TEU committee approves narrower landscaping relief for industrial and commercial redevelopment

The Transportation, Energy and Utilities Committee voted 7-0 on Oct. 21 to approve changes to an existing landscape ordinance that ease some landscaping requirements for certain industrial and commercial redevelopment projects.

The committee approved an amendment that (1) makes the look-back period for assessing whether a project meets the improvement threshold two years instead of one; (2) raises the minimum contribution toward meeting landscaping requirements for qualified projects from 5% to 10%; and (3) clarifies the scope of industrial and commercial developments covered by the change. The underlying ordinance was recorded on the agenda as item 20250448 and passed on second reading in the committee.

Committee members and staff said the measure is aimed at helping older industrial or commercial properties that sit “on the shelf” become reusable without requiring full, immediate compliance with newer landscape standards.

Krissy Kinney, a resident who presented public comment, opposed the landscaping portion of the bill. “The argument that the relaxation is required for small business growth is weak and a false cause,” Kinney said, urging the committee to consider environmental trade-offs and the lack of direct evidence that relaxing landscaping rules would materially increase small-business investment decisions.

Councilmember Randy White (District 12), the bill sponsor, told the committee the change…