2000 Municipal Code Ordinance 316 - An Ordinance opf the City of RH AMending the Chapter 13.18 Water Efficient Landscape to TItle 13r
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INCORPORATED JANUARY 24, 1957
NO. 2 PORTUGUESE BEND ROAD '
ROLLING HILLS, CA 90274
(310) 377-1521
FAX (310) 377-7288
February 16, 2010
Dear Landscape Professional,
You are hereby notified that, beginning February 24, 2010, all development projects
seeking a discretionary approval from the Planning Commission may be subject to new
landscape design standards and permit processing requirements (Water Efficient
Landscape Ordinance, RHMC Chapter 13.18). The new requirements, if applicable
encourage property owners to consult landscape professionals early in the project
approval process. The new regulations apply to home construction projects, including
additions, which not only require discretionary approval but also propose new or
altered existing landscaped area(s) that aggregately total at least 5,000 square feet.
The new landscape design standards that apply to projects meeting the above criteria
regulate: water usage based on a Maximum Annual Applied Water Allowance
(MAWA), plant types including turf allowances, mulching requirements, and irrigation
systems. Regarding landscaping plans, a conceptual landscape plan, clearly identifying
the areas of new or existing landscaped areas to be altered is required concurrent with
the filing of an application for a discretionary planning permit for an applicable project.
A detailed landscaping plan is required before a grading or building permit is issued for
the project. Prior to issuance of a grading or building permit, the property owner must
provide a monetary deposit to the City for the landscaping work including irrigation.
Finally, as part of the project final inspection the preparer of the landscape plan will
have to certify in writing to the City that the completed landscape and irrigation work
has been performed in accordance with the approved plan and applicable regulations.
The enclosed materials contain detailed information which can also be accessed on the
City's website, www.Rolling-Hills.org. If you have any questions, please feel free to
contact me at City Hall at (310) 377-1521. Thank you for your cooperation.
SincefeeTy,
Rosemary Lackow, Planning Assistant
c; Yolanta Schwartz, Planning Director
etre,/ oi Roam., qad
INCORPORATED JANUARY 24, 1957
NO. 2 PORTUGUESE BEND ROAD
ROLLING HILLS, CA 90274
(310) 377-1521
FAX (310) 377-7288
LANDSCAPE PLAN REQUIREMENTS
FOR RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS
(RHMC 13.18 Effective February 24, 2010)
PROVISIONS AND STANDARDS
1. Landscape Plans for new or altered landscaping of 5,000 square feet or greater are
required to comply with specific standards, if landscaping is part of a development project
that is subject to approval by the Planning Commission or City Council. Examples of such
projects include: Site Plan Reviews, Variances and Conditional Use Permits.
2. At the direction of the property owner the plan may be prepared by the owner or a
landscape professional, unless alteration requires grading or drainage plan (Ca. Business and
Professions Code §5641)
3. The plan must include: names of plants (botanical and common), number and sizes of
containers, percentage calculation of turf areas; low, medium or high water use plants and
water -wise plants; water budget calculations; monthly irrigation schedule; and any areas of
existing landscaping to remain unaltered.
4. The City reserves the right to require modified plans of the landscape to meet the
requirements of Ordinance 316.
5. Landscaping of applicable projects must be designed such that water use will not
exceed:
• 70% of the City's designated evapotranspiration rate (ETo) = 39.7 in. / year.
• A water budget (MAWA) calculated for the project (see attached worksheet).
6. Turf and non water -wise plants:
• Must comprise less than 40% of the total landscaped area (plantings in a roadway
easement are not counted towards 40%).
• Turf not permitted to be planted on slopes of 20% (5:1) or greater.
• City may approve additional turf areas for outdoor sporting, recreational activities,
or another approved function irrigated at 1.0 of the City's (ETo).
7. Mulching requirements:
• Non -turf areas must have an average thickness of 3 -inches minimum throughout.
• Groundcovers planted from nursery flats must have an average thickness of 1.5 -
inches.
• Mulch thickness and coverage must be maintained for the life of the planting.
8. Irrigation systems are required to have the following features:
• Automatic irrigation controllers, weather based with rain shut-off sensors
• Sprinklers with optimum distribution uniformity, spacing, matched precipitation rates
per valve and circuit, and setbacks from hard surfaces.
• Check valves for each line.
PLAN APPROVAL PROCESS
1. Before discretionary permit application and public hearing:
• Submit preliminary conceptual Landscape Plan to City with discretionary permit
application. The conceptual plan shall clearly identify all proposed new and/or existing
landscaping to be altered.
2. Before obtaining grading or building permits:
• Submit detailed Landscape Plan to the City along with a "Statement of Compliance"
signed by the preparer, certifying that the landscape design complies with Ordinance
No. 316 (see attached form) and cost estimate for the landscaping and irrigation.
(City Staff with City landscaping consultant will review plan and cost estimate.)
• Submit to the City a financial obligation in the amount based on the cost of the
landscaping and irrigation plus 15% City administration cost.
3. Following project completion:
• Within 90 days of the date the related development project has received an approved
final inspection, the plan preparer must inspect installed landscaping and irrigation
system included in the approved landscape plan and submit certification (see attached
form) to City staff verifying that the installation substantially conforms to the plan.
The City may extend the submission requirement for an additional 90 days.
• After two years of installation of the landscaping/irrigation staff will inspect it, and if
satisfied that it complies with the approved plan and landscaping is in good condition,
the City will refund the security deposit minus 15%.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. City of Rolling Hills Landscape Water Budget Calculation Worksheet
2. City of Rolling Hills Landscape Plan Statement of Compliance
3. City of Rolling Hills Landscape Installation Certificate of Completion
PUBLIC:LANDSCAPING ORDINANCE REQUIREMENT AND FORMS:Ord. 316 Forms:Ord 316 Guidelines Handout 1.doc
02/2010
-2-
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LANDSCAPE WATER BUDGET CALCULATION
WORKSHEET
(To be submitted, with Landsca'ie Plan .)er+RHVIC 13.18)
This form is to be used to calculate a project's Maximum Annual Applied Water Allowance
(MAWA) for all landscaping subject to Ordinance 316, Water Efficient Landscape.
Equation: MAWA = (ETo) (0.62) [ETAF x LA + 0.3 x SLA]
Where:
MAWA = Maximum Applied Water Allowance (maximum gallons per year available for the
project).
Eto = Reference Evapotranspiration (39.7 inches per year for the City of Rolling Hills).
ETAF = ET Adjustment Factor, 0.7 for new landscaping.
LA = Landscape Area (square feet, including SLA)
0.62 = Conversion Factor (inches to gallons
SLA = Special Landscape Area (square feet)
0.3 = The additional ET Adjustment Factor for the Special Landscape Area (total factor
of 1.0).
Maximum Applied Water Allowance = gallons per year.
Show calculations:
PUBLIC:LANDSCAPING ORDINANCE REQUIREMENT AND FORMS.Ord. 316 Forms:Ord 316 Water Calc.doc
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LANDSCAPE PLAN STATEMENT OF COMPLIANCE
(To be submitted with Landscape .1'I�r1i pei= R:HMC 13:18)
I hereby certify that:
(1) I am: (check one):
❑ A landscape architect or other landscape professional (Lic. Number if applicable:
).
❑ The property owner of the subject landscaped site.
(2) The landscape design and water use calculations for the property located at (provide street
address or parcel number(s):
were
prepared by me or under my supervision.
(3) The landscape design and water use calculations for the identified property comply with The
City of Rolling Hills Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance No. 316 (Municipal Code Chapter 13.18).
(4) The information I have provided in this Certificate of Landscape Design is true and correct and is
hereby submitted in compliance with the City of Rolling Hills Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance.
Print Name Date
Signature License Number
Address
Telephone E-mail Address
PUBLIC: LANDSCAPING ORDINANCE REQUIREMENT AND FORMS: Ord. 316 Forms: Ord 316 Statement Compliance. doc
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LANDSCAPE .INSTALLATION
CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION
(RHMC 13.18)
I hereby certify that:
(1) I am (check one):
0 A landscape architect or other landscape professional (Lic. Number if
applicable: ).
0 The property owner of the subject landscaped site.
(2) The landscape project for the property located at (provide street address or parcel number(s):
was installed by me or under my supervision.
(3) The landscaping for the identified property has been installed in substantial conformance with
an approved Landscape Plan including Water Budget calculations and complies with the requirements
of the City of Rolling Hills Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance No. 316 (Municipal Code. Chapter
13.18) for the purpose of achieving an efficient use of water in the subject landscape.
(4) The information I have provided in this Landscape Installation Certificate of Completion is true
and correct and is hereby submitted in compliance with the City of Rolling Hills Water Efficient
Landscape Ordinance.
Print Name Date
Signature
Address
Telephone E-mail Address
PUBLIC: LANDSCAPING ORDINANCE REQUIREMENTS AND FORMS: Ordinance No. 316 Forms:Ord 316 Cert of Completion.doc
l�.
Chapter 13.18
WATER EFFICIENT LANDSCAPE
Sections:
13.18.010 Purpose.
13.18.020 Applicability.
13.18.030 Definitions.
13.18.040 Landscape Plan Design Standards.
13.18.050 Exceptions.
13.18.060 Submittal Requirements.
13.18.070 Determination of Conforming Installation and Compliance Certification.
13.18.010 Purpose.
It is the policy of the City of Rolling Hills to promote water conservation. The landscape
water conservation standards detailed in this Chapter are intended to promote water conservation
while allowing the maximum possible flexibility in designing healthy, attractive, and cost-
effective water efficient landscapes.
13.18.020 Applicability.
This Chapter applies to:
A. All public agency development projects which are subject to discretionary review
by the City and propose new or altered landscape area of 2,500 square feet or more; and
B. All single family residential development projects subject to discretionary review
by the Planning Commission or City Council, with a total new or altered landscape area equal to
or greater than 5,000 square feet.
13.18.030 Definitions
"Application rate" means the rate of irrigation (inches/hour or gallons per minute) at
which water is applied by an irrigation system.
"Automatic irrigation system" means an irrigation system that can be controlled without
manual manipulation and which operates on a preset program.
"Discretionary review" means review . of a development project by the Planning
Commission and/or City Council that requires that the Planning Commission or City Council
ascertain compliance with this Chapter, and that also requires the exercise of judgment,
deliberation or decision by the Planning Commission and/or City Council.
"Evapotranspiration" or "ET" means the approximate summation of water losses through
evaporation from soil and transpiration from the plants during a specified period of time.
Ordinance No. 316 - 3
"ETo" means the approximation of water loss expressed in inches per year from a field of
4 -to -7 -inch -tall cool season grass that is not water stressed.
"ET Adjustment Factor" means a factor used to set an efficiency goal, that when applied
to ETo adjusts for plant factor and irrigation efficiency, two of the major influences upon the
amount of water that needs to be applied to a landscape.
"Hydrozone" means a portion of the planting area having plants grouped according to
water need.
"Irrigation system" means a complete connection of system components, including the
water distribution network and the necessary irrigation equipment and downstream from the
backflow prevention device.
"Landscape Area" means all areas where new or altered landscaping is proposed as part
of a new development proposal.
"Landscape Plan" means design plans with a planting plan and irrigation plan, and plans
with supporting detail sheets to include notes and/or specifications.
"New Development" means a new building on a vacant site, an addition to an existing
building on a site, a new building on a developed site, or a change in land use type that requires a
discretionary permit from the City.
"Plant Factor" means a factor that when multiplied by the ETo, estimates the amount of
water used by a given plant species.
"Planting area" means the parcel area less building pad(s), driveway(s), patio(s), deck(s),
walkway(s) and parking area(s). Planting area includes water bodies (i.e., fountains, ponds,
lakes) and natural areas.
"Special Landscape Area (SLA)" means park and recreational areas permanently and
solely dedicated to edible plants such as orchards and vegetable gardens, and areas irrigated with
recycled water are subject to the MAWA with an ET adjustment factor not to exceed 1.0.
"Turf' means a groundcover surface of mowed grass with an irrigation water need of
greater than 30% of the ETo.
"Water Budget Calculation" means the Maximum Annual Applied Water Allowance,
which shall be calculated using the following formula, per Section 492.4 of the State of
California Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance, which may be amended from time to
time:
MAWA = (ETo) (0.62) [0.7 x LA + 0.3 x SLA1
MAWA = Maximum Applied Water Allowance (maximum gallons
per year available for the project).
Eto = Reference Evapotranspiration (39.7 inches per year for the
City of Rolling Hills).
0.7 = ET Adjustment Factor (as designated by the state of
California).
LA = Landscape Area (square feet, including SLA)
0.62 = Conversion Factor (inches to gallons)
SLA = Special Landscape Area (square feet)
0.3 = The additional ET Adjustment Factor for the Special Landscape Area
Ordinance No. 316 - 4
"Water Wise Plants" means those plants that are evaluated as needing "moderate" (40-
60% of ETo), "low" (10-30% of ETo) and "very low" (< 10% of ETo) amounts of water as
defined and listed by Water Use Classifications of Landscape Species (WUCOLS) available
from the State of California Department of Water Resources. Other sources of water wise plant
classifications may be used if approved by the City Manager.
"Weather Based Irrigation Controller" means an irrigation controller that automatically
adjusts the irrigation schedule based on changes in the weather.
13.18.040 Landscape Plan Design Standards.
An applicant proposing new or altered landscaping, which is subject to the requirements
of this Chapter, shall comply with each of the following in the design, installation, and
maintenance of the landscaped area, unless an exception is granted pursuant to Section
13.18.050.
A. Landscape Plan Content:
1. Applicants shall submit a Landscape Plan depicting the landscaped area and all
existing landscaping to remain on the lot. Landscaping shall be designed to be irrigated at no
more than 0.7 of the reference evapotranspiration (ETo) and shall not exceed the MAWA. The
City reserves the right to modify plans in quantity and quality of the landscape to meet the
requirements of this Chapter.
2. Applicants shall provide all relevant information on the landscape plan including
botanical names for plants and turf species; container sizes; percentage calculations of allowable
areas of turf; low, medium or high water use plants and water -wise plants; water budget
calculations; monthly irrigation schedule; and specific requests for any exceptions to the
requirements of this Chapter in accordance with Section 13.18.050. Areas of existing
landscaping to remain unaltered shall be indicated on the landscape plan.
B. Use of Turf and Water Wise Plants:
1. The landscape area of single family residential and institutional use projects shall
be designed with no more than 40% of the landscaped area in turf or plants that are not water
wise plants.
2. Turf shall not be used on slopes of 20% (5:1) or greater within the landscape area.
3. Additional turf areas may be approved by the City for areas designed and used for
outdoor sporting and recreational activities. Approved turf areas may be watered at 1.0 of the
referenced evapotranspiration (ETo).
C. Mulch: The landscape area, except those portions of the landscape area planted in
turf, shall be covered with mulch material to an average thickness of at least 3 inches throughout.
In areas with groundcover planted from flats, mulch shall be installed to an average thickness of
Ordinance No. 316 5
1-'/2 inches. Additional mulch material shall be added from time to time as necessary in order to
maintain the required depth of mulch.
D. Irrigation: All new or altered irrigation systems proposed as part of a new
development shall incorporate the following requirements in their design, installation and
maintenance:
1. Irrigation systems shall be designed and installed to avoid overspray and runoff.
Valves shall be separated for individual hydrozones based on plant water needs and sun or shade
requirements.
2. An automatic irrigation system is required and shall include a weather -based
irrigation controller, including a rain shut-off sensor.
3. Areas less than eight feet wide shall be irrigated with appropriately selected
equipment that provides the proper amount of water coverage without causing overspray onto
adjacent surfaces.
4. All sprinklers shall have matched precipitation rates within each valve and circuit.
All irrigation systems shall be designed to include optimum distribution uniformity, head to head
spacing, and setbacks from walkways and pavement.
5. All irrigation systems shall provide check valves at the low end of irrigation lines to
prevent unwanted draining of irrigation lines.
6. Pressure regulators may be required on the irrigation system as determined by the
Building and Safety Department.
13.18.050 Exceptions.
Exceptions to these landscape water conservation standards maybe granted by the City
Manager upon a finding, based on substantial evidence, that the exceptions will promote
equivalent or greater water conservation than is provided for in these standards. Requests for
exceptions shall be in writing and shall be submitted to the City Manager at the time the
application is submitted to the City for review. Requests for exceptions must be accompanied
by documentary evidence supporting the finding of equivalent or greater water conservation.
