(A) 
Living Coverage Required.
Required landscaped open areas and non-paved areas between the front of building(s) and any street right-of-way line must be completely covered with living plant material. Landscaping materials, such as wood chips and gravel, may be used under trees, shrubs, and other plants, but must not comprise a significant portion of the total landscaped area. Any additional landscaped (pervious) areas that are in excess of the required landscaped area must also be covered with either living plant material, such as turf grass or other groundcover or landscape materials such as rock, wood chips or mulch, or an alternative approved by the Planning Director.
(B) 
Plant Material Standards.
Plant materials required by this GDC must be of a species listed in the Approved Plant List for the City of Garland (see Division 7 of this Article 3), and all plant materials installed on a development or redevelopment site must conform with the most recent edition (at the time of development or redevelopment) of the “American Standard for Nursery Stock” (as amended), published by the American Association of Nurserymen. Grass seed, sod, and other material must be clean and reasonably free of weeds, noxious pests, and insects.
(C) 
Tree Size at Installation.
Large canopy trees (see Table 4-1 in the Approved Plant List, Division 7 of this Article 3) and street trees in the DT district must be a minimum of three inches in caliper (measured twelve inches above the ground) and seven feet in planted height at time of installation. Small ornamental trees (see Table 4-2 in the Approved Plant List, Division 7 of this Article 3) must be a minimum of one and one-half inch in caliper (measured six inches above the ground) and five feet in planted height at time of installation.
(D) 
Shrub Size at Installation and Coverage at Maturity.
Shrubs that are not of a “dwarf” variety must be a minimum of two feet in planted height at time of installation. Hedges or shrub massings, where installed for screening purposes, must be planted and maintained so as to form a continuous, unbroken, solid visual screen that will be at least six feet high within three years following installation (except for parking lot headlight screens, which must form a continuous, solid visual screen at least three feet high within two years following installation). Shrubs that are of a “dwarf” or “miniature” variety must be a minimum of one foot in planted height at time of installation unless that particular variety and size of shrub is typically less than one foot in planted height in North Central Texas.
(E) 
Vines.
Vines must be a minimum of two feet in height (vine length) upon installation, and may be used in conjunction with decorative fences, screens, or walls to meet landscape screening requirements if approved by the Planning Director as part of the review of screening and landscaping plans.
(F) 
Turf Areas.
Proposed turf areas for new developments, and for the redevelopment of a property that is subject to this Article (see Section 4.29), must be sodded, plugged, sprigged, hydro-mulched, or seeded, except that solid sod Bermuda turf grass (or other good coverage evergreen groundcover, if approved by the Planning Director as part of the review of screening and landscaping plans) must be used in all street and alley rights-of-way, in drainage swales, on earthen berms, and in other areas that may be subject to erosion or will likely be subject to high foot traffic. The requirement to use solid sod is limited to those areas where the surface soil is disturbed during the development (or redevelopment) of the property, and does not apply in the case of a single-family residence where the soil surface is not disturbed in the street right-of-way.
(G) 
Turf and Groundcover Coverage.
Turf and groundcover areas must be planted in a manner that presents a finished appearance and reasonably complete coverage within one year following installation.
(H) 
Irrigation Required.
Required landscaped areas must be equipped with, and 100% covered by, an automatic, underground irrigation system that is continually on and in good working order so as to provide this coverage, and with freeze- and moisture-sensors to prevent watering at inappropriate times. The Planning Director may waive the requirement for an underground irrigation system and accept an alternative irrigation system or device if one or more of the following apply to a development site:
(1) 
If attractive and hardy, pest-resistant, and disease-resistant xeriscape planting materials are utilized (these techniques are encouraged by the City, if designed and sufficiently maintained); or
(2) 
If the amount of landscaped area and materials is very limited and the landscaped area is located further than two hundred feet from a water source or meter.
(I) 
Irrigation Water Conservation.
Irrigation facilities within medians or adjacent to curbs must be designed and installed with low gallonage and low angle nozzles (or using a subsurface tubing system provided that the system provides even watering and full coverage) to prevent water overflow into the street. Freeze- and moisture-sensors must be used with each controller to prevent irrigation systems from activating during freezing weather (creating unsafe spillage and ice on roads and sidewalks) and during other impractical times, such as rainy periods.
(J) 
Irrigation Design.
Irrigation devices must not be visible from public streets or walkways (except for underground irrigation systems whose sprinkler heads are designed to “pop up” during use and retract when finished). Underground systems that are designed to irrigate portions of public right-of-way and street parkways (such as, the area between sidewalks and the street curb) must designed so that main irrigation water lines are at least three feet away from the street curb (where practical, single sprinkler head serving lateral lines must “T” out from the main line toward the street curb – this minimizes damage to the irrigation system if a vehicle jumps the curb into the parkway area).
