NEW SINGLE FAMILY, MIDDLE HOUSING, AND ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS

Tucson Unified Development Code § 7.6.8

in effect

7.6.8. NEW SINGLE FAMILY, MIDDLE HOUSING, AND ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS A. The following landscaping Landscaping An exterior improvement of a site in accordance with an approved landscape plan and approved landscape methods, materials, and maintenance. is required for all new single family residential, middle housing development Development Any human alteration to the state of land, including its vegetation, soil, geology, or hydrology, for any residential, commercial, industrial, utility, or other use, such as, but not limited to, clearing, grubbing, or grading of land, and structural improvements, e.g., buildings, walls, fences, signs, and vehicular use areas. , and accessory dwelling units Dwelling Unit A building or portion of a building that is designed, occupied, or intended for occupancy as living quarters exclusively for a single household, which includes one or more rooms, with sleeping and sanitary facilities and one enclosed kitchen. One accessory cooking facility per dwelling unit is permitted. . These requirements do not apply to new single family residential dwellings within subdivisions of 5 or more units. 1. One canopy tree Canopy Tree A woody plant, other than a palm tree, with a mature crown diameter of at least 15 feet and having a trunk that, at maturity, is kept clear of leaves and branches at least six feet above grade. (See Illustration.) is required for every 1,000 square feet of gross floor area of the development Development Any human alteration to the state of land, including its vegetation, soil, geology, or hydrology, for any residential, commercial, industrial, utility, or other use, such as, but not limited to, clearing, grubbing, or grading of land, and structural improvements, e.g., buildings, walls, fences, signs, and vehicular use areas. project. 2. Vegetative groundcover is required within the front yard setback per the calculation below. (X Linear feet of Street Frontage) - (Y Curb cut width) x (5 Foot Depth) = Z Square Feet of vegetative groundcover An example, using a parcel with 115 feet of street frontage and a 15-foot curb cut: (115 Linear Feet of Frontage) - (15 curb cut) X (5 Foot Width) = 500 Square Feet of vegetative groundcover required within the front yard setback. Parcels with less than 30 linear feet of street frontage Frontage The length of a lot line that abuts a street right-of-way. may place the required groundcover in alternate locations indicated on the site Site The land area consisting of a portion of a lot, an entire lot, or contiguous lots, not including dedicated public property, designated for development as a single entity. plan. Irregular-shaped lots, including flag lots, will use the street frontage parallel to their parcel (see Figure 7.6.2.A). 3. Plants must be low to very low water use with a hardiness rating of 15 degrees Fahrenheit or lower and non-invasive. Options are listed in Section 5-02.5.0 of the Technical Standards Manual. Exceptions to these criteria or plants that are not listed in Section 5-02.5.0 of the Technical Standards Manual, may be approved by the PDSD Landscape Architect. B. Required landscaping must be located as follows: 1. A minimum of fifty percent of the required canopy trees Canopy Tree A woody plant, other than a palm tree, with a mature crown diameter of at least 15 feet and having a trunk that, at maturity, is kept clear of leaves and branches at least six feet above grade. (See Illustration.) must be located within the front yard setback Setback The distance from a set point and is frequently used interchangeably with the term “perimeter yard.” Setbacks may also pertain to drainage-related or other setbacks. area. a. Exception: If site constraints prevent new tree placement in a front yard, five shrubs may be substituted per required tree. Required trees must still be placed elsewhere on the site Site The land area consisting of a portion of a lot, an entire lot, or contiguous lots, not including dedicated public property, designated for development as a single entity. . Shrubs used as a substitute plant material for the required tree shall range from three feet in height by three feet in width, or larger. Shrubs must follow the relevant spacings from utility lines in section 5-01.5.11of the Technical Standards Manual, but can be planted one radius of their mature width from foundations, enclosed sidewalks, sidewalks, and curbs. b. Exception: The tree required for an accessory dwelling unit Dwelling Unit A building or portion of a building that is designed, occupied, or intended for occupancy as living quarters exclusively for a single household, which includes one or more rooms, with sleeping and sanitary facilities and one enclosed kitchen. One accessory cooking facility per dwelling unit is permitted. may be placed anywhere on site Site The land area consisting of a portion of a lot, an entire lot, or contiguous lots, not including dedicated public property, designated for development as a single entity. . 2. Trees may be planted at varying distances apart. 3. Required landscaping Landscaping An exterior improvement of a site in accordance with an approved landscape plan and approved landscape methods, materials, and maintenance. is not restricted to the first 10 feet onto the property from the existing or future right-of-way Right-of-Way An area reserved for a public or private use, such as, but not limited to, street or alley rights-of-way and utility easements. line. 4. Newly planted trees must be placed at a minimum distance from existing or proposed City of Tucson-owned or private utility-owned lines, as found in section 5-01.5.11 of the Technical Standards Manual. Tree plantings are not permitted in El Paso Gas Easements or under overhead power lines. 5. Trees shall be placed a minimum of ten feet from the center of the tree trunk to any enclosed structure. 6. Trees shall be placed a minimum of five feet from the back of the sidewalk Sidewalk A constructed pedestrian circulation path meeting, at a minimum, the specifications for construction listed in this code or the Technical Manual. or curb. If this standard cannot be met, then root barriers are required and must be illustrated on the submitted construction plans. 7. Trees must be planted in a six-to-nine-inch depressed planting area of at least 50 square feet (four-foot radius, or alternatives as proposed) and at least ten feet away from a building Building A structure having a roof supported by columns, posts, or walls and intended for the shelter, housing, or enclosure of any person, entity, animal, process, equipment, goods, or materials of any kind or nature. foundation. 8. Existing, established trees on property, at least 4 inches trunk diameter at chest height, located at least ten feet from the foundation or with an unobstructed dripline at maturity, shall count toward this requirement (Figure 7.6.2.B). The root systems of existing trees used for this requirement must be protected from soil compaction during construction using perimeter protective fencing around the dripline . Established trees are not required to have a depressed planting area. Existing shrubs and vegetative groundcover may also be used toward the required landscaping Landscaping An exterior improvement of a site in accordance with an approved landscape plan and approved landscape methods, materials, and maintenance. . [image omitted; see the official code] Figure 7.6.2-B: Obstructed and unobstructed dripline s on various size trees, located 10 feet from an existing structure Structure A physical element constructed or erected with a fixed location on the ground or attached to another physical element having a fixed location at, below, or above grade. Structures include such elements as, but are not limited to, buildings, paved areas, walls, fences, posts, and patios. C. Vegetation shall be established, maintained, and sustained throughout its life in support of the City's tree count, climate, and walkability goals. One of the following two options may be used: 1. Drip or bubbler irrigation with backflow protection. A simple irrigation system can be part of the domestic water supply for the residence. 2. Alternate methods, such as rainwater harvesting, hand watering, and greywater systems, as proposed by the property owner and approved by the PDSD Landscape Architect. D. Proposed landscaping Landscaping An exterior improvement of a site in accordance with an approved landscape plan and approved landscape methods, materials, and maintenance. and related items can be included in a residential plot plan; a Landscape Plan Landscape Plan A graphic representation of the development site indicating the location of all existing and proposed landscape improvements to be present on the site at the completion of the construction of the project. is not required. (Ord. 12219, 12/16/2025)

Source: City of Tucson, Tucson Code (Charter and General Ordinances) and Unified Development Code (American Legal Publishing, codelibrary.amlegal.com)URL: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/tucson/latest/tucson_az_udc/0-0-0-6131Fetched: 10/28/2026