17.44.1.010 Legislative findings

The City Commission makes the following findings:

1. A healthy environment is an indication of a healthy community.
2. Landscaping is a means of making City living more pleasant.
3. Landscaping helps to maintain and increase property values.
4. Trees and landscaping provide lasting social, economic, environmental, and aesthetic benefits to the community.
5. Flexible standards allow alternative design options that may better fit the needs of the landowner and that may be needed to address unique site characteristics.
6. Landscaped buffers are needed between parcels of incompatible land uses, and as the degree of incompatibility increases, the amount of buffering (width and landscaping) should increase, and vice versa.

17.44.1.020 Purpose

This chapter is established to promote the public health, safety, and welfare and is intended to accomplish the following purposes:

1. Make the City more attractive and aesthetically pleasing.
2. Provide flexible standards where possible, rather than rigid requirements.
3. Promote and improve public health and safety through the abatement of noise, glare of lights, dust, and air pollution.
4. Improve the aesthetic appearance of the built environment.
5. Ensure that land uses of different intensity have sufficient buffering between them to minimize negative effects.
6. Create beautiful tree-lined streetscapes.
7. Promote economic development by providing a high quality of life.
8. Enhance ambient environmental conditions by providing shade, air purification, oxygen regeneration, groundwater recharge, storm water runoff retardation, and noise, glare and heat abatement.
9. Encourage the preservation, expansion, protection, and proper maintenance of the community forest.

17.44.1.030 Installation and maintenance

1. Landscaping and certificate of occupancy. Prior to the issuance of a certificate of occupancy, all landscaping required in this chapter shall be installed or an improvement guarantee shall be filed and accepted by the City consistent with Chapter 68 of this Title. Interior landscaping for single-family dwellings shall be installed within 1 year from the date of the certificate of occupancy.
2. Landscape and screening maintenance and replacement. The property owner shall:
   1. Maintain the landscaping plan as originally approved
   2. Replace plant materials that have died or have otherwise been damaged or removed
   3. Maintain all non-live landscaping materials. (Ord. 2950, 2007)
3. Standards. All landscaping shall be installed in accordance with “Arboricultural Standards and Specifications” and shall be live vegetation.
4. Mature tree credit. Mature coverage of existing canopy trees will be computed and applied directly to the required landscaping.
5. General maintenance and appearance. Landscaping shall be maintained in good condition so as to present a healthy, neat and orderly appearance, free from refuse, weeds and debris.
6. Joint maintenance responsibility. The owner, tenant or agent, if any, shall be jointly responsible for the maintenance of all landscaping.
7. Tree protection and replacement. Existing significant trees that are alive and in healthy condition shall be preserved to the extent reasonably feasible during development or redevelopment, and may help satisfy the landscaping requirements of this chapter. Such trees shall be considered “protected” trees within the meaning of this chapter subject to the exceptions contained in item 3 below. Streets, buildings and lot layouts shall be designed to minimize the disturbance to existing significant trees. All required landscape plans shall accurately identify the locations, species, size and condition of all existing significant trees, each labeled showing the applicant’s intent to either remove, transplant or protect. Where it is not feasible to protect and retain existing significant tree(s), owners are encouraged to transplant them to another on-site location.
   1. All existing street trees that are located on City rights-of-way abutting the development or redevelopment shall be accurately identified by species, size, location and condition on required landscape plans, and shall be preserved and protected in accordance with the City of Great Falls, “Arboricultural Standards and Specifications.” Unauthorized removal or destruction of such trees shall require the following:
      1. Payment to the City of Great Falls of the value of the trees removed or damaged. The party responsible for the removal or destruction shall select either the City Forester or a qualified landscape appraiser to determine such loss based upon an appraisal of the tree to be removed by using the most recent published methods established by the Council of Tree and Landscape Appraisers; or,
      2. Replacement of lost or damaged trees, as directed by the City, with a sum of total trunk diameters equal to 100% of the trunk diameters of the trees removed. Replacement shall conform to the requirements in Article 2 to this chapter.
   2. Replacement trees shall meet the following minimum size requirements:
      1. Canopy Shade Trees 2.0” caliper balled and burlap or equivalent
      2. Ornamental Trees 2.0” caliper balled and burlap or equivalent
      3. Evergreen Trees 6’ height balled and burlap or equivalent
   3. Trees that meet one or more of the following removal criteria shall be exempt from the requirements of this subsection.
      1. dead, dying or naturally fallen trees, or trees found to be a threat to public health, safety or welfare;
      2. trees that are determined by the City to substantially obstruct clear visibility at driveways and intersections;
      3. tree species that constitute a nuisance to the public such as cotton-bearing cottonwood, Siberian Elm and Russian Olive. However, native cotton-bearing cottonwood trees, when located in a natural area buffer zone or riparian area, are not nuisance tree species. (Ord. 2950, 2007)

