City of Richland Hills, TX Landscape Ordinance

The standards and criteria contained within this section are deemed to be minimum standards and shall apply to all new or altered (i.e., at least 20 percent of the original floor area) construction occurring within the city.

Existing buildings that are altered less than 20 percent shall not be required to meet the standards contained in this landscape ordinance.

Additionally, any use requiring a specific use permit or a planned development zoning designation must comply with these landscape standards unless special landscaping standards are otherwise provided for in the ordinance establishing the SUP or PD District.

All properties located in the BP Business Park District must comply with the standards when a new tenant moves into the BP Business Park District or within 18 months of the approval of the BP Business Park District, whichever comes first.

(c)

Certificate of occupancy required.

It shall be unlawful to issue an occupancy permit prior to the approval and complete installation of the landscape and irrigation plans.

When it is not possible to complete the landscape installation as quickly as desired or needed, an extension of time may be granted and a temporary certificate of occupancy may be issued for variable periods up to 45 days.

(d)

Landscape plan.

Requirement.

Prior to the issuance of a building, paving, grading or construction permit for any use other than agricultural uses, a landscape plan shall be submitted to the zoning administrator. The landscape plan may be shown on the site plan (provided the site plan remains clear and legible) or may be drawn on a separate sheet.

Review.

The city shall review such plans (as part of the site plan review described in section 6.06 Site Plan Requirements of the zoning ordinance), and approve the plans if the plans are in accordance with the criteria of these regulations. If the plans are not in conformance, they shall be denied and shall be accompanied by a written statement setting forth the changes necessary for compliance.

Submittal requirements.

Landscaping plans shall be prepared by a person knowledgeable in plant material usage and landscape design (e.g., landscape architect, landscape contractor, landscape designer, etc.) and shall contain the following minimum information:

Minimum scale of one inch equals 50 feet; show scale in both written and graphic form;

Location, size and species of all trees to be preserved;

Location of all plant and landscaping material to be used, including plants, paving, benches, screens, fountains, statues, earthen berms, ponds (to include depth of water), topography of site, or other landscape features;

Species and common names of all plant materials to be used;

Size of all plant material to be used (container size, planted height, etc.);

Spacing of plant material where appropriate;

Layout and description of irrigation, sprinkler, or water systems including location of water sources;

Description of maintenance provisions;

Name and address of the person(s) responsible for the preparation of the landscape plan;

North arrow/symbol, and a small map showing where the property is located;

Date of the landscape plan.

(e)

General standards and specifications.

Quality.

The best professional practices of the American Society of Landscape Architects, the International Society of Arboriculture, the American Nursery and Landscape Association and Texas Nursery and Landscape Association regarding planting installation, trimming, pruning and fertilization shall apply to the landscape standards and specifications included in this section.

Nursery standards shall be the American Standard for Nursery Stock, ANSI Z60.1-2004.

Pruning standards shall be the International Society of Arboriculture Pruning Guidelines ANSI A300 - Pruning Guidelines.

Grass seed, sod and other material shall be clean and reasonably free of weeds and noxious pests and insects.

Approved plant list for new plantings or replacements.

The following is a required list of trees for new plantings or replacements of existing trees. Other species may be acceptable for new plantings; however, their suitability for the proposed planting area shall be approved by the zoning administrator.

Canopy Trees
Aristocrat Pear	Lacebark Elm
Bald Cypress*	Lacey Oak*
Bigtooth Maple*	Live Oak*
Blackjack Oak*	Panicled Golden Raintree
Bradford Pear	Pecan*
Bur Oak*	Post Oak*
Caddo Maple*	Red Maple*
Cedar Elm*	Saucer Magnolia
Chinese Pistachio	Shumard Oak*
Chinquapin Oak*	Southern Magnolia*
Chitalpa	Texas Ash*
Crabapple*	Texas Red Oak*
Durand Oak*	Trident Maple*
Ginkgo	Western Soapberry*
Honey Locust*
Evergreen Trees
Austrian Pine	Loblolly Pine*
Eastern Red Cedar*	Nellie R. Stevens
Elderica Pine	Saucer Magnolia
Japanese Black Pine	Savannah Holly
Leyland Cypress	Southern Magnolia*
Little Gem Magnolia	Yaupon Holly*
Ornamental Trees
Crape Myrtle	Mexican Plum*
Desert Willow*	Possumhaw Holly*
Eve's Necklace*	Rusty Blackhaw Viburnum*
Forest Pansy Redbud	Texas Redbud*
Japanese Maple	Vitex
Mexican Buckeye*	Wax Myrtle*
Low-Growing Shrubs
Barberry	Juniper
Big Muhly*	Knockout Rose
Black Dalea*	Mealy Blue Sage*
Black-Eyed Susan*	Mexican Hat*
Blackfoot Daisy*	Nandina*
Cherry Sage*	Skeleton-Leaf Goldeneye*
Dwarf Pomegranate	Spineless Prickly Pear*
Dwarf Yaupon Holly	Upright Rosemary
Grayleaf Cotoneaster	Variegated Pittsporum
Green Pittosporum
Tall Shrubs
Agarita*	Eleagnus
Agave*	Red Yucca*
American Beautyberry*	Smooth Sumac*
Chinese Photinia	Texas Sage*
Dwarf Burford Holly	Yucca ssp.*
Dwarf Palmetto*
Turf Grasses
Bermuda
Buffalograss*
St. Augustine
Tifway (Tifton 419)
Ornamental Grasses
Big Bluestem*	Mexican Feathergrass*
Bushy Bluestem*	Seep Muhly*
Cedar Sedge*	Sideoats Grama*
Gulf Muhly*
Indian Grass*
Inland Seaoats*
Lindheimer Muhly*
Little Bluestem*
Vines and Groundcovers
Asian Jasmine
Carolina Jessamine*
Confederate Jasmine
Coral Honeysuckle*
Crossvine*
Fig Ivy
Frogfruit*
Giant Liriope
Honeysuckle
Horseherb*
Lyreleaf Sage*
Perennial Verbena
Pigeonberry*
Pink Evening Primrose*
Santolina
Sedum*
Texas Wisteria*
Virginia Creeper*
White Rain Lily
Wood Fern*

