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Landscape Requirements

A landscape plan must be submitted in conjunction with the building permit plans.  The landscape plan required under this section must contain the following information:

Location and amount of area devoted to proposed landscape development  

Description of trees, shrubs and ground cover name, size (diameter and/or container) height, spread and spacing as may be necessary to determine the extent of the proposal.  

 

Where credited trees are proposed, an indication of how these trees will be protected from damage during construction shall be provided.  

Location, height and material of proposed screening and fencing. Berms to be delineated by one -foot contours.

Landscaping

These provisions shall apply to all new development except for single family residential, two-family residential and all property within a Central Business zoning district. In the case of an addition to a structure or on a site covered by these requirements, the provisions shall apply only when the addition is equal to or greater than 25% of the gross building square footage at the time of passage of this ordinance.

No building permit for a structure covered by these requirements shall be issued unless a minimum area, as outlined below, of the building site (see definitions) not covered by a building or a structure is devoted to landscape development.  

ex: (site) 100,000 sf – (building) 10,000 sf = 90,000 sf

7 ½ % x 90,000 = 6,750 sf  of landscaping required

                 (% depends on the size of the site)

Area of Site                                        Required Landscape Development

Up to 40, 000 s.f.                                 5% of area not covered by building or structure

40,001 to 200,000 s.f.                          7 ½ % of area not covered by building or structure

Above 200,000 s.f.                              10% of area not covered by building or structure  

Trees

As part of the landscape development, a minimum number of trees shall be provided and maintained on the building site, as outlined below, based on the area of the site not covered by a building or a structure.

Site Size                                                                           No. of Trees

(rounded up to a whole tree)

ex: 90,000sf / 20,000 = 4.5 x 3 = 13.5 = 14 trees or tree credits required

Landscape plans that preserve existing trees, found on the approved tree list, shall be given credit toward the total number of trees required as outlined below: The tree list includes all East TX native trees and is available on request.  

Diameter of Existing Tree                                          Credit Against Tree Requirement (inches)

2 - 3                                                                                        1 tree

3 ½  - 9                                                                                   2 trees

9 ½ - 15                                                                                   3 trees

15 ½ or greater                                                                          6 trees  

Death of required trees and landscaping

If a credited tree dies, it must be replaced with the credit number of trees.

If any required landscaping tree, shrub, or ground cover plant should die, the plants shall be replaced in compliance with the provisions of this section relating to percentage of landscape development and required number of tree credits prior to the end of the next planting season.

Parking spaces may be reduced to allow space for additional trees
On development sites requiring 100 parking spaces or more, the number of parking spaces may be reduced by 1% for every 10% increase in tree credits provided above the minimum, however, the parking requirement shall not be reduced by more than 5%.

No major change to an approved landscape development plan shall be made prior to the submission and approval of a revised plan meeting the criteria found in this section.

Upon a recommendation by the Tree Board, an alternative plan, which is not in strict compliance with these landscape provisions, may be approved. The alternative plan must clearly be superior to a plan that would otherwise be in strict compliance. In making the determination, the board may consider the topography, shape, size or other natural features of the property; the ability of the alternative plan to enhance a natural feature peculiar to the site; the opportunity to create a unique atmosphere or attraction and other similar factors.  

Definitions: 

The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this section, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this subsection, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:

            Building Site -the tract, parcel or lot of land area.

Diameter -the measurement of a tree at (6) inches above ground level.

Ground cover plants - grasses and other plants grown to keep soil from being blown or washed away and planted so as to develop full coverage within eighteen (18) months

Landscape development - trees, shrubs, ground cover, vines or grass installed in planting areas having a minimum of ten (10) square feet of actual planting area and a minimum inside dimension on any side of eighteen (18) inches.

Shrub - any self-supporting, woody, evergreen species as normally will grow in the county.

Structure- Any man-made object that needs support and rises more than 2.5 feet above ground level.

Tree - any self-supporting woody plant of a species that normally grows to an overall height of a minimum of fifteen (15) feet in the county. At the time of planting, the minimum diameter shall be (1) inch.

Tree Board - an advisory body, appointed by the City Council, having the responsibility to study, investigate, counsel and develop plans for the care, preservation and planting of trees and shrubs in parks, along streets and other public areas.