17.44.1.040 Specifications for landscaping materials

1. Generally. All plant material shall be healthy, vigorous, and free of disease and insects. Plant material shall conform to the specifications of the American Association of Nurserymen (AAN) for No. 1 grade.
2. Trees. Trees shall meet the following standards:
   1. Shade trees shall be at least 1½ inches trunk caliper, measured 1 foot above the ground.
   2. Ornamental trees shall be at least 1¼ inches trunk caliper measured 1 foot above the ground.
   3. Evergreen trees shall have a minimum planting height of 5 feet.
3. Shrubs. Shrubs shall be at least 2-gallon container-grown material or of equivalent size if bare-root.
4. Groundcover. Groundcover shall be at least 1-gallon container-grown material or of equivalent size if bare-root.
5. Turf. Turf areas may be sodded or seeded. In areas subject to erosion, sod shall be used. Sod shall be commercially grown and clean and free of weeds, noxious pests, and diseases.
6. Mulch. Where mulch is used as a ground treatment, it shall be applied to a depth of 4 inches. A suitable landscape fabric shall be placed between the soil and mulch to impede weed growth.
7. Lawn edging. It is recommended that lawn edging be installed around all shrub beds.

17.44.1.050 Retaining wall standards

Retaining walls shall not be taller than 6 feet. A series of more or less parallel retaining walls may be used provided there is at least a 5-foot horizontal separation between the 2 walls and the area is landscaped with shrubs at a rate of at least 10 shrubs per 100 feet (Exhibit 44-1). (Ord. 2950, 2007)

17.44.1.060 Calculations

When a calculation is used to determine the number of required trees, or the like, and results in a fraction, the requirement shall be considered the whole number (rounded up).

17.44.2.010 General provisions

1. Permit required. A permit is required to:
   1. plant trees in the boulevard area
   2. remove or prune existing trees in the boulevard area
2. Vertical clearance. Trees shall be pruned to provide vertical clearance of 8 feet over sidewalks and 14 feet over streets.
3. Supplemental uses. Street medians and boulevard areas may contain sidewalks, utility installations, signs, benches, and other structures installed by a public agency.
4. Tree selection. Trees required in this article shall be selected from the list contained in Appendix B ( 11k PDF).
5. Required removal. Any landscaping in the boulevard area or street median that impedes pedestrian travel or is deemed detrimental to public safety shall be removed immediately by the property owner or agent upon written notification by the City.
6. Mulch. Mulch must be contained so as to not spill into the street and/or onto the sidewalk. Property owners are required to remove any spillage.

17.44.2.020 Responsibility for installation of street trees

The property owner wishing to construct a principal building on a vacant lot shall be responsible for installing the street trees consistent with this article.

17.44.2.030 Landscaping for street medians

1. Applicability. When a median is incorporated into a subdivision, the provisions of this section apply.
2. Installation and maintenance responsibility. The developer shall be responsible for installing the landscaping as part of the project and a homeowners association shall be responsible for perpetual maintenance or the City, at its discretion, may accept responsibility.
3. Number of trees required. At least 2 ornamental trees or one for each 25 feet of length of the median, whichever is more, shall be planted and maintained within the median. By way of example, a median 440 feet long will require 18 ornamental trees and a 40-foot median requires 2 trees.
4. Placement of trees. Ornamental trees shall be planted at least 3 feet from any curb or other pavement.
5. Spacing of trees. Trees shall be spaced more or less evenly along the length of the median taking into account the location of light poles, fire hydrants, and the like and the mature canopy width of existing trees and those being planted.
6. Shrubs, flowers and turf grass. Shrubs, ground cover, and flower beds may be planted in the median to supplement the trees. Turf grass shall be installed within the median except in those areas occupied planting beds for shrubs, ground cover, and/or flowers.

