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landscaping standards. The Board then directed staff to make changes to some of the ordinance sections, but not the landscape replacement standards. The Board also established a policy that public road projects include roadside and median landscaping. The result was a decision to increase private sector and public sector landscaping requirements. Staff then drafted a post - workshop final ordinance. The post -workshop final ordinance, which included the current 926.12(3) standards, was considered by the PSAC at its October 16, 1997 meeting. At that meeting, the PSAC voted 5-0 to recommend adoption of the final ordinance. At its November 13, 1997 meeting, the PZC voted 5-0 to recommend adoption of the final ordinance. At its December 16, 1997 meeting, the Board adopted the final ordinance by a vote of 3-1. The sole dissenting vote was due to one commissioner's belief that certain landscaping standards were not stringent enough. In summary, the current landscaping requirements (including the replacement size standards) were part of a comprehensive and extensive review of the county's landscape standards that occurred in 1997. • Reason for Replacement Standards The current replacement size standards were established in 1997 in response to a fundamental problem that Planning and Zoning Commissioners and staff had observed with landscape maintenance on completed, older project sites. The problem was that landscaping material was not maturing on many sites due to insufficient material quality at the time of planting and due to the fact that replacement landscaping was being installed at the same minimum sizes required at the outset of a project. In addition, the 926.12(3) requirements at that time did not provide a strong disincentive for inadequate maintenance and landscape material growth. Consequently, replacements resulting from code enforcement action did not adequately "boost" site landscaping appearances. To address these problems, the current 926.12(3) replacement standards were established to ensure that landscaping material on project sites matures as intended and to provide a strong disincentive for inadequate maintenance and inadequate landscape material growth on project sites. • Current and Proposed Replacement Requirements The current 926.12(3) requirements (see attachment #2) apply only to the minimum number of required trees on a project site. These requirements allow landscaping material to be replaced at the original project minimum sizes for the first 18 months after project C.O. (Certificate of Occupancy). Thereafter, replacement requirements for shrubs, understory trees, and canopy trees are increased. A. 0-18 months after C.O. Current 926.12(3) Requirements At -planting sizes allowed, as followed: • Outside of Special Corridors Shrubs: 18" Understory trees: 5' (1" diameter at 0.5') Canopy trees: 10' (2" diameter at 0.5') • Within Special Corridors Shrubs: 18"-30" Understory trees: 5' (1" diameter at 0.5') Canopy trees: 12' (2" diameter at 0.5') OCTOBER 23, 2001 r f, r, �, b i ; i 1I UU -49-