A.
The City of Socorro desires to promote and preserve visually attractive
development and to improve the quality of the environment. Therefore,
landscaping shall be provided and maintained in the manner set forth
in this article.
B.
The style of landscape is not described; however, indigenous or drought-tolerant
plants are recommended.
C.
For the purposes of this article, "site" is defined as the lot or
lots included within the area for which a landscaping plan is submitted
and upon which the landscaping obligations of this article are imposed.
The standards presented herein are to be considered the minimum acceptable
for landscaping.
A.
New construction. All new construction within the C-1, C-2, and M-1
Districts and all new mobile home parks (MHPs) recreational vehicle
parks (RVPs) and multifamily dwellings shall contain a landscaped
area that is equal to not less than 15% of the required parking areas
for the site. The parking area shall include all driveways, accessways,
loading and unloading areas, and sidewalks. Up to 1/3 of the required
landscaping may be located in the public right-of-way if approved
by the Commission.
B.
Additions or structural modifications. Additions or structural modifications
valued at more than $50,000 for a site within the C-1, C-2, and M-1
Districts or within an existing MHP, RVP, or multifamily dwelling
complex shall include landscaping improvements which bring the site
into compliance with this article by providing a landscaped area that
is equal to not less than 15% of the required parking area for the
site. The parking area shall include all driveways, accessways, loading
and unloading areas, and sidewalks. Up to 1/3 of the required landscaping
may be located in the public right-of-way if approved by the Commission.
Buildings which are to be structurally modified upon sites which do
not contain sufficient area for landscaping may be exempted from these
requirements after approval by the Commission.
Landscaping shall consist of the use of ground covers, shrubs
and trees which are further described below.
A.
Ground covers. "Ground covers" means grass, low shrubs, or flowers
but does not include asphalt, concrete, or bare soil which is exposed
and untreated. Gravel, decorative stone, or bark mulch shall also
be considered as acceptable ground cover if used in combination with
grass, shrubs, flowers, and trees. A minimum of 100 square feet of
ground cover shall be provided for every 1,000 square feet of required
landscaped area.
B.
Shrubs. Shrubs must be a minimum two-and-a-half-gallon size utilized
by plant nurseries and should be approximately one foot in height
and one foot in width at the time of planting. A minimum of 20 live
shrubs shall be provided for every 1,000 square feet of required landscaped
area.
C.
Trees. Trees must be of the deciduous or coniferous types and must
have a minimum diameter of two inches at the time of planting. A multi-trunk
tree shall have no fewer than three trunks, each of which is at least
one inch in diameter. A minimum of one live tree shall be provided
for every 1,000 square feet of required landscaped area.
D.
Substitution of plant materials. Variations from the minimums defined
above will be considered in review of a landscaping plan by the Commission
if the proposed landscaping is environmentally sound and aesthetically
pleasing.
Landscaping shall be installed in accordance with the following
guidelines:
A.
B.
Parking lots. All new parking lots in excess of 100 spaces shall
include one tree, in addition to the minimum required above, for every
20 parking spaces to provide shade and visual relief. Covered parking
areas are exempted from this requirement.
Landscape screening shall be opaque from the ground to a height
of at least eight feet.
A.
Sites in C-1, C-2, and M-1 Districts. Sites in C-1, C-2, and M-1
Districts which are contiguous with residential zones shall be required
to include a landscaped screen on that perimeter contiguous to the
residential zone.
B.
Multifamily dwellings. Multifamily dwellings shall be required to
include a landscaped screen on that perimeter contiguous to single-family
housing.
A.
An automatic or manual irrigation system shall be provided for any
landscaping or screening installed in compliance with this article.
The irrigation system shall be adequate to properly irrigate the landscaping
at maturity. The owner of the landscaped property shall be responsible
to maintain landscaping or screening in a healthy, neat, and clean
condition. Dead plant material shall be replaced with new plant material
immediately.
B.
All landscaped and screened areas shall be controlled by pruning
or trimming so as to not interfere with the installation, maintenance,
or repair of any public utility, restrict pedestrian or vehicular
traffic, or constitute a traffic hazard.
Plant materials shall not exceed three feet in height at maturity
within the clear-sight triangle. Planted materials adjacent to the
clear-sight triangle which grow over or obstruct vision above the
allowable three-foot height within the clear-sight triangle shall
not be permitted.
A.
A landscaping plan is required as a part of the application for all special use permits and for those developments or improvements which meet those criteria stated in § 250-10.2.
B.
Each landscaping plan shall indicate the type, size, and location
of landscaping, along with existing and proposed topography and proposed
irrigation systems. The scale of the landscaping plan shall be as
recommended by the Zoning Administrator/Code Enforcement Officer.
No zoning permit or certificate shall be approved by the City of Socorro
for those developments requiring a landscaping plan unless said plan
is reviewed and approved as part of the application process.[1]