17.44.2.040 Landscaping for boulevard areas

1. Responsibility. The property owner shall maintain landscaping within the boulevard area not occupied by roadways, curb and gutter, driveways, sidewalks, or crosswalks according to the standards in this article.
2. Boulevards in residential areas. Boulevards in residential areas shall conform to the following standards:
   1. Boulevards shall contain grass and trees (with organic mulched reservoirs) and may include shrubs, flowers and/or ornamental plants (with organic mulched reservoirs).
   2. At least one canopy type tree shall be planted and maintained in a boulevard section for each 35 lineal feet of street and avenue frontage or portion thereof, not covered by driveway, sidewalks, or other approved hard surface. (Ord. 2950, 2007)
   3. Trees shall be spaced more or less evenly along the length of the boulevard area, taking into account the location of light poles, fire hydrants, and the like and the mature canopy width of existing trees and those being planted.
   4. No shrub shall be planted within 5 feet of a fire hydrant or within a clear visibility triangle (as defined in Chapter 32, Section 17.32.160 of this Title) if its mature height will exceed 2½ feet. The height shall be measured from the adjoining street centerline surface elevation.
   5. Landscaping shall be maintained, and those plantings which fail to survive shall be replaced with approved plantings within 3 months.
   6. Materials and vegetation prohibited in a residential boulevard include, but are not limited to, the following:
      1. artificial vegetation including, but not limited to, trees, shrubs, vines, bushes, flowers, and grass.
      2. all non-living material except as specifically allowed by this chapter.
      3. fences/walls (unless approved via a Boulevard Encroachment Permit by the City Engineer).
      4. gravel/decomposed granite/cobble.
      5. sand.
3. Boulevards in non-residential areas. Boulevards in non-residential areas shall conform to the following standards:
   1. Boulevards shall contain grass and trees, and may contain shrubs, flowers, and/or ornamental plants.
   2. Limited amounts of non-living materials (mulches) are permitted when used in conjunction with shrub and tree plantings. Acceptable mulches include organic materials (wood chips and shredded bark), and inert inorganic materials (decomposed granite, cobble and gravel). Where mulch is used, a suitable landscape fabric shall be placed between the soil and mulch material to impede weed growth. However, the use of these substitute materials must be specifically approved by the City as part of a landscape plan.
   3. In no case shall the boulevard area include more than 25% non-living material, excluding driveways.
   4. At least one canopy type tree shall be planted and maintained in the boulevard section for each 35 lineal feet of street and avenue frontage or portion thereof.
   5. Trees shall be spaced more or less evenly along the length of the boulevard area, taking into account the location of light poles, fire hydrants, and the like and the mature canopy width of existing trees and those being planted.
   6. No shrub shall be planted within 5 feet of a fire hydrant or within a clear visibility triangle (as defined in chapter 32, Section 17.32.160 of this Title) if its mature height will exceed 2½ feet. The height shall be measured fr om the adjoining street centerline surface elevation.
   7. Any landscaping in the boulevard area that impedes pedestrian travel or is deemed detrimental to public safety shall be removed immediately by the property owner, tenant, or agency upon written notification of the City.
   8. Landscaping shall be maintained and those plantings which fail to survive shall be replaced with approved plantings within 3 months.
   9. An automatic irrigation system shall be required of all commercial projects and multi-family projects with 4 or more dwelling units.
   10. All non-living material must be contained and shall not spill into the street and/or onto the sidewalk. Owners are required to remove any spillage.
   11. Materials and vegetation prohibited in a non-residential boulevard include, but are not limited to, the following:
       1. artificial vegetation including, but not limited to, trees, shrubs, vines, bushes, flowers, and grass.
       2. fences/walls (unless approved via a Boulevard Encroachment Permit by the City Engineer).
       3. sand.

