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.
(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.
(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.
(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)
(A) 
Buildings with residential at-grade units shall be required to have a minimum five-foot landscaped setback between the edge of the sidewalk and the entry gate or elevated patio (see Section 7.11(D) in this Chapter 7).
(B) 
Landscaping may include groundcover, grasses, low shrubs, ornamental trees and street trees (see Table 7-6).
(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).
Table 7-5: Open Space
Table 7-6: Street Trees and Landscape Material
MATERIAL
STREET TREES
(Minimum 8' in height/3" caliper at installation)
Allee Elm, Ulmus parvifolia ‘Emer II’
Autumn Blaze Maple, Acer x freemanii 1
Cedar Elm, Ulmus crassifolia
Chinese Pistache (male), Pistacia chinensis
Green Ash, Fraxinus pennsylvanica
Homestead Elm, Ulmus ‘Homestead’
Locust/Shademaster Locust, Gleditsia triacanthos 1, 3
October Glory Maple, Acer rubrum ‘October Glory’ 1
Red Maple, Acer rubrum 1
Shumard Red Oak, Quercus shumardii 2
Urbanite Ash, Fraxinus pennsylvanica ‘Urbanite’
ORNAMENTAL TREES
(Minimum 5' in height/1.5" caliper at installation)
Rough leaf Dogwood, Cornus drummondii
Yaupon Holly, Ilex vomitoria (female only such as ‘Pride of Houston’ or ‘Will Fleming’)
Deciduous Holly, Warren’s Red, Ilex decidua
Crape Myrtle, Lagerstromia indica (see attached)
Mexican Plum, Prunus mexicana
Mexican Redbud, Cersis canadensis var. mexicana
Oklahoma Redbud, Cersis reniformis ‘Oklahoma’
Texas Redbud, Cersis canadensis var. texensis
American Smoke Tree, Cotinus obovatus
Vitex, Vitex agnus-castus
Desert Willow, Chilopsis linearis
EVERGREEN SHRUBS
(Minimum 2' in height at installation)
Dwarf Nandina, Nandina domestica nana
Dwarf Burford Holly, Ilex cornuta burfordi nana
Abelia Grandiflora, Abelia grandiflora
Barberry, Barberry spp.
Red Yucca, Hesperaloe parviflora
Texas Sage, Leucophyllum frutescans
Indian Hawthorn, Raphiolepsis indica
Native Sumac, Rhus lanceolata
Dwarf Crape Myrtle, Lagerstromia indica ‘nana’
Dwarf Yaupon Holly, Ilex vomitoria ‘nana’
Pampas Grass, Cortaderia selloana
GROUNDCOVERS/VINES
(Minimum 1 gal. container at installation except Wisteria minimum 5 gal.)
Asian Jasmine, Trachelospermum asiaticum coloratus
Purple Winter Creeper, Euonymus
Santolina, Santolina virens
Trumpet Vine, Campsis radicans
Coral Honeysuckle, Lonicera sempervirens
Virginia Creeper, Parthenocissus quinquifolia
Lady Banks Rose, Rosa banksiae lutea
Wisteria, Wisteria sinensis
Vinca (major), Vinca major
TURF/GRASS
(Seed or hydromulch)
Common Bermuda, Cynodon dactyton
Fescues, Festuca rubra
Buffalo Grass, Buchloe dactyloides
Notes:
1. Trees suitable for location beneath normal height power lines.
2. Should provide a limited root barrier to direct spreading roots downward.
3. Locust trees have a problem with reflected heat when young; trunk should be wrapped during early stages.
(Ordinance 6773 adopted 5/19/15)