Fort Walton Beach Ordinance — 1861--Adoption of the 2012 Land Development Code — reading text

establish minimum requirements for the development, installation, and maintenance of landscaped areas without inhibiting creative landscape design and to promote the public health, safety, and general welfare. The specific intent of the City is to reduce potential adverse visual, environmental, and D: ndnpmcnt titandurds Pap' 4 - 22  t% ;'h m n'." h Land DeceloomeN (' ode aesthetic effects of development in order to: 1. Minimize the rate of stormwater runoff; 2. Maximize the capability of groundwater recharge; 3. Provide shade for the ground surfaces; 4. Buffer adjacent incompatible land uses; 5. Filter and reduce the glare of headlights and reflected sunlight from parked automobiles onto the public street rights -of -way and adjacent properties; 6. Improve the appearance of parking areas and vehicular surface areas; 7. Assist in energy conservation, production of oxygen, and reduction of carbon dioxide; 8. Filter dust and pollutants; 9. Reduce the negative impacts of noise; and 10. Provide habitats. C. Specific intent for water conservation It is further the intent of the City that creative site development concepts shall be used to promote water conservation. Water requirements may be reduced by providing for: I. The preservation of existing plant communities; 2. The reestablishment of native plant communities; 3. The use of site specific plant materials; 4. Site development that retains stormwater runoff on site; 5. The use of pervious paving materials; 6. The use of water efficiency in landscaping; and 7. Other environmentally sensitive site development concepts. D. Applicability This section shall apply to all new construction; site modification of areas devoted to parking, driveways, access points, pavements, buffers, stormwater management, or open spaces, and clearing and grubbing when affecting ten ( 10) percent or more of the site; redevelopment; change of use; and maintenance of all property within the City except for the following situations: 1. Single- family and two -family dwellings; 2. Applications for accessory uses, accessory structures, or temporary uses; 3. Plant or tree nurseries or botanical gardens; 4. The City or its authorized agent for the purpose of removal of a tree on City - owned property or a public right -of -way that is dead or a hazard to the public; 5. Utility companies or their authorized agents for the purpose of removal of a tree that is a substantial hazard to overhead wires or for trimming that is necessary for establishment or maintenance of service; 6. The trimming or pruning of trees or the removal of underbrush; or 7. The removal of trees or other landscaping damaged by fire, windstorm, lightning, or other acts of nature, which pose imminent danger to life or property. E. Landscaping plan required In order to demonstrate compliance with the requirements of this section, a landscaping plan shall be submitted in compliance with the following standards: 1. The landscaping plan shall be prepared by a licensed landscape architect; the landscape plan may be prepared by another licensed design professional when Dewelopmm. t Standard, hw, 4 - 23 Fmi It upon neaeh Lund Ue dopuunt Cody such plan is submitted as part of the site development application. 2. The landscaping plan shall include a maintenance plan and schedule, soils analysis, and an irrigation plan. 3. The requirements for plan contents and procedures for submittal, review, and approval of all applications are set forth in Chapter 9, Administrative Procedures. F. Prohibited conditions The following conditions regarding landscaping and plant materials are prohibited: 1. Trees, plants, shrubs, vegetation, or parts thereof, which overhang any sidewalk, street, alley or fire hydrant, and obstruct or impair the free and full use of the sidewalk, street, alley, or fire hydrant by the public. 2. Grass, weeds, shrubs, bushes, trees, or vegetation which constitute a fire hazard or a menace to public health, safety, or welfare. 4. 08.02 Requirements for Irrigation and Irrigation Systems A. All new, preserved, or retained landscaped areas shall be divided into water use zones. The irrigation system shall be included in the landscaping plan and shall be designed to correlate to the water use zones. 1. The high water use area shall not exceed twenty -five ( 25) percent of the total landscaped area. A non- potable water source shall be used. A central, automatic water system shall be installed. 