Unified
Development Code
City
of San Antonio, Texas
Article
V Development Standards
Division
3: Landscaping and Tree Preservation
UDCV:9
I. Purpose
-Safeguard and
enhance property values and protect public and private investment.
-Encourage
preservation of existing trees and other significant vegetation.
-Encourage proper selection, installation,
and maintenance of plant materials that result in the conservation of natural
resources, including water.
-Reduce the negative environmental effects of
development while protecting and enhancing the value of developed properties
and the surrounding area.
-Reduce soil erosion and increase
infiltration in permeable land areas essential to storm water management and
aquifer recharge.
-Mitigate air, dust, noise, heat and chemical
pollution and glare and other adverse environmental effects of development.
-Reduce the "heat island" effect of
impervious surfaces, such as parking lots, by cooling and shading the surface
area and breaking up large expanses of pavement.
-Establish a landscape theme including street
trees and streetscape designs to be used throughout the city to promote the
overall character and identity of the community.
-Preserve existing native vegetation as an
integral part of the wildlife habitats, and incorporate native plants and
ecosystems into landscape design.
-Maintain and increase property values by
requiring site appropriate landscaping to be incorporated into development that
is designed and installed by a qualified landscape professional.
-To promote and protect the health, safety,
and welfare of the public by creating an urban environment that is
aesthetically pleasing and that promotes economic development through an
enhanced quality of life.
II. Design
Components
-Landscaping
-Streetscape Planting Standards
-Tree Preservation
III. Technical
Requirements
Planting
Area Diagram
|
Minimum
Caliper at the Time of Planting
|
Minimum
Height at the Time of Planting
|
Minimum
Planting Area
|
Trees
|
1
1/2 inches for single trunk trees
|
Not
applicable unless multi-trunk trees, in which case the tree shall be a
minimum of six (6) feet in height at the time of planting
|
One
hundred (100) square feet
|
Small
trees
|
1
1/2 inches for single trunk trees
|
Six
(6) feet for multi-trunk trees
|
Twenty-five
(25) square feet
|
Large
shrubs
|
Not
applicable
|
Two
(2) feet
|
Nine
(9) square feet
|
Small
to medium shrubs
|
Not
applicable
|
One
(1) foot
|
Eight
(8) square feet
|
Table
511-1 (Plant Material Minimum Size Requirements)
IV. Unique Feature
of the Code
-Every set of
development plans must include a landscape plan.
-Every landscape plan must be
stamped with a licensed landscape architect’s seal.
-Landscape plans must meet the point
system minimum of 70 using the available point components.
-Points mainly may be gained through
tree preservation, parking shading, parking screening, and street trees.
V. Reviewer’s Comments
San
Antonio’s landscape code excels by specifying that only a landscape architect’s
licensed seal on landscape plans will pass a development plan set through
permitting. A way to better the code
would be to stipulate that certain percentage of the landscape is designed
using xeriscape principles that use native plants and water conservation
practices.
Katherine McClellan