Collier County Landscape Code
Collier County, FL
The purpose of the Collier County landscape code is to promote the health, safety, and welfare of residents of Collier County by establishing minimum uniform standards for the installation and maintenance of landscaping, improve the aesthetic appearance of commercial, industrial, and residential developments through the requirement of minimum landscaping in ways that harmonize the natural and built environment, promote preservation and planting of native plants and plant communities, provide physical and psychological benefits to persons through landscaping by reducing noise and glare, screen and buffer the harsher visual aspects of urban development, improve environmental quality by reducing and reversing air, noise, heat, and chemical pollution through the preservation of canopy trees and the creation of shade and microclimate, reduce heat gain in or on buildings or paved areas through the filtering capacity of trees and vegetation, and promote water conservation by encouraging the use of native and drought-tolerant vegetation and properly zoned irrigation system through xeriscape. All material pertaining to this code may be found online at
http://www.co.collier.fl.us/planning/Landscape%20Web/Home.htm and
http://livepublish.municode.com/4/lpext.dll?f=templates&fn=main-hit-j.htm&2.0 .
Prior to the approval of platting or the issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy, a landscape plan must be submitted for the development. The plan must be drawn by a landscape architect and include all pertinent information regarding the project and all required landscape elements must be highlighted and distinguished from any additional elements not required by code. The code even states, Design creativity is encouraged so long as it meets the intent of the code.
Several basic requirements are required of all developments regardless of use. These requirements include a ratio of one 8 landscape island per 10 parking stalls, landscaped areas at curb radii, landscape islands at the end of every parking aisle, and several stipulations regarding trees. Of all the planting materials required on site, 75% of trees must be natives and 35% of shrubs must be natives. Half of the trees must be 10 high, 3 in canopy and 1.75 in caliper at the time of installation, with the remaining portion 8 high, 2 in canopy and 1.5 in caliper. A very interesting requirement of their landscape code is that for every 10 trees required, a minimum of 1 species is required, up to a maximum of 5. This inclusion helps to avoid monoculture and ensure diversity among plant materials. This basic code is applied to each particular zone addressed in the landscape code: Single Family/Duplex/Mobile Home, Industrial Development, Communications Towers, Sales Trailers/Sales Centers/Model Homes, and Commercial Development. Each area has different requirements of landscape elements based on the size of the area.
Parking Lot Tree Ratio: a ratio of one 8 landscape
island per 10 parking stalls,
Parking Lot Interiors: landscaped areas at curb
radii, landscape islands at the end of every parking aisle.
Native Ratio: 75% of trees must be natives, 35% of shrubs
must be natives.
Tree Size: 50%
of the trees must be 10 high, 3 in canopy and 1.75 in caliper at the time of
installation, with the remaining portion 8 high, 2 in canopy and 1.5 in
caliper.
Species Mix: For every 10 trees required, a minimum of 1
species is required, up to a maximum of 5.
Applicability: Single Family/Duplex/Mobile
Home, Industrial Development, Communications Towers, Sales Trailers/Sales
Centers/Model Homes, and Commercial
Open Space Planting Requirement: Development. Each area has different
requirements of landscape elements based on the size of the area.
Buffer Requirements:
Type A, is a 10 wide landscape buffer with trees
30 on center.
Type B buffers are 15 wide, contain trees spaced
25 on center, and use any combination of wall, fence, hedge, or berms to
create an 80% opacity between the land uses.
Type C buffers use the above techniques to create
100% opacity and also require a minimum of 50% coverage with a meandering bed
of shrubs and ground covers.
Type D buffers are used adjacent to public right-of-ways and vary in width based upon the length of property adjacent to the right-of-way. Trees are planted 30 on center and an opaque shrub hedge is required along the length of the right-of-way.
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Fig 1. Basic Requirements
The code also addresses landscape buffers whose density and complexity vary depending on the nature of the adjacent land uses. The simplest buffer, Type A, is a 10 wide landscape buffer with trees 30 on center. Type B buffers are 15 wide, contain trees spaced 25 on center, and use any combination of wall, fence, hedge, or berms to create an 80% opacity between the land uses. Type C buffers use the above techniques to create 100% opacity and also require a minimum of 50% coverage with a meandering bed of shrubs and ground covers. Type D buffers are used adjacent to public right-of-ways and vary in width based upon the length of property adjacent to the right-of-way. Trees are planted 30 on center and an opaque shrub hedge is required along the length of the right-of-way. All plant materials must be along the edge that faces the right of way, and any area not treated as mentioned above must contain only native landscape materials.
Collier County makes provisions for two Overlay Districts the Immokalee and Bayshore Drive Mixed Use districts. These districts impose additional criteria for the requirement of landscape plantings and buffers. To make the process smoother for designers, Collier County provides an online landscape calculator at http://www.co.collier.fl.us/planning/Landscape%20Web/Calculations.htm . Site users need only input the numbers pertinent to their development and the calculator returns the amount and type of landscape treatments required for their particular site.
Following the completion of the plan, the landscape architect must submit it to the Planning commission, where staff planners, landscape architects and environmental specialists will review it. The county will not issue a certificate of occupancy until the code submitted for the project meets all criteria. In some instances, the Planning Director may issue a temporary certificate of occupancy in the event of special conditions. Should steps not be made to earn approval for the plan, the certificate will be immediately revoked.
Nathan Elliott