13.18.060 Submittal Requirements.
A. In accordance with California Business and Professions Code Section 5641, as
may be amended from time to time, drawings for the conceptual design and placement of
tangible objects and landscape features; or plans, drawings and specifications for the selection,
placement or use of plants, may be submitted by any person, including licensed landscape
architects, licensed landscape contractors or landscape designers. Construction documents,
details or specifications for the tangible objects or landscape features, or site alterations which
Ordinance No. 316 6
require grading or drainage plans, shall be prepared by a licensed professional as required by
California law.
B. The landscape plan shall include a "Statement of Compliance" in a form approved
by the City Manager certifying that the landscape design complies with the mandatory elements
of this Chapter. The Statement of Compliance shall be signed by the person who prepared the
landscape plan and shall be submitted to the City prior or concurrent with submitting final
development plans to the Building and Safety Department.
C. The Planning Commission or City Council may require, on a case -by -case basis,
that the landscaping plan and statement of compliance be submitted concurrently with the
development application or prior to rendering a decision for the development.
D. The project applicant shall submit a financial obligation in the amount of the cost
estimate of the implementation of the landscaping plan and irrigation plus fifteen percent, which
shall be posted prior to issuance of a grading and building permit. The financial obligation shall be
retained with the City for not less than two years after landscape. installation. The retained
deposit will be released by the City Manager after the City Manager determines that the
landscaping was installed pursuant to the landscaping plan as approved, and that such
landscaping is properly established and in good condition.
13.18.070 Determination of Conforming Installation and Compliance Verification.
A. The person who prepared the landscape plan shall inspect the installation of the
landscaping and any irrigation system included in the plan and shall certify in writing to the City
Manager that the installation substantially conforms to the approved landscape plan.
Certification shall be submitted within 90 days of the date the construction project has received
approval of a final inspection from the Building and Safety Department. The applicant is eligible
for a one-time extension in submitting the certification up to 90 days, based on findings of good
cause provided the application requesting an extension is filed prior tothe original 90 -day
deadline.
B. Verification of compliance with this Chapter, as applicable, shall be made by the
City Manager. The financial obligation described in Section 13.18.160D shall not be returned
unless the certification of compliance is on file with the City.
Section 4: Severability. If any section, subsection, subdivision, sentence, clause,
phrase, or portion of this ordinance is, for any reason, held to be invalid or unconstitutional by
the decision of any court of competent jurisdiction, such decision shall not affect the validity of
the remaining portions of this ordinance. The City Council hereby declares that it would have
adopted this ordinance, and each section, subsection, subdivision, sentence, clause, phrase, or
portion thereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more sections subsections, subdivisions,
sentences, clauses, phrases, or portion thereof be declared invalid or unconstitutional.
Ordinance No. 316 7
Section 5: Notice. The City Clerk shall certify as to the adoption of this ordinance
and post a certified copy of this ordinance, including the vote for and against the same, in the
office of the City Clerk, in accordance with Government Code Section 36993.
Section 6: Effective date. This ordinance shall go into effect and be in full force and
operation from and after thirty (30) days after its final passage and adoption.
PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED this 25th day of January, 2010.
/s/ Thomas Heinsheimer
THOMAS HEINSHEIMER, MAYOR
Attest:
/s/ Heidi Luce
HEIDI LUCE, DEPUTY CITY CLERK
Ordinance No. 316 - 8
Robin Benezra Studio
6541 Via Lorenzo
Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275
Mrs. Julie Heinsheimer
Blue Door Gardens
803 Deep Valley Drive
RHE, Ca. 90274
West Coast Arborists
2200 E. Via Butron St.
Anaheim, CA 92806
Peninsula Landscaping
50 Peninsula Center #208
Rolling Hills Estates, CA 90274
Richie-Bray, Inc.
1728 S. Catalina Ave.
Redondo Beach, CA 90277
Bennett Enterprises
2588 Belleporte Ave.
Harbor City, Ca 90710
Mulligan Landscaping
1313 W. Sepulveda Blvd.
Torrance, CA 90501
Mr. Ric Dikzeul
Landscape Design
23115 Falena Ave.
Torrance, CA 90504
Lifescapes
4930 Campus Dr.
Newport Beach, CA 92660
Zone 24 Landscaping
1505 Border Ave..
Torrance, CA 90501
Berrington Design
3840 Via Palomino
Palos Verdes Estates, CA 90274
Jacqueline Ignon, ASLA
P.O. Box 5008
Torrance, CA 90501
Finley's Tree and Landscape
23022 Crenshaw Blvd.
Torrance, CA 90505
Mr. Alan McGregor
Landscaping
16332 Bradbury Ln.
Huntington Beach, CA 92647
GS Brothers
2215 N. Gaffey St.
San Pedro, CA 90731
w
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INCORPORATED JANUARY 24, 1957
NO. 2 PORTUGUESE BEND ROAD
ROLLING HILLS, CA 90274
.(310)377-1521
FAX (310) 377-7288
February 16, 2010
Dear Construction Professional,
You are hereby notified that, as of February 24, 2010, all development applications
seeking discretionary approval from the Planning Commission may be subject to new
landscaping design and application processing requirements (Water Efficient Landscape
Ordinance, RHMC Chapter 13.18). It is advised that you and your client review the
new regulations, and if they apply, consult early with a landscaping professional and
incorporate the new requirements into the project. In doing so, your client may avoid a
delay in processing an application due to an inadequate submittal.
The new regulations cover landscape design standards as well as application processing
requirements. They apply to residential construction projects, including additions, that
not only require approval from the Planning Commission but also propose new or
altered existing landscaped area(s) that aggregately total at least 5,000 square feet.
For applicable projects the following are the new processing requirements: 1) The Site
Plan submitted for Planning Commission review must identify new or existing
landscaped areas proposed to be altered; 2) After public hearing and approval, a
detailed landscaping plan must be submitted to the City prior to or concurrent with the
submittal of construction plans for a building permit; 3) Prior to issuance of a grading or
building permit, the property owner must provide a monetary deposit to the City for
the landscaping work including irrigation; 4) Within 90 days after approval of a final
construction inspection, the preparer of the landscape plan must certify in writing to the
City that the completed landscape work, including irrigation has been performed in
accordance with the approved plan and applicable regulations.
For detailed information please refer to the enclosed materials. You may also access this
information on the City website: www.Rolling-Hills.org. Please feel free to also contact
me at C Iall at (310) 377-1521 with questions. Thank you for your cooperation.
Sincer
Rosemary LaNkow, Planning Assistant
c; Yolanta Schwartz, Planning Director
Kristen Raig, Rolling Hills Community Association
Kit Bagnell, Los Angeles County Building and Safety
Steven Widmayer, Willdan Engineering
eete, Reeee#19 qieed
INCORPORATED JANUARY 24, 1957
NO. 2 PORTUGUESE BEND ROAD
ROLLING HILLS, CA 90274
(310) 377-1521
FAX (310) 377-7288
LANDSCAPE PLAN REQUIREMENTS
FOR RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS
(RHMC 13.18 Effective February 24, 2010)
PROVISIONS AND STANDARDS
1. Landscape Plans for new or altered landscaping of 5,000 square feet or greater are
required to comply with specific standards, if landscaping is part of a development project
that is subject to approval by the Planning Commission or City Council. Examples of such
projects include: Site Plan Reviews, Variances and Conditional Use Permits.
2. At the direction of the property owner the plan may be prepared by the owner or a
landscape professional, unless alteration requires grading or drainage plan (Ca. Business and
Professions Code §5641)
3. The plan must include: names of plants (botanical and common), number and sizes of
containers, percentage calculation of turf areas; low, medium or high water use plants and
water -wise plants; water budget calculations; monthly irrigation schedule; and any areas of
existing landscaping to remain unaltered.
4. The City reserves the right to require modified plans of the landscape to meet the
requirements of Ordinance 316.
5. Landscaping of applicable projects must be designed such that water use will not
exceed:
• 70% of the City's designated evapotranspiration rate (ETo) = 39.7 in. / year.
• A water budget (MAWA) calculated for the project (see attached worksheet).
6. Turf and non water -wise plants:
• Must comprise less than 40% of the total landscaped area (plantings in a roadway
easement are not counted towards 40%).
• Turf not permitted to be planted on slopes of 20% (5:1) or greater.
• City may approve additional turf areas for outdoor sporting, recreational activities,
or another approved function irrigated at 1.0 of the City's (ETo).
7. Mulching requirements:
• Non -turf areas must have an average thickness of 3 -inches minimum throughout.
• Groundcovers planted from nursery flats must have an average thickness of 1.5 -
inches.
• Mulch thickness and coverage must be maintained for the life of the planting.
8. Irrigation systems are required to have the following features:
• Automatic irrigation controllers, weather based with rain shut-off sensors
• Sprinklers with optimum distribution uniformity, spacing, matched precipitation rates
per valve and circuit, and setbacks from hard surfaces.
• Check valves for each line.
PLAN APPROVAL PROCESS
1. Before discretionary permit application and public hearing:
• Submit preliminary conceptual Landscape Plan to City with discretionary permit
application. The conceptual plan shall clearly identify all proposed new and/ or existing
landscaping to be altered.
2. Before obtaining grading or building permits:
• Submit detailed Landscape Plan to the City along with a "Statement of Compliance"
signed by the preparer, certifying that the landscape design complies with Ordinance
No. 316 (see attached form) and cost estimate for the landscaping and irrigation.
(City Staff with City landscaping consultant will review plan and cost estimate.)
• Submit to the City a financial obligation in the amount based on the cost of the
landscaping and irrigation plus 15% City administration cost.
3. Following project completion:
• Within 90 days of the date the related development project has received an approved
final inspection, the plan preparer must inspect installed landscaping and irrigation
system included in the approved landscape plan and submit certification (see attached
form) to City staff verifying that the installation substantially conforms to the plan.
The City may extend the submission requirement for an additional 90 days.
• After two years of installation of the landscaping/irrigation staff will inspect it, and if
satisfied that it complies with the approved plan and landscaping is in good condition,
the City will refund the security deposit minus 15%.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. City of Rolling Hills Landscape Water Budget Calculation Worksheet
2. City of Rolling Hills Landscape Plan Statement of Compliance
3. City of Rolling Hills Landscape Installation Certificate of Completion
PUBLIC:LANDSCAPING ORDINANCE REQUIREMENT AND FORMS:Ord. 316 Forms:Ord 316 Guidelines Handout 1.doc
02/2010
-2-
eee, 'eee9 4'eeed
LANDSCAPE WATER BUDGET CALCULATION
WORKSHEET
(To be submitted with Landsca )e.'Plan er IRIiIVIC 13:18)
This form is to be 'used to calculate a project's Maximum Annual Applied Water 'Allowance
(MAWA) for all landscaping subject to Ordinance 316, Water Efficient Landscape.
Equation: MAWA = (ETo) (0.62) [ETAF x LA + 0.3 x SLA]
Where:
MAWA = Maximum Applied Water Allowance (maximum gallons per year available for the
project).
Eto = Reference Evapotranspiration (39.7 inches per year for the City of Rolling Hills).
ETAF = ET Adjustment Factor, 0.7 for new landscaping.
LA = Landscape Area (square feet, including SLA)
0.62 = Conversion Factor (inches to gallons
SLA = Special Landscape Area (square feet)
0.3 = The additional ET Adjustment Factor for the Special Landscape Area (total factor
of 1.0).
Maximum Applied Water Allowance = gallons per year.
Show calculations:
PUBLIC: LANDSCAPING ORDINANCE REQUIREMENT AND FORMS:Ord. 316 Forms:Ord 316 Water Calc.doc
eere, Rdet:49 qieed
LANDSCAPE PLAN STATEMENT OF COMPLIANCE
(To he submitted with Landscape Plan per RH11C 13.18)
I hereby certify that:
(1) I am: (check one):
❑ A landscape architect or other landscape professional (Lic. Number if applicable:
).
❑ The property owner of the subject landscaped site.
(2) The landscape design and water use calculations for the property located at (provide street
address or parcel number(s):
were
prepared by me or under my supervision.
(3) The landscape design and water use calculations for the identified property comply with The
City of Rolling Hills Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance No. 316 (Municipal Code Chapter 13.18).
(4) The information I have provided in this Certificate of Landscape Design is true and correct and is
hereby submitted in compliance with the City of Rolling Hills Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance.
Print Name Date
Signature License Number
Address
Telephone E-mail Address
PUBLIC:LANDSCAPINC ORDINANCE REQUIREMENT AND FORMS:Ord. 316 Forms:Ord 316 Statement Compliance.doc
eery Rd/4, vieitu
LANDSCAPE INSTALLATION
CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION
(RHMC 13.18)
,
I hereby certify that:
(1) I am (check one):
0 A landscape architect or other landscape professional (Lic. Number if
•
applicable: ).
0 The property owner of the subject landscaped site.
(2) The landscape project for the property located at (provide street address or parcel number(s):
was installed by me or under my supervision.
(3) The landscaping for the identified property has been installed in substantial conformance with
an approved Landscape Plan including Water Budget calculations and complies with the requirements
of the City of Rolling Hills Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance No. 316 (Municipal Code Chapter
13.18) for the purpose of achieving an efficient use of water in the subject landscape.
(4) The information I have provided in this Landscape Installation Certificate of Completion is true
and correct and is hereby submitted in compliance with the City of Rolling Hills Water Efficient
Landscape Ordinance.
Print Name Date
Signature
Address
Telephone E-mail Address
PUBLIC:LANDSCAPING ORDINANCE REQUIREMENTS AND FORMS:Ordinance No. 316 Forms:Ord 316 Cert of Completion.doc
Chapter 13.18
WATER EFFICIENT LANDSCAPE
Sections:
13.18.010 Purpose.
13.18.020 Applicability.
13.18.030 Definitions.
13.18.040 Landscape Plan Design Standards.
13.18.050 Exceptions.
13.18.060 Submittal Requirements.
13.18.070 Determination of Conforming Installation and Compliance Certification.
13.18.010 Purpose.
It is the policy of the City of Rolling Hills to promote water conservation. The landscape
water conservation standards detailed in this Chapter are intended to promote water conservation
while allowing the maximum possible flexibility in designing healthy, attractive, and cost-
effective water efficient landscapes.
13.18.020 Applicability.
This Chapter applies to:
A. All public agency development projects which are subject to discretionary review
by the City and propose new or altered landscape area of 2,500 square feet or more; and
B. All single family residential development projects subject to discretionary review
by the Planning Commission or City Council, with a total new or altered landscape area equal to
or greater than 5,000 square feet.
13.18.030 Definitions
"Application rate" means the rate of irrigation (inches/hour or gallons per minute) at
which water is applied by an irrigation system.
"Automatic irrigation system" means an irrigation system that can be controlled without
manual manipulation and which operates on a preset program.
"Discretionary review" .means review of a development project by the Planning
Commission and/or City Council that requires that the Planning Commission or City Council
ascertain compliance with this Chapter, and that also requires the exercise of judgment,
deliberation or decision by the Planning Commission and/or City Council.
"Evapotranspiration" or "ET" means the approximate summation of water losses through
evaporation from soil and transpiration from the plants during a specified period of time.
Ordinance No. 316 3
"ETo" means the approximation of water loss expressed in inches per year from a field of
4-to-7-inch-tall.cool season grass that is not water stressed.
"ET Adjustment Factor" means a factor used to set an efficiency goal, that when applied
to ETo adjusts . for plant factor and irrigation efficiency, two of the major influences upon the
amount of water that needs to be applied to a landscape.
"Hydrozone" means a portion of the planting area having plants grouped according to
water need.
"Irrigation system" means a complete connection of system components, including the
water distribution network and the necessary irrigation equipment and downstream from the
backflow prevention device.
"Landscape Area" means all areas where new or altered landscaping is proposed as part
of a new development proposal.
"Landscape Plan" means design plans with a planting plan and irrigation plan, and plans
with supporting detail sheets to include notes and/or specifications.
"New Development" means a new building on a vacant site, an addition to an existing
building on a site, a new building on a developed site, or a change in land use type that requires a
discretionary permit from the City.
"Plant Factor" means a factor that when multiplied by the ETo, estimates the amount of
water used by a given plant species.
"Planting area" means the parcel area less building pad(s), driveway(s), patio(s), deck(s),
walkway(s) and parking area(s). Planting area includes water bodies (i.e., fountains, ponds,
lakes) and natural areas.
"Special Landscape Area (SLA)" means park and recreational areas permanently and
solely dedicated to edible plants such as orchards and vegetable gardens, and areas irrigated with
recycled water are subject to the MAWA with an ET adjustment factor not to exceed 1.0.
