2785u
u
kJ
ORDINANCE NO.2785
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 18.57 OF THE MOSES LAKE MUNICIPAL
CODE ENTITLED "LANDSCAPING"
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MOSES LAKE,WASHINGTON ORDAINS AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1.Chapter 18.57 oftheMoses Lake Municipal Code entitled "Landscaping"is amended as follows:
18.57.030 General Requirements:All required landscaped areas shall complywith the following:
A.Landscaping shall be vegetative and consist of combinations of trees,shrubs,and ground
cover.Non-living natural features may also be incorporated.
B.Required landscape plantings shall besuited tothe climate,location,and physical conditions
of the site. The use of drought-tolerant species is encouraged to reduce irrigation and
maintenance demands.See MLMC 18.57.055 G DroughtTolerant Landscaping
C.All landscaped areas shall be graded to prevent erosion and to facilitate the installation,
growth,and maintenance ofthelandscaping.All turf areas located in public right-of-ways shall
have a grade of no greater than 4(h):1(v).
D.Trees and shrubs shall be chosen and located to avoid interference with underground and
overhead utilitylines or public improvements.
E.Landscaping shall be designed to insure adequate visibility and safety of vehicular traffic,
bicyclists,pedestrians,andotherusers, onandoffthe proposed site.Height and/or spacing
of landscaping may be modified to accommodate sight distances.
F. Other than a fence around an individual one-or two-family dwelling, all fences shall be placed
on the inward side of any required perimeter landscaping.
G. To protectagainst the possibilityof all trees inone projectbeing destroyed by disease orpests,
a mix of tree species shall be provided in accordance with the followingtable:
Required Number
of Trees
Minimum Number
of Species
Maximum Percent of
Any One Species
11-20 2 55
21-30 3 35
31-40 4 27
41+5 22
H.Minimum Plant Sizes at Installation:See Table in MLMC 18.57.055.
I.No disturbed ground shall be left exposed.Groundcover or mulch shall cover all disturbed
areas that are not built upon or paved.
J. If approved by the City,required street frontage landscaping may be placed in City right-of-
way.This area shall be maintained by the owner of the property that abuts the right-of-way.
The City and other public services shall have the rightto remove landscaping placed on City
right-of-way for repair,replacement,or installation of utilityservices.The Citywillnot accept
liability for damages to said landscaping from future street expansion,meter reading, or utility
installation,inspection,or repair.
K. All required landscaping shall be served by irrigation systems appropriate for the plants.
ORDINANCE NO.2785
PAGE 2 October 13,2015
L.The incorporation of existing vegetation, especially healthytrees, is strongly encouraged.
Where existing trees and associated vegetation serve the same or similar function as the /""N
required landscaping,they may substitute for the required landscaping, provided trees are
healthyand appropriate forthe site at mature size.When necessary,existing vegetation shall
be supplemented with new plantings to accomplish the specific intent and purpose of this
chapter.
M.Landscape requirementscontained in thischapterare minimums.Additional landscaping is
encouraged.
N.Areas within twohundred feet (200')ofthe shorelineorassociated wetlands aresubject tothe
State ofWashington Shoreline Management Actand the Cityof Moses Lake Shoreline Master
Program.
O.In the event of a conflict between the content of thischapterand other regulations,the more
restrictive regulations shall apply.
P. Landscaping may be included within stormwater facilities,provided itdoes not impede the
functionality ofthe stormwater facility.
Q. Forinterior property line buffers, where a buffer meeting the requirements of this ordinance
has previously been installed on the adjoining property,an additional buffer is not required
along the screened property line.
R.Where buildingsare located within 20'of a propertyline,all landscaping between the building
and the property line may be counted toward the required points for the buffer.
S. Subdivision Street Trees:Streettrees shall be planted clearlyon one side of the side property
line or the other,to make clear which owner is responsible for maintaining the tree.f*^
T.Site Distance:Street trees at corners shall be set back at least thirty-five feet (35') from the
extended curb line, and must be trimmed to allow at least five feet (51)of clearance from grade
to the bottom of the tree canopy.
18.57.040 Specific Requirements
A. Buffers:When adjacent to the uses listed,the subject property shall provide the type and
width of landscaping listed inthe table belowalong the entire property line between the subject
property and the adjacent use,except forvehicular and pedestrian access points. Ifa building
is located in the buffer area,the landscaping displaced by the building shall be located
elsewhere on the site.Types of landscaping are as described in Section 18.57.050.
