20.925.030 General Provisions | Vancouver Municipal Code

20.925.030 General Provisions.

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A. Landscaping requirements. Landscaping shall be provided and maintained per Tables 20.925.030-1 and 20.925.030-2.

Table 20.925.030-1. Minimum Landscaping and Buffer Setback Standards
Zoning of Proposed Development (Buffer width is the setback for the commercial and industrial zoning districts)
Required street trees and parking area landscaping do not count towards these requirements except as allowed by the street tree and parking code sections.		Lower-Density Residential³		Higher-Density Residential³		Commercial and Mixed Use¹		Industrial¹
		R-2, R-4, R-6, R-9, R-17		R-18, R-22, R-30, R-35, R-50		CN, CC, CG, HX and MX only		OCI		IL A		IH
Zoning of Land Abutting Development Site		Separated from site by a street	Not separated by a street	Separated from site by a street	Not separated by a street	Separated from site by a street	Not separated by a street	Separated from site by a street	Not separated by a street	Separated from site by a street	Not separated by a street	Separated from site by a street	Not separated by a street
Lower-Density Residential	R-2, R-4, R-6, R-9, R-17	None	None	L2 10 ft	L3 5 ft⁶	L2 10 ft	L4 10 ft	L2 10 ft	L4 10 ft	L3 20 ft	L4 in 40 ft⁵ L5 in 50 ft⁵	L3 20 ft	L4 in 40 ft⁵ L5 in 50 ft⁵
Higher-Density Residential	R-18, R-22, R-30, R-35, R-50	None	L3 5 ft⁶	L1 10 ft	L1 5 ft	L2 10 ft	L4 10 ft	L2 5 ft	L2 5 ft	L3 20 ft	L4 in 40 ft⁵ L5 in 50 ft⁵	L3 20 ft	L4 in 40 ft⁵ L5 in 50 ft⁵
Commercial and Mixed Use	CN, CC, CG, MX	L1 10 ft	L3 5 ft⁶	L2 10 ft	L3 5 ft	L2 10 ft	L1² 0 – 5 ft	L2 5 ft	L1² 0 – 5 ft	L2 10 ft	L3 5 ft	L2 10 ft	L3 10 ft
Industrial	OCI	L1 10 ft	L3 5 ft	L1 10 ft	L3 5 ft	L2 10 ft	L1² 0 – 5 ft	L2 5 ft	L1² 0 – 5 ft	L2 10 ft	L3 5 ft	L2 10 ft	L3 10 ft
	IL, A,	L1 10 ft	L3 5 ft	L2 10 ft	L3 5 ft	L2 10 ft	L2 5 ft	L2 5 ft	L1² 0 – 5 ft	L2 10 ft	L1 5 ft	L2 10 ft	L3 10 ft
	IH	L1 10 ft	L3 5 ft	L2 10 ft	L3 5 ft	L2 5 ft	L3 5 ft	L2 5 ft	L3 5 ft	L2 10 ft	L3 10 ft	L2 10 ft	L1² 0 – 5 ft
Resource (County)	FR-80, FR-40, AG-20, AG-WL, Park/WL	L1 10 ft	L3 50 ft	L2 10 ft	L3 50 ft	L2 10 ft	L2 5 ft	L2 5 ft	L3 10 ft	L2 10 ft	L1 5 ft	L2 10 ft	L3 10 ft

1Zero lot line developments shall comply with the standards and requirements of VMC 20.910.050.

2If building is to be built on the property line there is no required buffer for that portion of the site.

3Applies to multifamily site plan applications and the perimeter of land divisions, not to individual single-family lot developments.

4In case of conflict with yard, setback, landscape, screening, or buffer standards specified in other sections of this title, the stricter standard shall apply, except for plan districts where the district standards shall always apply even if less strict than the standards of this table.

5Buffer widths abutting parking areas that are landscaped in accordance with the requirements of VMC 20.945.040(I) can be reduced to 25 feet.

6Where a directly abutting site not separated by a street is currently developed with a single-story residential structure, the minimum setback is five feet plus one additional foot for each three feet of proposed building height above 35 feet, up to a maximum setback of 15 feet. The additional setback for buildings above 35 feet in height applies only to the portions of those buildings above 35 feet.