2 The moderate water use area shall not exceed twenty -five ( 25) percent of the total landscaped area. A non- potable water source shall be available within twenty - five (25) feet of the landscaped area to allow watering during periods of drought or low rainfall. 3. The low water use area shall be comprised of drought- tolerant or xeriscape plant materials. A non -potable water source shall be available within fifty ( 50) feet of the landscaped area to allow watering during periods of extreme drought. B. The irrigation system shall be designed to provide only the water required to sustain the plants and vegetation. C. New and replacement irrigation systems shall comply with the following standards: I. Moisture sensor and rain shut -off equipment shall be required on automatic irrigation systems. The equipment shall consist of an automatic mechanical or electronic sensing device or switch which will override the irrigation cycle of the sprinkler system when adequate rainfall has occurred. 2. Only non- potable or reclaimed water shall be used in the irrigation system. 3. Drip or trickle irrigation systems shall be used to deliver water directly to the root system of plants. Where drip systems are impractical due to the large area to be irrigated, microsprinkler systems may be approved. Only drip, trickle, or microsprinkler systems are permissible in new or replacement irrigation systems. 4. 08. 03 Specifications for Landscape Materials and Vegetation A. Minimum specifications for plant materials: 1. All plant material shall be nursery grown, number I grade, meet current American Association of Nurseryman Standards, and installed according to accepted planting procedures. 1),, lopnwnt standards Race 4 - 24 Fart is afton beach 1: nd Ur. rlon me nt flail' 2. Shrubs shall be at least eighteen ( 18) inches in height at the time of installation. 3. Shrubs shall be planted approximately thirty -six ( 36) inches apart, measured on center. 4. Hedges shall be planted in double -staggered rows. 5. Trees shall be a minimum of four (4) inches dbh ( diameter at breast height) at the time of installation. 6. Trees shall be planted to provide a minimum growing area consistent with best horticultural practices. 7. Trees shall be properly guyed, braced, and/ or staked at the time of planting to ensure established and erect growth. Nail staking or other methods that cause cosmetic or biological damage to the tree are prohibited. Trees shall be restaked within twenty -four ( 24) hours in the event of failure of the guying or staking system. Stakes shall be removed when the tree is established, and not later than twelve ( 12) months after installation. 8. Canopy trees shall not be installed under any overhead utility line, over any buried utilities, or within a utility easement. 9. All landscaped areas and buffers shall be stabilized with grass ( sod or seeded) or ground cover. Ground cover used in lieu of grass shall be planted so as to present a finished appearance and substantially complete coverage. 10. Mulch or other acceptable ground cover material may be used in lieu of grass or ground cover. Mulch shall be provided in planting areas for shrubs and ornamental plants and around individual trees. Mulch shall be organic and provided to a depth of three ( 3) inches. The use of impervious materials as a weed barrier under mulch is prohibited. Mulch shall be maintained free of debris and replaced as needed to comply with best horticultural management practices. 11. Landscaped areas shall be protected from vehicular or pedestrian encroachment through the use of wheel stops, curbs, raised planting areas, or other approved protection devices. Vehicles may overhang not more than one ( 1) foot into landscape areas. 11 Trees, shrubs, grasses, and ground cover for landscaped and buffer areas shall be selected from lists of appropriate plants for north Florida identified by the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. 13. Landscaping materials qualify as native plants and drought tolerant plants when selected from the Florida- Friendly Landscaping Pattern Book. Sample plant lists and designs for four Florida regions — USDA Hardiness Zones 8A and 8B, North Florida. B. Prohibited plant materials include all vegetation identified on the Noxious Weed List as adopted in the Florida Statutes. C. Synthetic and artificial plants are prohibited outdoors. D. Site preparation shall be limited to the minimum area necessary for plantings and shall occur in stages based on the proposed planting schedule. Site preparation shall include erosion control measures consistent with the requirements set forth in the Engineering Standards Manual of Fart Walton Beach. 4. 08.04 Requirements for Trees and Tree Protection A. Preservation of protected trees D"'