18.04.804 - Minimum Landscaping Required
(a) Conflicting Regulations Where the required landscape area standards in this section conflict with a landscaping standard stated elsewhere in this article or this Title, the most restrictive standard shall apply unless otherwise expressly allowed.
(b) All Districts Street trees shall be prioritized to provide shade for sidewalks, parking areas, and other paved surfaces.
(c) District-Specific Standards
(1) Residential Districts The minimum portion of a site to be permanently landscaped shall be:
a. Single-Family, Detached; Single-Family, Attached; and Duplex Dwellings The required front yard, excluding driveways and sidewalks, shall be landscaped within one year of the issuance of a certificate of occupancy.
b. All Other Residential Uses Twenty percent of the site.
c. Reduction Allowed Reductions in the required landscape area may be approved by the Administrator in accordance with Section 18.08.804, Minor Deviation, and NRS Section 278.319. In no case shall the required number of street trees or parking lot trees be reduced.
(2) Urban Districts The minimum portion of a site to be permanently landscaped except in the Mixed-Use Downtown (MD-) districts shall be:
Table 4-13 Minimum Landscape Area Requirements in Urban Zoning Districts
Zoning District | Minimum Landscape Area (% Gross Land Area)
General Commercial (GC) | 15%
Mixed-Use Suburban (MS) | 10% (greater than 20 DU/acre or 1.0 FAR) 20% (all other development)
Mixed-Use Urban (MU) | 5% (greater than 30 DU/acre or 1.5 FAR) 10% (greater than 20 DU/acre or 1.0 FAR) 20% (all other development)
Mixed-Use Midtown Commercial (MU-MC)
Mixed-Use Midtown Residential (MU-RES)
Neighborhood Commercial (NC) | 20%
Professional Office (PO) | 20%
Mixed-Use Downtown (MD-) | See Subsection 18.04.804(f)(1)c (street tree standards; no minimum percentage landscape area)
Note: The minimum front yard setback, not including driveways and sidewalks, shall be comprised entirely of landscaping, which shall be credited toward compliance with the % required landscape area in this table.
(3) Employment Districts The minimum portion of a site to be permanently landscaped shall be:
Table 4-14 Minimum Landscape Area Requirements in Nonresidential Zoning Districts
Sites & Zoning Districts | Minimum Landscape Area
Industrial Commercial (IC) | 100% of front yard (driveways excepted)
Mixed Employment (ME)
Industrial (I)
Mixed-Use Airport (MA)
Industrial (I) | 100% of front yard (driveways excepted); 20 ft. width, minimum
Buildings taller than 35 ft. | Additional setback required shall be landscaped
Loading docks, delivery areas, and truck parking | Additional setback required shall be landscaped
Additional landscaping may be required | See Section 18.04.804(e), Parking Area Landscaping and Screening Requirements. See Section 18.04.808, Screening. See Article 14, Residential Adjacency.
(4) Special Purpose Districts The minimum portion of a site to be permanently landscaped shall be:
Table 4-15 Minimum Landscape Area Requirements in Special Purpose Zoning Districts
Zoning Districts | Minimum Landscape Area
Public Facility (PF) | 20%
Parks, Greenways, and Open Space (PGOS) | See Section 18.04.804(e), Parking Area Landscaping and Screening Requirements. See Section 18.04.808, Screening. See Article 14, Residential Adjacency.
Unincorporated Transition Area (5 Acres)
Unincorporated Transition Area (10 Acres)
Unincorporated Transition Area (40 Acres)
(d) Credits Toward Landscaping Requirements
(1) Landscaping on Parking Structures and in Detention Areas Landscaping on parking structures and within retention or detention areas for stormwater shall be counted toward compliance with this subsection.
(2) Undeveloped Land Land that will remain undeveloped and undisturbed may be deleted from the total acreage used for the purpose of calculating the landscape requirement, if the Administrator determines that this exclusion meets the statement of purpose for this section.
(3) Wetlands/Stream Environments
a. Wetland areas that are preserved and/or enhanced may qualify as a portion of the landscaping required by this section. In no case may the retention of wetlands qualify for more than 50 percent of the required landscaping.
b. In an established wetland or stream environment, existing Ulmus, Populus, and Salix will be allowed. Any enhancement of the area may not include new plantings of Ulmus, Populus, and Salix without the approval of the urban forester in accordance with Section 8.32.080, Prohibited Trees.
(4) Common Areas In developments with common areas, the Administrator may administer landscaping standards for the overall project and may give credit to individual parcels for common area landscaping. This credit may only be given once and shall be proportionally equivalent to the required amount of landscaping. The common area landscaping shall be maintained in perpetuity.
