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Landscaping Standards

Santa Clara City Code ch. 18.36
in effect

Santa Clara City Code § 18.36.010 Purpose

The purpose of this Chapter is to establish minimum landscape and irrigation requirements to enhance the appearance of developments, reduce heat and glare, control soil erosion, conserve water, ensure ongoing maintenance of landscape areas, and ensure that landscape installations do not create hazards for motorists or pedestrians.

Santa Clara City Code § 18.36.020 Applicability

The regulations contained in this Chapter shall apply to new and existing development and shall be in addition to any other development standards and regulations contained elsewhere in the Zoning Code. A. New Development. All new development shall comply with the requirements of this Chapter. B. Existing Development. The landscaping in an existing development subject to a new permit application that includes expansion of existing structure square footage by more than 10 percent shall be subject to evaluation by the Review Authority.

Santa Clara City Code § 18.36.030 Landscape and Irrigation Plans

Preliminary and final landscape plans shall be submitted in accordance with the requirements of this Chapter, and review of the plans shall be conducted by the appropriate Review Authority. A. Preliminary Landscape and Irrigation Plan. A preliminary landscape and irrigation plan shall be submitted to the Director along with application submittal forms and other required materials for the requested permit or approval. This plan must show a water budget that includes the estimated water use (in gallons), irrigated area (in square feet), precipitation rate, and flow rate in gallons per minute, as well as conceptual locations for trees, shrubs, ground cover, and other landscape elements and a corresponding list of planting material by species, quantity, and container size. B. Final Landscape and Irrigation Plan. After a preliminary landscape and irrigation plan has been approved by the Review Authority, a final landscape and irrigation plan shall be submitted to the Director in conjunction with site improvement plans. The final landscape and irrigation plan shall be prepared by a registered licensed landscape architect and shall be in substantial compliance with the preliminary landscape and irrigation plan approved by the Review Authority. Final plans shall show the exact location of and irrigation system for trees, shrubs, and ground cover. The final landscape and irrigation plan shall include, at a minimum, plant name, plant quantity, plant container size, location of impervious surfaces, utilities and lighting, and plans for tree retention and removal where applicable. The final landscape and irrigation plan shall also include a water budget that includes the estimated water use (in gallons), the irrigated area (in square feet), precipitation rate, and flow rate in gallons per minute.

Santa Clara City Code § 18.36.040 Landscape and Irrigation Plan Review Process

When the requirements of this Chapter are applicable as established in Section 18.36.020 (Applicability), the following landscape and irrigation plan review process shall be conducted in conjunction with review for the proposed action, pursuant to the requirements of Article 6 (Permit Processing Procedures) and Article 7 (Zoning Code Administration). A. Approval of Preliminary and Final Plans. The Review Authority shall review and approve the preliminary landscape and irrigation plan. Following approval of the preliminary landscape and irrigation plan, a final landscape and irrigation plan shall be submitted to the Director prior to issuance of building permits or planning entitlements for new projects or applicable expansions to existing development as established in Section 18.36.020 (Applicability). B. Approval Required. The landscape and irrigation shall not be installed until the applicant receives approval of the final landscape and irrigation plan by the Director and any applicable permits have been issued. C. Changes to Final Plans. Changes to the approved final landscape and irrigation plan that affect the character or quantity of the plant material or irrigation system design are required to be resubmitted for approval by the Director before installation.

Santa Clara City Code § 18.36.050 General Landscape Standards

A. General Location for Landscape Improvements. Landscaping shall be provided in the following locations for all types of development as listed below, unless the Review Authority approves an alternative landscape approach. Nothing in this Chapter is intended to discourage landscape areas outside and beyond the minimum requirements listed herein. 1. Setbacks. All setback areas required by this Code shall be landscaped in compliance with this Chapter except where a required setback is occupied by a sidewalk, driveway, or permitted off-street parking area, or is enclosed and screened from abutting public rights-of-way. 2. Undeveloped Areas. All areas of a project site not intended for a specific use or purpose in conjunction with a current application, including pad sites being held for future development, shall be landscaped in compliance with this Chapter. 3. Parking Areas. All parking areas shall be landscaped for shade and climate control, to enhance project design, and to screen the visual impact of vehicles and large expanses of pavement consistent with the requirements of this Chapter. B. Plant Type. Landscape planting shall emphasize drought-tolerant and native species (especially along natural, open space areas), shall complement the architectural design of structures on the site, and shall be suitable for the soil and climatic conditions specific to the site. 1. Street and Parking Lot Trees. Street and parking lot trees shall be selected from the City’s adopted master list of street trees and parking lot trees. 2. Trees Adjacent to Walkways. Trees planted within 10 feet of a street, sidewalk, paved trail, or walkway shall be separated from hardscapes by a root barrier to prevent physical damage to public improvements. C. Planting Size, Spacing, and Planter Widths. To achieve an immediate effect of a landscape installation and to allow or sustained growth of planting materials, minimum plant material sizes, plant spacing, and minimum planter widths (inside measurements) are as follows: 1. Trees. The minimum planting size for trees shall be 15 gallons, with at least 25 percent of all trees on a project site planted at a minimum 24-inch box size. For commercial, office, community/civic, and industrial development, tree spacing within perimeter planters along streets and abutting residential property shall be planted no farther apart on center than the mature diameter of the proposed species. Minimum planter widths for trees shall be between five and ten feet, consistent with the City’s adopted master list of street trees and parking lot trees. 2. Shrubs. Shrub planting shall be a minimum five-gallon size, with a 15-gallon minimum size required where an immediate landscape screen is required by the Review Authority. The minimum planter width for shrubs is four feet. 3. Ground Cover. Plants used for mass planting may be grown in flats of up to 64 plants or in individual one-gallon containers. Rooted cuttings from flats shall be planted no farther apart than 12 inches on center, and containerized woody, shrub ground cover plantings shall be planted no farther apart than three feet on center to achieve full coverage within one year. Minimum planter width for ground cover is two feet, except for sod, which requires a minimum planter width of six feet.

