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A. Applicability. This section applies to all new development requiring site plan review in compliance with BDC Chapter 4.2, Minimum Development Standards Review, Site Plan Review and Design Review.

B. Landscaping Plan Required. A landscape plan is required. All landscape plans shall conform to the requirements in BDC 4.2.300(A)(7), Landscape Plan.

C. Landscape Area Standards. A minimum percentage landscape coverage is required. Coverage is measured based on the size of plants at maturity or after two years of growth, whichever comes sooner. The minimum required landscaping is 15 percent of the gross lot area for the following uses:

1. Residential – micro-unit developments and multiple-unit developments.

2. Commercial and office developments.

3. Industrial developments. Seventy-five percent of the required 15 percent site landscaping shall be located within the front yard setbacks and parking areas or other areas visible to the public, unless otherwise required as a condition of approval.

4. Mixed-use developments.

5. Special landscape standards may be required in accordance with BDC Chapters 2.7, Special Planned Districts, 3.6, Special Standards and Regulations for Certain Uses, and 3.8, Development Alternatives.

D. Landscape Materials. Landscape materials include live trees, shrubs, ground cover plants, nonplant ground covers, and outdoor hardscape features, as described below:

1. Plant Selection. Native vegetation must be preserved or planted where practical. A combination of live deciduous and evergreen trees, shrubs and ground covers must be used for all planted areas, the selection of which must be based on local climate, exposure, water availability, and drainage conditions. Fire resistive plants should be planted in forested areas or on slopes where necessary to reduce the risk of fire spreading to structures. As necessary, soils must be amended to allow for healthy plant growth.

2. Hardscape Features. Ground-level areas for passive use, such as patios, decks, plazas, paved dining areas, etc., may cover up to 15 percent of the required 15 percent landscape area; swimming pools, sports courts and similar active recreation facilities may not be counted toward fulfilling the landscape requirement.

3. Nonplant Ground Covers. Bark dust, chips, aggregate or other nonplant ground covers may be used and are not considered a substitute for ground cover plants. Measures must be taken to prevent erosion of nonplant ground covers onto adjacent properties or rights-of-way.

4. Tree Size. Required deciduous trees at planting must have a minimum caliper size of two inches measured at four and one-half feet above ground. If the required caliper is not available as demonstrated by letters submitted by three different local nurseries, the Planning Director/Review Authority may accept a smaller caliper tree no less than one and one-half inches.

5. Shrub Size. Shrubs shall be planted from two-gallon containers or larger.

6. Ground Cover Location and Size. All of the landscaped area that is not planted with trees and shrubs or covered by allowable hardscape features must be planted in ground cover plants, including grasses. Ground cover plants shall be sized and spaced in the following manner: planted at a rate of at least one plant per 18 inches on center, in triangular spacing based on plant habitat (growth rate) with an expected coverage of 80 percent within five years of the time of planting.

7. Significant Vegetation. Significant vegetation preserved in accordance with BDC 3.2.200 may be credited toward meeting the minimum landscape area standards in subsection (C) of this section. Credit shall be granted based on the total square footage of the preserved canopy. The street tree standards of BDC 3.2.400 may be waived when trees preserved within the front yard setbacks provide the same or better shading and visual quality as would otherwise be provided by street trees between the street and sidewalk.

8. Stormwater Facilities. Landscaped bio-swales are encouraged and can be counted in the required amount of landscaped area on the site. Planting of broad leaf canopy trees is encouraged as effective surface water interceptors.

E. Landscape Design Standards. Landscaping design standards must comply with the following:

1. Parking Areas.

a. When a development is not subject to BDC 3.3.300(D), Developments With More Than One-Half Acre of New Surface Parking Area, a minimum of 10 percent of the parking lot area must be landscaped as measured around the perimeter of all parking spaces, maneuvering lanes and maneuvering areas including all driveways, aisles, and drive-ins and drive-through lanes, and interior landscaping. Such landscaping must consist of an evenly distributed mix of broad-canopied deciduous shade trees with shrubs and/or ground cover plants. Evenly distributed means that the trees and other plants are distributed around the parking lot perimeter and between parking bays to provide a partial canopy. At a minimum, one tree per eight parking spaces total must be planted to create a partial tree canopy over and around the parking area. All parking areas with more than 50 spaces must include landscape islands with trees to break up the parking area into rows.

b. Developments with more than one-half acre of new surface parking area that opt to comply with the tree canopy requirement in BDC 3.3.300(D)(2)(a) must comply with the following:

i. To determine surface parking lot area, measure the total of all new areas on which a vehicle is designed to maneuver and drive on, including all new parking spaces, driveways, aisles, and drive-in and drive-through lanes within the parking lot. Paved areas not used by passenger vehicles, such as loading areas or outdoor storage of goods and materials, are not counted as surface parking lot area.

ii. To determine canopy coverage, calculate the expected diameter of the tree canopy at 15 years after planting. Tree canopy must be measured from a plan view of the tree planting plan. Where canopies overlap, the overlap must only be counted once. Except for unenclosed carports, canopy that covers a building does not count toward meeting the coverage standard.

iii. For existing trees that will remain on the site after development, the calculation may use the actual crown area of any existing trees or the anticipated crown area of any existing trees at maturity but no more than 15 years after planting.

iv. The 15-year time period applies regardless of whether the tree will be mature at that time. If a tree species will be mature before 15 years, use the expected tree canopy for a mature tree of that species.

v. Trees must be located in a continuous trench and include three or more continuous trees, except where planting a tree would conflict with existing trees, retaining walls, utilities and similar physical barriers. A tree planted in a disconnected individual planter does not count towards the canopy requirements.