17.44.3.010 Applicability

1. General applicability. The landscaping requirements set forth in this article apply to:
   1. New buildings constructed after the effective date of this chapter.
   2. All buildings being increased in size by at least 20%.
   3. All buildings greater than 20,000 sq. ft. changing occupancy or undergoing interior or exterior remodeling. (Ord. 2950, 2007)
   4. New vehicular use areas constructed after the effective date of this chapter.
   5. An expansion of a vehicular use area by 20%, if it equates to 5 or more parking spaces.
   6. All buildings and vehicular use areas which have been cumulatively increased in size by 25% over a 10-year period.
2. Exemption. The following are exempt:
   1. Vehicle use areas located within a parking garage or within a building.

17.44.3.020 Submittals

Three copies of all landscape specifications, plans, etc. shall be submitted to the City for review and approval. Plans shall be at a scale of 1” = 20’ (for sites one acre or less in size) or 1” = 50’ (for sites larger than one acre), and shall include at a minimum:

1. A plant list containing botanical names, common name, plant size, number and variety of each plant used and mature area of coverage of canopy trees.
2. A site plan showing dimensioned location of all plant materials, site amenities (signage, benches, etc.), north arrow, property lines, easements, utilities and otherwise, and adjacent land uses.
3. A plan showing location and construction details for all irrigation systems to be installed.

17.44.3.030 Landscaping requirements

1. Minimum requirements for interior landscaping. Minimum square footage of interior landscaping, inclusive of landscaping in vehicular use areas and foundation planting areas, shall be 15% of the gross property area to be developed or redeveloped for property located in a commercial zone, and 17% of the gross area to be developed for non-residential uses in residential zones.
2. Vehicular use areas requirements. A portion of the required landscaping, equal to at least 10% of the vehicular use areas, must be located within the vehicular use areas. The following specific standards shall apply:
   1. Each row of parking spaces in interior parking areas shall be terminated by a landscaped island.
   2. There shall be no more than 20 parking spaces in a row without a landscaped island.
   3. Landscaped islands shall have a minimum island dimension (inside curb face to inside curb face) of 6 feet and shall extend the length of the parking space. (Ord. 2950, 2007)
   4. Landscaped areas within a vehicle use area shall be bounded by a continuous concrete curb or other similar barrier approved by the City Engineer.
   5. Landscaped islands shall contain canopy shade trees, shrubs and/or turf grass. (Ord. 2950, 2007)
   6. Where a vehicular use area abuts a public-use roadway, a minimum 6 feet of landscaping shall be provided between the vehicular use area and the sidewalk with at least 75% of the area in turf grass.
3. Mounding requirement adjacent to vehicular use areas. Landscaping shall be mounded a minimum of 6 inches above the height of adjacent vehicular use areas, but not exceeding 3:1 slope, and shall be protected from vehicular traffic with curbing or other similar barrier approved by the City Engineer.
4. Natural amenities. When a site abuts a natural amenity such as a flood plain, canal, park or other open space, the landscape plan shall integrate with and respect the natural integrity of the amenity.
5. Detention and retention areas. By design, detention and retention areas shall be physically, functionally, and visually integrated into adjacent landscape areas. Standing water is discouraged and shall be properly drained unless incorporated into re-circulating water features or irrigation systems.
6. Rate of plantings. There shall be a minimum of 1 tree and 7 shrubs planted and maintained per 400 square feet, or fraction thereof, of required interior landscaping.
7. Buffer and screening between uses. Where a commercial or non-residential use abuts a residential use, a minimum 15-foot landscape buffer shall be provided along the shared property line. Where vehicular use areas abut adjacent residential property, the lot shall be screened with a decorative masonry or concrete wall at least 4 feet in height, or with evergreen and deciduous trees and shrubs in combination with low soil berms that will provide ample screening within three growing seasons to protect the residential property.
8. Boulevard landscaping credit. 25% of the boulevard landscaping, excluding sidewalks and driveways, may be credited to the interior landscaping requirement specified in item A above. (Ord. 2950, 2007)
9. Foundation planting requirements. For commercial, institutional and civic-use buildings in all commercial zoning districts, except the C-4 Central Business Core district, at least 50% of the frontage of the building face shall be occupied by a foundation planting bed(s) and at least 20% of the frontage of the side of the building shall be occupied by a foundation planting bed(s). The planting beds shall be at least 4 feet wide, mulched, and contain a mix of vegetation types (annual flowers, perennial flowers, ground cover and shrubs). For example, if a building measures 120 feet on its face (length) by 50 feet (depth), there would be 60 feet of foundation plantings on the face and 10 feet on each of the sides. (Ord. 2950, 2007)