SUBJECT PROPERTY USE
ADJACENT USE
1 &2 Family
Subdivision
Multi-family Manufacture
d Home Park
Commercial/
Institutional
Industrial Public Park
Freeway or
Highway
Type I
20 feet wide
Type I
20 feet wide
Type I
20 feet wide
Type II
10 feet wide
Type II
10 feet wide
Type II
10 feet wide
Street Frontage Type IV
5 feet wide
12pts/25'
Type IV
5 feet wide
12pts/25'
Type IV
5 feet wide
18pts/25'
Type IV
10 feet wide
18 pts/25'
Type IV
20 feet wide
18 pts/25'
Type IV
5 feet wide
12 pts/25"
1 & 2 Family or
vacant land
zoned R-1 or R-2
Type II
5 feet wide
Type II
10 feet wide
Type II
10 feet wide
Type I
15feet wide
Multi-family or
vacant land
zoned R-3
Type II
10 feet wide
Type III
5 feet wide
Type II
10 feet wide
Type II
10 feet wide
Type I
15 feet wide
r^
U
U
u
ORDINANCE NO.2785
PAGE 3 October 13,2015
SUBJECT PROPERTY USE
ADJACENT USE
1 &2 Family
Subdivision
Multi-family Manufacture
d Home Park
Commercial/
Institutional
Industrial Public Park
Manufactured
Home Park
Type II
10 feet wide
Type III
5 feet wide
Type II
10 feet wide
Type I
15 feet wide
Commercial/
Institutional or
vacant land
zoned C-1 or C-2
Type II
10 feet wide
Type II
5 feet wide
Type II
10 feet wide
Type II
10 feet wide
Industrial or
vacant land
zoned l-L
Type II
10 feet wide
Type I
5 feet wide
Type II
10feet wide
Type II
10 feet wide
Public Park
B.Parking Areas:Parking areas shall be landscaped to provide shade and visual relief while
maintaining clear lines of sight.
1.Landscaping shall be provided within and/or around all surface parking lots containing ten
(10)ormore parking stalls,except that noparking lot landscaping shall be required within
industrial zones. Ata minimum,landscaping shall consistof ground coverandshadetrees
with a minimum mature canopy spread of fifteen feet (15').See Section 18.57.055 for
required landscape points for parking lots.
2. The minimumarea per planter shallbe one hundred(100)square feet.
3.Landscaped areasshall bedistributed around and/or throughout the parking lot sothat the
maximum distance between the trunk of shade tree and any parkingstallshallbe no more
than fifty feet(50').Shadetreesusedtomeetthisrequirement arenotrequired tobethose
specifically included inthe parkinglotlandscaping.
4.Parking lots:two (2)points perrequired parking space +one (1)point for each parking
space provided in addition to required spaces.
5.Permanent curbs orstructuralbarriersshallbe providedto protectthe landscape plantings
from vehicle overhang.
6.Trees shall be planted at least four feet (4')from the outside edge of the planting area.
7. No plantmaterialgreaterthan twelve inches (12")inheight shallbe located withintwo feet
(2') of the edge of a landscaped area adjacent to a parking stall.
8.Required parking lot planter areas shall be inaddition to any required front,side, and rear
yard buffer requirements.
9.The requirements of this section shall not apply to parking garages or parking decks,or
display areas for automotive and equipment sales and rentals.
C.Residential Landscaping
1.Front Yard:The required front yard and exterior side yard of all one (1)and two (2) family
residential uses shall be landscaped within one(1)yearof occupancyand maintained.For
the purposes of this section,landscaping shall be defined as the addition of decorative
rock,bark,groundcover,lawn,trees,plants,shrubs,and other natural and decorative
features.At least fifty percent (50%) of the front and exterior side yard area shall be
landscaped.Driveways and parking areas maybe located in the remaining area that is not
required to be landscaped.
ORDINANCE NO.2785
PAGE 4 October 13,2015
2.Multi-family Structures:Multi-family residential uses shall also landscape the required
open space areas so that they are usable for outdoor recreation./~\
3.Manufactured Home Parks:All areas within the boundaries of the manufactured home
park shall be landscaped.All lawns,trees,landscaping,occupied and unoccupied
manufactured home spaces,recreation areas,and open space areas shall be continually
maintained.A permanent irrigation system shall be installed and maintained for planted
common areas.
