Planning staff seek feedback on proposed citywide landscape ordinance and tree-canopy measures

Tara Bradley of the Farmers Branch Planning Department presented proposed amendments to the citywide landscape ordinance, saying the draft aims to update minimum landscape requirements, expand canopy preservation, improve pedestrian safety and reduce stormwater runoff while encouraging drought-tolerant and native plants.

"This is a landscape ordinance that we're bringing forward to the different committees to get feedback," Bradley said, outlining components including applicability, irrigation requirements, screening buffers and an upgraded preferred plant list. She said staff will present committee feedback to the Parks Board, then take the item to Planning & Zoning for a May 11 study session before eventual council consideration.

Committee members praised the draft as thoughtful and suggested several refinements: consider incentives for dark-sky-compliant lighting, allow flexibility when replacing dead plants (a 30-to-90-day window was suggested), permit similar species from the approved list rather than an exact match, and adopt sliding-scale planting percentages so small commercial lots are not held to the same percentage as large retailers.

Members asked about permeable parking and driveway provisions; Bradley said most provisions target development and that single-family residential properties are less likely to be enforced under the current draft, though staff could coordinate with building and public-works departments if broader changes are considered.

Several speakers raised tree-preservation enforcement questions, asking whether penalties or fines scale with developer resources and how the city would deter removal of mature trees during redevelopment. Bradley said the draft before the committee does not replace a separate tree-preservation ordinance; preservation details would be addressed in a subsequent code component if pursued.

Committee members also proposed biodiversity safeguards—examples discussed included limiting any single species to no more than 10 percent of plantings, 20 percent per genus and 30 percent per family—to reduce monoculture vulnerability to pests and disease. Bradley noted the draft includes a rain shut-off requirement for irrigation systems and a new irrigation-plan requirement for applicants.

Bradley asked for written comments and invited committee participation as staff refines the draft.

Next steps: staff will forward committee feedback to Parks Board, present at Planning & Zoning study session on May 11 and then seek further direction toward potential council consideration.