Santa Clara City Code § 18.36.060 Special Landscape Requirements

In addition to the general requirements of Section 18.36.050 (General Landscape Standards), the following requirements apply to the special types of landscaping. A. Multi-Tenant Project Entry Landscaping. Entries to multi-tenant projects (both residential and nonresidential) shall be designed as a special statement reflective of the character and scale of the project to establish identity for tenants, visitors, and patrons. Flowering access plantings and specimen trees shall be used to reinforce the entry statement. B. Trees Adjacent to Structure Walls. Except for single-family housing developments, trees shall be planted in areas of public view adjacent to structures at a rate of one tree per 30 linear feet of building dimensions (or fraction thereof), particularly to interrupt expansive horizontal and vertical surfaces. C. Drive-Through Aisles Screening. For drive-through aisle screening requirements see Section 18.60.100 (Drive-in/Drive Through Establishments). D. Wireless Telecommunication Facilities. Landscaping is required on the site of wireless telecommunication facilities, including trees, foliage, and shrubs. Additional landscaping may be planted around the tower and related equipment to buffer abutting residential zones or uses and to buffer public trails. Trees shall be fast-growing evergreen species, with a minimum size of 24-inch box. Shrubs shall be a minimum 15-gallon size covering a minimum planter area depth of five feet around the facility. Trees and shrubs shall be located no farther apart on center than the mature diameter of the proposed species. E. On-Site Pedestrian Pathways and Public Spaces. Pedestrian pathways and public space landscaping shall include shade trees placed so as to cover 50 percent of the total pathway area with tree canopies within 15 years of planting. F. Landscaping Adjoining Creeks. Landscaping or planting that is adjoining to creeks shall only use native plants. G. Signs. Landscaping shall be provided at the base of the supporting structure of freestanding signs equal to twice the area of one face of the sign. For example, 50 square feet of sign area requires 100 square feet of landscaped area. H. Buffering Between Uses. A landscape buffer shall be provided between residential and nonresidential uses and between single-family uses and multi-family uses containing three or more units. Buffer areas shall include a minimum five-foot-wide planter strip with shrubs and both deciduous and evergreen trees planted no farther apart than 30 feet on center. I. Sound Walls/Masonry Walls. Where setback and open space areas are screened from public view by walls or similar approved structures, landscaping shall be provided so as to cover 50 percent of the wall by landscape material within five years of securing a Building Permit. J. Parking Lot Landscaping. Parking lot landscaping shall include perimeter planters, trees for parking lot shade, and a combination of continuous planting strips, planting fingers, and parking islands throughout the parking lot. Parking lot landscape requirements applicable to commercial, industrial, mixed-use, and multifamily parking lots with five or more spaces are as follows: 1. Number of Trees Required. One tree for every three parking stalls shall be provided. At maturity, trees must reach a minimum height and spread of 20 feet to form a shade canopy over parking stalls. Smaller ornamental trees may not be used to satisfy this requirement. The minimum width for planters containing a parking lot tree is six feet. Tree selections shall be approved by the Director. See Figure 3-7 (Parking Lot Tree Requirement). 2. Tree Wells. Tree wells in a parking lot shall be a minimum of 40 square feet, with a minimum dimension of five feet. 3. Parking Lots. See Figure 3-8 (Parking Lot Landscaping). a. All parking lots shall include a perimeter landscaped strip at least five feet wide (inside dimension) where the lot adjoins a side or rear property line. The perimeter landscaped strip may include any landscaped yard or landscaped area otherwise required and shall be continuous, except for driveways and pedestrian access. b. All parking lots shall include a minimum 10 feet of landscaping adjacent to any public street, except for driveways and pedestrian access. 4. Existing Trees. Existing mature trees on the site in good health shall be preserved as determined by the Director. 5. Planter Design. All parking lot planters shall be designed to meet the following minimum requirements (see Figure 3-9 (Parking Lot Planter Design)). a. Planters shall be separated from maneuvering and parking areas by a six-inch raised concrete curb or equivalent. b. Landscape planters along the sides of parking stalls shall be a minimum of six feet in width. Figure 3-7 Parking Lot Tree Requirement Figure 3-8 Parking Lot Landscaping Figure 3-9 Parking Lot Planter Design

Santa Clara City Code § 18.36.070 Additional Requirements for Residential Zones

All new development front yard landscaping shall include, at a minimum, one 15-gallon size tree and a permanent irrigation system to be installed by the developer prior to occupancy. This requirement shall be in addition to any other tree installation requirements required by law, such as street trees to be approved by the Department of Public Works.

Santa Clara City Code § 18.36.080 Removal and Replacement of Required Landscaping

Replacement Sizes. Any plant material removed from a site for which the Director has approved the landscape and irrigation plan shall be replaced with plants consistent with the approved landscape and irrigation plan. Replacement trees shall be required for trees removed or severely and improperly trimmed, with or without Director approval. Size of replacement trees shall be determined by the Director based on the conditions of the property.

Santa Clara City Code § 18.36.100 Water-Efficient Landscaping

All landscaping areas shall comply with the requirements contained in the City’s water service and use rules and regulations as the same rules and regulations are applicable to promote efficient water use in landscaping by promoting use of region-appropriate plants that require minimal supplemental irrigation, and by establishing standards for irrigation efficiency.
Source: City of Santa Clara Zoning Code (santaclaraca.gov PDF)URL: https://www.santaclaraca.gov/our-city/departments-a-f/community-development/planning-division/zoningFetched: 10/24/2026

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