Town of Sahuarita, AZ Chapter 18.73 LANDSCAPING, BUFFERING AND SCREENING STANDARDS

§ 18.73.010 Purpose and applicability.

A. The purpose of this chapter is to provide landscaping requirements and performance standards which:

1. Enhance and promote the image of the community's desert environment.

2. Conserve groundwater resources in conformance with the Arizona Groundwater Code, ARS Title 45, Chapter 2, by:

a. Specifying the use of arid landscape design principles and standards;

b. Helping control and utilize stormwater runoff;

c. Specifying the use of plant materials from approved lists; and

d. Encouraging the use of effluent.

3. Promote the seven principles of xeriscape:

a. Water conserving design;

b. Low water use/drought tolerant plants;

c. Reduction in turf;

d. Water harvesting techniques;

e. Appropriate irrigation methods;

f. Soil improvements and use of mulches; and

g. Proper maintenance practices.

4. Protect the public health, safety and general welfare by:

a. Minimizing noise, air, water, dust and visual pollution;

b. Screening and buffering incompatible land uses;

c. Reducing the heat and glare absorbed and radiated by development;

d. Conserving energy resources;

e. Helping to control soil erosion;

f. Controlling the use of noxious plants; and

g. Increasing traffic safety.

5. Preserve neighborhood character and property values by:

a. Ameliorating adverse impacts between potentially incompatible uses.

B. Applicability.

1. The provisions of this chapter shall apply to the following:

a. All new development plans, and tentative plats;

b. Site plans for new developments which do not require a plat or a development plan; and

c. Expansion of existing uses exceeding 25 percent of the gross floor or lot area of the existing development. The area and type of landscaping required shall be determined relative to the entire area of the site.

2. Exception:

a. Individually owned single family residential lots.

b. Any tentative plats and development plans approved prior to the effective date of this chapter.

(Ord. 2011-060 § 1)

§ 18.73.020 Definitions.

A. Certain terms used in this chapter shall be defined as follows:

1.

"Active water harvesting"

means the collection of stormwater into containment systems for storage and later diversion to beneficial uses.

2.

"Buffering"

means the on-site use of landscaping elements, screening devices, open space, drainageways and landforms for reduction of the potentially adverse impacts of adjoining, dissimilar land uses.

3.

"Bufferyard"

means a unit of land together with required landscaping which may be required between land uses to eliminate or minimize conflicts between them.

4.

"Effluent"

means reclaimed wastewater.

5.

"Environmental zone design principle"

means the landscape management and design principle of identifying planting areas throughout the site that have, or will be designed to have, similar maintenance, irrigation and exposure requirements. Zones may range from arid to wet. The plant palette for each zone should clearly reflect the function and design objective of the zone. Application of this principle promotes rational site planning and efficient, attractive, cost-effective landscaping.

6.

"Fence"

means a structure usually made of posts or stakes joined together by boards, wire, or rails and erected to enclose an area, act as a barrier, serve as a boundary or screen an area.

7.

"Gallons"

means the container size generally accepted by trade professionals to denote or specify plant material size.

8.

"Landscaping"

means the combination of landscape elements in a designed, specific application which meets the purposes of this chapter. Landscape elements may include vegetation, such as trees, cacti, shrubs and groundcovers and other elements such as walls, earth berms, planters, walkways, patios and other architectural or structural elements.

9.

"Mini-oasis design concept"

means the landscape design technique of allocating a generous portion of a site's landscape water where it will return maximum benefit in terms of cooling, aesthetic pleasure and exposure to people.

10.

"Natural desert"

means desert with native vegetation that is essentially undisturbed, with no grading.

11.

"Passive water harvesting"

means the collection of stormwater directly into water harvesting infiltration areas without the temporary storage of water in a containment system. Passive water harvesting includes landscape features such as swales, micro basins, flush curbs, and recessed planting areas.

12.

"Rainwater harvesting"

means the process of intercepting stormwater and putting it to beneficial use.

