18B.500.520 Special Landscape Treatments

18B.500.520 Special Landscape Treatments.

The following special landscape treatments are required or permitted along street types:

18B-520-1. Special Landscape Treatments
Street Type	Foundations	Plazas/Courtyards ¹	Pedestrian Walkways
Retail Street	R	P	R
Mixed-Use Street	R	P	R
Low-Impact Mixed-Use Street	P	P	P
Arterial Mixed-Use Street	P	P	R
Festival Street	R	R	R

P = permitted, R= required

1Plaza landscaping is required when the plaza frontage is selected on a street.

A. Foundations. Buildings shall be accented by foundation plantings. Foundation plantings may frame doors, anchor corners, or screen undesirable areas. Foundation plantings shall allow for five feet of unobstructed movement on the sidewalk. Examples of foundation plantings include raised planter boxes, containers, and similar.

B. Plazas and Courtyards. Where provided, consistent with frontage standards, plazas or courtyards shall meet the following standards:

1. Plazas and courtyards shall be visible and accessible to the public.

2. Minimum dimensions of plazas and courtyards are 20 feet. Courtyards may qualify as common open space per LMC 18B.500.530, Common and Open Space Standards.

3. Plazas or courtyards shall include one or more element from each category below.

a. Special Paving. Scored concrete, stained/colored concrete, concrete pavers, paving inlays, mosaics, or other special paving material.

b. Landscaping. Trees, shrubs, trellises, flowers, or container plants. Landscaping shall be consistent with this chapter and Chapter 18A.70 LMC, Article II, Landscaping.

c. Seating Area. Benches or low seating walls. Walls or benches shall be a minimum of four feet long. Seating shall be provided at a ratio of at least one seat per 60 square feet of plaza area or open space.

C. Pedestrian Walkways. Pedestrian walkways are required as follows:

1. Street to Building. Required between a public right-of-way and building entrances where the building is set back from the street, sidewalk, or parking area.

2. Parking. Required between parking lots and building entrances.

3. Mid-Block Connections. One pedestrian walkway shall be provided between the street and the rear property line, spaced an average of every 200 feet or less of street frontage.

a. Six feet minimum, exclusive of landscaping or site furnishings, except that mid-block crossings shall have minimum walkway widths of 12 feet.

b. Lines of Sight. Walkways shall be located and designed with clear sight lines for safety.

c. Definition. Pedestrian walkways shall be defined through paving, landscaping, furnishings, and lighting.

2. Design. Pedestrian walkways shall be defined using a combination of one or more of the following techniques:

a. Special Paving. Scored concrete, stained/colored concrete, concrete pavers, paving inlays, mosaics, or other special paving material. Not all portions of the pedestrian walkway are required to be paved; however, a minimum of four feet in width of the pedestrian walkway shall provide an all-weather walking surface.

b. Architectural Features. Trellises, railing, low seat walls, weather protection, bollards, or other architectural features. Chain link fences are not allowed.

c. Landscaped Edges. A continuous, landscaped area consistent with Type II, Streetscapes, where the pedestrian walkway is from the street to building or mid-block connection, otherwise Type III, Open Space, is required, per Chapter 18A.70 LMC, Article II, Landscaping. If the walkway abuts a driveway or driving aisle on both sides, the landscaped edge shall apply to both sides.

d. Lighting. Pedestrian walkways shall include lighting such as pedestrian lights, bollards, and accent lighting to assist pedestrian navigation and promote a safe and comfortable walking space. [Ord. 726 § 2(Exh. A), 2019; Ord. 695 § 2 (Exh. B), 2018.]