"Turf' means a groundcover surface of mowed grass with an irrigation water need of
greater than 30% of the ETo.
"Water Budget Calculation" means the Maximum Annual Applied Water Allowance,
which shall be calculated using the following formula, per Section 492.4 of the State of
California Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance, which may be amended from time to
time:
MAWA = (ETo) (0.62) [0.7 x LA + 0.3 x SLAT
MAWA= Maximum Applied Water Allowance (maximum gallons
per year available for the project).
Eto = Reference Evapotranspiration (39.7 inches per year for the
City of Rolling Hills).
0.7 = ET Adjustment Factor (as designated by the state of
California).
LA = Landscape Area (square feet, including SLA)
0.62 = Conversion Factor (inches to gallons)
SLA = Special Landscape Area (square feet)
0.3 = The additional ET Adjustment Factor for the Special Landscape Area
Ordinance No. 316 4
"Water Wise Plants" means those plants that are evaluated as needing "moderate" (40-
60% of ETo), "low" (10-30% of ETo) and "very low" (< 10% of ETo) amounts of water as
defined and listed by Water Use Classifications of Landscape Species (WUCOLS) available
from the State of California Department of Water Resources. Other sources of water wise plant
classifications may be used if approved by the City Manager.
"Weather Based Irrigation Controller" means an irrigation controller that automatically
adjusts the irrigation schedule based on changes in the weather.
13.18.040 Landscape Plan Design Standards.
An applicant proposing new or altered landscaping, which is subject to the requirements
of this Chapter, shall comply with each of the following in the design, installation, and
maintenance of the landscaped area, unless an exception is granted pursuant to Section
13.18.050.
A. Landscape Plan Content:
1. Applicants shall submit a Landscape Plan depicting the landscaped area and all
existing landscaping to remain on the lot. Landscaping shall be designed to be irrigated at no
more than 0.7 of the reference evapotranspiration (ETo) and shall not exceed the MAWA. The
City reserves the right to modify plans in quantity and quality of the landscape to meet the
requirements of this Chapter.
2. Applicants shall provide all relevant information on the landscape plan including
botanical names for plants and turf species; container sizes; percentage calculations of allowable
areas of turf; low, medium or high water use plants and water -wise plants; water budget
calculations; monthly irrigation schedule; and specific requests for any exceptions to the
requirements of this Chapter in accordance with Section 13.18.050. Areas of existing
landscaping to remain unaltered shall be indicated on the landscape plan.
B. Use of Turf and Water Wise Plants:
1. The landscape area of single family residential and institutional use projects shall
be designed with no more than 40% of the landscaped area in turf or plants that are not water
wise plants.
2. Turf shall not be used on slopes of 20% (5:1) or greater within the landscape area.
3. Additional turf areas may be approved by the City for areas designed and used for
outdoor sporting and recreational activities. Approved turf areas may be watered at 1.0 of the
referenced evapotranspiration (ETo).
C. Mulch: The landscape area, except those portions of the landscape area planted in
turf, shall be covered with mulch material to an average thickness of at least 3 inches throughout.
In areas with groundcover planted from flats, mulch shall be installed to an average thickness of
Ordinance No. 316 5
1-'/2 inches. Additional mulch material shall be added from time to time as necessary in order to
maintain the required depth of mulch.
D. Irrigation: All new or altered irrigation systems proposed as part of a new
development shall incorporate the following requirements in their design, installation and
maintenance:
1. Irrigation systems shall be designed and installed to avoid overspray and runoff.
Valves shall be separated for individual hydrozones based on plant water needs and sun or shade
requirements.
2. An automatic irrigation system is required and shall include a weather -based
irrigation controller, including a rain shut-off sensor.
3. Areas less than eight feet wide shall be irrigated with appropriately selected
equipment that provides the proper amount of water coverage without causing overspray onto
adjacent surfaces.
4. All sprinklers shall have matched precipitation rates within each valve and circuit.
All irrigation systems shall be designed to include optimum distribution uniformity, head to head
spacing, and setbacks from walkways and pavement.
5. All irrigation systems shall provide check valves at the low end of irrigation lines to
prevent unwanted draining of irrigation lines.
6. Pressure regulators may be required on the irrigation system as determined by the
Building and Safety Department.
13.18.050 Exceptions.
Exceptions to these landscape water conservation standards may be granted by the City
Manager upon a finding, based on substantial evidence, that the exceptions will promote
equivalent or greater water conservation than is provided for in these standards. Requests for
exceptions shall be in writing and shall be submitted to the City Manager at the time the
application is submitted to the City for review. Requests for exceptions must be accompanied
by documentary evidence supporting the finding of equivalent or greater water conservation.
13.18.060 Submittal Requirements.
A. In accordance with California Business and Professions Code Section 5641, as
may be amended from time to time, drawings for the conceptual design and placement of
tangible objects and landscape features; or plans, drawings and specifications for the selection,
placement or use of plants, may be submitted by any person, including licensed landscape
architects, licensed landscape contractors or landscape designers. Construction documents,
details or specifications for the tangible objects or landscape features, or site alterations which
Ordinance No. 316 6
require grading or drainage plans, shall be prepared by a licensed professional as required by
California law.
B. The landscape plan shall include a "Statement of Compliance" in a form approved
by the City Manager certifying that the landscape design complies with the mandatory elements
of this Chapter. The Statement of Compliance shall be signed by the person who prepared the
landscape plan and shall be submitted to the City prior or concurrent with submitting final
development plans to the Building and Safety Department.
C. The Planning Commission or City Council may require, on a case -by -case basis,
that the landscaping plan and statement of compliance be submitted concurrently with the
development application or prior to rendering a decision for the development.
D. The project applicant shall submit a financial obligation in the amount of the cost
estimate of the implementation of the landscaping plan and irrigation plus fifteen percent, which
shall be posted prior to issuance of a grading and building permit. The financial obligation shall be
retained with the City for not less than two years after landscape installation. The retained
deposit will be released by the City Manager after the City Manager determines that the
landscaping was installed pursuant to the landscaping plan as approved, and that such
landscaping is properly established and in good condition.
13.18.070 Determination of Conforming Installation and Compliance Verification.
A. The person who prepared the landscape plan shall inspect the installation of the
landscaping and any irrigation system included in the plan and shall certify in writing to the City
Manager that the installation substantially conforms to the approved landscape plan.
Certification shall be submitted within 90 days of the date the construction project has received
approval of a final inspection from the Building and Safety Department. The applicant is eligible
for a one-time extension in submitting the certification up to 90 days, based on findings of good
cause provided the application requesting an extension is filed prior to the original 90 -day
deadline.
B. Verification of compliance with this Chapter, as applicable, shall be made by the
City Manager. The financial obligation described in Section 13.18.160D shall not be returned
unless the certification of compliance is on file with the City.
Section 4: Severability. If any section, subsection, subdivision, sentence, clause,
phrase, or portion of this ordinance is, for any reason, held to be invalid or unconstitutional by
the decision of any court of competent jurisdiction, such decision shall not affect the validity of
the remaining portions of this ordinance. The City Council hereby declares that it would have
adopted this ordinance, and each section, subsection, subdivision, sentence, clause, phrase, or
portion thereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more sections subsections, subdivisions,
sentences, clauses, phrases, or portion thereof be declared invalid or unconstitutional.
Ordinance No. 316 7
Section 5: Notice. The City Clerk shall .certify as to the adoption of this ordinance
and post a certified copy of this ordinance, including the vote for and against the same, in the
office of the City Clerk, in accordance with Government Code Section 36993.
Section 6: Effective date. This ordinance shall go into effect and be in full force and
operation from and after thirty (30) days after its final passage and adoption.
PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED this 25th day of January, 2010.
/s/ Thomas Heinsheimer
THOMAS HEINSHEIMER, MAYOR
Attest:
/s/ Heidi Luce
HEIDI LUCE, DEPUTY CITY CLERK
Ordinance No. 316 8
Mr. Russell Barto, A.I.A.
3 Malaga Cove Plaza
Palos Verdes Estates, CA 90274
Mr. Thomas A. Blair
Thomas Blair and Associates
2785 Pacific Coast Hwy. # 149
Torrance, CA 90505
Mr. Damon Herring
Moule Polyzoides Architects
180 East California Blvd.
Pasadena, CA 91105
Mr. Douglas McHattie
Bolton Engineering Corporation
25834 Narbonne Avenue, Suite 210
Lomita, CA 90717
Mr. Keith Palmer, AIA
Bryant, Palmer, Soto, Inc.
2601 Airport Drive, Suite 310
Torrance, CA 90505
Mr. Franz Lee, AIA
Kovac Architects Inc.
2330 Pontius Ave., Ste. 202
Los Angeles, CA 90064
Mr. James Bartz
Bartz Design
28820 King Arthur Court
Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275
Mr. David C. Breiholz
Breiholz Qazi Engineering, Inc.
1852 Lomita Boulevard
Lomita, CA 90717
Mr. Bill Howe
C.W. Howe Construction
PO Box 3369
Palos Verdes Peninsula, CA 90274
Mr. Luis De Moraes
Envirotechno
27010 Springcreek Road
Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 9025
Mr. Don Thursby, A.I.A.
777 Silver Spur Rd., Ste. 232
Rolling Hills Estates, CA 90274
Mr. Gary Wynn
Wynn Engineering
27315 Valley Center Road
Valley Center, CA 92082 .
Edward Carson Beall and Associates
23727 Hawthorne Blvd.
Torrance, CA 90505
Mr. Criss Gunderson
2024 Via Pacheco
Palos Verdes Estates, CA 90274
Mr. Anthony Inferrera, Architect
1967 Upland Street
Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275
Mr. Roger North
Robinson North Architects
2360 Plaza Del Amo, Suite 200
Torrance, CA 90501
Mr. George Sweeney, Architect
3 Malaga Cove
Palos Verdes Estates, CA 90274
Ms. Kristen Raig, Manager
RHCA
1 Portuguese Bend Road
Rolling Hills, CA 90274
Letters mailed 2/17/2010
Saved as: Public/ Landscaping
Ordinance Requirements and Forms
/ mailing labels and data
I
C1t olie /en9 JJd/
INCORPORATED JANUARY 24, 1957
NO. 2 PORTUGUESE BEND ROAD
ROLLING HILLS, CALIF. 90274
(310) 377.1521
FAX: (310) 377.7288
February 1, 2010
Mr. Simon Eching
California Department of Water Resources
Water Use Efficiency Branch
Post Office Box 942836-0001
Sacramento, California 94236-0001
SUBJECT: City of Rolling Hills Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance
Dear Mr. Eching
Please find enclosed a copy of the City of Rolling Hills' Water Efficient Landscape
Ordinance, including findings. The ordinance was adopted by the City Council on
January 25, 2010.
Please note that the City of Rolling Hills is a community consisting of single family
residential development only. There are no commercial, institutional, office or other uses
or zoning districts. Therefore this ordinance pertains only to single family residences and
public agencies.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call me at 310 377-1521 or email at
ys@cityofrh.net
Since Fely,,
x's,
Yolkta Schwartz
Planning Director
Printed on Recycled Paper
ORDINANCE NO. 316
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF ROLLING HILLS
AMENDING THE ROLLING HILLS MUNICIPAL CODE
BY ADDING CHAPTER 13.18 WATER EFFICIENT
LANDSCAPE TO TITLE 13, WATER AND SEWERS.
The City Council of the City of Rolling Hilts, California, does hereby ordain as follows:
Section t: FINDINGS
A. The waters of the State of Califomia are of limited supply and are subject to
increasing demands;
B. It is the policy of the State of California and the City of Rolling Hills 10 promote
the conservation and efficient use of water and to prevent the waste of this valuable resource;
C. The City of Rolling Hills is a unique, well -established residential community
where development consists exclusively of single-family residential homes on large lots and
existing non-residential development in the community consists of City administration, fire,
school and school maintenance facilities;
D. In 2004, the State of California enacted Assembly Bill 2717 establishing a
stakeholder based Landscape Taskforce charged with formulating r000mmetdations to improve
irrigation efficiency in new and existing landscaping;
E. In 2006 the Governor signed Assembly Bill 1881 requiring cities and counties to
implement the Taskforce's recommendation;
F. The water efficient landscaping standards adopted herein serve to advance the
foregoing goals, advance the goal of conserving water and further public health, safety and
welfare;
G. The City's water efficient landscape ordinance is at least as effective in conserving
water as the California Department of Water Resource's updated Model Water Efficient
Landscape Ordinance clue to the following:
a. The ordinance is applicable to all new or altered development subject to discretionary
review by the City.
b. Under the ordinance, landscaping shall be designed and irrigated so not to exceed 70% of
the loot evapotranspiration rate (ETo) established by the State for the City of Long Beach
and surrounding areas of Los Angeles Grunty.
c. Under the ordinance, landscape areas for residential and institutional type projects shall
be designed with less than 40% turf and non -water wise plant materials.
d. Under the ordinance, automatic irrigation systems are required and shall be designed to
avoid overspray and runoff with optimum distribution uniformity and setbacks from
hardscapc, and shall employ a weather -based irrigation controller with a rain shut off sensor
and check values at the end of each linc to hold water in the system, preventing unwanted
drainage from sprinkler heads.
e. Exceptions to the ordinance standards arc allowed only upon a finding that alternative
design will promote equivalent or greater water conservation.
f. Under the ordinance, installation and compliance verifications are required from a
landscape designer.
Ordinance No. 316 - 1 -
g. Under the ordinance, the maximum annual applied water allowance calculation matches
the California Department of Water Resource's formula in its Model Water Efficient
Landscape Ordinance.
h. Under the ordinance, the identification of water wise plants matches that used by the
California Department of Water Resource's in its Model Water Efficient Landscape
Ordinance.
Section 2: CEQA. The City Council determines that this ordinance is exempt from
review under the Califomia Environmental Quality Act (California Public Resources Code §§
21000, ct seq.. "CEQA") and the regulations promulgated thereunder (14 California Code of
Regulations §§ 15000, et seq., the "CEQA Guidelines") because it enacts regulations that are
applicable to new or altered landscape projects subject to project specific discretionary review.
Therefore. it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that this ordinance will cause a
direct physical change in the environment, and therefore the adoption of this ordinance is not
considered a project per section 21065 of CEQA In addition, this ordinance is an action being
taken for enhanced protection of the environment that does not have the potential to cause
significant effects on the environment. Consequently, it is categorically exempt in accordance
with CEQA Guidelines §§ 15305. as a minor alteration in land use limitations which do not result
in any changes in land use or density, and 15308 as an action taken by a regulatory agency as
authorized by California law to assure maintenance or protection of the environment.
Section 3- Title 13. Chapter 13.18 of the Rolling Hills Municipal Code, commencing
with Section 13.18.010 is hereby added to read as follows:
Chapter 13.18
WATER EFFICIENT LANDSCAPE
Sections:
13.18.010 Purpose..
13.18.020 Applicability.
13.18.030 Definitions.
13.18.040 Landscape Plan Design Standards.
13.18.050 Exceptions.
13.18.060 Submittal Requirements.
13.18.070 Determination of Conforming Installation and Compliance Certification.
13.18.010 Purpose-
It is the policy of the City of Rolling Hills to promote water conservation. The landscape
water conservation standards detailed in this Chapter are intended to promote water conservation
while allowing the maximum possible flexibility in designing healthy, attractive, and cost-
effective water efficient landscapes.
13.18.020 Applicability.
This Chapter applies to:
A. All public agency development projects which are subject to discretionary review
by the City and propose new or altered landscape area of 2,500 square feet or more; and
B. All single family residential development projects subject to discretionary review
by the Planning Commission or City Council, with a total new or altered landscape area equal to
or greater than 5,000 square feet.
13.18.030 Definitions
"Application rate" means the rate of irrigation (mches/hour or gallons per minute) at
which water is applied by an irrigation system.
Ordinance No. 316 - 2 -
"Automatic irrigation system" means an irrigation system that can he controlled without
manual manipulation and which operates on a preset program.
"Discretionary review" means review of a development project by the Planning
Commission and/or City Council that requires that the Planning Commission ill' City Council
ascertain compliance with this Chapter, and that also requires the exercise of judgment,
deliberation or decision by the Planning Commission and/or City Council.
"Evapotranspiration" or "ET" means the approximate summation of water losses through
evaporation from soil and transpiration from the plants during a specified period of time.