4.Planter strips:Street frontage planter strips between the curb and sidewalk shall be
landscaped with Type IV landscaping consisting of a minimum of twelve (12) points per
twenty-five feet (25') of frontage.Timing of landscape installation shall be as follows:
a. For newsubdivisions,planter strip landscaping shall be installed or bonded for before
a CertificateofOccupancy isissued forthe house on the lotabuttingthe planterstrip.
b. For new planter strips builtinexisting developed areas,planter strip landscaping shall
be installed within one year of completion of the planter strip.
c. For areas withexisting planter strips,planter strip landscaping shall be installed within
one (1)year of the adoption of this ordinance.
D. Building Facade Landscaping:To ensure that wall facades are visually interesting when
viewed from surrounding streets and buildings, blank building facades more than twenty feet
(20') in height or fifty feet (50') inwidth or length shall be landscaped withType III landscaping
to provide visual relief and soften the effect of the new building on the surrounding area.
1.Blank facades are defined as those which do not add to the character of the streetscape
and do not contain transparent windows orsufficient ornamental features,decorations,(*^
artwork,articulation,high quality building materials (such as brick), or other architectural
features.
2.Exceptions:Buildings in industrial zones are not required to screen blank facades.In all
other zones,blank facades thatarewithin twenty feet (20')of another building or which are
otherwise not visible to the general public are not required to be screened.(Ord.2647,
4/10/12;Ord.2534,11/10/09;Ord.2144,12/9/03;Ord.1857,6/8/99)
18.57.055 Landscape Point Values:
A. Applicant may use any combination of planting materials to meet the requirements of this
section.Points are assigned based on the following table and can be decreased using
subsection G and I.
Type of Plant
Material
Mature Height Minimum Size (at time of planting)Point Value
Deciduous Trees
(in caliper inches)
Evergreen Trees (in feet
of height)
Large Tree >60ft 8-inch or greater 22 ft and over 115
>60ft 7-inch 19-21ft.100
>60ft 6-inch 16-18 ft.90
>60ft 5-inch 13-15 ft.80
>60 ft 4-inch 11-12 ft.65
>60ft 3-inch 9-10 ft.55
>60ft 2-inch 7-8ft 35
n
U
u
o
ORDINANCE NO.2785
PAGE 5 October 13,2015
Type of Plant
Material
Mature Height Minimum Size (at time of planting)Point Value
Deciduous Trees
fin caliper inches)
Evergreen Trees (infeet
ofheiqht)
Medium Tree 25 ft to 60 ft 3-inch 7-8 ft 40
Medium Tree 25 ft to 60 ft 2 -inch 7-8ft 30
Medium Tree 25 ft to 60 ft 1.5 -inch 5-6 ft 20
Small Tree <25ft Single Trunk 1.5
inch caliper
5-6ft 15
Ornamental Tree varies Multiple trunk
(minimum 3 trunks):
smallesttrunk 1.5
inch caliper
5-6ft 10
Large Shrub >6ft 24 -inch height at planting 9
Medium Shrub 3 ft to 6 ft 12-inch height at planting 6
Small Shrub <3ft 8 - inch height at planting 4
Ornamental
Grasses
varies 1 gallon same as
shrub of
same mature
height
Groundcover < 1 ft,excluding
flowers on tall
stalks
1 gallon 1/2
Existing Trees varies Greaterthan 3"caliper 10pts + 10
pts/inch of
caliper
Landscaped
Berm
30"height;10-foot length;3:1 slope 1 per 5 lineal
feet
Turf Grass n/a n/a 1/4 per
square yard
Sculpture or
Basalt Columns
*may not be
substituted for
trees
2'minimum height 15 points +
15ptsfor
each
additional 2'
height
Note: Points willbe based on the size of the mature tree or shrub. For example,a small species
of shrub ina three (3) gallon potatthe time of plantingwill not be given points as a medium shrub,
it remains a small shrub.The Community Development Department will maintain a list of
commonly-planted species and the size per the above chart. For species not included inthe list,
mature heightshallbe as shown ina standard publishedsource.Where a rangeof sizes isgiven
in the source, points forthe larger size may be claimed, provided the correct minimum size is
planted for the points claimed.
B. An additional ten percent (10%) in the number of points shall be required adjacent to the
following aesthetic corridors:
1.West Broadway from I-90 to its intersection with Division Street
2. East Broadway from itsintersection with Division Streettowhereitjoinswith Pioneer Way
3. PioneerWay from where itjoinswithEast Broadway to its intersection with Highway 17
ORDINANCE NO.2785
PAGE 6 October 13,2015
C. Points forrequired buffers shallbe inadditiontothe ParkingLotPoints required inthis section.
D.A maximum of twenty-five percent (25%)of requiredlandscape pointsmay be claimed within
street right-of-way.