Table 20.925.030-2. Landscaping and Screening Design Standards¹
Type	Name	Description	Minimum Shrubs Based on Buffer Depth	Minimum Trees	Wall or Berm or Fence Required – Standards
L1	General (for open areas)	Used where distance is primary means of separating uses or development, and landscaping enhances area between them	a. 10 ft or less = None b. Over 10 ft = 2 high or 3 low shrubs per 400 sq. ft. landscaped area	a. One tree per 30 lineal ft. b. One tree per 800 sq. ft.	None
L2	Low Screen	Distance and low-level screening intended to separate uses or development. Applied where low-level screening sufficiently reduces the impact of a use or development, or where visibility between areas is more important than a greater visual screen.	Continuous screen 3 ft. high, 95% opaque year-round. 3+-gallon containers or equivalent with spread 18+ inches	One tree per 30 lineal ft. of landscaped area or as needed to provide a tree canopy over the landscaped area	3-ft.-high masonry wall or F2 fence or a berm may substitute for shrubs
L3	High Screen	Physical and visual separation between uses or development principally using screening. Used where full separation is warranted by impacts of proposed development, notwithstanding loss of direct views.	Enough shrubs to form a 6-ft.-high buffer screen 95% opaque year-round; 5+-gallon containers or equivalent with spread of 30+ inches		6-ft. F1 or F2 high wall or fence with or without berm may substitute for shrubs
L4	High Wall	Used where extensive screening of visual and noise impacts is needed to protect abutting sensitive uses and/or there is little space for separation between uses.	Four high shrubs required per 30 lineal ft. of wall		6-ft. F2 high wall required
L5	High Berm	Used instead of L4 where extensive screening is warranted and more space is available for separation between uses.	L2 low shrubs on top of berm so total screen height = 6 ft.		4 – 6 ft. high berm required. If under 6 ft. high, plant L2 low shrubs on top of berm so overall screen height is 6 ft.
F1	Partially Sight-Obscuring Fence	Partial visual separation applied where a proposed use or development has little impact, or where visibility between areas is more important than a total visual screen.			6 ft. high – at least 50% sight-obscuring – wood, metal, chain link with slats, bricks, masonry or other permanent materials.
F2	Fully Sight-Obscuring Fence	Full visual separation where complete screening is needed to protect abutting uses, and landscaping alone cannot provide that separation.			6 ft. high – 100% sight-obscuring – made of wood, metal, bricks, masonry or other permanent materials – no chain link fences with slats or similar construction.

L1, L2, L3, L4, L5 – Groundcover plants, grass lawn or approved flowers must fully cover the landscaped area not in shrubs or trees.

L2, L3 – When applied along street lot lines, the screen or wall is to be placed along the interior side of the landscaped area.

L4 – When abutting another property, the wall shall abut the property line. When abutting a street or road right-of-way, the wall shall be on the interior side of the landscaped area.

L1 – Within the commercial districts where a building is to be placed at the buffer line for a front setback, concrete or brick pavers may be used in place of the required groundcover for the length of the building for the front setback only, provided the required trees are still supplied, the paved area is connected to the public sidewalk, and pedestrian amenities are provided such as benches or pedestrian plazas. Building need not be placed at the required buffer line to utilize this section if the area between the buffer line and the building is devoted entirely to pedestrian-only areas.

L1, L2, L3, L4, L5 – Groundcover plants to be placed not more than 30 inches on center and 30 inches between rows. Rows of plants shall be staggered for a more effective covering. Groundcover shall be supplied in a minimum four-inch-size container or a two-and-one-quarter-inch container or equivalent if planted 18 inches on center.

B. Obligation to maintain. Unless otherwise provided by the lease agreement, the owner, tenant and his agent, if any, shall be jointly and severally responsible for the maintenance of all landscaping and screening, which shall be maintained in good condition so as to present a healthy, neat and orderly appearance, shall be replaced or repaired as necessary, and shall be kept free from refuse and debris.

C. Pruning required. All plant growth in landscaped areas of developments shall be controlled by pruning, trimming or otherwise so that:

1. It will not interfere with the maintenance or repair of any public utility;

2. It will not restrict pedestrian or vehicular access;

3. It will not constitute a traffic hazard because of reduced visibility; and

4. Trees shall be pruned to provide at least eight feet of clearance above sidewalks and 13 feet above a local street, 15 feet above a collector street, and 18 feet above an arterial street roadway surfaces.

D. Installation requirements. The installation of all landscaping shall be as follows:

1. All landscaping shall be installed according to accepted planting procedures;

2. The plant materials shall be of high grade, and shall meet the quality and size standards of the American Standards for Nursery Stock (ANSI Z60, 1-1986, as updated); and

3. Landscaping shall be installed in accordance with VMC 20.925.050.

4. All landscaped areas shall be provided with an irrigation system or a readily available water supply with at least one outlet located within 50 feet of all plant material.

5. All landscaped areas shall be provided with a six-inch curb which could include curb cuts, wheel stops or other protective measure to allow for stormwater flow as part of LID.

6. Landscaped areas shall have a minimum length or width dimension of five feet in order to count toward the minimum required landscaped area.

E. Certificate of Occupancy. Certificates of occupancy shall not be issued unless the landscaping requirements have been met or other arrangements have been made and approved by the city such as described in VMC 20.909.020(B).

F. Care of landscaping along public rights-of-way. Appropriate methods for the care and maintenance of street trees and landscaping materials shall be provided by the owner of the property abutting the rights-of-way, unless otherwise required for emergency conditions and the safety of the general public.

G. Conditions of approval of existing vegetation. The review procedures and standards for required landscaping and screening shall be specified in the conditions of approval during development review and in no instance shall be less than that required for site development.

H. Height restrictions abutting public rights-of-way. No trees, shrubs or plantings more than 18 inches in height shall be planted in the public right-of-way abutting roadways having no established curb and gutter.

I. Sight visibility. Sight visibility requirements of Chapter 20.985 VMC, Vision Clearance, shall be met. (Ord. M-4377 § 2(e), 2022; Ord. M-4341 § 3 (Exh. B), 2021; Ord. M-4179 § 90, 2016; Ord. M-3931 § 30, 2009; Ord. M-3840 § 43, 2007; Ord. M-3701 § 31, 2005; Ord. M-3643, 2004)