13.

"Screen"

means any landscaping or structure such as walls, landscaped berms, and hedges, used to conceal or reduce the negative visual and audio impacts of certain land uses or activities from streets or adjacent development. The height of a screen is measured from the highest finished grade abutting the element to be screened.

14.

"Specimen plant"

means a tree or shrub in prime condition that stands out on its own.

15.

"Walls"

mean any solid masonry structure intended for confinement, prevention of intrusion, boundary identification or screening of an activity or land use.

(Ord. 2011-060 § 1; Ord. 2012-075 § 1)

§ 18.73.030 Performance standards.

A. Landscape designs shall be in harmony with the environmental context of the development site. Preservation of native, on-site vegetation shall be a primary objective of site planning for development. Specimen plants shall be given particular consideration for retention on site. Property owners shall comply with the provisions of ARS 3-904.

B. Wherever the undisturbed natural desert landscape cannot be preserved, landscape design and construction shall promote the use of transplanted, on-site desert plants, container plants, seeded desert plants and inorganic groundcovers. This standard shall be particularly emphasized on all landscaped areas abutting public rights-of-way, scenic routes and landscaping having high public visibility.

C. The environmental zone design principle of appropriate plant selection and placement, based on the function, water requirement and most suitable environmental exposure of the plant materials, shall be used in all proposals. The mini-oasis design provision may be permitted when proposed water-intensive planting designs are found by the planning and building department to substantially meet the criteria listed below.

1. Is limited to no more than 10 percent of the total landscaped areas;

2. Is functionally oriented on the site near main buildings or assembly areas where pedestrian activities are designed to occur;

3. Is part of a seating, assembly, rest, dining, or employee break area, or is designed to enhance a main pedestrian entryway.

D. Turf applications over 10 acres, such as required for parks and recreational facilities, school grounds, institutions and cemeteries are regulated by the Arizona Department of Water Resources and the Tucson AMA Management Plan, and are not specifically regulated by this chapter. Golf course design within the town of Sahuarita is regulated by the golf course zone (Chapter 18.59 STC).

E. Plants shall be selected from the town's approved plant list. If an applicant intends to use a plant not found on the list, a written request shall be made to the planning and building director. The request shall state the plant's characteristics which make it compatible with the regulations.

F. Trees and Shrubs.

1. Trees shall be at least 15 gallons in size, or of comparable height if bare-rooted, at planting time. If the applicant uses 24-inch box trees or transplanted trees of two-inch caliper or larger for all of the required trees, a reduction of one required tree per 100 linear feet will be allowed;

2. Shrubs shall be at least one gallon in size or at least 30-inch tall pots at planting time;

3. Trees and shrubs shall be planted so that at maturity they do not interfere with service lines, traffic sight lines and the property rights of adjacent property owners;

4. Any tree placed in the sight visibility triangle must be of a box size large enough to be pruned up to a 72-inch height immediately for clear sight visibility. All other trees shall be placed so that severe pruning is not required to keep the sight visibility triangle clear;

5. Trees located within sight visibility triangles shall not exceed one foot in its greatest cross-sectional dimension at maturity and shall not be planted in a line that could result in a solid wall effect when viewed at an angle; and

6. Trees planted within 10 feet of public sidewalks or curbs shall be provided with suitable root diverters to minimize heaving of those improvements.

G. Groundcovers.

1. When inorganic groundcovers are used it shall be in combination with live plants and not exceed two-thirds of the total area of applied ground covers.

2. Turf use is prohibited with the following exceptions:

a. Town of Sahuarita public parks;

b. Private parks that serve more than one neighborhood;

c. Private parks that serve only one neighborhood or multifamily development are limited to no more than 15 percent of the total park area;

d. Private school; and

e. Golf courses.

3. Unpaved areas in any plant bed, median or tree understory within a planter shall be planted with shrubs, accents or vines, or covered with appropriate organic and inorganic ground covers.