(K) 
Landscape Area Protection and Viability.
Landscaping (including xeriscape landscaping) areas, within or adjacent to parking areas, must be protected by a six-inch monolithic concrete curb (or by wheel stops, perforated curbing, or other appropriate protection device, if approved by the Planning Director as part of the review of screening and landscaping plans, as a means to allow paved areas to drain into landscaped areas for stormwater management purposes). All landscaping areas must be maintained in a healthy, living, growing, and thriving condition. All landscaped and open space areas, including parking lots, must be kept free of trash, litter, and other similar debris.
(L) 
Berms.
Earthen berms must have side slopes not to exceed thirty-three and one-third percent (3:1 slope; three feet of horizontal distance for each one foot of vertical height). Berms must be completely covered with evergreen vegetation to prevent erosion, and must include any other necessary drainage or erosion prevention measures as may be reasonably required by the Director of Engineering.
(M) 
Protection of Preserved Trees.
Existing trees that must be preserved pursuant to Chapter 4, Article 4 of this GDC, must have an undisturbed, permeable surface area under (and extending outward to) the existing drip line of the tree. New trees must have a permeable surface area under the drip line that is a minimum diameter of five feet around the trunk of the tree. No paving or impervious surface material may be placed closer than five feet from the trunk of any tree (unless approved by the Planning Director as part of the review of screening and landscaping plans, and provided that appropriate root barriers or other root containment techniques are used to prevent long-term damage to paving, particularly sidewalks, by root growth and spreading).
(N) 
Trees Near Rights-of-Way and Utility Easements.
Planting trees closer than four feet to a street or alley right-of-way line (except in the mixed-use districts) is prohibited (unless no other alternative is available, as determined by the Planning Director). Planting trees closer than eight feet to a public utility line (water or sewer) is also prohibited (unless no other alternative is available, as determined by the Planning Director). Further, a landscaping area in which trees are to be provided must not conflict with a utility easement (unless no other alternative is available, as determined by the Planning Director). The degree of landscape buffer and utility easement overlap must be minimized, and plant materials must be placed so as to not conflict with utility lines, facilities or easements.
(O) 
Tree Clearance Heights.
Trees must be maintained by the property owner (or by the immediately adjacent property owner where trees are located within public right-of-way) to sufficiently allow a clear height of at least eight feet over sidewalks and other pedestrian pathways, and a clear height of at least fourteen feet over streets, drive aisles, and other vehicular traffic ways.
(P) 
Landscape Installation and Maintenance.
(1) 
Trees and landscape materials that are planted pursuant to this Article 3 (from the City’s Approved Plant List, Division 7 of this Article 3) must be installed in accordance with professional installation standards.
(2) 
The property owner must sufficiently maintain trees and landscape materials so that they remain in a health, living, growing, and thriving condition.
(3) 
Property owners may be require to replace trees and landscape materials that are not healthy or which have died.
(4) 
Irrigation Systems.
(a) 
All irrigation systems must be maintained and kept fully operable.
(b) 
Any leaks in the irrigation system, whether above or below ground, must be promptly repaired.
(c) 
Irrigation systems must have freeze and moisture sensors.
(d) 
Irrigation systems must be calibrated and set to provide periodic watering in an amount sufficient to maintain all trees and landscape materials.
(Q) 
Trees Under Overhead Utility Lines and Near Easements.
Only small ornamental trees, shrubs, and groundcovers (no large canopy trees) are permitted within ten feet of existing or proposed overhead utility lines or within any water, wastewater, storm drainage, or utility easement (unless an alternative is approved by the Director of Engineering and by the Planning Director on the screening and landscaping plan review).
(R) 
Driveways Through Landscaped Areas.
Paving, other than on an approved driveway, is prohibited in required landscaped areas.
(S) 
Variety of Species Required.
In order to achieve a variety of landscape materials and color throughout the seasons, selected plant materials (including trees) used to meet the requirements of this Article 3 must not include more than fifty percent of any single tree or shrub species from the Approved Plant List (Division 7 of this Article 3).
(Ordinance 6773 adopted 5/19/15; Ordinance 7107, sec. 63, adopted 12/3/19)
Nonresidential, multifamily, and senior living developments must comply with the following site and perimeter landscaping provisions:
(A) 
Total Landscape Area Requirement.