17.44.4.010Applicability

1. General applicability. The landscaping requirements set forth in this article apply to:
   1. New buildings constructed after the effective date of this chapter.
   2. New vehicular use areas constructed after the effective date of this chapter.
   3. All buildings and vehicular use areas which have been cumulatively increased in size by 25% over a 10-year period.
2. Exemption. The following are exempt:
   1. Vehicle use areas located within a parking garage or within a building.

17.44.4.020Submittals

Three copies of all landscape specifications, plans, etc. shall be submitted to the City for review and approval. Plans shall be at a scale of 1” = 20’ (for sites one acre or less in size) or 1” = 50’ (for sites larger than one acre), and shall include at a minimum:

1. A plant list containing botanical names, common name, plant size, number and variety of each plant used and mature area of coverage of canopy trees.
2. A site plan showing dimensioned location of all plant materials, site amenities (signage, benches, etc.), north arrow, property lines, easements, utilities and otherwise, and adjacent land uses.
3. A plan showing location and construction details for all irrigation systems to be installed.

17.44.4.030Submittals

1. A minimum of 10% of off-street vehicular use areas must be landscaped. The following specific standards shall apply:
   1. Each row of parking spaces in interior parking areas shall be terminated by a landscaped island.
   2. There shall be no more than 20 parking spaces in a row without a landscaped island.
   3. Landscaped islands shall have a minimum island dimension (inside curb face to inside curb face) of 6 feet and shall extend the length of the parking space.
   4. Landscaped areas within a vehicle use area shall be bounded by a continuous concrete curb or other similar barrier approved by the City Engineer.
   5. Landscaped islands shall contain canopy shade trees, shrubs, and/or turf grass.
   6. Where a vehicular use area abuts a public-use roadway, a minimum of 8 feet (in depth) of landscaping shall be provided between the vehicular use area and the sidewalk with at least 75% of the area in turf grass.
2. Boulevard Landscaping. Landscaping for boulevards in the Industrial Use areas will conform to the standards listed in 17.44.2.040(C).
3. Foundation planting requirements. For buildings in all industrial zoning districts, at least 50% of the frontage of the building face shall be occupied by a foundation planting bed(s). The planting beds shall be at least 4 feet wide, mulched, and contain a mix of vegetation types (annual flowers, perennial flowers, ground cover and shrubs). For example, if a building measures 120 feet on its face, there would be 60 feet of foundation plantings.
4. Buffer and screening between uses. Where an industrial use abuts a non-industrial use, a minimum 15-foot landscape buffer shall be provided along the shared property line. Where vehicular use areas abut adjacent residential property, the lot shall be screened with a decorative masonry or concrete wall at least 4 feet in height, or with evergreen and deciduous trees and shrubs in combination with low soil berms that will provide ample screening within three growing seasons to protect the residential property.
5. Natural amenities. When a site abuts a natural amenity such as a flood plain, canal, park or other open space, the landscape plan shall integrate with and respect the natural integrity of the amenity.
6. Detention and retention areas. By design, detention and retention areas shall be physically, functionally, and visually integrated into adjacent landscape areas. Standing water is discouraged and shall be properly drained unless incorporated into re-circulating water features or irrigation systems. (Ord. 2950, 2007)

17.44.5.010Applicability

The landscaping requirements set forth in this article apply to:

1. New residential dwellings constructed after the effective date of this chapter.
2. All residential dwellings being increased in size by at least 50%.

17.44.5.020Submittals

All landscape specifications, plans, etc. shall be submitted for review and approval to the City before a building permit will be issued.

17.44.5.030Submittals

1. A canopy tree or evergreen tree shall be planted and maintained for each 1,500 square feet of net lot area. Up to 2 shade trees located in the boulevard area may be applied to this requirement, provided that at least one canopy tree or evergreen tree shall be planted within the interior.
2. Turf grass or ground cover plants shall cover at least 50% of the net lot area.