4. All areas not required for buildings, access drives, parking spaces, trails, and accessory uses shall be landscaped.

H. Irrigation and Water Accent Features.

1. All water use for landscape irrigation and enhancement shall conform to the Arizona Groundwater Code, ARS Title 45, Chapter 2, and the adopted groundwater management plan for the Tucson active management area;

2. Each introduced planting shall be served by a water-conserving, underground irrigation system, unless otherwise approved by the planning and building department. Stormwater harvesting and drip irrigation are the preferred irrigation methods;

3. Encouragement shall be given to the use of reclaimed water to irrigate landscaped and turfed areas. A written statement or note of reclaimed water use feasibility shall be made on landscape plans indicating briefly: cost-effectiveness, potential sources and availability;

4. Landscape designs shall be integrated with hydrology, grading and earthwork plans for the site and shall make maximum use of site stormwater runoff for irrigation purposes; and

5. Water design features, such as ponds and fountains, shall be at a scale and of a design compatible with the arid lands environment and the water conservation ethic.

I. Natural Features.

1. Earth berms shall be designed to transition to existing grades, shall not exceed a slope of 3:1, or 33 percent, and shall be adequately covered with plant material, groundcovers or rip-rap to control erosion.

2. Natural drainageways and existing, natural vegetation may be used for screening and amenity landscape credit if approved by the planning and building department, provided such uses are consistent with the town's floodplain management ordinance.

J. Streetscape Sculpture and Furniture. Streetscape bufferyards may be reduced by 10 percent of their required width, each 100 linear feet, for each approved public sculpture or furniture piece installed and maintained within the bufferyard. Public sculpture and furniture shall be approved by planning and building staff.

K. Safety Design Standards.

1. Clear lines of sight shall be maintained along streets and driveways to provide for the safety of motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists.

2. Sight visibility triangles shall be depicted to scale on all plats, development plans, plot plans and landscape plans.

3. No improvements between 30 and 72 inches in height relative to the adjacent roadways that might interfere with sight visibility shall be placed and/or maintained within the sight visibility triangle in accordance with town of Sahuarita technical standards.

L. Public Right-of-Way Standards.

1. Landscaping in publicly owned or controlled areas shall be consistent with the purpose and requirements of this chapter, design requirements as specified in the town development standards code and applicable landscape requirements;

2. A right-of-way use permit and maintenance agreement must be obtained from the public works department prior to installation of any landscaping within the public right-of-way.

M. Plant Materials Spacing. Plants may be grouped, clustered or unevenly spaced to prevent the creation of an unnatural appearance in the landscape.

N. Parking Lot Standards. Each parking row of 10 spaces shall be separated with a depressed island at least nine feet in width and equal in length to the adjacent parking space(s), measured from outside edge to outside edge of curb, containing a tree canopy and appropriate groundcover. The island may be protected from vehicles by a perforated curb with periodic openings to filter stormwater runoff from the paved parking surface. The edge of the island must have a concrete header or thickened asphalt edge. A design in context with the natural setting is desired (see diagram below).

(Ord. 2011-060 § 1; Ord. 2012-075 § 1; Ord. 2015-098 § 1; Ord. 2015-106 § 1)

§ 18.73.040 Screening and bufferyard requirements.

A. Scope.

1. Land use zones permitted by this code are ranked according to their land use intensity and restrictiveness (reference STC § 18.05.010(B)). Ranking is based on the type and degree of nuisance or negative impact the more intensive use is likely to impose on less intensive, adjacent land uses. Bufferyards shall be provided between uses to minimize the negative effects of their dissimilarity.

B. Bufferyards.

1. Purpose. Both the amount of land and the type and amount of planting specified for each bufferyard requirement are designed to ameliorate nuisances between adjacent land uses or between a land use and public street or road. The planting units required of bufferyards are calculated to function as buffers.

