Planning commission forwards amended landscape ordinance to Town Council

The Fairfield Planning Commission voted unanimously on May 6, 2026, to forward amendments to Title 10.19.00 (Landscape Requirements) to the Town Council for consideration. The commission completed a line-by-line review and agreed to several clarifying edits before referral.

The commission removed a final sentence in Section 10.19.30 that read "does not include contractor/developer-installed residential," after Attorney Brad Christopherson said the contractor/developer distinction was unclear and could create confusion. Christopherson advised clearer wording; commissioners said the provision's intent was to address developer-built planned subdivisions and agreed the concept was already handled elsewhere in the ordinance.

Christopherson also recommended adding language to make the ordinance prospective rather than retroactive. "Municipalities cannot impose retroactive landscaping requirements," he said, and commissioners accepted wording that the ordinance will apply to "applications for development received after the adoption date," thereby grandfathering existing residences and established uses unless a change of use or new development application occurs.

On nonresidential requirements, the commission agreed with Christopherson's suggestion to apply standards to "major subdivisions" and to commercial, industrial, institutional, and mixed-use development rather than using the prior contractor/developer phrasing. Commissioners directed staff to replace references to "airpark nonresidential" with "mixed use zones" (lowercase plural) and to remove references to multifamily zones that do not currently exist in Fairfield.

The commission discussed planting-size minimums and survivability in Fairfield's varied soils and water-table conditions. Commissioners described differing local experience with evergreens and agreed the ordinance's size minimums'including a 1.5-inch caliper minimum for required trees and a six-foot minimum planted evergreen height'are intended to improve initial survivability. After hearing these local observations, Christopherson said the standards no longer appeared overly burdensome.

Commissioners also revised language about chain-link fencing used as screening to permit such fencing only when it achieves at least 85 percent slat closure, using positive phrasing so the ordinance does not appear to ban chain-link outright. Christopherson agreed to review the final wording before the Town Council hearing.

Commissioner Fisher confirmed he will present the ordinance to the Town Council at the next meeting. Commissioner Mascaro moved to forward the ordinance and Commissioner Butterfield seconded; the motion passed unanimously.