Draft captions native-planting standards, street-tree coordination and parking‑lot screening

Article 5’s landscaping provisions were discussed at length. The draft introduces standards intended to improve tree canopy, increase native plantings and provide screening between incompatible uses.

What the draft would do - Frontage green belt: new buildings and expansions of 10 percent or greater in gross floor area would be required to provide a frontage green belt and street trees; the planning commission can waive the requirement where buildings abut the sidewalk in built‑out mixed‑use areas. - Native species quotas: new tree plantings proposed to be at least 90 percent native; new shrubs at least 50 percent native, reflecting public preference for native landscaping. - Parking-lot and screening buffers: parking-lot landscaping requirements triggered for lots of 20 spaces or more; the draft establishes “minor” and “major” screening buffers with plant lists and options for berms, walls and evergreen screens. - Maintenance and replacement: the draft contains a maintenance requirement; commissioners asked for stronger, explicit replacement requirements and enforcement pathways for trees and screening that die after planting.

Commissioner and public concerns Commissioners asked staff to expand the city’s prohibited-noxious-plant list (examples raised included tree-of-heaven, buckthorn, Bradford pear and Siberian elm) and to clarify how right‑of‑way street trees will be coordinated with public works and DPW permission. Several commissioners stressed that required plantings should be placed where they will survive and not create sidewalk damage.

Ending: staff said they will update cross-references, prepare species lists, add replacement/maintenance enforcement language and coordinate street‑tree planting guidance with DPW.