Landscaping within the Downtown district shall comply with the
provisions in this Section, and with Table 7-6. It is the intent of
this Section to:
(A)
Support
Downtown goals for a pedestrian-oriented, urban-style environment;
(B)
Contribute
to pedestrian safety and comfort;
(C)
Buffer
on-site surface parking from public areas; and
(D)
Reduce
the heat island effect caused by solar heat gain in paved and hard
surface areas.
(Ordinance 6773 adopted 5/19/15)
(A)
Street
Trees.
Street trees shall constitute the primary landscaping
for the Downtown district, and shall be planted in accordance with
City details and meet the following requirements:
(1)
Trees
shall be selected from the approved Street Tree List contained in
Table 7-6; where appropriate, trees other than those in the approved
Street Tree List may be used, subject to approval of the Downtown
Development Plan, if part of a proposed development.
(2)
Trees
shall be:
(a)
Planted at twenty-five feet on center along each block face;
(b)
At least three-inch caliper at the time of planting;
(c)
Single trunk;
(d)
Limbed up to at least seven feet above-grade, and pruned to leave
a minimum eight feet of clearance over pedestrian walkways and on-street
parking spaces, and fourteen feet of clearance over vehicular travel
lanes; and
(e)
Planted such that current and future utilities, and their maintenance,
are accommodated.
(B)
Street
Tree Wells in the Public Sidewalk.
(1)
Trees
shall generally be planted within six-foot by eight-foot tree wells,
constructed in accordance with City specifications. The tree well
opening shall be covered with grasses, groundcover or low plant material,
or with a tree grate. However:
(a)
In the DH and DS sub-districts trees may be planted in minimum six-foot
by ten-foot tree wells with tree grates; however, where a structural
sidewalk system is used, the tree well area may be reduced; and
(b)
Along Avenues B and D where there is no on-street parking allowed,
trees may be planted in a continuous six-foot landscape strip along
the back-of-curb.
(2)
Nonresidential
at-grade – tree wells shall be covered with a tree grate in
accordance with City specifications, or if landscaped, shall have
a one-foot dismount strip along the curb adjacent to the planter.
(3)
Underground
bubbler irrigation is required, and shall be installed on a zone separate
from other landscape areas. Irrigation shall be designed to deliver
the appropriate amount of water to each tree with minimum waste.
(4)
Drainage
for the tree well shall be provided in accordance with City details.
(5)
Tree
wells may also include electrical outlets for up-lighting and special
events.
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(C)
District-Wide
Furnishings.
The entire district shall utilize basic
fixtures and furnishings, such as street and pedestrian lighting,
benches, trash cans, newspaper dispensers and bicycle parking equipment,
that are approved by the City for public areas within the Downtown
district.
(Ordinance 6773 adopted 5/19/15; Ordinance 7261, sec. 8, adopted 10/12/21)
Plant materials shall consist of street trees, ornamental trees,
evergreen shrubs, groundcovers and vines and seasonal-color plants
which are native or drought hardy (see Table 7-6).
(Ordinance 6773 adopted 5/19/15)
(A)
Paving
material in front setbacks and on sidewalks shall be earth-toned materials
such as brick, natural or manufactured stone, and concrete.
(B)
A stamped
version of brick, stone or cobbles may be approved in certain locations
by Minor Waiver.
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(Ordinance 6773 adopted 5/19/15)
(A)
Parking
Lots Adjacent to Sidewalks.
Where a parking lot is adjacent
to the sidewalk, a second row of trees and a fence up to three and
one-half feet in height shall be provided in place of a building wall.
The fence treatment shall be wrought iron, or a combination or wrought
iron and masonry, with shrubs. The appropriateness of the tree planting
and fence shall be determined by Minor Waiver.
Openings in the fence and landscaping shall be provided, and
a hard surface shall be installed to accommodate pedestrian access
to the public sidewalk.
