Any open space or area, including yards, required by Chapters 10 to 14 for the following uses and zones, shall be landscaped and permanently maintained in accordance with the provisions of this article (Landscaping): all residential uses, general commercial, neighborhood commercial, light industrial, industrial and public facility.
(Ord. 17-10, 2017; Ord. 22-13, 2022)
A. 
Whenever a portion of a lot or parcel is required to be devoted to landscaped open space, two trees and three shrubs shall be required for each 1,000 square feet of the open space, or fraction thereof, and each landscaped area shall have a minimum vegetative cover of at least 50%, at plant maturity.
B. 
As a requirement of subdivision plat, partition plat, conditional use permit, or design review approval, the applicant shall provide for landscaping on the proposed development, and planting strips adjacent to the site, in accordance with this article (Landscaping).
C. 
All trees required by this article (Landscaping) shall be included in computing any number of trees required by this section.
(Ord. 17-10, 2017; Ord. 22-13, 2022)
Owners/developers shall comply with the provisions of City Code Chapter 3, Article 7 (Tree Regulations in Public Places) relating to street trees, as defined in City Code Section 3.705. Street trees required by Chapters 10 to 14 shall also meet the following minimum requirements.
A. 
Street trees shall be maintained by the adjacent property owner in a healthy condition, for a period of not less than two years from planting. The developer/owner shall replace trees which die within that time. Beyond such time, the City will maintain and replace said trees.
B. 
Street trees are to be planted within 10 feet of the curbs on both sides of all streets, except alleys and within vision clearance areas.
C. 
A minimum of one tree shall be planted for every 50 feet of such frontage along each street. Trees shall be spaced as evenly as practicable.
D. 
Street trees may be selected from the list of approved street trees prepared by the City Manager in accordance with City Code Section 3.715(C). Other trees may be substituted upon approval of the Director and consultation with the City Forester.
E. 
The Commission may grant an exception to the requirements of this section upon a finding that there are trees existing along such streets or on abutting properties which, in the opinion of the Commission, comply with the spirit and intent of this section and Chapter 3, Article 7 (Tree Regulations in Public Places).
(Ord. 17-10, 2017; Ord. 22-13, 2022)
A minimum three-foot by four-foot tree well area shall be provided for all trees planted within sidewalks, parking lots, and other asphalt or concrete paved surfaces.
(Ord. 17-10, 2017; Ord. 22-13, 2022)
A. 
On lots where more than four off-street parking spaces are required, there shall be at least one tree in each separate landscaped area and a minimum vegetative cover of at least 50%, at plant maturity, of each landscaped area.
B. 
When parking is placed in the structure setback area, the parking shall be landscaped to provide partial screening of the parking area from the right-of-way. Landscaping shall include plantings and berms not exceeding 30 inches in height, except for trees. Landscaping shall include trees placed not less than one tree for each 50 feet of frontage. Tree limbs shall have a clearance of eight feet above sidewalk surface.
C. 
Parking lots shall be screened from abutting land uses in accordance with Sections 14.070 (Building placement for new development) and 14.150 (Screens).
D. 
Parking lots where more than four off-street parking spaces are required shall have landscaped islands at the ends of parking rows. This does not apply to perimeter parking rows with an adjacent four-foot buffer of landscaping. At the discretion of the Director, alternative landscaping may be considered for industrial uses allowed within the Light Industrial and Industrial Zones as described in Section 12.000 (Uses permitted by zone).
E. 
A minimum of 10% of the space provided for vehicular circulation shall be added as landscaping, which shall be evenly distributed, where practicable, throughout the parking lot. Vehicular circulation includes driveways, driveway easements or parking areas. This subsection shall not apply to single-family, duplex, or triplex uses, or redevelopment that does not include a building addition. No parking row shall contain 12 contiguous parking spaces without a curbed planting area. In no case where landscaping is required shall there be less than 300 square feet of landscaping.
F. 
The minimum dimensions on any one side of the landscaped area shall be three feet in length and the landscaping shall be protected from vehicular damage by some form of wheel guard.
(Ord. 17-10, 2017; Ord. 22-02, 2022; Ord. 22-13, 2022)
All yards of developed property not otherwise subject to the provisions of this article (Landscaping) shall be maintained by the owner of the lot or parcel in shrubs, decorative rock, organic mulch, grass or similar vegetative ground cover.
(Ord. 17-10, 2017; Ord. 22-13, 2022)
A. 
Except when located within the Downtown Business Zone, any combination dwelling units on a single lot, or contiguous lots under common ownership, and having seven or more dwelling units, shall provide within the development a recreation area and suitable playground or recreation equipment. Such recreation areas shall be a minimum of 200 square feet per dwelling unit and no less than 2,000 square feet.
B. 
Playground equipment meeting Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) standards shall include at least one of the following: climber, play sculpture, play wall, sand box, slide, balance beam, horizontal ladder, parallel bar or swings. The area around the playground equipment shall have appropriate cushioning material according to CPSC standards.
C. 
Playground equipment shall be provided at the following ratios:
Number of Residential Units
Required Number of Playground Equipment
12—20
1
21—50
2
51—100
3
101—200
4
201—300
5
301—400
6
401—500
7
501 +
8
(Ord. 17-10, 2017; Ord. 22-02, 2022; Ord. 22-13, 2022)
Unless otherwise specified, all landscaping required by this article (Landscaping) or other applicable sections of Chapters 10 to 14 shall conform to the following provisions and are subject to the provisions of the Klamath Falls Street Tree Plan where applicable:
A. 
All trees required to be planted by Chapters 10 to 14 shall be maintained in a healthy condition by the owner or other person specified by the CDO. Trees shall not be pruned in such a manner as to prevent growth. Where new trees are required, existing trees may be counted if the soil under their branches remains undisturbed.
B. 
Landscaping shall primarily consist of ground cover, trees, shrubs, other living plants and shall have sufficient permanent irrigation installation to properly maintain all vegetation. Decorative design elements such as water features, benches, sculptures, planters and similar elements may be placed within the area.
C. 
Where shrubs are intended as screening, spacing shall be in such a manner so as to be sight obscuring within 24 months of the date of planting.
D. 
All shrubs and trees shall be at least 10 feet from geothermal conduit lines and rain basins and five feet from other underground utilities.
E. 
Trees and shrubs shall comply with the requirements of City Code Section 5.632 (Trees and shrubs).
F. 
New trees shall be chosen from the Approved Tree List in the Klamath Falls Street Tree Plan and shall be a minimum of two-inch caliper size, measured four inches above the ground, except "small trees" that shall be a minimum of one and one-half-inch caliper size, measured four inches above the ground.
G. 
Mulch, consisting of wood chips, bark, or similar organic material, shall be installed and maintained two to four inches in depth within the drip line of required trees. Rock shall not be used as mulch.
H. 
Except for Residential Zones, any landscape element required by this article (Landscaping) that dies, or is otherwise removed, shall be promptly replaced with landscaping elements with the same or similar size and characteristics.
(Ord. 17-10, 2017; Ord. 22-02, 2022; Ord. 22-13, 2022)
Landscaping, including trees, shall be installed prior to occupancy, unless security equal to 120% of the cost of such landscaping, as determined by the Director, is provided pursuant to the provisions of Section 11.925 (Improvement guarantee) and such installation is within six months after occupancy.
(Ord. 17-10, 2017; Ord. 22-13, 2022)