2. Parking Lot Driveway and Drive Aisles. Developments with more than one acre of new surface parking area that opt to comply with parking lot driveways and drive aisles trees in BDC 3.3.300(D)(2)(b) must comply with the following:

a. Parking Lot Driveway Tree Requirements. One tree must be planted every 25 feet of parking lot driveway, except large trees identified in BDC 3.2.400(B), City of Bend Approved Tree List, can be 35 feet apart. For driveway segments of sufficient length to require more than one tree, the trees must be planted in a continuous trench except where planting a tree would conflict with existing trees, retaining walls, utilities or similar physical barriers or are interrupted by driveways, drive aisles, or pedestrian facilities.

b. Parking Lot Drive Aisle Tree Requirements. At a minimum, one tree per eight parking spaces total must be planted to create a partial tree canopy over and around the parking area. All parking areas must include landscape islands with trees to break up the parking area into rows.

For purposes of this subsection, a parking lot driveway and drive aisle are defined as follows:

Parking Lot Driveway

Drive aisle

• Provides access to and from the surrounding streets, and connections through the site to buildings and parking lot drive aisles

• A vehicular access bordered by parking spaces

• Provides access to a limited number of parking spaces (only along a portion of its length; only on one side)

• Primarily serves as access to abutting parking spaces

• Usually intersects with multiple other driveways and drive aisles along its length

• Will have few or no intersections, with the exception of T-intersections, usually with abutting drive aisles

Parking Lot Driveways (Blue) and Drive Aisles (Orange

3. Landscape Buffering and Screening Required. Landscape buffering and screening are required under the following conditions:

a. Parking/Maneuvering Area Adjacent to Streets. Where a parking or maneuvering area for more than 10 vehicles is adjacent to a street, a landscape buffer consisting of a variety of trees, ground cover and/or shrubs must be provided. The width of the landscape buffer must be the same width as the front setback or a minimum of four feet (excluding curb dimensions), whichever is greater. The required screening must provide breaks, as necessary, for pedestrian facilities.

b. Parking/Driveway/Maneuvering Area Adjacent to Building. Where a parking or maneuvering area, or driveway, is adjacent to a building, the area must be separated from the building by a raised walkway, plaza, or landscaped buffer no less than two feet in width. Raised curbs, bollards, wheel stops, or other design features must be used to protect buildings from being damaged by vehicles. See also subsection (E)(2) of this section, Parking Lot Driveway and Drive Aisles.

When parking areas are located next to residential ground-floor living space, a landscape buffer with a minimum width of five feet is required.

c. Screening of Mechanical Equipment, Outdoor Storage, Service and Delivery Areas, and Automobile-Oriented Uses. All mechanical equipment, outdoor storage, manufacturing, and service and delivery areas shall be screened to the greatest extent practical from all public streets, Residential Districts, and housing units on the same site. Screening shall be provided by one or more of the following: decorative wall (i.e., masonry or similar quality material as the building), evergreen hedge, non-see-through fence, or a similar feature that provides a non-see-through barrier. Walls, fences, and hedges shall comply with the vision clearance requirements and provide for pedestrian circulation, in accordance with BDC Chapter 3.1, Lot, Parcel and Block Design, Access and Circulation. (See BDC 3.2.500 for other standards related to fences and walls.)

d. Landscape Islands. Landscape islands must be provided at the ends of each parking drive aisle and must be a minimum of four feet in width (excluding curb dimensions).

4. Tree Planter Dimensions. All areas for required trees must have minimum dimensions of four feet by four feet (excluding curb dimensions).

F. Landscape Installation Requirement. All yards, parking lots and required street tree planter strips must be landscaped at the time of site development in accordance with the provisions of this chapter. All required landscaping and related improvements must be completed prior to the issuance of a certificate of occupancy. Only during winter months when the ground is frozen may the required landscape improvements be eligible for financial guarantee prior to occupancy.

G. Soil Preparation, Planting and Care. Soil preparation, ground cover material, staking, and irrigation must be installed in accordance with the provisions of the American National Standards Institute ANSI A300 (latest edition).

H. Maintenance and Irrigation. The use of drought-tolerant plant species is encouraged. Water-efficient irrigation must be provided for new plants. If the plantings fail to survive, the property owner must immediately replace them with an equivalent specimen (i.e., evergreen shrub replaces evergreen shrub, deciduous tree replaces deciduous tree, etc.). All other landscape features required by this code must be maintained in good condition, or otherwise replaced by the owner. [Ord. NS-2488, 2023; Ord. NS-2463, 2023; Ord. NS-2423, 2021; Ord. NS-2389, 2020; Ord. NS-2016, 2006]