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(B)
Interior parking lot landscaping shall include the planting
of trees from the Street Tree List to reduce heat buildup. Each row
of parking shall be configured so that there is a minimum nine-foot
wide landscape island with each run of eight parking spaces. Parking
lot landscaping shall contain a quantity of trees calculated at a
minimum of one large street tree for every six parking spaces.
(Ordinance 6773 adopted 5/19/15)
(B)
Landscaping
may include groundcover, grasses, low shrubs, ornamental trees and
street trees (see Table 7-6).
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(Ordinance 6773 adopted 5/19/15)
A
Public and
private open space which is adjacent to a street should be configured
as indicated in Table 7-5 Open Space (below).
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Table 7-5: Open Space
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Table 7-6: Street Trees and Landscape Material
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MATERIAL
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STREET TREES
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(Minimum 8' in height/3" caliper at installation)
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Allee Elm, Ulmus parvifolia ‘Emer II’
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Autumn Blaze Maple, Acer x freemanii 1
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Cedar Elm, Ulmus crassifolia
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Chinese Pistache (male), Pistacia chinensis
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Green Ash, Fraxinus pennsylvanica
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Homestead Elm, Ulmus ‘Homestead’
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Locust/Shademaster Locust, Gleditsia triacanthos 1, 3
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October Glory Maple, Acer rubrum ‘October Glory’ 1
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Red Maple, Acer rubrum 1
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Shumard Red Oak, Quercus shumardii 2
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Urbanite Ash, Fraxinus pennsylvanica ‘Urbanite’
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ORNAMENTAL TREES
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(Minimum 5' in height/1.5" caliper at installation)
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Rough leaf Dogwood, Cornus drummondii
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Yaupon Holly, Ilex vomitoria (female only such as ‘Pride
of Houston’ or ‘Will Fleming’)
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Deciduous Holly, Warren’s Red, Ilex decidua
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Crape Myrtle, Lagerstromia indica (see attached)
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Mexican Plum, Prunus mexicana
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Mexican Redbud, Cersis canadensis var. mexicana
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Oklahoma Redbud, Cersis reniformis ‘Oklahoma’
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Texas Redbud, Cersis canadensis var. texensis
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American Smoke Tree, Cotinus obovatus
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Vitex, Vitex agnus-castus
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Desert Willow, Chilopsis linearis
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EVERGREEN SHRUBS
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(Minimum 2' in height at installation)
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Dwarf Nandina, Nandina domestica nana
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Dwarf Burford Holly, Ilex cornuta burfordi nana
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Abelia Grandiflora, Abelia grandiflora
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Barberry, Barberry spp.
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Red Yucca, Hesperaloe parviflora
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Texas Sage, Leucophyllum frutescans
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Indian Hawthorn, Raphiolepsis indica
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Native Sumac, Rhus lanceolata
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Dwarf Crape Myrtle, Lagerstromia indica ‘nana’
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Dwarf Yaupon Holly, Ilex vomitoria ‘nana’
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Pampas Grass, Cortaderia selloana
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GROUNDCOVERS/VINES
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(Minimum 1 gal. container at installation except Wisteria minimum
5 gal.)
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Asian Jasmine, Trachelospermum asiaticum coloratus
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Purple Winter Creeper, Euonymus
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Santolina, Santolina virens
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Trumpet Vine, Campsis radicans
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Coral Honeysuckle, Lonicera sempervirens
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Virginia Creeper, Parthenocissus quinquifolia
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Lady Banks Rose, Rosa banksiae lutea
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Wisteria, Wisteria sinensis
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Vinca (major), Vinca major
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TURF/GRASS
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(Seed or hydromulch)
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Common Bermuda, Cynodon dactyton
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Fescues, Festuca rubra
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Buffalo Grass, Buchloe dactyloides
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Notes:
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1. Trees suitable for location beneath normal height power lines.
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2. Should provide a limited root barrier to direct spreading
roots downward.
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3. Locust trees have a problem with reflected heat when young;
trunk should be wrapped during early stages.
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(Ordinance 6773 adopted 5/19/15)
