1) Twenty square feet of landscaping shall be required for each parking space provided. 2) One (1) shade tree (three inch caliper minimum) shall be required for every ten (10) parking spaces provided. i) Ornamental trees may be substituted for shade trees at a ratio of two to one with approval of the Director of Planning or designee. ii) Ornamental trees shall be 8 feet 10 feet in height if single trunked, or an accumulative total of three inch caliper and 8 feet 10 feet in height if multitrunked. d) One (1) shade tree (three inch caliper minimum) for every 1,000 square feet of required open space shall be provided and be located within the open space. e) All landscaped areas shall be protected by a raised six inch concrete curb. Pavement shall not be placed closer than five feet from the trunk of a required tree. 1) In cases where a tree must be planted within five feet of a curb or pavement, an approved root barrier device shall be used. 2) The root barrier must be of a rigid material system and no chemicals or flexible mesh shall be used. f) The landscape design is encouraged to include a variety of ornamental trees and flowers in addition to the required plantings. Any permeable surface not occupied by trees, shrubs, planting beds, and areas around signs or other permitted fixtures, shall be planted with turf or other living groundcover. Gravel, bark mulch, or other similar materials are not acceptable as a primary groundcover material. g) No site developed prior to the effective date of this section (March 10, 2015) shall be required to conform to the landscaping requirements of this section unless the site is redeveloped in a manner that reflects a thirty percent (30%) or more increase in the existing square footage of the building area, and/or the surface area involved in the reconstruction of an existing parking lot. Section 3 Page 36 of 51
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