CITY OF TACOMA URBAN FOREST MANUAL VOLUME 3: LANDSCAPING THROUGH DEVELOPMENT CONTENTS INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 1 GENERAL LANDSCAPING STANDARDS 1.1 All Plant Stock 1.2 Trees 1.2.1 Tree Species Diversity 1.2.2 Tree Stock 1.2.3 Tree Placement in the Rights-of-Way 1.2.4 Soil Depth and Unpaved Area 1.2.5 Tree Spacing 1.3 Shrubs 1.3.1 Shrub Diversity 1.3.2 Shrub Stock 1.4 Groundcover 1.4.1 Groundcover Stock 1.4.2 Groundcover Spacing CHAPTER 2 LANDSCAPED AREA TYPES 2.1 Type SP, Site Perimeter 2.2 Type PL, Parking Lot Perimeter 2.3 Type PLI, Parking Lot Interior 2.4 Type HS, High Screen 2.5 Type LS, Low Screen 2.6 Type F, Foundation 2.7 Type HW, High Wall CHAPTER 3 LANDSCAPING REQUIREMENT WORKSHEET 3.1 Canopy Cover Total 3.1.1 Rights-of-Way 3.1.2 Parking Areas/Lots 3.1.3 Site 3.2 Canopy Cover Calculation 3.2.1 Development Tree List 3.2.1A Tree Code 3.2.1B Anticipated Crown Area 3.2.1C Credits 1 | Page 3.3 Canopy Cover Credit 3.3.1 Credit for Retained Trees 3.3.2 Credit for Transplanting Evergreens 3.3.3 Green Roof Credit 3.3.4 Soil Volume Increase Credit 3.3.5 Permeable Pavement Credit 3.3.6 In-Lieu Fees 3.4 Calculating Landscaped Areas 3.5 Flow Control Credit CHAPTER 4 LANDSCAPE PLANS CHAPTER 5 LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT PLANS 5. 1 Landscape Management Approach 5. 2 Landscape Management Schedule 5. 3 Landscape Management Areas 5. 4 Special Landscape Areas 5. 5 Irrigation CHAPTER 6 TREE PROTECTION DURING CONSTRUCTION 6.1 Tree Protection Areas 6.2 Required Tree Protection Plans 6.3 Alternative Tree Protection Plans 6.4 Tree Protection Fencing 6.5 Working in the Tree Protection Zone – Protective Measures 6.5.1 Surface Protection Measures 6.5.2 Trunk Protection Measures 6.5.3 Supplemental Irrigation 6.5.4 Canopy/Clearance Pruning 6.6 Working in the Tree Protection Zone – Trenching / Excavation 6.6.1 General 6.6.2 Zone A (Critical Root Zone) 6.6.3 Zone B (Drip Line) 6.6.4 Zone C (Feeder Root Zone) 6.7 Tree Protection Zone – Prohibited Construction Activities 6.8 Postconstruction Tree Monitoring CHAPTER 7 RESOURCE CONSERVATIVE LANDSCAPING 7.1 Landscaping with Natives 7.2 Water-wise Landscaping 7.3 Food Producing Plants GLOSSARY 2 | Page STANDARD PLANS L1.0 Tree Planting Detail L2.0 Shrub Planting Detail (to be developed) L3.0 Groundcover Planting detail (to be developed) L4.0 Street Tree Planting Detail L5.0 Tree Well Dimension Details L6.0 Above Ground Planting-Pots (to be developed) L7.0 Above Ground Planting-Raised beds (to be developed) L8.0 Tree Protection During Construction L8.1 Tree Protection Fencing L8.2 Tree Protection Fencing for Trees in the ROW and Parking areas/lots L8.3 Reusable Tree Protection Fencing for ROW and Parking areas/lots APPENDICES 1 Landscaping Requirement Worksheet 2 Sample Landscape Plan 3 Landscape Management Plan Template 4 Sample Landscape Management Plan (to be developed) 5 Sample Tree Protection Plan 6 Arborist Report Template (to be developed) 7 Tree Protection Zone Sign – General 8 Tree Protection Zone Sign – for ROW and Parking Area/Lot Trees 9 Private Development Tree List 10 Fruit Producing Shrubs and Groundcovers List (to be developed) 3 | Page INTRODUCTION This Volume of the Urban Forest Manual is a technical guide created to facilitate the planning, design, installation and maintenance of landscaping that is required for development per Tacoma’s Municipal Code (TMC) 13.06.502. It is intended to be used concurrently with TMC 13.06.502 to assure the requirements and standards are executed properly. Before finalizing development plans, contact Building and Land Use Services (BLUS) at (253) 591-5030, or visit Building & Land Use Services, located at 747 Market St., Suite #345 to verify that all other applicable City codes have been met. For additional landscaping requirements for erosion control and other Stormwater related measures, refer to the City of Tacoma’s Stormwater Management Manual (SWMM) available on the Surface Water Management website at www.cityoftacoma.org/stormwater. Required Documentation Submittals: 1. Completed Landscaping Requirement Worksheet – refer to Appendix 1 and Chapter 3 of this Volume for more information 2. Landscape Plan – refer to Appendix 2 and Chapter 4 of this Volume for more information 3. Landscape Management Plan – refer to Appendix 3 and Chapter 5 of this Volume for more information 4. Tree Protection Plan (if any on-site trees are to be retained) – refer to Chapter 6 of this Volume for more information CHAPTER 1: GENERAL LANDSCAPING STANDARDS This chapter describes plant material minimum standards that apply to landscaping both on-site and off-site from the proposed development. The following standards shall apply to all vegetation satisfying landscaping requirements. 