* Indicates a Native Texas Plant

Trees.

Minimum caliper size.

Canopy trees shall have a minimum caliper of three inches, and ornamental trees shall have a minimum caliper of two inches, when measured 12 inches above ground, and shall be selected from the list of approved trees (see subsection (e)(2) Approved Plant List for New Plantings or Replacements, above).

Crown.

Canopy trees shall have an average spread of crown of greater than 15 feet at maturity.

Trees having a lesser average mature crown of 15 feet may be substituted by grouping the same to create the equivalent of a 15-foot crown of spread.

(4)

Shrubs and hedges.

Shrubs shall be a minimum of three gallons.

Hedges, where installed, shall be planted and maintained so as to form a continuous, unbroken, solid, visual screen that will be three feet high within one year after time of planting.

(5)

Turf grass.

Grass areas may be sodded, plugged, sprigged or seeded.

(6)

Vines.

Vines shall be a minimum of two feet in height immediately after planting and may be used in conjunction with fences, screens, or walls to meet screening requirements as specified.

(7)

Groundcover.

Groundcovers used in lieu of grass in whole and in part shall be planted in such a manner as to present a finished appearance and reasonably complete coverage within one year of planting.

(f)

Minimum landscaping requirements for nonresidential and multiple-family developments.

Minimum front yard.

Landscape.

Front yards may be landscaped with grass, shrubbery, vines, or trees and on part may be paved or surfaced for minimum access, driveways and sidewalks.

Percentage of landscaping in the front yard.

In all nonresidential zoning districts, not less than 50 percent of the landscaping shall be located in the required front yard and shall be in accordance to subsection (f)(3) Open Space Landscaping Requirements, below.

In calculating the amount of landscaping for the front yard, if landscape areas within off-street parking/vehicular use areas are within the front yard, then they shall be counted towards the 50 percent landscaping minimum.

Minimum requirements for off-street parking and vehicular use areas.

Parking lots, vehicular use areas and parked vehicles are to be effectively screened from the public view and adjacent property. Both the interior and perimeter of such areas shall be landscaped in accordance to the following criteria. Areas used for parking or vehicular storage that are under, on, or within buildings and the BP Business Park District are exempt from these standards:

Interior landscaping.

A minimum of ten percent of the gross parking area shall be devoted to living landscaping that includes grass, groundcover, plants, shrubs and trees. Gross parking area is to be measured from the edge of the parking and/or driveway paving and sidewalks. The following additional criteria shall apply to the interior of parking lots:

Wheel stops/curbs.

Interior landscape areas shall be protected from vehicular encroachment of overhang through appropriate wheel stops or curbs.

Tree minimum.

There shall be a minimum of one tree planted for each 400 square feet or fraction thereof of required interior landscape area.

Planter/planting islands.

Interior areas of parking lots shall contain planting islands located so as to best relieve the expanse of paving. Planter islands must be located no further apart than every 12 parking spaces and at the terminus of all rows of parking. Such islands shall contain at least one tree. The remainder shall be landscaped with shrubs, lawn, groundcover and other appropriate material not to exceed three feet in height. Interior planter islands shall have a minimum size of ten feet by 18 feet.

(i)

Exemption.

Planter islands shall not be required for parcels/lots containing less than 35,000 square feet.

(ii)

Variation.

The Zoning Administrator may approve planter islands required by this subsection (f)(2)a.3, Planter/Planting Islands to be located further apart than 12 parking spaces in order to preserve existing trees in interior parking areas.

Perimeter landscaping.

All parking lots and vehicular use areas shall be screened from all abutting properties and/or public rights-of-way with a wall, fence, hedge, berm or other durable landscape barrier. Any living barrier shall be established in a two-foot minimum width planting strip. Plants and materials used in living barriers shall be at least 30 inches high at the time of planting and shall be of a type and species that will attain a minimum height of three feet one year after planting. Any landscape barrier not containing live plants or trees shall be a minimum of three feet high at time of installation.

