Staff Report and WELO Ordinance - StopWaste.Org

Draft 10-13-10shall be submitted as part of the landscape design documentation package.1. Plant Selection and Grouping. Any plants may be used in the landscape, with waterconserving plant species encouraged, subject to the following conditions.a. Water budget compliance. The estimated applied water use recommendeddoes not exceed the maximum applied water allowance.b. Use of hydrozones. Plants having similar water use shall generally be groupedtogether in distinct hydrozones (see subsection (B)(3) of this section). Other considerationsfor establishing hydrozones may include sun exposure, soil condition, and slope. Plantshaving nearly similar water use may be grouped together, that is, high and medium waterusing plants may be grouped, or medium and low water using plants may be groupedtogether. However, high and low water using plants shall not be grouped together in the samehydrozone. For mixed plant hydrozones, the more water intensive plant factor (highernumber) shall be used for the entire hydrozone.c. Amount of turf. Total irrigated areas specified as turf shall be limited to 50% forresidential uses and 25% for non-residential uses, with turf bioswales necessary forstormwater treatment and recreational areas exempted.d. Invasive plant species. Plants listed as invasive (A, B, and C rated) by theCalifornia Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), or listed as invasive (high ormoderate rated) by the California Invasive Plant Council's (IPC) database of invasive species,shall not be used, except a turf plant rated C by CDFA or rated Moderate by Cal-IPC shall bepermitted for use on sports fields and high traffic recreation areas. Project applicants mayrequest to use other plant specie(s) rated C by CDFA or rated Moderate by Cal-IPC providedthe request is substantiated by evidence submitted to and approved by the director thatclearly establishes that due to plant or site characteristics the use of the requested plant willnot have detrimental ecological effects on parks, greenbelts, waterbodies, water ways, andopen spaces.e. Fire prone areas. Landscapes in fire prone wildland areas shall be designed tocomply with any applicable Fire Department regulations and to create a defensible spacearound a building as required by Public Resources Code Section 4291.f. Homeowners Associations and Common Interest Developments. Thecovenants, codes and restrictions (i.e., CC&Rs) of a common interest development, whichmay include but not be limited to community apartment projects, condominiums, planneddevelopments, stock cooperatives, or single family subdivisions governed by a HomeownersAssociation shall not prohibit or include conditions that have the effect of prohibiting the useof low-water use plants as a group. Further, said guidelines shall not prohibit the removal ofturf, nor restrict or prohibit the reduction of turf in lieu of more water efficient alternatives.2. Water Features.a. Recycled water where it is an approved supply of water shall be used for alldecorative water features.b. Recirculating water shall be used for all decorative water features.c. Pool and spa covers are highly recommended.3. Soil erosion and runoff management.a. The landscape and grading plans shall be coordinated to minimize irrigationand stormwater runoff and to maximize on-site retention and infiltration of irrigation water andstormwater. Examples of practices include but are not limited to directing runoff to landscapeareas, bioswales, rain gardens and/or similar features.1480