Landscape materials must cover a minimum of ten percent of the total site area, except as provided below in this Section 4.34 for multifamily and senior living developments. The ground must be completely covered with grass or other vegetation to count towards meeting this landscape area requirement. Required landscape buffers and internal landscaping areas shall count towards meeting the total landscape area requirement.
Multifamily, Senior Living, and Related Developments. A minimum of forty percent of the gross platted area of the site of any multifamily or senior living facility must be devoted to landscaping, open space areas, pools, and similar outdoor recreational activity areas.
(B) 
Landscape Buffers.
The landscape buffers of nonresidential, multifamily, or senior living developments must comply with the following provisions:
(1) 
Adjacent to Major Thoroughfares.
(a) 
A landscape buffer, twenty feet in depth (from the property line), is required in nonresidential yards adjacent to any thoroughfare designated as AA or larger on the City’s adopted Major Thoroughfare Plan.
(b) 
A landscape buffer, fifteen feet in depth (from the property line) is required in nonresidential yards adjacent to Type A through D thoroughfares, as designated on the City’s adopted Major Thoroughfare Plan.
(c) 
Each of the above buffers may be reduced up to five feet in depth if plant materials within the buffer area are provided at a rate of one and one-half times the minimum requirements as defined in Subsection 4.34(B)(3) below.
(2) 
Adjacent to All Other Public Streets.
A landscape buffer that is ten feet in depth (from the property line), is required in yards adjacent to public streets, other than major thoroughfares. The buffer may be decreased from ten feet to eight feet provided that at least one and one-half times the minimum required buffer plant materials are provided.
(3) 
Buffer Plant Materials.
Trees may be grouped or clustered to facilitate site design. The City encourages staggered or non-linear placement of plant material in the landscape buffer. Plant material in required landscape buffers must comply with the following provisions in this Subsection (3) and in Section 4.33:
(a) 
Adjacent to Major Thoroughfares (Type AA through D).
For every thirty lineal feet, or fraction thereof, of required landscape buffer, one large canopy tree is required, along with seven shrubs or ornamental grasses.
(b) 
Adjacent to All Other Public Streets.
For every thirty lineal feet, or fraction thereof, of required landscape buffer, one large canopy tree is required.
(c) 
Groundcover.
Turf (grass) must provide a maximum of seventy-five percent of coverage within the landscape buffer. The remaining twenty-five percent of groundcover must be selected from a species listed in Table 4-5 in Division 7 of this Article 3. This groundcover must be arranged in a curvilinear fashion throughout the landscape buffer.
(d) 
Substitutions.
For property having less than one hundred and twenty feet of street frontage, up to forty percent of the required number of large canopy trees within the buffers may be replaced. For property having one hundred and twenty feet or more street frontage, up to twenty-five percent of the required number of large canopy trees within buffers may be replaced by small ornamental trees, at a rate of three small ornamental trees for each large canopy tree. Substituted vegetation must be placed in a clustered, non-linear design.
(4) 
Buffer in Relation to Sidewalks & Easements.
Landscape buffers must remain free and clear of permanent objects with the exception of pedestrian elements (such as, sidewalks or benches), existing utility poles or structures, and freestanding signs. Further, landscape buffers must comply with the following provisions:
(a) 
The depth of the required landscape buffer (from the property line) may include placement of sidewalks, as required in Chapter 3, Article 5, Division 13 of this GDC, so long as the width of the larger portion of the buffer bifurcated by the sidewalk is a minimum of six feet to allow for adequate space for required plant material, and the required depth of the landscape buffer is provided in addition to the required sidewalk (see Illustration 4-1); and
(b) 
Where an easement, either pedestrian or utility, is required pursuant to Chapter 3, Sections 33.93(C) or 3.72(B)(1) of this GDC, the easement is permitted to overlap the required landscape buffer, so long as the required depth (from the property line) of the landscape buffer is provided. Where a landscape buffer and easement overlap, there must be a minimum depth of six feet of landscaped area that is not within the easement area to allow adequate space for plant material, while avoiding future conflict between installation, service or repair of utilities and plant materials. Every reasonable effort must be made to avoid the placement of plantings within the buffer-easement overlap area that may interfere with utilities. The Director of Engineering shall make the determination as to whether plantings may interfere with the use of the easement.
Illustration 4-1 Landscape Buffer in Relation to the Pedestrian & Utility Easement and Sidewalk
(two scenarios)
(Ordinance 6773 adopted 5/19/15; Ordinance 7107, sec. 64, adopted 12/3/19)
Nonresidential, multifamily, and senior living developments must comply with the following parking area landscaping provisions:
(A) 
General.