(5) Placement of Required Landscaping Required landscaping may be placed in the public right-of-way (within adjacent parkways and medians) when maintained by the adjoining property owner(s), homeowners, special assessment district, landscape lighting district, or other means approved by the City. Required front yard landscaping may be placed in the public right-of-way to back of curb when the Administrator determines that the pavement width will not need to be increased and sidewalks are not necessary.
(6) Credit for Preserving Trees Preservation of existing, mature, healthy trees on a site may be credited toward compliance with the minimum tree planting requirements stated in Section 18.04.805(b). Tree credits shall be approved by the Administrator according to the provisions stated in Section 18.04.105.
(e) Parking Area Landscaping and Screening Requirements
(1) Applicability The standards in this section shall apply to off-street parking areas in all zoning districts, except for single-family, attached; single-family, detached; or duplex dwellings.
(2) Surface Parking Lots
a. Landscape Areas Required
1. Defining Parking Lots
Landscaping should separate parking lots into a maximum of 350 parking spaces in each defined lot.
2. Amount of Landscape Area
[a] Surface parking lots shall incorporate a minimum of 25 square feet of landscaped area for each off-street parking space.
[b] The amount of surface parking lot landscaping required by this subsection shall be credited toward the minimum landscape area requirements for the subject zoning district stated in Section 18.04.804, above.
[c] In no event shall the landscaping provided in surface parking lots be less than 15 percent of the total area of the surface parking lot.
3. Additional Requirements for Parking Lots with 600 or More Spaces Surface parking lots with 600 or more spaces visible from the public right-of-way shall meet the following additional requirements:
[a] A 15-foot wide landscape area, which includes a two-foot high berm, wall or hedge shall be placed around the perimeter of the parking area. Where there is a five-foot or greater grade change between the parking area and the site perimeter, the berm may be waived.
[b] An additional ten square feet of landscape area for each parking space in excess of 600 shall be placed in the interior of the parking area.
4. Parking Lot Edge
[a] A parking lot edge shall surround each parking lot and be a minimum of five feet wide excluding any curbing, unless a larger parking edge or perimeter buffer is required by this article. The parking lot edge may overlap any parking setback line. When other provisions of this article require a fully landscaped front, side, or rear yard/setback, and such setback area is larger than five feet and is located in the same place as a required parking lot edge, this provision for a landscaped parking edge shall not apply where the landscaped yard/setback is provided.
[b] When separating two parking lots, the parking lot edge shall be a minimum of five feet wide (including any curbing) and shall contain an average minimum three-foot high hedge or two-foot berm. Parking lot edges may facilitate the grading and terracing of parking lots on a site or may be used for pedestrian access.
5. Location of Required Parking Lot Landscape Required landscape areas shall occur entirely within the parking lot and parking lot edge boundaries.
b. Minimum Requirements for Required Landscape Areas
1. General Requirements Required landscape areas may take the form of "parking lot edges" or interior "islands" depending on site design and the preservation of natural site features. All landscape areas within parking areas shall:
[a] Be planted with living plant materials according to this article; and
[b] Allow for pedestrian walking surfaces across them to provide improved pedestrian circulation across the parking area. Said walking surfaces count towards meeting the landscape area requirement up to a total of 25 percent of the requirement; and
[c] Have a minimum of one tree for each island with the remaining area in shrubs, ground cover, grasses, or seasonal color; and
[d] Have a minimum of one tree planted at an average rate of 30 feet on center along any street frontage.
[image omitted; see the official code]
Figure 4-6: Parking Area Landscaping
2. Tree Placement and Density In meeting the requirement for a minimum number of trees per required landscape area stated in Section 18.04.805(c)(3), below, parking lots that have 12 or more spaces in width shall have at least one island with a shade tree placed so that the parking lot has no more than 12 parking spaces between islands. Parking lots smaller than 12 spaces in width may place shade trees in parking lot edges. Parking lots 12 or more spaces in width shall place shade trees in islands where a parking space would otherwise fit.. Placement of these islands and trees shall be accomplished such that no parking space shall be further than 75 feet from a tree. See Figure 4-6, above.
3. Tree Size Parking lots shall be entirely landscaped with Class 4 large canopy type trees, unless additional smaller trees are provided to provide comparable shade coverage at maturity. Tree sizes and measurements shall otherwise conform to Section 18.04.805(c)(3).