2. Natural desert bufferyards must provide trees. Any trees added to meet this requirement shall be grouped to buffer existing uses and to minimize disturbance of natural areas. Trees added to the natural desert bufferyards shall be chosen from the following: velvet mesquite, honey mesquite, blue palo verde, foothills palo verde, whitethorn acacia, catclaw acacia, desert willow and canyon hackberry, or be native to the site.

3. The length of bufferyards in linear feet does not include paved driveways or easements where planting is not allowed.

C. Location of Bufferyards. Bufferyards shall be located on the outer perimeter of a lot or parcel, extending to the lot or parcel boundary line. No portion of a required bufferyard shall be located on an existing or dedicated public or private street right-of-way where future right-of-way lines have not been established. Where future right-of-way lines have been established by a plan or roadway project up to 50 percent of the required bufferyard may encroach into the right-of-way with town engineer's approval. Portions of bufferyards in excess of the bufferyard requirement as determined by Tables 1 through 3 may be located on an existing or dedicated public or private street right-of-way in accordance with STC § 18.73.030(L)(2).

D. Determination of Bufferyard Requirements. To determine the type of bufferyard required between two adjacent parcels or between a parcel and a street, the following procedure shall be followed:

1. Identify the zoning district of the proposed use on Table 1, Minimum Bufferyard Required, codified in this section;

2. Identify the zoning district of the adjacent property or street frontage to the proposed use on Table 1;

3. Determine the bufferyard required on each boundary (or segment thereof) of the subject parcel by referring the indicated letter designation from Table 1 to Tables 2 and 3 below. Choose from the bufferyard width options and follow the required number of plantings for that width.

Table 1: Minimum Bufferyard Required
Zoning of Proposed Development	Zoning of Adjacent Property					Street Bufferyards
	RH, SR, SR-2, SH, GR-1, R-1	R-2, R-3, R-4, R-5	MH-1, MH-2, TH, MR, NC	B-1, B-2, MX, CPI	I-1, I-2	Front/Side Yard	Rear Yard
RH, SR, SR-2, SH, GR-1, R-1	See table note 1	See table note 1	See table note 1	No buffer required	No buffer required	A	A
R-2, R-3, R-4, R-5	A	See table note 1	See table note 1	No buffer required	No buffer required	A	A
MH-1, MH-2, TH, MR, NC	B	B	See table note 1	No buffer required	No buffer required	A	B
B-1, B-2, MX, CPI	B	B	B	No buffer required	No buffer required	A	B
I-1, I-2	B	B	B	B	No buffer required	B	B

1. No buffer required unless proposed use is nonresidential adjacent to either: (a) a residential use or (b) a vacant rural or residentially zoned property.

Table 2: Requirements for Bufferyard A
Width	10 foot	20 foot	30 foot	40 foot
Plants per 100 lineal feet	4 Trees 7 Shrubs 8 Accents	4 Trees 6 Shrubs 7 Accents	4 Trees 5 Shrubs 5 Accents	Natural Desert

Table 3: Requirements for Bufferyard B
Width	10 foot	20 foot	30 foot	40 foot
Plants per 100 lineal feet	5 Trees 9 Shrubs 12 Accents	5 Trees 8 Shrubs 12 Accents	4 Trees 7 Shrubs 9 Accents	Natural Desert

E. Use of Bufferyards.

1. A bufferyard may be used for passive recreation; it may contain sculpture, furniture and pedestrian, bike or equestrian trails; provided, that:

a. No plant material is eliminated;

b. The total width of the bufferyard is maintained by increasing the size of the bufferyard equal to the size of the trail installed; and

c. All other regulations of this chapter are met.

2. In no event shall the following uses be permitted in bufferyards:

a. Sports fields.

b. Stables.

c. Swimming pools.

d. Racquetball, tennis courts, or similar uses.

e. Parking lots.

f. Other active, structured recreational uses.