"ETo" means the approximation of water loss expressed in inches per year from a field of
4 -to -7 -inch -tall cool season grass that is not water stressed.
"ET Adjustment Factor" means a factor used to set an efficiency goal, that when applied
to ETo adjusts for plant factor and irrigation efficiency. two of the major influences upon the
amount of water that needs to be applied to a landscape.
"Hydrozone" means a portion of the planting' area having plants grouped according to
water need. -/ • •� '
"Irrigation system" means a complete connection of system components, including the
water distribution network and the necessary irrigation equipment and downstream from the
backflow prevention device.
"Landscape Area" means all areas where new or altered landscaping is proposed as part
of a new development proposal.
"Landscape Plan" means design plans with a planting plan and irrigation plan, and plans
with supporting detail sheets to include notes and/or specifications.
"New Development" means a new building on a vacant site, an addition to an existing
building on a site, a new building on a developed site, or a change in land use type that requires a
discretionary permit from the City.
"Plant Factor" means a factor that when multiplied by the ETo, estimates the amount of
water used by a given plant species.
"Planting area" means the parcel area less building pad(s), driveway(s), patio(s), deck(s),
walkway(s) and parking area(s). Planting area includes water bodies (i.e., fountains, ponds,
lakes) and natural areas.
"Special Landscape Area (SLA)" means park and recreational areas permanently and
solely dedicated to edible plants such as orchards and vegetable gardens, and areas irrigated with
recycled water are subject to the MAWA with an ET adjustment factor not to exceed 1.0.
"Turf' means a grnundcover surface of mowed grass with an irrigation water need of
greater than 30% of the ETo.
"Water Budget Calculation" means the Maximum Annual Applied Water Allowance,
which shall be calculated using the following formula, per Section 492.4 of the State of
California Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance, which may be amended from time to
lime:
MAWA = (ETol (0.62) [0,7 x LA + 0.3 x SLA2
MAWA= Maximum Applied Water Allowance (maximum gallons
per year available for the project).
F.to = Reference Evapotranspiration (39.7 inches per year for the
City of Rolling Hills).
0.7 = ET Adjustment Factor (as designated by the state of
California).
LA = Landscape Area (square feet, including SLA)
0.62 = Conversion Factor (inches to gallons)
SLA = Special Landscape Area (square feet)
0.3 = The additional ET Adjustment Factor for the Special Landscape Area
"Water Wise Plants" means those plants that are evaluated as needing "moderate" (40-
60% of ETo), "low" (10-30% of ETo) and "very low" (< 10% of ETo) amounts of water as
defined and listed by Water Use Classifications of Landscape Species (WUCOLS) available
from the State of California Department of Water Resources. Other sources of water wise plant
classifications may be used if approved by the City Manager.
"Weather Based Irrigation Controller" means an irrigation controller that automatically
adjusts the irrigation schedule based on changes in the weather.
13.18.040 Landscape Plan Design Standards.
Ordinance No. 316 - 3 -
An applicant proposing new or altered landscaping, which is subject to the requirements
of this Chapter, shall comply with each of the following in the design, installation, and
maintenance of the landscaped urea, unless an . exception : is granted pursuant to Section
13.18.050.
A. Landscape Plan Content:
1. Applicants shall submit a Landscape Plan depicting the landscaped area and all
existing landscaping to remain on the lot. Landscaping shall be designed to be irrigated at no
more than 0.7 of the reference evapotranspiration (ETo) and shall not exceed the MAWA. The
City reserves the right to modify plans in quantity and quality of the landscape to meet the
requirements of this Chapter.
2. Applicants shall provide all relevant information on the landscape plan including
botanical names for plants and turf species; container sizes; percentage calculations of allowable
areas of turf; low, medium or high water use plants and water -wise plants; water budget
calculations; monthly irrigation schedule; and specific requests for any exceptions to the
requirements of this Chapter in accordance with Section 13.18.050. Areas of existing
landscaping to remain unaltered shall be indicated on the landscape plan.
A. Use of Turf and Water Wise Plants:
1. The landscape area of single family residential and institutional use projects shall
be designed with no more than 40% of the landscaped area in turf or plants that are not water
wise plants.
2. Turf shall not be used on slopes of 20% (5:1) or greater within the landscape area.
3. Additional turf areas may be approved by the City for areas designed and used for
outdoor sporting and recreational activities. Approved turf areas may be watered at 1.0 of the
referenced evapotranspiration (ETo).
C. Mulch: The landscape arca, except those portions of the landscape arca planted in
turf, shall be covered with mulch material to an average thickness of at least 3 inches throughout.
In areas with groundcover planted from flats, mulch shall be installed to an average thickness of •
1-14 inches. Additional mulch material shall be added from time to time as necessary in order to
maintain the required depth of mulch.
D. Irrigation: All new or altered irrigation systems proposed as part of a new
development shall incorporate the following requirements in their design, installation and
maintenance:
1. Irrigation systems shall be designed and installed to avoid overspray and runoff.
Valves shall be separated far individual hydrozones based on plant water needs and sun or shade
requirements.
2. An automatic irrigation system is required and shalt include a weather -based
irrigation controller, including a rain shut-off sensor.
3. Areas less than eight feet wide shall be irrigated with appropriately selected
equipment that provides the paper amount of water coverage without causing overspray onto
adjacent surfaces.
4. All sprinklers shall have matched precipitation rates within each valve and circuit
All irrigation systems shall be designed to include optimum distribution uniformity, head to head
spacing, and setbacks from walkways and pavement.
5. All irrigation systems shall provide check valves at the low end of irrigation lines to
prevent unwanted draining of irrigation lines.
Ordinance No. 316 - 4 -
6. Pressure regulators may be required on the irrigation system as determined by the
Building and Safety Department
13.18.050 Exceptions.
Exceptions to these landscape water conservation standards may he granted by the City
Manager upon a finding, based on substantial evidence, that thc exceptions will promote
equivalent nr greater water conservation than is provided for in these standards. Requests for
exceptions shall be in writing and shall be submitted to the City Manager at the time the
application is submitted to the City for review. Requests for exceptions must be accompanied
by documentary evidence supporting the finding of equivalent or greater water conservation.
13.18.060 Submittal Requirements.
A. In accordance with California Business and Professions Code Six.lion 5641, as
may be amended from time to time, drawings for the conceptual design and plaeerncnt of
tangible objects and landscape features; or plans, drawings and specifications for the selection,
placement or use of plants, may be submitted by any person, including licensed landscape
architects, licensed landscape contractors or landscape designers. Construction documents,
details or specifications for the tangible objects or landscape features, or site alterations which
require grading or drainage plans, shall be prepared by a licensed professional as required by
California law.
B. The landscape plan shall include a "Statement of Compliance" in a form approved
by the City Manager certifying that the landscape design complies with the mandatory elements
of this Chapter. The Statement of Compliance shall be signed by the person who prepared the
landscape plan and shall be submitted to the City prior or concurrent with submitting final
development plans to the Building and Safety Department.
C. The Planning Commission or City Council may require, on a case -by -case basis,
that the landscaping plan and statement of compliance be submitted concurrently with the
development application or prior to rendering a decision for the development
D. The project applicant shall submit a financial obligation in the amount of the cost
estimate of the implementation of the landscaping plan and irrigation plus fifteen percent, which
shall be posted prior to issuance of a grading and building permit. The financial obligation shall
be retained with the City for not ins than two years after landscape installation. The retained
deposit will be released by the City Manager after the City Manager determines that the
landscaping was installed pursuant to the landscaping plan as approved, and that such
landscaping is properly established and in good condition.
13.18.070 Determination of Conforming Installation and Compliance Verification.
A. The person who prepared the landscape plan shall inspect the installation of the
landscaping and any irrigation system included in the plan and shall certify in writing to the City
Manager that the installation substantially conforms to the approved landscape plan.
Certification shall be submitted within 90 days oldie date thc construction project has reecived
approval of a final inspection from the Building and Safety Department. The applicant is eligible
for a one-time extension in submitting the certification up to 90 days, based on findings of good
cause provided the application requesting an extension is filed prior to the original 90 -day
deadline.
B. Verification of compliance wilt this Chapter, as applicable, shall be made by the
City Manager. The financial obligation described in Section 13.18.160D shall not be returned
unless the certification of compliance is cm file with the City.
Section 4; Scvcrability. If any section, subsection, subdivision, sentence, clause,
phrase, or portion of this ordinance is, for any reason, held to be invalid or unconstitutional by
the decision of any court of competent jurisdiction, such decision shall not affect the validity of
the remaining portions of this ordinance. The City Council hereby declares that it would have
adopted this ordinance, and each section, subsection, subdivision, sente ce, clause, phrase, or
Ordinance No. 316 - 5 -
portion thereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more sections subsections, subdivisions,
sentences, clauses, phrases, or portion thereof be declared invalid or unconstitutional.
Section Notice. The City Clerk shall certify as to the adoption of this ordinance
and post a certified copy of this ordinance, inchtding the vote for and against the same, in the
office of the City Clerk, in accordance with Government Code Section 36993.
Section 6; Effective date. This ordinance shall go into effect and be in full force and
operation from and after thirty (30) days after its final passage and adoption.
PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED this 25a' day ofianuary, 2010.
Attest:
G
HEIDI LUCE, DEPUTY CITY CLERK
Ordinance No. 316 - 6 -
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES
CITY OF ROLLING HILLS
§§
I ce:tifj, that the foregoing Ordinance No. 316 entitled:
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF ROLLING HILLS
AMENDING THE ROLLING HILLS MUNICIPAL CODE
BY ADDING CHAPTER 13.18 WATER EFFICIENT
LANDSCAPE TO TITLE 13, WATER AND SEWERS.
was approved and adopted at a regular meeting of the City Council on January 25, 2010 by the
following roll call vote:
AYES: Councilmcmbcrs Hill, Lay, Mayor Pro Tem Pernell and Mayor Heinsheimer.
NOES: None.
ABSENT: Councilmember Black.
ABSTAIN: None.
and in compliance with the laws of California was posted at the following:
Administrative Offices
okadha
—_ Heidi Luce
Deputy City Clerk
Ordinance No. 316 - 7 -
ORDINANCE NO. 316 ,
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF ROLLING HILLS ;
AMENDING THE ROLLING HILLS MUNICIPAL CODE
BY ADDING CHAPTER 13.18 WATER EFFICIENT •
LANDSCAPE TO TITLE 13, WATER AND SEWERS.
The City Council of the City of Rolling Hills, California, does hereby ordain as follows:
Section 1: FINDINGS
A. The waters of the State of California are of limited supply and are subject to
increasing demands;
B. It is the policy of the State of California and the City of Rolling Hills to promote
the conservation and efficient use of water and to prevent the waste of this valuable resource;
C. The City of Rolling Hills is a unique, well -established residential community
where development consists exclusively of single-family residential homes on large lots and
existing non-residential development in the community consists of City administration, fire,
school and school maintenance facilities;
D. In 2004, the State of California enacted Assembly Bill 2717 establishing a
stakeholder based Landscape Taskforce charged with formulating recommendations to improve
irrigation efficiency in new and existing landscaping;
E. In 2006 the Governor signed Assembly Bill 1881 requiring cities and counties to
implement the Taskforce's recommendation;
F. The water efficient landscaping standards adopted herein serve to advance the
foregoing goals, advance the goal of conserving water and further public health, safety and
welfare;
G. The City's water efficient landscape ordinance is at least as effective in conserving
water as the California Department of Water Resource's updated Model Water Efficient
Landscape Ordinance due to the following:
a. The ordinance is applicable to all new or altered development subject to discretionary
review by the City.
b. Under the ordinance, landscaping shall be designed and irrigated so not to exceed 70% of
the local evapotranspiration rate (ETo) established by the State for the City of Long Beach
and surrounding areas of Los Angeles County.
c. Under the ordinance; landscape areas for residential and institutional type projects shall
be designed with less than 40% turf and non -water wise plant materials.
d. Under the ordinance, automatic irrigation systems are required and shall be designed to
avoid overspray and runoff with optimum distribution uniformity and setbacks from
hardscape, and shall employ a weather -based irrigation controller with a rain shut off sensor
and check values at the end of each line to hold water in the system, preventing unwanted
drainage from sprinkler heads.
e. Exceptions to the ordinance standards are allowed only upon a finding that alternative
design will promote equivalent or greater water conservation.
f. Under the ordinance, installation and compliance verifications are required from a
landscape designer.
Ordinance No. 316 - 1 -
� r �
g. Under the ordinance, the maximum annual applied water allowance calculation matches
the California Department of Water Resource's formula in its Model Water Efficient
Landscape Ordinance.
h. Under the ordinance, the identification of water wise plants matches that used by the
California Department of Water Resource's in its Model Water Efficient Landscape
Ordinance.
Section 2: CEQA. The City Council determines that this ordinance is exempt from
review under the California Environmental Quality Act (California Public Resources Code §§
21000, et seq., "CEQA") and the regulations promulgated thereunder (14 California Code of
Regulations §§ 15000, et seq., the "CEQA Guidelines") because it enacts regulations that are
applicable to new or altered landscape projects subject to project specific discretionary review.
Therefore, it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that this ordinance will cause a
direct physical change in the environment, and therefore the adoption of this ordinance is not
considered a project per section 21065 of CEQA. In addition, this ordinance is an action being
taken for enhanced protection of the environment that does not have the potential to cause
significant effects on the environment. Consequently, it is categorically exempt in accordance
with CEQA Guidelines §§ 15305 as a minor alteration in land use limitations which do not result
in any changes in land use or density; and 15308 as an action taken by a regulatory agency as
authorized by California law to assure maintenance or protection of the environment.
Section 3: Title 13, Chapter 13.18 of the Rolling Hills Municipal Code, commencing
with Section 13.18.010 is hereby added to read as follows:
Chapter 13.18
WATER EFFICIENT LANDSCAPE
Sections:
13.18.010 Purpose.
13.18.020 Applicability.
13.18.030 Definitions.
13.18.040 Landscape Plan Design Standards.
13.18.050 Exceptions.
13.18.060 Submittal Requirements.
13.18.070 Determination of Conforming Installation and Compliance Certification.
13.18.010 Purpose.
- It is the policy of the City of Rolling Hills to promote water conservation. The landscape
water conservation standards detailed in this Chapter are intended to promote water conservation
while allowing the maximum possible flexibility in designing healthy, attractive, and cost-
effective water efficient landscapes.
13.18.020 Applicability.
This Chapter applies to:
A. All public agency development projects which are subject to discretionary review
by the City and propose new or altered landscape area of 2,500 square feet or more; and
B. All single family residential development projects subject to discretionary review
by the Planning Commission or City Council, with a total new or altered landscape area equal to
or greater than 5,000 square feet.
13.18.030 Definitions
"Application rate" means the rate of irrigation (inches/hour or gallons per minute) at
which water is applied by an irrigation system.
Ordinance No. 316 - 2 -
,
"Automatic irrigation system" means an irrigation system that can be controlled without
manual manipulation and which operates on a preset program.
"Discretionary review" means review of a development project by the Planning
Commission and/or City Council that requires that the Planning Commission or City Council
ascertain compliance with this Chapter, and that also requires the exercise of judgment,
deliberation or decision by the Planning Commission and/or City Council.
"Evapotranspiration" or "ET" means the approximate summation of water losses through
evaporation from soil and transpiration from the plants during a specified period of time.
"ETo" means the approximation of water loss expressed in inches per year from a field of
4 -to -7 -inch -tall cool season grass that is not water stressed.
"ET Adjustment Factor" means a factor used to set an efficiency goal, that when applied
to ETo adjusts for plant factor and irrigation efficiency, two of the major influences upon the
amount of water that needs to be applied to a landscape.
"Hydrozone" means a portion of the planting area having plants grouped according to
water need.
"Irrigation system" means a complete connection of system components, including the
water distribution network and the necessary irrigation equipment and downstream from the
backflow prevention device.
"Landscape Area" means all areas where new or altered landscaping is proposed as part
of a new development proposal.
"Landscape Plan" means design plans with a planting plan and irrigation plan, and plans
with supporting detail sheets to include notes and/or specifications.
"New Development" means a new building on a vacant site, an addition to an existing
building on a site, a new building on a developed site, or a change in land use type that requires a
discretionary permit from the City.
"Plant Factor" means a factor that when multiplied by the ETo, estimates the amount of
water used by a given plant species.
"Planting area" means the parcel area less building pad(s), driveway(s), patio(s), deck(s),
walkway(s) and parking area(s). Planting area includes water bodies (i.e., fountains, ponds,
lakes) and natural areas.
