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G-10-04-08-9A2 - 4/8/2010ORDINANCE NO. 4- to' U`t `U0-ciA2___ AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 11, SECTION 11.501, CODE OF ORDINANCES (1995 EDITION), CITY OF ROUND ROCK, TEXAS, REGARDING LANDSCAPING; AND PROVIDING FOR A SAVINGS CLAUSE AND REPEALING CONFLICTING ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS. BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ROUND ROCK, TEXAS: I. That Chapter 11, Section 11.501, Subsections (2)(c), (d) and (e), Code of Ordinances (1995 Edition), City of Round Rock, Texas, are hereby amended to read as follows: (c) Street Yard Trees Large tree species as defined in the City of Round Rock Tree Technical Manual: Standards and Specifications, shall be provided within street yards or as otherwise determined herein, as necessary to maintain the following minimum ratios: (i) In street yards ten thousand (10,000) square feet or less, one (1) tree per one thousand (1,000) square feet, or fraction thereof, of street yard. (ii) In street yards greater than ten thousand (10,000) square feet and less than one hundred ten thousand (110,000) square feet, one (1) tree per two thousand five hundred (2,500) square feet, or fraction thereof, of street yard area over ten thousand (10,000) square feet is added to the requirements of ten (10) trees. (iii) In street yards one hundred ten thousand (110,000) square feet and over, one (1) tree per five thousand (5,000) square feet, or fraction thereof, for street yard area over one hundred ten thousand (110,000) square feet, is added to the requirement of fifty (50) trees. Utility easements within pervious areas in the street yard shall be subtracted from the total area for the purposes of calculating required street yard trees. Twenty-five percent (25 %) of the required street yard trees may be planted outside the street yard. However, these trees may not count towards other requirements such as end islands and/or median trees. 0:\wdox\SCC1nts\0112\1005\MUNICIPAL\00187838.DOC/rmc (d) Tree Credits The following is a provision for calculating tree planting requirements only. Any existing tree with a diameter of four (4) inches or larger, which is preserved in the street yard shall be credited toward the number of trees required to be planted in section 2 (c) above. In the MU -la district, any existing tree which is preserved within the right-of-way shall also be credited toward the number of trees required to be planted in section (2) above. Credits shall be calculated as follows: (i) Any existing tree, which is at least four (4) inches in diameter and less than eight (8) inches in diameter shall be credited one (1) tree. Any existing tree eight (8) inches in diameter and greater shall be credited as two (2) trees. For the purposes of satisfying this section Celtis Occidentalis (Hackberry), Melia Azedaragh (China Berry), Sapium Sebiferum (Chinese Tallow), Bois D' Arc (Horse Apple) and Juniperus Ashei (Texas Common Cedar), Morus Australis (Mulberry), Fraxinus Velutina (Arizona Ash), Populus Deltoides (Cottonwood), Liriodendron Tulipifera (Poplar), Acer Saccharinum (Silver Maple), Albizia Julibrissin (Mimosa), and Salix Matsudana (Willow) shall not qualify for this credit. (e) General Planting Requirements (i) All trees shall be planted in a pervious area no less than four (4) feet wide in any direction measured from the center of the tree. (ii) All newly planted trees shall be selected from an approved list of large, medium and small tree species as identified in the City of Round Rock Tree Technical Manual: Standards and Specifications. Additionally, the planting specifications and standards included in this manual are applicable unless otherwise stated herein. All trees shall have the following minimum caliper size at the time of installation. 1. Large tree species: Three inch (3") caliper 2. Medium Tree species: Two (2") inch caliper 3. Small Tree species: One (1") inch caliper. (iii) At the time of installation all shrubs planted for the purpose of screening shall have a minimum height of two and one half feet (2- 1/2') measured from the top of the root ball to the top of the plant. (iv) If a site has four hundred feet or more of frontage on a public street, then no more than 20 % of the street yard trees shall be from the same species. Sites with less than 400 feet of frontage shall have no restriction on the species of street yard trees, provided the species are included on the approved list in the City of Round Rock Tree Technical Manual: Standards and Specifications. On all other areas of a site, there shall be no more than 20 % from the same species. No more than 50% of the shrubs planted on a site shall be from the same species. These standards may be varied by the City Forester and Zoning Administrator if a specific design element is being sought by the landscape architect. (v) All landscaping shall be separated from vehicular use areas by some form of barrier such as raised concrete curbing, bollards, curb stops, or other suitable permanent alternative. (vi) Landscaping shall not obstruct the view between access drives and parking aisles, nor shall any landscaping which creates an obstruction of the view be located in the radius of any curb return. (vii) No artificial plant material may be used in any form to satisfy the requirements of this section. (viii) At an intersection of two streets or at the intersection of a driveway and a street nothing shall be erected, placed, allowed to grow, or planted so that it impedes vision between the height of three (3) feet and ten (10) feet above the curb within a triangle formed by the intersecting streets or street and driveway, and measuring forty (40) feet along the sides of the triangle that face the intersection. Triangle sides shall be measured from the face of the curb to the face of the curb at intersections and driveways. (See graphic) Area in which no wall, fence, or structute shall be placed in the shaded areas which woulc obstruct the view of vehicular traffic. w w U_ 40 FEET Curb Line Property line No plant material of any type shall be placed within the shades area that will obsruct views from vehicular traffic. Property line Graphic is for illustrative purposes only H. That Chapter 11, Section 11.501, Subsections (3)(a) and (b), Code of Ordinances (1995 Edition), City of Round Rock, Texas, are hereby amended to read as follows: 3 (3) Parking Areas (a) Perimeter Parking Lot Landscaping Landscaping shall be provided between parking areas and all public streets. The minimum landscaping required for this purpose shall be based on the