E. A minimum of sixty percent (60%) of points shall be used forlandscaping inthe frontand side
yards.
F.A maximum of twenty-five percent(25%)of required pointsmay be used for turfgrass. Turf
grass within street right-of-way does not earn any points.
G Drought Tolerant Landscaping.Landscaping areasthat meet the criteria listed below may
havethe points required for thatareareducedby thirty percent(30%).To qualify as drought
tolerant,the following must be incorporated:
1. An approved drip irrigation system
2. Low volume - low pressure - low flow distribution
3.Drought tolerant plant selection
4.Use of mulches,which can include decorative rock
H.Nativeand NaturalizedPlantSpecies.New landscaping materials shallinclude species native
to Eastern Washington or hardy,waterwise,and noninvasive species appropriate in the
climaticconditionsof Eastern Washington (decorative annuals arean exception).Washington
State University maintains a listof trees,shrubs,vines, ground covers,perennials,grasses,
bulbs,and annuals that are appropriate for Eastern Washington.(Link:
http;//public.wsu.edu/~lohr/wcl/).The selections ofplant species should include consideration /*^
of soil type and depth,the amount of maintenance required,spacing,exposure to sun and
wind,the slope and contours of the site,compatibility with existing native vegetation preserved
on the site,waterconservation where needed,and the impact of landscaping on visibilityof the
site for purposes of public safety and surveillance.
I.Alternative Water Source:Projects irrigated from sources otherthan City water may have the
points required for that area reduced by thirty percent (30%).
18.57.110 Alteration of Landscape Reguirements:The applicant may submit forconsideration a landscaping
plan that differs from the specific criteria set forth in this chapter.The applicant shall in writing,
clearly and in detail,state what adjustments are being requested and the reasons that such
adjustments are warranted. The applicationshall be accompanied by a drawingthat meets the
requirements of MLMC18.57.060,along with any supplemental data,such as sketches,surveys,
and statistical information,that is deemed necessary to support the adjustment.The Planning
Commission may approve, modify, ordeny the requested adjustment.In approving the alteration,
the Planning Commission shall make the following findings:
A.The alteration would be in keeping with and preserve the intent of this chapter; and
B.The alteration would not be contrary to the public interest;and
C. The alteration is justified based on at least one (1)of the following:
1.The requirements ofthis chapterwould result in morethanfifteen percent (15%)ofthesite
area being landscaped.In such cases the Planning Commission may modify those
requirements sothatnotmorethan fifteen percent (15%)ofthesitemustbe landscaped,
provided that the landscaping and corresponding setbacks required are those most {~*\
beneficialto the public.More intensive landscaping may be required ifthe reduction in
area would reduce the effectiveness of landscaping to a point where the intent of the
landscaping type cannot be satisfied.
ORDINANCE NO.2785PAGE7 ^^_October 13,2015
2. The inclusion ofsignificant existing vegetation located onthesitewould result in as good
as or better satisfaction of the purposes of this chapter.
3.Three foot (3')berms or six foot (6')architectural barriers are incorporated into the
landscape design.Adjacent tothe berm orbarrier,thewidth of theperimeter landscaping
strip may be reduced up to twenty-five percent (25%)if the landscaping materials are
incorporated elsewhere on site.
4.Existing conditions on oradjacent tothe site,such as significant topographic differences,
vegetation,structures,orutilities would render application of this chapter ineffective.
5.An existing or proposed structure precludes installation of the total amount of required
perimeter landscaping.In such cases,the landscaping material shall be incorporated on
another portion of the site.If no portion ofthe site can be landscaped,approved waterless
landscaping features such as decorative rock,gabions,sculptures,and/or facade
improvements as defined in 18.57.040 D.1 may be used.The totality of such features
must be of sufficient substance and location as to serve the purpose of this chapter.
6.The proposed landscaping represents a superior result oris more effective than that which
would be achieved by strictly following requirements ofthissection.
Section 2. Thisordinance shalltake effectand be in force five (5)days after its passage and publication of
its summary as provided by law.
Adopted bythe City Council and signed byits Mayor on October 13,2015.
<&iJL gjs/2j£LsK*—
Dick Deane,Mayor
ATTEST:
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
IdAA
erine L.Kenison,CitvAtto