Landscape Ordinance
Landscape Ordinance
The City of Austin requires landscaping of commercial sites for aesthetics, buffering, screening, and urban heat island abatement. This landscaping is traditionally curbed off from surrounding pavement and relies heavily on potable water irrigation to survive. Meanwhile, rainfall running off parking lots and rooftops is directed to storm drains and structural controls, bypassing the landscaping completely. A Landscape Ordinance was devised as a way to bridge this divide by using rainwater on-site to conserve potable water, enhance water quality, and sustain the health of these urban landscapes.
In August 2009, the Austin City Council approved a resolution directing the City Manager to evaluate promoting, encouraging, and/or requiring the use of landscaped medians to accept runoff from parking lots to conserve potable water and to provide water quality treatment. In response to this charge, City staff met with various stakeholders, including making a presentation to RECA's City of Austin Policy Issues Committee in January 2010.
City staff put together a draft Innovative Landscape Ordinance based on stakeholder feedback, which would require commercial storm water runoff to be directed to landscaped areas with some exceptions.
On Thursday December 16, 2010, the Austin City Council unanimously approved the new landscaping ordinance. RECA supported the measure which requires commercial sites to direct storm water to at least 50 percent of the required landscaping. There are a number of ways to comply ranging from simple solutions like overland flow and downspouts to more sophisticated designs such as rain gardens and rainwater harvesting
Undisturbed natural areas and existing trees can also be counted toward the 50 percent requirement as long as no potable irrigation is installed. Under previous code, permanent irrigation was required for all landscaping. The landscaping ordinance now gives sites the option to not permanently irrigate perimeter landscapes. However, temporary irrigation will be required for two growing seasons to allow for establishment. Permanent irrigation will still be required for all new trees as well as medians, islands, and peninsulas. Administrative variances will be allowed for sites unable to fully comply due to unique site conditions such as topography, the location of existing development, or the potential for highly contaminated runoff.
The ordinance also directs staff to report back to Council after two years on the effectiveness of the new requirements, including recommendations for potential improvements or amendments. In advance of this two-year review, RECA is meeting with policy makers to offer improvements to the ordinance that protect efficient landscaping practices and the affordability of projects.
NEW Innovative Landscapting Ordinance (December 16, 2010)