"Special Landscape Area (SLA)" means park and recreational areas permanently and
solely dedicated to edible plants such as orchards and vegetable gardens, and areas irrigated with
recycled water are subject to the MAWA with an ET adjustment factor not to exceed 1.0.
"Turf" means a groundcover surface of mowed grass with an irrigation water need of
greater than 30% of the ETo.
"Water Budget Calculation" means the Maximum Annual Applied Water Allowance,
which shall be calculated using the following formula, per Section 492.4 of the State of
California Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance, which may be amended from time to
time:
MAWA = (ETo) (0.62) [0.7 x LA + 0.3 x SLA1
MAWA= Maximum Applied Water Allowance (maximum gallons
per year available for the project).
Eto = Reference Evapotranspiration (39.7 inches per year for the
City of Rolling Hills).
0.7 = ET Adjustment Factor (as designated by the state of
California).
LA = Landscape Area (square feet, including SLA)
0.62 = Conversion Factor (inches to gallons)
SLA = Special Landscape Area (square feet)
0.3 = The additional ET Adjustment Factor for the Special Landscape Area
"Water Wise Plants" means those plants that are evaluated as needing "moderate" (40-
60% of ETo), "low" (10-30% of ETo) and "very low" (< 10% of ETo) amounts of water as
defined and listed by Water Use Classifications of Landscape Species (WUCOLS) available
from the State of California Department of Water Resources. Other sources of water wise plant
classifications may be used if approved by the City Manager.
"Weather Based Irrigation Controller" means an irrigation controller that automatically
adjusts the irrigation schedule based on changes in the weather.
13.18.040 Landscape Plan Design Standards.
Ordinance No. 316 - 3 -
.110 r
An applicant proposing new or altered landscaping, which is subject to the requirements
of this Chapter, shall comply with each of the following in the design, installation, and
maintenance of the landscaped area, unless an exception is granted pursuant to Section
13.18.050.
A. Landscape Plan Content:
1. Applicants shall submit a Landscape Plan depicting the landscaped area and all
existing landscaping to remain on the lot. Landscaping shall be designed to be irrigated at no
more than 0.7 of the reference evapotranspiration (ETo) and shall not exceed the MAWA. The
City reserves the right to modify plans in quantity and quality of the landscape to meet the
requirements of this Chapter.
2. Applicants shall provide all relevant information on the landscape plan including
botanical names for plants and turf species; container sizes; percentage calculations of allowable
areas of turf; low, medium or high water use plants and water -wise plants; water budget
calculations; monthly irrigation schedule; and specific requests for any exceptions to the
requirements of this Chapter in accordance with Section 13.18.050. Areas of existing
landscaping to remain unaltered shall be indicated on the landscape plan.
B. Use of Turf and Water Wise Plants:
1. The landscape area of single family residential and institutional use projects shall
be designed with no more than 40% of the landscaped area in turf or plants that are not water
wise plants.
2. Turf shall not be used on slopes of 20% (5:1) or greater within the landscape area.
3. Additional turf areas may be approved by the City for areas designed and used for
outdoor sporting and recreational activities. Approved turf areas may be watered at 1.0 of the
referenced evapotranspiration (ETo).
C. Mulch: The landscape area, except those portions of the landscape area planted in
turf, shall be covered with mulch material to an average thickness of at least 3 inches throughout.
In areas with groundcover planted from flats, mulch shall be installed to an average thickness of
1-%z inches. Additional mulch material shall be added from time to time as necessary in order to
maintain the required depth of mulch.
D. Irrigation: All new or altered irrigation systems proposed as part of a new
development shall incorporate the following requirements in their design, installation and
maintenance:
1. Irrigation systems shall be designed and installed to avoid overspray and runoff.
Valves shall be separated for individual hydrozones based on plant water needs and sun or shade
requirements.
2. An automatic irrigation system is required and shall include a weather -based
irrigation controller, including a rain shut-off sensor.
3. Areas less than eight feet wide shall be irrigated with appropriately selected
equipment that provides the proper amount of water coverage without causing overspray onto
adjacent surfaces.
4. All sprinklers shall have matched precipitation rates within each valve and circuit.
All irrigation systems shall be designed to include optimum distribution uniformity, head to head
spacing, and setbacks from walkways and pavement.
5. All irrigation systems shall provide check valves at the low end of irrigation lines to
prevent unwanted draining of irrigation lines.
Ordinance No. 316 - 4 -
• •
6. Pressure regulators may be required on the irrigation system as determined by the
Building and Safety Department.
13.18.050 Exceptions.
Exceptions to these landscape water conservation standards may be granted by the City
Manager upon a finding, based on substantial evidence, that the exceptions will promote
equivalent or greater water conservation than is provided for in these standards. Requests for
exceptions shall be in writing and shall be submitted to the City Manager at the time the
application is submitted to the City for review. Requests for exceptions must be accompanied
by documentary evidence supporting the finding of equivalent or greater water conservation.
13.18.060 Submittal Requirements.
A. In accordance with California Business and Professions Code Section 5641, as
may be amended from time to time, drawings for the conceptual design and placement of
tangible objects and landscape features; or plans, drawings and specifications for the selection,
placement or use of plants, may be submitted by any person, including licensed landscape
architects, licensed landscape contractors or landscape designers. Construction documents,
details or specifications for the tangible objects or landscape features, or site alterations which
require grading or drainage plans, shall be prepared by a licensed professional as required by
California law.
B. The landscape plan shall include a "Statement of Compliance" in a form approved
by the City Manager certifying that the landscape design complies with the mandatory elements
of this Chapter. The Statement of Compliance shall be signed by the person who prepared the
landscape plan and shall be submitted to the City prior or concurrent with submitting final
development plans to the Building and Safety Department.
C. The Planning Commission or City Council may require, on a case -by -case basis,
that the landscaping plan and statement of compliance be submitted concurrently with the
development application or prior to rendering a decision for the development.
D. The project applicant shall submit a financial obligation in the amount of the cost
estimate of the implementation of the landscaping plan and irrigation plus fifteen percent, which
shall be posted prior to issuance of a grading and building permit. The financial obligation shall
be retained with the City for not less than two years after landscape installation. The retained
deposit will be released by the City Manager after the City Manager determines that the
landscaping was installed pursuant to the landscaping plan as approved, and that such
landscaping is properly established and in good condition.
13.18.070 Determination of Conforming Installation and Compliance Verification.
A. The person who prepared the landscape plan shall inspect the installation of the
landscaping and any irrigation system included in the plan and shall certify in writing to the City
Manager that the installation substantially conforms to the approved landscape plan.
Certification shall be submitted within 90 days of the date the construction project has received
approval of a final inspection from the Building and Safety Department. The applicant is eligible
for a one-time extension in submitting the certification up to 90 days, based on findings of good
cause provided the application requesting an extension is filed prior to the original 90 -day
deadline.
B. Verification of compliance with this Chapter, as applicable, shall be made by the
City Manager. The financial obligation described in Section 13.18.160D shall not be returned
unless the certification of compliance is on file with the City.
Section 4: Severability. If any section, subsection, subdivision, sentence, clause,
phrase, or portion of this ordinance is, for any reason, held to be invalid or unconstitutional by
the decision of any court of competent jurisdiction, such decision shall not affect the validity of
the remaining portions of this ordinance. The City Council hereby declares that it would have
adopted this ordinance, and each section, subsection, subdivision, sentence, clause, phrase, or
Ordinance No. 316 - 5 -
. •
portion thereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more sections subsections, subdivisions,
sentences, clauses, phrases, or portion thereof be declared invalid or unconstitutional.
Section 5: Notice. The City Clerk shall certify as to the adoption of this ordinance
and post a certified copy of this ordinance, including the vote for and against the same, in the
office of the City Clerk, in accordance with Government Code Section 36993.
Section 6: Effective date. This ordinance shall go into effect and be in full force and
operation from and after thirty (30) days after its final passage and adoption.
PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED this 25th day of January, 2010.
T S HEINSHEIMER, MAYOR
Attest:
HEIDI LUCE, DEPUTY CITY CLERK
Ordinance No. 316 - 6 -
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES
CITY OF ROLLING HILLS
) §§
I certify that the foregoing Ordinance No. 316 entitled:
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF ROLLING HILLS ° <
AMENDING THE ROLLING HILLS MUNICIPAL CODE
BY ADDING CHAPTER 13.18 WATER EFFICIENT
LANDSCAPE TO TITLE 13, WATER AND SEWERS.
was approved and adopted at a regular meeting of the City Council on January 25, 2010 by the
following roll call vote:
AYES: Councilmembers Hill, Lay, Mayor Pro Tem Pernell and Mayor Heinsheimer.
NOES: None.
ABSENT: Councilmember Black.
ABSTAIN: None.
and in compliance with the laws of California was posted at the following:
Administrative Offices
Heidi Luce
Deputy City Clerk
Ordinance No. 316 - 7 -
TO:
FROM:
THRU:
SUBJECT:
eery Rs114'49 qeeed
INCORPORATED JANUARY 24, 1957
NO. 2 PORTUGUESE BEND ROAD
ROLLING HILLS, CA 90274
(310) 377-1521
FAX (310) 377-7288
Agenda Item No.: 3-D
Mtg. Date: 01-25-10
HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
YOLANTA SCHWARTZ, PLANNING DIRECTOR Ly
ANTON DAHLERBRUCH, CITY MANAGER
PUBLIC HEARING:
ORDINANCE NO. 316. AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF ROLLING
HILLS AMENDING THE ROLLING HILLS MUNICIPAL CODE BY
ADDING CHAPTER 13.18 WATER EFFICIENT LANDSCAPE TO
TITLE 13, WATER AND SEWERS.
DATE: JANUARY 25, 2010
ATTACHMENT:
Ordinance No. 316
Instruction Forms
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council consider the proposed Ordinance No. 316
regarding water efficient landscape and adopt the ordinance.
BACKGROUND
At the November 29, 2009 meeting, the City Council introduced the attached ordinance Due
to recommended substantive changes the City Council reintroduced the Ordinance at their
January 11, 2010 meeting.
Following discussion, the City Council directed staff to make one minor adjustment to the
ordinance and bring it forth for second reading and adoption.
The purpose of the proposed ordinance is to promote water conservation while allowing the
maximum possible flexibility in designing healthy, attractive, and cost-effective water efficient
landscapes.
lJ
Per the City Council's recommendation, the following sentence was deleted from
Section 13.18.040 (B)(1) of the Ordinance:
• Approved turf parkways or roadways easement shall not be counted toward the 40%
turf limitation.
CONCLUSION
It is recommended that the City Council adopt Ordinance No. 316.
ORDINANCE NO. 316
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF ROLLING HILLS
AMENDING THE ROLLING HILLS MUNICIPAL CODE
BY ADDING CHAPTER 13.18 WATER EFFICIENT
LANDSCAPE TO TITLE 13, WATER AND SEWERS.
The City Council of the City of Rolling Hills, California, does hereby ordain as follows:
Section 1: FINDINGS
A. The waters of the State of California are of limited supply and are subject to
increasing demands;
B. It is the policy of the State of California and the City of Rolling Hills to promote
the conservation and efficient use of water and to prevent the waste of this valuable resource;
C. The City of Rolling Hills is a unique, well -established residential community
where development consists exclusively of single-family residential homes on large lots and
existing non-residential development in the community consists of City administration, fire,
school and school maintenance facilities;
D. In 2004, the State of California enacted Assembly Bill 2717 establishing a
stakeholder based Landscape Taskforce charged with formulating recommendations to improve
irrigation efficiency in new and existing landscaping;
E. In 2006 the Governor signed Assembly Bill 1881 requiring cities and counties to
implement the Taskforce's recommendation;
F. The water efficient landscaping standards adopted herein serve to advance the
foregoing goals, advance the goal of conserving water and further public health, safety and
welfare;
G. The City's water efficient landscape ordinance is at least as effective in conserving
water as the California Department of Water Resource's updated Model Water Efficient
Landscape Ordinance due to the following:
a. The ordinance is applicable to all new or altered development subject to discretionary
review by the City.
b. Under the ordinance, landscaping shall be designed and irrigated so not to exceed 70% of
the local evapotranspiration rate (ETo) established by the State for the City of Long Beach
and surrounding areas of Los Angeles County.
Ordinance No. 316
c. Under the ordinance, landscape areas for residential and institutional type projects shall
be designed with less than 40% turf and non -water wise plant materials.
d. Under the ordinance, automatic irrigation systems are required and shall be designed to
avoid overspray and runoff with optimum distribution uniformity and setbacks from
hardscape, and shall employ a weather -based irrigation controller with a rain shut off sensor
and check values at the end of each line to hold water in the system, preventing unwanted
drainage from sprinkler heads.
e. Exceptions to the ordinance standards are allowed only upon a finding that alternative
design will promote equivalent or greater water conservation.
f. Under the ordinance, installation and compliance verifications are required from a
landscape designer.
g. Under the ordinance, the maximum annual applied water allowance calculation matches
the California Department of Water Resource's formula in its Model Water Efficient
Landscape Ordinance.
h. Under the ordinance, the identification of water wise plants matches that used by the
California Department of Water Resource's in its Model Water Efficient Landscape
Ordinance.
Section 2: CEQA. The City Council determines that this ordinance is exempt from
review under the California Environmental Quality Act (California Public Resources Code §§
21000, et seq., "CEQA") and the regulations promulgated thereunder (14 California Code of
Regulations §§ 15000, et seq., the "CEQA Guidelines") because it enacts regulations that are
applicable to new or altered landscape projects subject to project specific discretionary review.
Therefore, it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that this ordinance will cause a
direct physical change in the environment, and therefore the adoption of this ordinance is not
considered a project per section 21065 of CEQA. In addition, this ordinance is an action being
taken for enhanced protection of the environment that does not have the potential to cause
significant effects on the environment. Consequently, it is categorically exempt in accordance
with CEQA Guidelines §§ 15305 as a minor alteration in land use limitations which do not result
in any changes in land use or density; and 15308 as an action taken by a regulatory agency as
authorized by California law to assure maintenance or protection of the environment.
Section 3: Title 13, Chapter 13.18 of the Rolling Hills Municipal Code, commencing
with Section 13.18.010 is hereby added to read as follows:
Ordinance No. 316 2
0
vt
Chapter 13.18
WATER EFFICIENT LANDSCAPE
Sections:
13.18.010 Purpose.
13.18.020. Applicability.
13.18.030 Definitions.
13.18.040 Landscape Plan Design Standards.
13.18.050 Exceptions.
13.18.060 Submittal Requirements.
13.18.070 Determination of Conforming Installation and Compliance Certification.
13.18.010 Purpose.
It is the policy of the City of Rolling Hills to promote water conservation. The landscape
water conservation standards detailed in this Chapter are intended to promote water conservation
while allowing the maximum possible flexibility in designing healthy, attractive, and cost-
effective water efficient landscapes.
13.18.020 Applicability.
This Chapter applies to:
A. All public agency development projects which are subject to discretionary review
by the City and propose new or altered landscape area of 2,500 square feet or more; and
B. All single family residential development projects subject to discretionary review
by the Planning Commission or City Council, with a total new or altered landscape area equal to
or greater than 5,000 square feet.
13.18.030 • Definitions
"Application rate" means the rate of irrigation (inches/hour or gallons per minute) at
which water is applied by an irrigation system.
"Automatic irrigation system" means an irrigation system that can be controlled without
manual manipulationand which operates on a preset program.
"Discretionary review" means review of a development project by the Planning
Commission and/or City Council that requires that the Planning Commission or City •Council
ascertain compliance with this Chapter, and that also requires the exercise of judgment,
deliberation or decision by the Planning Commission and/or City Council.
"Evapotranspiration" or "ET" means the approximate summation of water losses through
evaporation from soil and transpiration from the plants during a specified period of time.
Ordinance No. 316 3
"ETo" means the approximation of water loss expressed in inches per year from a field of
4 -to -7 -inch -tall cool season grass that is not water stressed.
"ET Adjustment Factor" means a factor used to set an efficiency goal, that when applied
to ETo adjusts for plant factor and irrigation efficiency, two. of the major influences upon the
amount of water that needs to be applied to a landscape.
"Hydrozone" means a portion of the planting area having plants grouped according to
water need.
"Irrigation system" means a complete connection of system components, including the
water distribution network and the necessary irrigation equipment and downstream from the
backflow prevention device.
"Landscape Area" means all areas where new or altered landscaping is proposed as part
of a new development proposal.
