21.32.050 General Landscape Standards.
A. All plants shall be of the type, size and condition specified, be in a healthy condition, and conform with the American Nurseryman Standards.
B. All plants shall be compatible with Redmond’s USDA plant hardiness zone.
C. Existing trees and shrubs on the site of a proposed development may be used to meet requirements where such plant material is consistent with the planting design concept, healthy, and likely to survive development activities.
D. All plants shall have the following minimum size at installation:
2. Evergreen trees: six-foot height.
3. Vine maples and other multistemmed trees: seven-foot height.
4. Medium shrubs: 24-inch minimum height and tall shrubs: 30-inch minimum height
5. Groundcover: Spacing shall be 18 inches on center maximum and shall provide 75 percent coverage within three years.
E. Bark, mulch, gravel or other nonvegetative material shall only be used in conjunction with groundcover plantings to assist growth and maintenance or to visually complement plant material. In planted areas, nonvegetative material shall not appear to be dominant over plant material.
F. Native Plants shall be selected from the guide, Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast: Washington, Oregon, British Columbia and Alaska, or as approved by the Administrator.
G. The vegetation selected for the landscape plan shall be suited to the physical conditions of the site so it can be expected to survive.
H. Trees species and location shall be selected to:
1. Minimize the potential for interfering with or damaging power lines, underground utilities, or impervious surfaces.
2. Compatibility with the site design at their mature size.
3. Minimize potential damage to sidewalks, foundations, structures and injuries to people.
I. Plants having similar water-use characteristics should be grouped together; for example, plantings that are not drought tolerant should be grouped together and separated from drought-tolerant plantings. If installed, separate irrigation systems should be provided as necessary for each group.
J. Medians shall be planted with groundcover and the use of turf and/or grass shall be restricted within medians because of potential problems with maintenance.
K. Plants shall be spaced appropriately for their type, function and landscape design (massing, individual display, etc.).
L. All required planting areas shall extend to the curb line, street edge, or area of sidewalk to integrate site landscaping with frontage landscaping.
M. Landscaping, except parking lot perimeter plantings, shall be installed within and along adjacent rights-of-way where appropriate and may be used to meet the site area requirement.
N. All areas maintained in pervious surface that exceed the required landscape area must be seeded or otherwise planted to reduce erosion and stormwater pollution.
O. A minimum five-foot-wide planting area shall be provided between all exterior building walls and vehicular paved areas except at service and pedestrian accesses unless an alternative dimension is required when demonstrated through professionally engineered solutions, such as green roofs, green walls, rain gardens, bioretention swales, or other solutions.
P. All planting areas shall be a minimum of five feet in width and length, except where a greater dimension is required for the health and survival of the plants.
Q. Plantings shall meet the City requirements for sign clearance at intersections, and shall not conflict with pedestrian or traffic safety.
R. The minimum size of any planting area shall be 64 square feet, except where otherwise indicated, to provide a proper planting environment.