Landscaped areas must generally be dispersed throughout parking areas, located to define parking areas, assist in clarifying appropriate traffic circulation patterns, and comply with the following provisions, where applicable:
(1) 
Living landscape materials must cover a minimum of five percent of the total parking lot area.
(2) 
Persons owning parking lots that are only one bay wide, or that are only two bays with a single central drive aisle, may place the required parking area landscaping along the perimeter of the parking lot. However, any perimeter landscaped area used to satisfy the parking area landscaping requirement may not be counted toward meeting other landscape requirements or located in other landscaped buffer areas, and the perimeter landscape area must be a minimum of seven feet wide where there is a two-foot bumper overhang, or five feet wide where there is no bumper overhang.
(B) 
Specific Regulations.
(1) 
A landscaped island must be located at the terminus of each parking row, and must contain a minimum of one large canopy tree, except as otherwise provided for automobile sales establishments in Subsection (7) below.
(2) 
Subject to above Section 4.35(A), landscaped islands must be a minimum of six feet by eighteen feet, or one hundred and eight square feet, in order to provide adequate permeable area for large tree root growth and for maintenance of landscaping.
(3) 
There must be a minimum of one large canopy tree within sixty-five feet of every parking space, except as provided for automobile sales establishments in Subsection (7) below.
(4) 
One large canopy tree is required for every ten parking spaces.
(5) 
Up to thirty-five percent of the required large canopy trees may be substituted with small ornamental trees in accordance with Subsection 4.34(B)(3)(d). Small ornamental trees must be clustered in groups of three or more to provide a continuous canopy.
(6) 
Design of parking areas to direct stormwater runoff to landscaped areas is highly encouraged. Innovative designs (such as, punctured or discontinuous curbing around parking lots draining to landscaped areas) can be approved using the alternative compliance process (see Article 1, Division 2 in this Chapter 4) or using the City’s sustainable stormwater practices procedures (see Chapter 3, Article 5, Division 1 in this GDC).
(7) 
For automobile sales operations (new or used), the required interior parking lot islands and trees, as required in Section 4.35(B)(1) and Section 4.35(B)(3) above, may be clustered together on larger and fewer islands provided that the islands are placed and generally distributed within the portions of parking lots that are located between the building(s) and a street right-of-way line.
(Ordinance 6773 adopted 5/19/15)
The landscaping and tree planting requirements for the UR, UB, and DT mixed-use districts are the same as the Downtown district (DT), and provided for in the Form-Based Code (see Chapter 7 in this GDC). All other general provisions for landscaping and screening in this Article 3, including plan submission and approval (Division 2), installation and maintenance (Division 3), landscaping standards (Section 4.33), screening requirements (Division 5), approved plant materials (Division 7), tree credits (Division 8), and approval of alternatives (Division 9) apply within the mixed-use districts, unless otherwise approved during the establishment of a mixed-use district, or during the development review process.
(Ordinance 6773 adopted 5/19/15)
Landscaping within residential districts must comply with the following provisions, as applicable:
(A) 
Single-Family Detached & Duplex Lots.
(1) 
Two large canopy trees are required on all single-family detached and duplex residential lots and at least one of which must be located within the front yard. Two large canopy trees are required within the front yard of all duplex lots (that is, one tree within the front yard of each dwelling unit).
(2) 
Single-family detached and duplex yards adjacent to streets must be planted with a solid covering of turf. An approved means of soil erosion control in the rear or side yards is also required.
(B) 
Townhouse Developments.
Townhouse developments must comply with the following provisions:
(1) 
At least one tree is required for each townhouse unit and must be placed either on that lot or within fifty feet of that unit. For each townhouse structure, at least fifty percent of the required trees must be large canopy trees. The remainder of the required trees may be small ornamental trees. Trees required in this Subsection are separate from, and in addition to, the common area tree requirement described in Subsection (2) below.
(2) 
At least one tree is required for every two thousand five hundred square feet of townhouse common areas not covered by a building or other impervious amenity. At least fifty percent of the required trees must be large canopy trees (that is, a minimum three-inch caliper upon planting). The remainder of the required trees may be small ornamental trees.
(3) 
Required trees must be selected from the Approved Plant List (for each respective tree type) in Division 7 of this Article 3 (see Table 4-1 and Table 4-2).
(Ordinance 6773 adopted 5/19/15)
Trees, ornamental grasses, shrubs, and groundcover are required around the perimeter of a detention and retention pond, located within one hundred feet of a Type D or larger thoroughfare, as shown on the City’s adopted Major Thoroughfare Plan, to minimize the visual impact as viewed from the street. Based on a site evaluation, the Planning Director may waive the requirement to screen detention and retention ponds.
(Ordinance 6773 adopted 5/19/15)