F. Screening.

1. Screening shall be installed in accordance with the following table:

Table 4: Required Screening
Zoning of Proposed Development	Zoning of Adjacent Property					Street Frontage
	RH, SR, SR-2, SH, GR-1, R-1	R-2, R-3, R-4, R-5	MH-1, MH-2, TH, MR, NC	B-1, B-2, MX, CPI	I-1, I-2	Front/Side	Rear
RH, SR, SR-2, SH, GR-1, R-1	No screen required unless proposed use is non-residential next to residential	No screen required unless proposed use is non-residential next to residential	No screen required	No screen required	No screen required	3 1/2 foot screen wall required for parking areas	3 1/2 foot wall required for parking areas
R-2, R-3, R-4, R-5	5 foot screen	No screen required unless proposed use is non-residential next to residential	No screen required	No screen required	No screen required	3 1/2 foot screen wall required for parking areas	3 1/2 foot screen wall for parking areas
MH-1, MH-2, TH, MR, NC	5 foot screen	5 foot screen	No screen required	No screen required	No screen required	3 1/2 foot screen wall required for parking areas	5 foot screen
B-1, B-2, MX, CPI	5 foot wall	5 foot wall	5 foot wall	No screen required	No screen required	3 1/2 foot screen wall required for parking areas	5 foot wall
I-1, I-2	5 foot wall	5 foot wall	5 foot wall	5 foot wall	No screen required	5 foot wall	5 foot wall

2. Screening options for residential developments include masonry walls, and hedges with a minimum height of five feet. Commercial and industrial uses and zones must use solid masonry walls with a minimum height of five feet to meet screening requirements.

3. Walls for commercial and industrial uses when abutting a residential zone or use must be located on the outside edge of the bufferyard along the property line, and when abutting a street, at least 50 percent of the vegetation must be planted on the street side of the wall. For residential development, the wall shall be on or near the property line of the residential lots and all the vegetation buffer shall be outside the walls in a common area.

4. Breaks in screen walls may be required by the planning and building department in order to provide bicycle and pedestrian access between residential and commercial uses.

5. Walls must be designed to minimize visual monotony by including the following techniques.

a. Decorative features such as caps, and patterns at least every 50 feet.

b. A variety of materials, texture or color on at least 20 percent of the wall facade surface.

c. Varied setbacks at least every 75 feet for commercial and industrial uses and varied setbacks every two lots for residential subdivisions where the wall is abutting a public street.

6. All screen walls shall be architecturally compatible with the materials and design of the buildings on site.

(Ord. 2011-060 § 1; Ord. 2015-098 § 1; Ord. 2015-105 § 1; Ord. 2025-180 § 1 (Exh. A))

§ 18.73.050 Water harvesting.

A. Both active and passive rainwater harvesting systems are permitted.

B. All passive rainwater harvesting areas shall be vegetated.

C. Water harvesting infiltration areas with the exception of parking lots shall be designed so that water infiltrates into soil within 12 hours.

D. There is not a minimum required volume of rainwater harvesting; however, passive rainwater systems must be included in the design of the site and shown on the landscape plan.

E. Passive rainwater harvesting systems are required in bufferyards and common areas where feasible.

F. Rainwater harvesting depressions shall be placed at least 10 feet from the foundations of buildings and walls.

G. Parking lot landscape islands shall be designed to harvest rainwater through the use of curb cuts and depressed landscape islands and designed so that water infiltrates into soil within 24 hours.

(Ord. 2011-060 § 1)

§ 18.73.060 Landscape plan requirements and review process.

A. Submittal and approval of a landscape plan shall be required prior to approval of a development plan, final plat or the issuance of building permits where no development plans are required. All landscape plans shall be sealed by a registered landscape architect.