4. Islands An island containing at least one tree shall be located in accordance with Subsection 2, above. Islands shall be designed to reflect the size of the adjacent parking space(s). Minimum length for the usable planting area, excluding adjacent curbs or sidewalks, is 14 feet. Minimum width for the usable planting area is 8 feet. Trees shall be placed a minimum of 4 feet from the back of any curb or sidewalk. The location of parking lot islands shall recognize convenient pedestrian circulation routes and walks within the island and shall be planned accordingly. Landscape strips may also be used to address the minimum requirements for parking lot islands and trees.
5. Soil Preparation Parking lot islands shall be prepared with a minimum three-foot usable soil depth for the entire island area. Except where natural soils are determined to be suitable for healthy tree growth, the entire area of the island shall be excavated to a depth of three feet and backfilled with suitable planting material. Determinations of soil suitability shall made by the landscape architect or other responsible party, as applicable. Planting wells for required trees in parking lot edges shall be similarly prepared with minimum usable soil dimensions of three feet in depth and 25 square feet in surface area.
6. Placement of Lighting Parking lot lighting shall be located to not be shaded by the expected growth of shade trees.
7. Existing Trees and Natural Features Notwithstanding the above, the location of landscaped islands should be adjusted to accommodate existing trees or other natural features, provided that the total landscape area requirements are met.
(3) Screening of Parking from Public Areas
a. General All parking areas shall be screened from view of public roadways. The screen shall be a minimum of 36 inches in height, and be achieved with street trees and one of the following methods:
1. A berm (see Figure 4-7);
[image omitted; see the official code]
Figure 4-7: Berm Parking Area Screening
2. A planting screen, including shrubs (see Figure 4-8);
[image omitted; see the official code]
Figure 4-8: Planting Parking Area Screening
3. A decorative wall (see Figure 4-9); or
4. A combination of the above, or as shown on the approved detailed site plan.
[image omitted; see the official code]
Figure 4-9: Decorative Wall Parking
b. Parking Lot Edge Screening shall generally be placed within the parking lot edge zone as defined in Section 18.04.804(e)(2), above.
c. Screening Waiver The screening requirement in this subsection shall be waived when the surface of the entire lot is more than 36 inches below the grade of the street.
(f) Street Tree Requirements
(1) Trees Required
a. Arterials and Collectors
1. Unless otherwise required, trees shall be planted adjacent to the right-of-way at a minimum average rate of one tree for every 30 feet of street frontage.
2. Parkway landscaping shall include a minimum of six shrubs per tree and/or living groundcover planted to achieve full coverage at maturity, except for any walkways.
3. Expanded sidewalks with street trees and furnishings may be provided in lieu of landscaped parkways, to the satisfaction of the Administrator.
b. Residential Streets
1. Two street trees shall be planted for each lot up to 50 feet in width and at a minimum average rate of one tree for every 30 feet of frontage over 50 feet. The tree shall be a minimum two-inch caliper tree from the city's permitted street tree list.
2. The City prefers that all residential street trees be planted in the parkway, if one exists. Where no parkway exists, the Administrator may approve the planting of the required trees between the curb line and the building setback line, but at least 2 ½ feet from the curb line and from the building foundation.
c. Mixed-Use Downtown (MD-) Districts
All street trees in the MD districts shall meet the standards of the Downtown Streetscape Design Manual. Where the Downtown Streetscape Design Manual does not identify street tree requirements, the standard requirements for Arterials, Collectors, and Residential Streets shall apply.
(2) Planting Schedule Trees shall be planted prior to the issuance of a certificate of occupancy. The Administrator may allow the planting to occur within the next growing season the required landscaping is bonded or guaranteed as described in Subsection 18.04.803(e), Installation and Inspection.
(3) Modification of Standards The Administrator may approve a modification of the tree species, tree spacing, planting standard, or location provided that the overall objectives of creating an attractive streetscape are achieved and the approved modification meets the intent of this section.
(4) Trees in the Public Right-of-Way
a. Work Permit Required Trees planted or removed from the public right-of-way are subject to the issuance of a tree work permit. Placement, species, and type of tree well covering are subject to City approval prior to the issuance of the tree work permit per Chapter 8.32, Trees and Shrubs.
b. Maintenance Trees planted in the public right-of-way shall be maintained by adjacent property owners, neighborhood associations, special assessment district or maintenance district formed under NRS Section 278.4787.
(5) Approved Street Tree Species Street trees shall be selected from the Reno Urban Forestry Commission Approved Street Tree Species List.
(Ord. No. 6692, § 1(Exh. A), 1-8-25)