"Landscape Plan" means design plans with a planting plan and irrigation plan, and plans
with supporting detail sheets to include notes and/or specifications.
"New Development" means a new building on a vacant site, an addition to an existing
building on a site, a new building on a developed site, or a change in land use type that requires a
discretionary permit from the City.
"Plant Factor" means a factor that when multiplied by the ETo, estimates the amount of
water used by a given plant species.
"Planting area" means the parcel area less building pad(s), driveway(s), patio(s), deck(s),
walkway(s) and parking area(s). Planting area includes water bodies (i.e., fountains, ponds,
lakes) and natural areas.
"Special Landscape Area (SLA)" means park and recreational areas permanently and
solely dedicated to edible plants such as orchards and vegetable gardens, and areas irrigated with
recycled water are subject to the MAWA with an ET adjustment factor not to exceed 1.0.
"Turf" means a groundcover surface of mowed grass with an irrigation water need of
greater than 30% of the ETo.
"Water Budget Calculation" means the Maximum Annual Applied Water Allowance,
which shall be calculated using the following formula, per Section 492.4 of the State of
California Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance, which may be amended from time to
time
MAWA = (ETo) (0.62) [0.7 x LA + 0.3 x SLAT
MAWA= Maximum Applied Water Allowance (maximum gallons
per year available for the project).
Eto = Reference Evapotranspiration (39.7 inches per year for the
City of Rolling Hills).
0.7 ET Adjustment Factor (as designated by the state of
California).
LA = Landscape Area (square feet, including SLA)
0.62 = Conversion Factor (inches to gallons)
SLA = Special Landscape Area (square feet)
0.3 = The additional ET Adjustment Factor for the Special Landscape Area
Ordinance No. 316 - 4
"Water Wise Plants" means those plants that are evaluated as needing "moderate" (40-
60% of ETo), "low" (10-30% of ETo) and "very low" (< 10% of ETo) amounts of water as
defined and listed by Water Use Classifications of Landscape Species (WUCOLS) available
from the State of California Department of Water Resources. Other sources of water wise plant
classifications may be used if approved by the City Manager.
"Weather Based Irrigation Controller" means an irrigation controller that automatically
adjusts the irrigation schedule based on changes in the weather.
13.18.040 Landscape Plan Design Standards.
An applicant proposing new or altered landscaping,`which is subject to the requirements
of this Chapter, shall comply with each of the following in the design, installation, and
maintenance of the landscaped area, unless an exception, is granted pursuant to Section
13.18.050.
A. Landscape Plan Content:
1. Applicants shall submit a Landscape Plan depicting the landscaped area and all
existing landscaping to remain on the lot. Landscaping shall be designed to be irrigated at no
more than 0.7 of the reference evapotranspiration (ETo) and shall not exceed the MAWA. The
City reserves the right to modify plans in quantity and quality of the landscape to meet the
requirements of this Chapter.
2. Applicants shall provide all relevant information on the landscape plan including
botanical names for plants and turf species; container sizes; percentage calculations of allowable
areas of turf; low, medium or high water use plants and water -wise plants; water budget
calculations; monthly irrigation schedule; and specific requests for any exceptions to the
requirements of this Chapter in accordance with Section 13.18.050. Areas of existing
landscaping to remain unaltered shall be indicated on the landscape plan.
B. Use of Turf and Water Wise Plants:
1. The landscape area of single family residential and institutional use projects shall
be designed with no more than 40% of the landscaped area in turf or plants that are not water
wise plants.
2. Turf shall not be used on slopes of 20% (5:1) or greater within the landscape area.
3. Additional turf areas may be approved by the City for areas designed and used for
outdoor sporting and recreational activities. Approved turf areas may be watered at 1.0 of the
referenced evapotranspiration (ETo).
C. Mulch: The landscape area, except those portions of the landscape area planted in
turf, shall be covered with mulch material to an average thickness of at least 3 inches throughout.
In areas with groundcover planted from flats, mulch shall be installed to an average thickness of
Ordinance No. 316 5
el
1-'/2 inches. Additional mulch material shall be added from time to time as necessary in order to
maintain the required depth of mulch.
D. Irrigation: All new or altered irrigation systems proposed as part of a new
development shall incorporate the following requirements in their design, installation and
maintenance:
1. Irrigation systems shall be designed and installed to avoid overspray and runoff.
Valves shall be separated for individual hydrozones based on plant water needs and sun or shade
requirements.
2. An automatic irrigation system is required and shall. include a weather -based
irrigation controller, including a rain shut-off sensor.
3. Areas less than eight feet wide shall be irrigated with appropriately selected
equipment that provides the proper amount of water coverage without causing overspray onto
adjacent surfaces.
4. All sprinklers shall have matched precipitation rates within each valve and circuit.
All irrigation systems shall be designed to include optimum distribution uniformity, head to head
spacing, and setbacks from walkways and pavement.
5. All irrigation systems shall provide check valves at the low end of irrigation lines to
prevent unwanted draining of irrigation lines.
6. Pressure regulators may be required on the irrigation system as determined by the
Building and Safety Department.
13.18.050 Exceptions.
Exceptions to these landscape water conservation standards may be granted by the City
Manager upon a finding, based on substantial evidence, that .the exceptions will promote
equivalent or greater water conservation than is provided for in these standards. Requests for
exceptions shall be in writing and shall be submitted to the City Manager at the time the
application is submitted to the City for review. Requests for exceptions must be accompanied
by documentary evidence supporting the finding of equivalent or greater water conservation.
13.18.060 Submittal Requirements.
A. In accordance with California Business and Professions Code Section 5641, as
may be amended from time to time, drawings for. the conceptual design and placement of
tangible objects and landscape features; or plans, drawings and specifications for the selection,
placement or use of plants, may be submitted by any person, including licensed landscape
architects, licensed landscape contractors or landscape designers. Construction documents,
details or specifications for the tangible objects or landscape features, or site alterations which
Ordinance No. 316 6
require grading or drainage plans, shall be prepared by a licensed professional as required by
California law.
B. The landscape plan shall include a "Statement of Compliance" in a form approved
by the City Manager certifying that the landscape design complies with the mandatory elements
of this Chapter. The Statement of Compliance shall be signed by the person who prepared the
landscape plan and shall be submitted to the City prior or concurrent with submitting final
development plans to the Building and Safety Department.
C. The Planning Commission or City Council may require, on a case -by -case basis,
that the landscaping plan and statement of compliance be submitted concurrently with the
development application or prior to rendering a decision for the development.
D. The project applicant shall submit a financial obligation in the amount of the cost
estimate of the implementation of the landscaping plan and irrigation plus fifteen percent, which
shall be posted prior to issuance of a grading and building permit. The financial obligation shall be
retained with the City for not less than two years after landscape installation. The retained
deposit will be released by the City Manager after the City Manager determines that the
landscaping was installed pursuant to the landscaping plan as approved, and that such
landscaping is properly established and in good condition.
13.18.070 Determination of Conforming Installation and Compliance Verification.
A. The person who prepared the landscape plan shall inspect the installation of the
landscaping and any irrigation system included in the plan and shall certify in writing to the City
Manager that the installation substantially conforms to the approved landscape plan.
Certification shall be submitted within 90 days of .the date the construction project has received
approval of a final inspection from the Building and Safety Department. The applicant is eligible
for a one-time extension in submitting the certification up to 90 days, based on findings of good
cause provided the application requesting an extension is filed prior to the original 90 -day
deadline.
B. Verification of compliance with this Chapter, as applicable, shall be made by the
City Manager. The financial obligation described in Section 13.18.160D shall not be returned
unless the certification of compliance is on file with the City.
Section 4: Severability. If any section, subsection, subdivision, sentence, clause,
phrase, or portion of this ordinance is, for any reason, held to be invalid or unconstitutional by
the decision of any court of competent jurisdiction, such decision shall not affect the validity of
the remaining portions of this ordinance. The City Council hereby declares that it would have
adopted this ordinance, and each section, subsection, subdivision, sentence, clause, phrase, or
portion thereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more sections subsections, subdivisions,
sentences, clauses, phrases, or portion thereof be declared invalid or unconstitutional.
Ordinance No. 316 7
Section 5: Notice. The City Clerk shall certify as to the adoption of this ordinance
and post a certified copy of this ordinance, including the vote for and against the same, in the
office of the City Clerk, in accordance with Government Code Section 36993.
Section 6: Effective date. This ordinance shall go into effect and be in full force and
operation from and after thirty (30) days after its final passage and adoption.
PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED this day of January 2010.
THOMAS HEINSHEIMER, MAYOR
Attest:
HEIDI LUCE, DEPUTY CITY CLERK
Ordinance No. 316 8
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES
CITY OF ROLLING HILLS
)§§
I certify that the foregoing Ordinance No. 316 entitled:
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF ROLLING HILLS
AMENDING THE ROLLING HILLS MUNICIPAL CODE
BY ADDING CHAPTER 13.18 WATER EFFICIENT
LANDSCAPE TO TITLE 13, WATER AND SEWERS.
was approved and adopted at a regular meeting of the City Council on January , 2010 by
the following roll call vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT: .
ABSTAIN:
and in compliance with the laws of California was posted at the following:
Administrative Offices
Heidi Luce
Deputy City Clerk •
Ordinance No. 316 9
THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
CITY OF ROLLING HILLS
LANDSCAPE PLAN REQUIREMENTS FOR RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS
(RHMC 13.18 Effective (provide date)
Provisions and Standards
1. Landscape Plans for new or altered landscaping of 5,000 square feet or greater
are required to comply with specific standards, if landscaping is part of a development
project that is subject to approval by the Planning Commission or City Council.
Examples of such projects include: Site Plan Reviews, Variances and Conditional Use
Permits.
2. At the direction of the property owner the plan may be prepared by .the owner or a
landscape professional, unless alteration requires grading or drainage plan (Ca. Business
and Professions Code §5641)
3. The plan must include: names of plants (botanical and common), number and
sizes of containers, percentage calculation of turf areas; low, medium or high water use
plants and water -wise plants; water budget calculations; monthly irrigation schedule; and
any areas of existing landscaping to remain unaltered.
4. The City reserves the right to require modified plans of the landscape to meet the
requirements of Ordinance 316.
5. Landscaping of applicable projects must be designed such that water use will not
exceed:
• 70% of the City's designated evapotranspiration rate (ETo) = 39.7 in. / year.
• A water budget (MA WA) calculated for the project (see attached worksheet).
6. Turf and non water -wise plants:
• Must comprise less than 40% of the total landscaped area (plantings in a
roadway easement are not counted towards 40%).
• Are not permitted to be planted on slopes of 20% (5:1) or greater.
• City may approve additional turf areas for outdoor sporting, recreational
activities, or another approved function irrigated at 1.0 of the City's (ETo).
7. Mulching requirements:
• Non -turf areas must have an average thickness of 3 -inches minimum
throughout.
• Groundcovers planted from nursery flats must have an average thickness of 1.5 -
inches.
• Mulch thickness and coverage must be maintained for the life of the planting.
8. Irrigation systems are required to have the following features:
1
• Automatic irrigation controllers, weather based with rain shut-off sensors
• Sprinklers with optimum distribution uniformity, spacing, matched precipitation
rates per valve and circuit, and setbacks from hard surfaces.
• Check valves for each line.
Plan Approval Process
1. Before obtaining grading or building permits:
• Submit Landscape Plan to the City along with a "Statement of Compliance"
signed by the preparer, certifying that the landscape design complies with Ord.
No. 316 (see attached form) and cost estimate for the landscaping and irrigation.
(City Staff with City landscaping consultant will review plan and cost estimate.)
• Submit to the City a financial obligation in the amount based on the cost of the
landscaping and irrigation plus 15% City administration cost.
2. Following project completion:
• Within 90 days of the date the related development project has received an
approved final inspection, the plan preparer must inspect installed landscaping
and irrigation system included in the approved landscape plan and submit
certification (see attached form) to City staff verifying that the installation
substantially .conforms to the plan. The City may extend the submission
requirement for an additional 90 days.
• After two years of installation of the landscaping/irrigation staff will inspect it, an
dif satisfied that it complies with the approved plan and landscaping is in good
condition, the City will refund the security deposit minus 15%.
Attachments:
1. City of Rolling Hills Landscape Water Budget Calculation Worksheet
2. City of Rolling Hills Landscape Plan Statement of Compliance
3. City of Rolling Hills Landscape Installation Certificate of Completion
2
oa
CITY OF ROLLING HILLS
LANDSCAPE WATER BUDGET CALCULATION WORKSHEET
(RHMC 13.1 g.)
This form is to be used to calculate a project's Maximum Annual Applied Water
Allowance. (MAWA) for all landscaping subject to Ordinance 316, Water Efficient
Landscape.
Equation:. MAWA = (ETo) (0.62) [ETAF x LA + 0.3 x SLA]
Where:
MAWA = Maximum Applied Water Allowance (maximum gallons per year
available for the project).
Eto = Reference Evapotranspiration (39.7 inches per year for the City of Rolling
Hills).
ETAF = ET Adjustment Factor, 0.7 for new landscaping.
LA = Landscape Area (square feet, including SLA)
0.62 = Conversion Factor (inches to gallons
SLA = Special Landscape Area (square feet)
0.3 = The additional ET Adjustment Factor for the Special Landscape Area
(total factor of 1.0).
Maximum Applied Water Allowance = gallons per year.
Show calculations:
CITY OF ROLLING HILLS
LANDSCAPE PLAN STATEMENT OF COMPLIANCE
(RHMC 13.18.)
I hereby certify that:
(1) I am: (check one):
❑ A landscape architect or other landscape professional (Lic. Number if
applicable: ).
❑ The property owner of the subject landscaped site.
(2) The landscape design and water use calculations for the property located at
(provide street address or parcel number(s):
were prepared by me or under my supervision.
(3) The landscape design and water use calculations for the identified property
comply with The City of. Rolling Hills Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance No. 316
(Municipal Code Chapter 13.18).
(4) The information I have provided in this Certificate of Landscape Design is true
and correct and is hereby submitted in compliance with the City of Rolling Hills Water
Efficient Landscape Ordinance.
Print Name Date
Signature License Number
Address
Telephone E-mail Address
'r
CITY OF ROLLING HILLS
LANDSCAPE INSTALLATION CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION
(RHMC 13.18)
I hereby certify that:
(1) I am (check one):
❑ A landscape architect or other landscape professional (Lic. Number if
applicable: ).
❑ The property owner of the subject landscaped site.
(2) The landscape project for the property located at (provide street address or parcel
number(s):
was installed by me or under my supervision.
(3) The landscaping for .the identified property has been installed in substantial
conformance with an approved Landscape Plan including Water Budget calculations and
complies with the requirements of the City of Rolling Hills Water Efficient Landscape
Ordinance No. 316 (Municipal Code Chapter 13.18) for the purpose of achieving an
efficient use of water in the subject landscape.
(4) The information I have provided in this Landscape Installation Certificate of
Completion is true and correct and is hereby submitted in compliance with the City of
Rolling Hills Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance. .
Print Name Date
Signature
Address
Telephone E-mail Address
TO:
FROM:
THRU:
SUBJECT:
eit'el Roeeel" qieed
INCORPORATED JANUARY 24, 1957
NO. 2 PORTUGUESE BEND ROAD
ROLLING HILLS, CA 90274
(310) 377-1521
FAX (310) 377-7288
Agenda Item No.: 5-A
Mtg. Date: 01-11-10
HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
YOLANTA SCHWARTZ, PLANNING DIRECTOR
ANTON DAHLERBRUCH, CITY MANAGER
PUBLIC HEARING:
ORDINANCE NO. 316. AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF ROLLING
HILLS AMENDING THE ROLLING HILLS MUNICIPAL CODE BY
ADDING CHAPTER 13.18 WATER EFFICIENT LANDSCAPE TO
TITLE 13, WATER AND. SEWERS.
DATE: JANUARY 11, 2010
ATTACHMENT:
Ordinance No. 316
Draft forms
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council review the staff report, open the public
hearing, introduce the ordinance for first reading and waive full reading.
BACKGROUND
At the November 23, 2009 City Council meeting, staff introduced an ordinance relating
to water efficient landscaping. Members of the City Council questioned several of the
proposed provisions and requested that staff clarify them.