B. Landscape plans shall include the following:

1. North arrow, numeric scale, bar scale, project name and number, name and address of preparer, property lines and project limits, topographic lines and elevations;

2. Identification of areas that require materials for screening, buffering and landscaping, and the abutting uses protected or screened;

3. Length and width of required bufferyards;

4. Graphic representation of all landscape elements, including significant existing, preserved, relocated and introduced plant materials, inorganic groundcovers, architectural features and their functions;

5. A plant list and legend, indicating the scientific and common name of each plant, plant size at time of planting, mature size, location and symbol and whether preserved, transplanted or introduced;

6. Conceptual irrigation plan showing the point of connection, controller, backflow preventer, mainline and valves;

7. If the plan is a phase or portion of an overall landscape plan, the following shall apply:

a. Boundary limits of the phase must be clearly noted on a copy of the overall plan.

b. Plant selection and design must conform to the overall plan.

c. A statement shall be provided describing whether any disturbance will occur to future phase landscape areas and if so how these disturbances will be mitigated prior to their being landscaped as part of a future phase.

C. Submittal.

1. Prior to the submittal of a landscape plan, the applicant should consult with planning and building staff concerning specific submittal requirements.

2. Landscape plans shall be submitted to planning and building for further processing per the process and requirements established in the town's landscape plan checklist.

3. The submittal will be checked by planning and building for completeness. If found to be incomplete as to the requirements set forth in this title, the submittal will be rejected and the applicant notified within five working days of the date the plans were received.

D. Landscape Plan Review.

1. Planning and building shall review the landscape plan for compliance with all code and special requirements.

2. The applicant shall resubmit any revised plans for final compliance review.

3. Any change to the underlying development plan or subdivision plat may require resubmittal of a new or revised landscape plan as determined by the planning and building director.

E. All landscaping shall be completed prior to receiving a final certificate of occupancy. If a project is developed in phases, landscaping and screening requirements shall be completed in sequence with phased development. The planning and building director may authorize or require the use of assurances in accordance with STC § 18.69.070 for phased development and delayed construction projects.

(Ord. 2011-060 § 1; Ord. 2025-180 § 1 (Exh. A))

§ 18.73.070 Landscape plan administrative modifications.

A. Applicability. Administrative modifications may be granted for minor changes to the landscaping, buffering, and screening standards and must be consistent with the purpose of this chapter.

B. Application. Application shall be made in writing to the planning and building department and shall include:

1. A description of the modification being requested;

2. A statement describing how the requested modification complies with the purpose of this chapter;

3. The reason for the request; and

4. Fees as per Chapter 3.10 STC.

C. Standards that may be modified include but are not limited to the following:

1. Relocating required plantings on site due to unforeseen site-specific constraints or to accommodate necessary infrastructure.

2. Eliminating or reducing parking lot island trees when covered parking is provided.

3. Minor changes to screening requirements.

D. Review. Within 20 working days of receipt of the written request, the planning and building director shall review all the submitted information and provide a written response. The planning and building director may approve, deny or refer the case to the board of adjustment in accordance with STC § 18.85.070(C).

(Ord. 2011-060 § 1; Ord. 2015-098 § 1; Ord. 2025-180 § 1 (Exh. A))

§ 18.73.080 Maintenance provisions.

A. Maintenance of landscaping shall consist of:

1. Regular watering until plants are fully established and capable of surviving without irrigation;

2. Pruning to allow for maximum shading while preventing obstruction into walkways and drive aisles;

3. Removal and replacement of dead plants with an equivalent species and size within 30 days;

4. Clearing of debris and weeds;

5. Repair and replacement of irrigation systems as necessary;

6. Repair of architectural features; and

7. Check and ensure that all water catchment areas for water harvesting are properly maintained.

B. Maintenance Assurances. The final approval of any subdivision plat or development plan that includes an approved final landscaping plan shall require covenants or assurances which:

1. Ensure the continued maintenance of required landscaping, buffering and associated irrigation systems; and

2. Assign the responsibility of maintenance to the property owner or agent, a homeowners' association or other liable entity.

C. Compliance. Town staff qualified in landscape review will periodically spot-inspect landscape installations for compliance with this chapter and approved landscape plans.

(Ord. 2011-060 § 1)