measured linear footage of parking including vehicular circulation routes that extends along the length of the property line (excluding driveways) adjacent to the public or private right-of-way. To determine the minimum quantity of landscaping the following guidelines apply: (i) One large or medium tree species per fifty (50) linear feet (75 % of the these trees are to be of a large tree species); and (ii) One small tree species per twenty (20) linear feet; and (iii) One five (5) gallon container size large shrub per four (4) linear feet. (iv) Trees provided in this section may be credited toward the street yard tree requirement. (v) The specific location where trees and shrubs are planted along the perimeter shall be determined by the Landscape Architect preparing the site plan. The spacing requirements between trees in the City of Round Rock Tree Technical Manual: Standards and Specifications shall not prohibit the grouping of small tree species twelve feet (12') apart; medium tree species twenty feet (20') apart; and large tree species thirty feet (30') apart for the purpose of meeting the requirements of this section. (vi) An eight -foot wide linear landscaped area unencumbered by easements shall be provided between all parking areas and public streets to meet the requirements of this section. However, this area may be reduced if the site is determined to be entitled to the Alternative Compliance provisions of §11.501(5). (vii) If the planting of large or medium trees can not be achieved due to the presence of an overhead electric line, then such trees may be placed in landscape islands within the first row of parking adjacent to the public street. Such islands shall have a minimum width of ten feet (10') from back of curb to back of curb. (b) Interior Parking Lot Landscaping (i) A landscaped end island with a minimum width of ten (10) feet from back of curb to back of curb shall be provided at the terminus of each parking bay. All end islands shall be landscaped with a minimum of one large tree. The spacing requirements between trees in the City of Round Rock Tree Technical Manual: Standards and Specifications shall not apply to end island trees. (ii) A median island with a minimum width of ten (10) feet, from back of curb to back of curb, shall be sited between every six (6) single parking bays and along primary internal and external access drives. Median intervals may be expanded in order to preserve existing trees, provided an alternative median location has been approved by the Zoning Administrator. (iii) Landscaping within a median shall consist of medium trees. Spacing between trees shall not exceed forty (40) feet on center. 4 That Chapter 11, Section 11.501, Subsection (4), Code of Ordinances (1995 Edition), City of Round Rock, Texas, is hereby amended so that the first paragraph shall read as follows: (4) Compatibility The purpose of this section is to (1) establish landscape buffer requirements between higher intensity land uses adjacent to or abutting lower intensity land uses; and (2) establish requirements to screen specific uses or structures from public view. All landscape material required in this section shall be provided in areas unencumbered by easements. Screening and buffers shall provide a visual barrier between land uses, enhance the streetscape, and provide privacy. The spacing requirements between trees in the City of Round Rock Tree Technical Manual: Standards and Specifications shall not apply to this section. (Editor's Note: Paragraphs (a) through (d) shall remain as is.) IV. That Chapter 11, Section 11.501, Subsection (7)(c), Code of Ordinances (1995 Edition), City of Round Rock, Texas, is hereby amended to read as follows: (7) Protected Trees Related to Construction (c) Methods of Tree Protection During Construction Protected trees retained on the site shall be protected in accordance with Chapter 3, 3.1100. V. A. All ordinances, parts of ordinances, or resolutions in conflict herewith are expressly repealed. B. The invalidity of any section or provision of this ordinance shall not invalidate other sections or provisions thereof. 5 C. The City Council hereby finds and declares that written notice of the date, hour, place and subject of the meeting at which this Ordinance was adopted was posted and that such meeting was open to the public as required by law at all times during which this Ordinance and the subject matter hereof were discussed, considered and formally acted upon, all as required by the Open Meetings Act, Chapter 551, Texas Government Code, as amended. Alternative 1. By motion duly made, seconded and passed with an affirmative vote of all the Council members present, the requirement for reading this ordinance on two separate days was dispensed with. READ, PASSED, and ADOPTED on first reading this day of f()11 , 2010. Alternative 2. READ and APPROVED on first reading this the day of , 2010. READ, APPROVED and ADOPTED on second reading this the day of , 2010. ATTEST: SARA L. WHITE, City Secretary A MCGRAW, Mayor City of Round Rock, Texas 6 ROUND ROCK, TEXAS PURPOSE. PASSION. PROSPERITY Agenda Item No. 9A2. Ci Council Agenda Summaary Sheet Consider an ordinance amending Section 11.501, regarding landscaping requirements. Agenda Caption: (First Reading) Meeting Date: April 8, 2010 Department: Planning and Community Development Staff Person making presentation: Jim Stendebach Planning and Community Development Department Item Summary: The City of Round Rock has two sets of provisions that regulate landscaping: The Landscape Section of the Zoning Ordinance and the Tree Technical Manual of the Tree Protection Ordinance. These regulations are independent of each other and strive to implement different goals. In general, the intent of the Landscape Section is to encourage a creative, aesthetically pleasing design; increase development quality; and mitigate the impacts of development on neighboring properties. In contrast, the Tree Technical Manual aims to maximize long term tree growth. Since these two sets of provisions were adopted years apart from each other, some unintended conflicts exist. The City received several comments in the development survey citing the need to resolve these conflicts. The purpose of this amendment is to reconcile the competing provisions of the Landscape Section. As a result, obtaining an approval for a landscape plan should become a quicker and easier process. Strategic Plan Relevance: Identified as an objective in Goal 4. Cost: N/A Source of Funds: N/A Date of Public Hearing (if required): April 8, 2010 Recommended Action: Staff recommends approval of the ordinance.