Staff made changes to clarify the provisions in the California Business and Professions
Code relative to who can prepare conceptual landscape plans and who can prepare
landscape construction plans. Staff also removed the provisions relating to regulating
existing landscaped area of one acre or more. After further investigation, the City
Attorney's staff determined that no provision was placed in the state law requiring
cities to regulate existing landscaping. However, provisions for existing landscaped
areas of one acre or more were included in the State Model Ordinance. The State law
supercedes the Model Ordinance requirements.
The City Attorney determined that the changes to the proposed ordinance are
substantive in nature and require a new introduction and first reading.
In 1992, the State of California enacted the Water Conservation in Landscaping Act, (AB
325) requiring the adoption of a water efficient landscape ordinances by cities and
counties throughout the state. In 1993, the City of Rolling Hills adopted an ordinance,
Section 17.27.020 Water efficient landscaping requirements. This ordinance is applicable
to those projects requiring a site plan review and which the Planning Commission or
City Council require compliance with the ordinance. Many of the provisions of the
existing ordinance are being complied through the site plan review process, and the
building code requires water efficient irrigation systems. This ordinance was placed in
the Zoning portion (Title 17) of the Municipal Code.
In 2004, the legislature passed Assembly Bill 2717 establishing .a stakeholder -based.
Landscape Taskforce charged with formulating recommendations to improve irrigation
efficiency in new and existing landscapes and to report their findings to the governor
and legislature by December 31, 2005. The report, "Water Smart Landscapes for
California: AB 2717 Landscape Task Force Findings, Recommendations, & Actions,"
contained 43 recommendations to achieve greater landscape water use efficiency.
In 2006, Governor Schwarzenegger signed Assembly Bill 1881 (Laird, Water
Conservation) amending the Water Conservation in the Landscape Act. The bill
required two new things: 1) California Department of Water Resources (DWR) was to
update the original Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance; and 2) cities and
counties are to update their local Landscape Ordinances so that they are "at least as
effective as "DWR's updated Model Ordinance. Cities could adopt the DWR model
ordinance outright, modify it to meet a city's local needs, or adopt an entirely different
ordinance.
In September 2009, the DWR adopted a Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance
and provided it to cities and counties in late October.
DISCUSSION
In evaluating the requirements of the new State Model Water Efficient Landscape
Ordinance (State Model), significant differences between the new requirements and
current regulations have been identified. The new requirements include the following:
1. Reduces the irrigated area compliance threshold from one acre to 2,500 square
feet for developer -installed projects and public agency projects. (Developer -
installed projects refer to large subdivisions).
i"
2. Requires homeowner -provided or homeowner -hired projects exceeding 5,000
square feet of irrigated area to comply water conservation standards.
3. Collaboration between cities, counties, and water purveyors is now strongly
encouraged in the development and implementation of water efficient landscape
ordinances.
4. Local ordinances must now be "at least as effective as" the State Model and
documented "on the record."
5. Jurisdictions must now utilize evapo-transpiration based "Maximum Applied
Water Allowance" (MAWA) rates of 0.7 instead of 1.0. The use of the new
MAWA rate represents a 30% reduction in water allocation for new landscapes.
6. Water purveyors are now required to offer landscape surveys and/or incentive
programs targeting landscape irrigation efficiency for new and existing
landscapes.
Based on these requirements and on the State Model Ordinance, the City Attorney's
office prepared a sample ordinance for their clients. City staff used their sample to
prepare the enclosed ordinance, which more closely represents conditions and
development in the City of Rolling Hills, but yet meets the state requirements.
Because of the many changes between the 1993 requirements and the current
requirements it is recommended that Section 17.27.027 of the Municipal Code be
repealed in its entirety and this new ordinance adopted. It is further recommended that
the new ordinance be placed in the Municipal Code in the Water and Sewers Title and
not in the Zoning Code. In order to repeal or amend the Zoning Code, at least one
public hearing must be held before the Planning Commission and before the City
Council. The Planning Commission at the December 15, 2009 meeting adopted
resolution recommending that the City Council repeal the Water Efficient Ordinance in
Section 17.27.027 of the Zoning Code. The recommendation from the Planning
Commission has been placed at tonight's meeting for Council's consideration under a
separate agenda item.
CONTENT OF THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE
The proposed ordinance will be "at least as effective as" the State Model and will
contain provisions as follows:
1. Applicable to public development projects for new or altered landscaping area of
2,500 square feet, (i.e. rehabilitate City Hall parcel landscaping areas).
2. Applicable to single family residential projects (by home -owner or home -owner
hired landscape designer) for projects requiring discretionary permit (i.e. Site
Plan Review, CUP or Variance) where the project includes altered or new
landscaping consisting of 5,000 square feet or larger.
3. Comply with the Maximum Annual Applied Water Allowance requirements
(MAWA).
4. Incorporate definitions from the Model Ordinance that are applicable to the City.
5. Retain some of the requirements from the existing ordinance. Specifically those
pertaining to designing by "hydrozones", utilizing irrigation design which
reduces overspray and run-off of water, consideration of slope factors in design
and the provision of submitting a deposit in the amount of the cost estimate of
the landscaping plus 15%.
6. Require that a "Statement of Compliance" be submitted certifying that the
landscape design complies with the mandatory elements of the ordinance. Such
certification shall be submitted to staff with a landscaping plan prior to obtaining
a grading or building permit. The Planning Commission or the City Council
could require such certification prior to approval of the discretionary permit.
7. Require that verification of compliance be submitted 90 days after the project
receives final inspection. A 90 -day extension would be allowed with proof of
good cause, at the City Manager's or his designee's discretion.
8. Forms and guidelines will be developed for landscape designers and owners to
follow. Draft forms area enclosed.
In order to implement these requirements as efficiently and cost effectively aspossible
for both the City and applicants, a self -certification process will be put in place.
FISCAL IMPACT
Additional staff time will be required to implement the new provisions. It is projected
that 90% of projects that receive discretionary review will be affected by this new State
requirement.
CONCLUSION
The goal with the staff's proposed ordinance is ensure as much simplicity, efficiency,
and flexibility as possible, but yet comply with the state requirements.
It is recommended that the City Council consider the proposed ordinance for first
reading, waive full reading and direct staff to bring forth the ordinance for adoption at
its January 25, 2010 meeting.
ORDINANCE NO. 316
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF ROLLING HILLS
AMENDING THE ROLLING HILLS MUNICIPAL CODE
BY ADDING CHAPTER 13.18 WATER EFFICIENT
LANDSCAPE TO TITLE 13, WATER AND SEWERS.
The City Council of the City of Rolling Hills, California, does hereby ordain.as follows:
Section 1: FINDINGS
A. The waters .of the State of California are of limited supply and are subject to
increasing demands;
B. It is the policyof the State of California and the City of Rolling Hills to promote
the conservation and efficient use of water and to prevent the waste of this valuable resource;
C. The City of Rolling Hills is a unique, well -established residential community.
where development consists exclusively of single-family residential homes on large lots and
existing non-residential development in, the community consists of City administration, fire,
school and school maintenance facilities;
D. In 2004, the. State of California enacted Assembly Bill 2717 establishing a
stakeholder based Landscape Taskforce charged with formulating recommendations to improve
irrigation efficiency in new and existing landscaping;
E. In 2006 the Governor signed Assembly Bill 1881 requiring cities and counties to
implement the Taskforce's recommendation;
F. The water efficient landscaping standards adopted herein serveto advance the
foregoing goals, advance the goal of conserving water and further public health, safety and
welfare;
G. The City's water efficient landscape ordinance is at least as effective in conserving
water as the California Department of Water Resource's updated Model Water Efficient
Landscape Ordinance due to the following:
a. The ordinance is applicable to all new or altered development subject to discretionary
review by the City.
b. Under the ordinance, landscaping shall be designed and irrigated so not to exceed 70% of
the local evapotranspiration rate (ETo) established by the State for the City of Long Beach
and surrounding areas of Los Angeles County.
Ordinance No. 316 1
c. Under the ordinance, landscape areas for residential and institutional type projects shall
be designed with less than 40% turf and non -water wise plant materials.
d. Under the ordinance, automatic irrigation systems are required and shall be designed to
avoid overspray and runoff with optimum distribution uniformity and setbacks from
hardscape, and shall employ a weather -based irrigation controller with a rain shut off sensor
and check values at the end of each line to hold water in the system, preventing unwanted
drainage from sprinkler heads.
e. Exceptions to the ordinance standards are allowed only upon a finding that alternative
design will promote equivalent or greater water conservation.
f. Under the ordinance, installation and compliance verifications are required from a
landscape designer.
g. Under the ordinance, the maximum annual applied water allowance calculation matches
the California Department of Water Resource's formula in its Model Water Efficient
Landscape Ordinance.
h. Under the ordinance, the identification of water wise plants matches that used by the
California Department of Water Resource's in its Model Water Efficient Landscape
Ordinance:
Section 2: CEQA. The City Council determines that this ordinance is exempt from
review under the California Environmental Quality Act (California Public Resources Code §§
21000, et seq., "CEQA") and the regulations promulgated thereunder (14 California Code of
Regulations §§ 15000, et seq., the "CEQA Guidelines") because it enacts regulations that are
applicable to new or altered landscape projects subject to project specific discretionary review.
Therefore, it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that this ordinance will cause a
direct physical change in the environment, and therefore the adoption of this ordinance is not
considered a project per section 21065 of CEQA. In addition, this ordinance is an action being
taken for enhanced protection of the environment that does not have the potential to cause
significant effects on the environment. Consequently, it is categorically exempt in accordance
with CEQA Guidelines §§ 15305 as a minor alteration in land use limitations which do not result
in any changes in land use or density; and 15308 as an action taken by a regulatory agency as
authorized by California law to assure maintenance or protection of the environment.
Section 3: Title 13, Chapter 13.18 of the Rolling Hills Municipal Code, commencing
with Section 13.18.010 is hereby added to read as follows:
Ordinance No. 316 2
Chapter 13.18
WATER EFFICIENT LANDSCAPE
Sections:
13.18.010 Purpose.
13.18.020 Applicability.
13.18.030 Definitions.
13.18.040 Landscape Plan Design Standards.
13.18.050 Exceptions.
13.18.060 Submittal Requirements.
13.18.070 Determination of Conforming Installation and Compliance Certification.
13.18.010 Purpose.
It is the policy of the City of Rolling Hills to promote water conservation. The landscape
water conservation standards detailed in this Chapter are intended to promote water conservation
while allowing the maximum possible flexibility in designing healthy, attractive, and cost-
effective water efficient landscapes.
13.18.020 Applicability.
This Chapter applies to:
A. All public agency development projects which are subject to discretionary review
by the City and propose new or altered landscape area of 2,500 square feet or more; and
B. All homeowner -provided or homeowner -hired landscaping projects for single-
family residential projects which are subject to discretionary review by the City and propose new
or altered landscape area of 5,000 square feet or more; and
13.18.030 Definitions
"Application rate" means the rate of irrigation (inches/hour or gallons per minute) at
which water is applied by an irrigation system.
"Automatic irrigation system" means an irrigation system that can be controlled without
manual manipulation and which operates on a preset program.
"Discretionary review" means review of a development project by the Planning
Commission and/or City Council that requires that the Planning Commission or City Council
ascertain compliance with this Chapter, and that also requires the exercise of judgment,
deliberation or decision by the Planning Commission and/or City Council.
"Evapotranspiration" or "ET" means the approximate summation of water losses through
evaporation from soil and transpiration from the plants during a specified period of time.
Ordinance No. 316 3
"ETo" means the approximation of water loss expressed in inches per year from a field of
4 -to -7 -inch -tall cool season grass that is not water stressed.
"ET Adjustment Factor" means a factor used to set an efficiency goal, that when applied
to ETo adjusts for plant factor and irrigation efficiency, two of the major influences upon the
amount of water that needs to be applied to a landscape.
"Hydrozone" means a portion of the planting area having plants grouped according to
water need.
"Irrigation system" means a complete connection of system components, including the
water distribution network and the necessary irrigation equipment and downstream from the
backflow prevention device.
"Landscape Area" means all areas where new or altered landscaping is proposed as part
of a new development proposal.
"Landscape Plan" means design plans with a planting plan and irrigation plan, and plans
with supporting detail sheets to include notes and/or specifications.
"New Development" means a new building on a vacant site, an addition to an existing
building on a site, a new building on a developed site, or a change in land use type that requires a
discretionary permit from the City.
"Plant Factor" means a factor that when multiplied by the ETo, estimates the amount of
water used by a given plant species.
"Planting area" means the parcel area less building pad(s), driveway(s), patio(s), deck(s),
walkway(s) and parking area(s). Planting area includes water bodies (i.e., fountains, ponds,
lakes) and natural areas.
"Special Landscape Area (SLA)" means park and recreational areas permanently and
solely dedicated to edible plants such as orchards and vegetable gardens, and areas irrigated with
recycled water are subject to the MAWA with an ET adjustment factor not to exceed 1.0.
"Turf' means a groundcover surface of mowed grass with an irrigation water need of
greater than 30% of the ETo.
"Water Budget Calculation" means the Maximum Annual Applied Water Allowance,
which shall be calculated using the following formula which may be amended from time to time:
MAWA = (ETo) (0.62) [0.7 x LA + 0.3 x SLAT
MAWA= Maximum Applied Water Allowance (maximum gallons
per year available for the project).
Eto = Reference Evapotranspiration (39.7 inches per year for the
City of Rolling Hills).
0.7 = ET Adjustment Factor (as designated by the state of
California).
LA = Landscape Area (square feet, including SLA)
0.62 = Conversion Factor (inches, to gallons)
SLA = Special Landscape Area (square feet)
0.3 = The additional ET Adjustment Factor for the Special
Landscape Area
"Water Wise Plants" means those plants that are evaluated as needing "moderate" (40-
60% of ETo), "low" (10-30% of ETo) and "very low" (< 10% of ETo) amounts of water as
Ordinance No. 316 - 4 -
defined and listed by Water Use Classifications of Landscape Species (WUCOLS) available
from the State of California Department of Water Resources. Other sources of water wise plant
classifications may be used if approved by the City Manager.
"Weather Based Irrigation Controller" means an irrigation controller that automatically
adjusts the irrigation schedule based on changes in the weather.
13.18.040 Landscape Plan Design Standards.
An applicant proposing new or altered landscaping, which is subject to the requirements
of this Chapter, shall comply with each of the following in the design, installation, and
maintenance of the landscaped area, unless an exception is granted pursuant to Section
13.18.050.
A. Landscape Plan Content:
1. Applicants shall submit a Landscape Plan depicting the landscaped area and all
existing landscaping to remain on the lot. Landscaping shall be designed to be irrigated at no
more than 0.7 of the reference evapotranspiration (ETo) and shall not exceed the MAWA. The
City reserves the right to modify plans in quantity and quality of the landscape to meet the
requirements of this Chapter.
2. Applicants shall provide all relevant information on the landscape plan including
botanical names for plants and turf species; container sizes; percentage calculations of allowable
areas of turf; low, medium or high water use plants and water -wise plants; water budget
calculations; monthly irrigation schedule; and specific requests for any exceptions to the
requirements of this Chapter in accordance . with Section 13.18.050. Areas of existing
landscaping to remain unaltered shall be indicated on the landscape plan.
B. Use of Turf and Water Wise Plants:
1. The landscape area of single family residential and institutional _use projects shall
be designed with no more than 40% of the landscaped area in turf or plants that are not water
wise plants. Approved turf parkways or roadway easements shall not be counted toward the 40%
turf limitation. - '
2. Turf shall not be used on slopes of 20% (5:1) or greater within the landscape area.
3. Additional turf areas may be approved by the City for areas designed and used for
outdoor sporting and recreational activities. Approved turf areas may be watered at 1.0 of the
referenced evapotranspiration (ETo).
C. Mulch: The landscape area, except those portions of the landscape area planted in
turf, shall be covered with mulch material to an average thickness of at least 3 inches throughout.
In areas with groundcover planted from flats, mulch shall be installed to an average thickness of
1-'/2 inches. Additional mulch material shall be added from time to time as necessary in order to
maintain the required depth of mulch.
Ordinance No. 316 - 5 -
0
D. Irrigation: All new or altered irrigation systems proposed as part of a new
development shall incorporate the following requirements in their design, installation and
maintenance:
1. Irrigation systems shall be designed and installed to avoid overspray and runoff.
Valves shall be separated for individual hydrozones based on plant water needs and sun or shade
requirements.
2. An automatic irrigation system is required and shall include a weather -based
irrigation controller, including a rain shut-off sensor.
3. Areas less than eight feet wide shall be irrigated with appropriately selected
equipment that provides the proper amount of water coverage without causing overspray onto
adjacent surfaces.