Whenever an off-street parking or vehicular use area abuts a public right-of-way, except a public alley, a perimeter landscape area of at least 15 feet in depth shall be maintained between the abutting right-of-way and the off-street parking or vehicular use area. An appropriate landscape screen or barrier shall be installed in this area and the remaining area shall be landscaped with at least grass or other groundcover.

Perimeter landscape areas shall contain at least one tree for each 50 lineal feet or fraction thereof of perimeter area.

Open space landscaping requirements.

In addition to the landscaping of off-street parking and vehicular use areas, all remaining open spaces on any developed lot or parcel shall conform to the following minimum requirements:

Grass, groundcover, shrubs, and other landscape materials shall be used to cover all open ground within 20 feet of any building or paving or other use such as storage.

All structures shall be treated with landscaping so as to enhance the appearance of the structure and to screen any detractive or unsightly appearance.

Trees shall be planted in remaining open space at one tree per 4,000 square feet of open space area.

All open space shall have grass or lawn covering.

Properties in the BP Business Park District that have at least 15 feet of open space between the building and public right-of-way shall plant trees every 15 to 20 lineal feet within the open space. In areas where there may be issues with setback requirements, public utilities, etc. a waiver may be requested from the city manager.

(4)

Permeable surface around trees.

All existing trees that are to be preserved shall be provided with undisturbed, permeable surface area under (and extending outward to) the existing dripline of the tree. All new trees shall be provided with a permeable surface under the dripline a minimum of five feet by five feet.

(5)

Required landscaping buffer when abutting a property zoned for single-family or two-family residential.

Buffer required.

A landscape buffer of at least five feet in depth shall be provided and maintained along the length of the nonresidential or multiple-family development that is abutting a single-family or two-family zoned property.

Enhanced buffer required for large parcels.

Properties more than 250 feet in depth (if residential property is abutting the rear yard) or in width (if residential property is abutting the side yard) shall provide a ten-foot buffer.

Canopy trees required.

Canopy trees, included in the approved plant list for new plantings or replacements, with a minimum caliper of three inches shall be planted on 30-foot centers for the length of the buffer.

Enhanced planting required for large parcels.

Properties more than 250 feet in depth (if residential property is abutting the rear yard) or in width (if residential property is abutting the side yard) shall provide two rows of trees.

(g)

Minimum landscaping requirements within new single-family, two-family (duplex), and manufactured home developments.

The following are minimum landscaping requirements for new single-family, two-family, and manufactured home lots and developments. These requirements apply within SF-10 Single-Family Residential, SF-7 Single-Family Residential, MF-1 Two-Family (Duplex) Residential, and MH Manufactured Home (HUD Code) Zoning Districts (excludes the SF-E Single-Family Residential Estate Zoning District).

Tree by lot requirements.

Each single-family lot shall have two large canopy trees placed in front of the front building line with a minimum three-inch caliper and a minimum six feet in height at the time of planting.

Additional requirements.

Each single-family lot shall have:

Four evergreen shrubs, shrubs, or small trees;

Solid vegetative groundcover or lawn for the entirety of the lot that is not otherwise covered by building(s) and/or driveway area(s).

(h)

Sight distance and visibility.

Setback clearance zone.

Rigid compliance with these landscaping requirements shall not be such as to cause visibility obstructions and/or blind corners at intersections. Whenever an intersection of two or more public rights-of-way occurs, a triangular visibility area, as described below, shall be created. Landscaping within the triangular visibility area shall be designed to provide unobstructed cross-visibility at a level between 30 inches and eight feet. Trees may be permitted in this area provided they are trimmed in such a manner that no limbs or foliage extend into the cross-visibility area. The triangular areas are:

The areas of property on both sides of the intersection of an alley accessway and public right-of-way shall have a triangular visibility area with two sides of each triangle being a minimum of 15 feet in length from the point of intersection and the third side being a line connecting the ends of the other two sides.

Corner properties.

The areas of property located at a corner formed by the intersection of two or more public rights-of-way (or a private driveway onto a public road) shall have a triangular visibility area with two sides of each triangle being a minimum of 25 feet in length along the right-of-way lines (or along the driveway curb line and the road right-of-way line) from the point of the intersection and the third side being a line connecting the ends of the other two sides.

Proximity to accessways and driveways.

Landscaping, except required grass and low groundcover, shall not be located closer than three feet from the edge of any accessway pavement or driveway.

(4)

Reduction to remove visibility obstruction.

In the event that other visibility obstructions are apparent in the proposed landscape plan, as determined by the zoning administrator, the requirements set forth herein may be reduced to the extent to remove the conflict.

(i)

Maintenance.

Responsibility and condition.

The owner, tenant and/or their agent, if any, shall be jointly and severally responsible for the maintenance of all landscaping. All required landscaping shall be maintained in a neat and orderly manner at all times.

Nonconformance.

If, at any time after the issuance of a certificate of occupancy, the approved landscaping is found to be not in conformance with the standards and criteria of this article, the zoning administrator shall issue notice to the owner, citing the violation and describing what action is required to comply with this section. The owner, tenant or agent shall have 90 calendar days from date of said notice to establish/restore the landscaping, as required. If the landscaping is not established/restored within the allotted time, then such person shall be in violation of this article.