1.1 ALL PLANT STOCK Plants shall be nursery grown, first class material and must meet the standards set forth in the most current edition of American Standard for Nursery Stock (ANSI Z60.1) and as further specified herein. Plant Material shall be obtained from established commercial licensed nursery growers and installed by licensed nursery and/or landscape contractors. 1. Plant material may be balled and burlapped (B&B), containerized or bare root. 2. Plants should be well watered prior to shipping and checked for adequate moisture at arrival. 3. Any on site plant material, not planted within 24 hours of delivery, should be maintained under shade and irrigated regularly. B&B or bare-root plant material must be healed-in. 4. Plants, once removed from the holding medium, should be planted immediately. 5. Plants should be protected from extreme temperatures, wind and theft on site, before planting and in transport to the site. NOTE: It is intended that all plants installed in the required Landscaped Areas will reach their full mature size. Pruning that adversely affects the healthy living condition of the plant, significantly damages the natural growing form of the plant, eliminates or significantly reduces 4 | Page the plant function will be considered removal, and is subject to provisions in TMC 13.06.502 and 13.05.100 enforcement including, but not limited to, fines and plant replacement. 1.2 TREES In accordance with City of Tacoma policies and desires to establish a healthy and diverse urban forest, the following standards apply to all developments. Other applicable sections in the UFM: • Tree Selection- Volume X, Chapter X • Tree Transplanting-Volume X, Chapter X • Tree Pruning-Volume X, Chapter X 1.2.1 Tree Species Diversity Diversification lessens the impact and likelihood of pest disease and infestation, infrastructure damage and potential economic impacts, as well as provides habitat to meet the needs of diverse wildlife within a healthy urban forest. In recognition of the benefits to tree species diversity, the following standards shall apply: • If more than 10 trees are required to be planted in the ROW, parking lot and site, at least 3 different genera and a mixture of tree types (evergreen and deciduous) shall be used. • If 10 trees or less are required to be planted in the ROW, parking lot and site, a minimum of 2 different genera shall be used. • Fruit producing (edible) trees may be planted to satisfy tree planting requirements on site and in parking areas/lots, but not in the ROW. Be advised that traditional fruit tree pruning practices might be considered “excessive pruning” under the code. 1.2.2 Tree Stock All trees shall, at the time of planting: 1. Have natural shape (no sheared or semi-sheared trees). Have a strong, straight central leader with no lateral branches greater than 2/3’s the caliper of the main leader. 2. Have branches equally spaced around the central leader at least 6 inches apart, except for trees with ascending branches (ex. Ulmus americana and Zelkova serrata). 3. Have a uniform canopy in shape from all sides and free of large voids. 4. Have proper pruning cuts (not flush cuts) pruned to the outside of the branch collar. Deciduous Trees: 5. At least 50% of the Deciduous Street Trees provided shall be a minimum of 2-inch caliper at the time of planting; the remaining Deciduous Street Trees shall be a minimum of 1½-inch caliper at the time of planting. 6. Small Trees (mature height of 15-25 feet) used as Street Trees shall a have trunk free of branches up to 4 feet in height, measured from the ground elevation. 7. Street Trees with ascending branches (ex. Ulmus americana and Zelkova serrata) may be branched one (1) foot or more below the standard height (4’-0”) and still provide proper clearance when planted. 5 | Page 8. All other deciduous Street Trees shall have a trunk free of branches up to 6 feet in height, measured from the ground elevation. 9. At least 50% of the trees provided on site and in parking areas/lots shall be a minimum of 2-inch caliper at the time of planting; the remaining trees shall be a minimum of 1½- inch caliper at the time of planting. If fruit trees are planted in parking areas/lots and/or on site, substitution of a minimum of 1-inch caliper at the time of planting may be used. Evergreen Trees: 10. Evergreen Street Trees shall be a minimum of 8 feet tall and shall have a trunk free of branches up to 2 feet in height, measured from the ground elevation. 11. At least 50% of the trees provided on site and parking areas/lots shall be a minimum of 8 feet tall at the time of planting; the remaining trees shall be a minimum of 5-6 feet tall at the time of planting.