Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Commercial Landscape Standards topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Planning Commission Discusses Commercial Landscape Standards; Staff to Draft Ordinance
Summary
Planning staff sought direction on commercial landscape design standards and maintenance language to address dead trees, turf removal, water efficiency and hardscape definitions; commissioners asked for tree requirements, staged compliance timelines and use of state water-district plant lists. Staff will return with draft ordinance language.
Ridgecrest planning staff briefed the commission on proposed commercial landscape design standards and maintenance language and asked for direction before drafting an ordinance. The discussion focused on balancing water-efficient landscaping, defining hardscape materials, and practical timelines and enforcement for existing commercial properties.
Staff said commercial landscaping on some sites has deteriorated after water restrictions and rising irrigation costs, with turf removed and planter areas left as bare dirt. The presentation included photos comparing maintained hardscape and low-water plantings with neglected lots. Staff suggested adding maintenance language to the city's code to clarify obligations for irrigation systems, watering, mowing, pruning, replacing dead plants, and removing debris. Staff also proposed defining hardscape (for example, decomposed granite and rock surfaces) and setting coverage standards for commercial sites'one example in the staff discussion was a proposed minimum of 5 percent landscaped area for new commercial site plans.
Commissioners and staff discussed reliance on the California Government Code's water-efficiency landscaping requirements for projects larger than 2,500 square feet and noted that CalGreen parking-lot standards are a useful model for shade and tree requirements. Staff said the city intends to reference the water district's plant list so the ordinance does not require the city to maintain a static list; commissioners supported using established drought-tolerant plant lists maintained by regional water agencies.
Several commissioners urged that tree requirements be part of the standard, with one commissioner saying every building in Ridgecrest should have at least one tree and another emphasizing the role of trees in providing shade to reduce heat. Commissioners also raised practical concerns about implementation: the limited nursery supply in the area, the cost of retrofits, and the need for a staged compliance timeline rather than immediate full compliance for existing properties. Staff said code enforcement would focus on property owners (not lessees) and that adoption and implementation would follow the city's standard procedures, with adoption by City Council followed by a 30-day waiting period before the ordinance becomes effective.
Staff said they will collect sample ordinances from comparable communities, draft definitions for hardscape materials, incorporate CalGreen parking-lot standards for tree canopy where appropriate, and bring draft ordinance language back to the commission next month for review.
No formal action or vote was taken; the item was discussion only.