4. All sprinklers shall have matched precipitation rates within each valve and circuit.
All irrigation systems shall be designed to include optimum distribution uniformity, head to head
spacing, and setbacks from walkways and pavement.
5. All irrigation systems shall provide check valves at the low end of irrigation lines to
prevent unwanted draining of irrigation lines.
6. Pressure regulators may be required on the irrigation system as determined by the
Building and Safety Department.
13.18.050 Exceptions.
Exceptions to these landscape water conservation standards may be granted by the City
Manager upon a finding, based on substantial evidence, that the exceptions will promote
equivalent or greater water conservation than is provided for in these standards. Requests for
exceptions shall be in writing and shall be submitted to the City Manager at the time the
application is submitted to the City for review. Requests for exceptions must be accompanied
by documentary evidence supporting the finding of equivalent or greater water conservation.
13.18.060 Submittal Requirements.
A. In accordance with California Business and Professions Code Section 5641, as
may be amended from time to time, drawings for the conceptual design and placement of
tangible objects and landscape features; or plans, drawings and specifications for the selection,
placement or use of plants, may be submitted by any person; including licensed landscape
architects, licensed landscape contractors or landscape designers. Construction documents,
details or specifications for the tangible objects or landscape features, or site alterations which
require grading or drainage plans, shall be prepared by a licensed professional as required by
California law.
Ordinance No. 316 6
B. The landscape plan shall include a "Statement of Compliance" in a
form approved by the City Manager certifying that the landscape design complies with the
mandatory elements of this Chapter. The Statement of Compliance shall be signed by the person
who prepared the landscape plan and shall be submitted to the City prior or concurrent with
submitting final development plans to the Building and Safety Department.
C. The Planning Commission or City Council may require, on a case -by -case basis,
that the landscaping plan and statement of compliance be submitted concurrently with the
development application or prior to rendering a decision for the development.
D. The project applicant shall submit a financial obligation in the amount of the cost
estimate of the implementation of the landscaping plan and irrigation plus fifteen percent, which
shall be posted prior to issuance of a grading and building permit. The financial obligation shall be
retained with the City for not less than two years after landscape installation. The retained
deposit will be released by the City Manager after the City Manager determines that the
landscaping was installed pursuant to the landscaping plan as approved, and that such
landscaping is properly established and in good condition.
13.18.070 Determination of Conforming Installation and Compliance Verification.
A. The person who prepared the landscape plan shall inspect the installation of the
landscaping and any irrigation system included in the plan and shall certify in writing to the City
Manager that the installation substantially conforms to the approved landscape plan.
Certification shall be submitted within 90 days of the date the construction project has received
approval of a final inspection from the Building and Safety Department. The applicant is eligible
for a one-time extension in submitting the certification up to 90 days, based on findings of good
cause provided the application requesting an extension is filed prior to the original 90 -day
deadline.
B. Verification of compliance with this Chapter, as applicable, shall be made by the
City Manager. The financial obligation described in Section 13.18.160D shall not be returned
unless the certification of compliance is on file with the City.
Section 4: Severability. If any section, subsection, subdivision, sentence, clause,
phrase, or portion of this ordinance is, for any reason, held to be invalid or unconstitutional by
the decision of any court of competent jurisdiction, such decision shall not affect the validity of
the remaining portions of this ordinance. The City Council hereby declares that it would have
adopted this ordinance, and each section, subsection, subdivision, sentence, clause, phrase, or
portion thereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more sections subsections, subdivisions,
sentences, clauses, phrases, or portion thereof be declared invalid or unconstitutional.
Section 5: Notice. The City Clerk shall certify as to the adoption of this ordinance
and post a certified copy of this ordinance, including the vote for and against the same, in the
office of the City Clerk, in accordance with Government Code Section 36993.
Ordinance No. 316 - 7
Section 6: Effective date. This ordinance shall go into effect and be in full force and
operation from and after thirty (30) days after its final passage and adoption.
PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED this day of January 2010.
THOMAS HEINSHEIMER, MAYOR
Attest:
HEIDI LUCE, DEPUTY CITY CLERK
Ordinance No. 316 8
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES
CITY OF ROLLING HILLS
) §§
I certify that the foregoing Ordinance No. 316 entitled:
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF ROLLING HILLS
AMENDING THE ROLLING HILLS MUNICIPAL CODE
BY ADDING CHAPTER 13.18 WATER EFFICIENT
LANDSCAPE TO TITLE 13, WATER AND SEWERS.
was approved and adopted at a regular meeting of the City Council on January , 2010 by
the following roll call vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTAIN:
and in compliance with the laws of California was posted at the following:
Administrative Offices
Heidi Luce
Deputy City Clerk
Ordinance No. 316 - 9
THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
CITY OF ROLLING HILLS
LANDSCAPE PLAN REQUIREMENTS FOR RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS
(RHMC 13.18 Effective (provide date)
(DRAFT)
Provisions and Standards
1. Landscape Plans for new or altered landscaping of 5,000 square feet or greater
are required to comply with specific standards, if landscaping is part of a development
project that is subject to approval by the Planning Commission or City - Council.
Examples of such projects include: Site Plan Reviews, Variances and Conditional Use
Permits.
2. At the direction of the property owner the plan may be prepared by the owner or a
landscape professional, unless alteration requires grading or drainage plan (Ca. Business
and Professions Code §5641)
3. The plan must include: names of plants (botanical and common), number and
sizes of containers, percentage calculation of turf areas; low, medium or high water use
plants and water -wise plants; water budget calculations; monthly irrigation schedule; and
any areas of existing landscaping to remain unaltered.
4. The City reserves the right to require modified plans of the landscape to meet the
requirements of Ordinance 316.
5. Landscaping of applicable projects must be designed such that water use will not
exceed:
• 70% of the City's designated evapotranspiration rate (ETo) = 39.7 in. / year.
• A water budget (MAW A) calculated for the project (see attached worksheet).
6. Turf and non water -wise plants:
• Must comprise less than 40% of the total landscaped area (plantings in a
roadway easement are not counted towards 40%).
• Are not permitted to be planted on slopes of 20% (5:1) or greater.
• City may approve additional turf areas for outdoor sporting, recreational
activities, or another approved function irrigated at 1.0 of the City's (ETo).
7. Mulching requirements:
• Non -turf areas must have an average thickness of 3 -inches minimum
throughout.
• Groundcovers planted from nursery flats must have an average thickness of 1.5 -
inches.
• Mulch thickness and coverage must be maintained for the life of the planting.
8. Irrigation systems are required to have the following features:
• Automatic irrigation controllers, weather based with rain shut-off sensors
• Sprinklers with optimum distribution uniformity, spacing, matched precipitation
rates per valve and circuit, and setbacks from hard surfaces.
• Check valves for each line.
Plan Approval Process
1. Before obtaining grading or building permits:
• Submit Landscape Plan to the City along with a "Statement of Compliance"
signed by the preparer, certifying that the landscape design complies with Ord.
No. 316 (see attached form) and cost estimate for the landscaping and irrigation.
(City Staff with City landscaping consultant will review plan and cost estimate.)
• Submit to the City a financial obligation in the amount based on the cost of the
landscaping and irrigation plus 15% City administration cost.
2. Following project completion:
• Within 90 days of the date the related development project has received an
approved final inspection, the plan preparer must inspect installed landscaping
and irrigation system included in the approved landscape plan and submit
certification (see attached form) to City staff verifying that the installation
substantially conforms to the plan. The City may extend the submission
requirement for an additional 90 days.
• After two years of installation of the landscaping/irrigation staff will inspect it, an
dif satisfied that it complies with the approved plan and landscaping is in good
condition, the City will refund the securitydeposit minus 15%.
Attachments:
1. City of Rolling Hills Landscape Water Budget Calculation Worksheet
2. City of Rolling Hills Landscape Plan Statement of Compliance
3. City of Rolling Hills Landscape Installation Certificate of Completion
2
CITY OF ROLLING HILLS
LANDSCAPE WATER BUDGET CALCULATION WORKSHEET
(RHMC 13.18.)
This form is to be used to calculate a project's Maximum Annual Applied Water
Allowance (MAWA) for all landscaping subject to Ordinance 316, Water Efficient
Landscape.
Equation: MAWA = (ETo) (0.62) [ETAF x LA + 0.3 x SLA]
Where:
MAWA = Maximum Applied Water Allowance (maximum gallons- per; year
available for the project).
Eto = Reference Evapotranspiration (39.7 inches per year for the City of Rolling
Hills).
ETAF = ET Adjustment Factor, 0.7 for new landscaping.
LA = Landscape Area (square feet, including SLA)
0.62 = Conversion Factor (inches to gallons
SLA = Special Landscape Area (square feet)
0.3 = The additional ET Adjustment Factor for the Special Landscape Area
(total factor of 1.0).
Maximum Applied Water Allowance = gallons per year.
Show calculations:
CITY OF ROLLING HILLS
LANDSCAPE PLAN STATEMENT OF COMPLIANCE
(RHMC 13J8.)
I hereby certify that:
(1) I am: (check one):
❑ A landscape architect or other landscape professional (Lic. Number if
applicable: ).
❑ The property owner of the subject landscaped site.
(2) The landscape design and water use calculations for the property located at
(provide street address or parcel number(s):
were prepared by me or under my supervision.
(3) The landscape design and water use calculations for the identified property
comply with The City of Rolling Hills Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance No. 316
(Municipal Code Chapter 13.18).
(4) 'The information I have provided in this Certificate of Landscape Design is true
and correct and is hereby submitted in compliance with the City of Rolling Hills Water
Efficient Landscape Ordinance.
Print Name Date
Signature License Number
Address
Telephone E-mail Address
CITY OF ROLLING HILLS
LANDSCAPE INSTALLATION CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION
(RHMC 13.18)
I hereby certify that: ..
(1) I am (check one):
❑ A landscape architect or other landscape professional (Lic. Number if
applicable: . ).
❑ The property owner of the subjectlandscaped site.
(2) The landscape project for the property located at (provide street address or parcel
number(s):
was installed by me or under my supervision.
(3) The landscaping for the identified property has been installed in substantial
conformance with an approved Landscape Plan including Water Budget calculations and
complies with the requirements of the City of Rolling Hills Water Efficient Landscape
Ordinance No. 316 (Municipal Code Chapter 13.18) for the purpose of achieving an
efficient use of water in the subject landscape.
(4) The information I have provided in this Landscape Installation Certificate of
Completion is true and correct and is hereby submitted in compliance with the City of
Rolling Hills Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance.
Print Name Date
Signature
Address
Telephone E-mail Address
Palos Verdes Peninsula News
550 Deep Valley Dr. Ste 293B
Rolling Hills Estates CA 90274
Proof of Publication
(2015.5 C.C.P)
STATE OF CALIFORNIA,
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES
I am a citizen of the United States, and a resident
of the county aforesaid; I am over the age of
eighteen years; and I am not a party to or interested
in the notice published. 1 am the chief legal
advertising clerk of the publisher of the
PALOS VERDES PENINSULA NEWS
a newspaper of general circulation, printed and
published Twice weekly in the City of Rolling
Hills Estates County of Los Angeles, and which
newspaper has been adjudged a newspaper of
general circulation by the Superior Court of the
County of Los Angeles, State of California, -
under.the date of February 15, 1977
Case Number C824957, that the notice, of which
the annexed is a printed copy, has been published
in each regular and entire issue of said newspaper
and not in any supplement thereof on the following
dates, to -wit:
December 31
All in the year 2009
I certify (or declare) under penalty of perjury that
the foregoing is true and correct
Dated at Rolling Hills Estates, California, this
31st day of December 2009
Signature
JAN 0 5 2010
City of Roiling Hills
By
PVPN # 9551
P.V.P. News No. 9551
NOTICE OF A PUBLIC HEARING BEFORE THE
CITY COUNCIL OF THE •
CITY OF ROLLING HILLS, CALIFORNIA •
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that the City Council of the
City of Rolling Hills will hold a Public Hearing at 7:30 PM an
Monday, January 11, 2010 in the Council Chambers of City •
Hall, 2 Portuguese Bend Road, Rolling Hills, CA for the pur-
pose of receiving public input regarding the following proposed
ordinance: - . . -
ORDINANCE NO. 316. AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF
ROLLING HILLS AMENDING THE ROLLING HILLS MUNIC-
IPAL CODE BY ADDING CHAPTER 13.18 WATER EFFI-
} CIENT LANDSCAPE TO TITLE 13, WATER AND SEWERS.
In 2006, the California Legislature passed Assembly Bill
• 1881 (Laird, Water Conservation) amending the- Water'
• Conservation in the Landscape Act. The bill requires cities and
counties to update their local Landscape Ordinances so that
they are 'at least as effective as' California. Department of
Water Resources (DWR's) updated Model Ordinance, meeting
the requirements of AB 1881.
The City Council' determines that this ordinance is exempt
from review under the Califomia Environmental Quality Act
(California Public Resources Code §§ 21000, et seq., 'CEQA')
and the regulations promulgated thereunder (14 Califomia
Code of Regulations §§ 15000, et seq., the 'CEQA
Guidelines') because it enacts regulations that are applicable
to new or altered landscape projects subject to project specif-
ic discretionary review. Therefore, it can be seen with certain -
1 ty that there is no possibility that this ordinance will cause a
direct physical change in the environment, and therefore the
adoption of this ordinance is not considered a project per sec-
• - tion 21065 of CEQA: In addition, this ordinance is an action
being taken for enhanced protection of the environment that
- does not have the potential to cause significant effects on the
environment.- Consequently, it is` categorically exempt in
accordance with CEQA Guidelines §§ 15305 as a minor alter-
ation in land use limitations which do not result in any changes
in land use or density; and 15308 as an action taken by a reg-
ulatory agency as authorized by Califomia law to assure main-
tenance or protection of the environment. .
Any person is welcome to, review the proposed.ordinance
prior to the public hearing at the City Hall Administration
Building located at 2 Portuguese Bend Road, Rolling Hills, CA.
•
If you challenge the approval or denial of the proposed ordi-
nances in court, you may be limited to raising only those
issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing
described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered
-. to the City Council at, or prior to, the public hearing.
Published in the Palos Verdes Peninsula News December
31, 2009
Cry opel!»g Jd.•lG
INCORPORATED JANUARY 24, 1957
NO. 2 PORTUGUESE BEND ROAD
ROLLING HILLS, CALIF. 90274
(310) 377-1521
FAX: (310) 377.7288
NOTICE OF A PUBLIC HEARING BEFORE THE
CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF ROLLING HILLS, CALIFORNIA
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that the City Council of the City of Rolling Hills will hold a
Public Hearing at 7:30 PM on Monday, January 11, 2010 in the Council Chambers of City Hall,
2 Portuguese Bend Road, Rolling Hills, CA for the purpose of receiving public input
regarding the following proposed ordinance:
ORDINANCE NO. 316. AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF ROLLING HILLS
AMENDING THE ROLLING HILLS MUNICIPAL CODE BY ADDING CHAPTER 13.18
WATER EFFICIENT LANDSCAPE TO TITLE 13, WATER AND SEWERS.
In 2006, the California Legislature passed Assembly Bill 1881 (Laird, Water Conservation)
amending the Water Conservation in the Landscape Act. The bill requires cities and counties
to update their local Landscape Ordinances so that they are "at least as effective as"
California Department of Water Resources (DWR's) updated Model Ordinance, meeting the
requirements of AB 1881.
The City Council determines that this ordinance is exempt from review under the California
Environmental Quality Act (California Public Resources Code §§ 21000, et seq., "CEQA") and
the regulations promulgated thereunder (14 California Code of Regulations §§ 15000, et seq.,
the "CEQA Guidelines") because it enacts regulations that are applicable to new or altered
landscape projects subject to project specific discretionary review. Therefore, it can be seen
with certainty that there is no possibility that this ordinance will cause a direct physical
change in the environment, and therefore the adoption of this ordinance is not considered a
project per section 21065 of CEQA. In addition, this ordinance is an action being taken for
enhanced protection of the environment that does not have the potential to cause significant
effects on the environment. Consequently, it is categorically exempt in accordance with
CEQA Guidelines §§ 15305 as a minor alteration in land use limitations which do not result in
any changes in land use or density; and 15308 as an action taken by a regulatory agency as
authorized by California law to assure maintenance or protection of the environment.
Any person is welcome to review the proposed ordinance prior to the public hearing at the
City Hall Administration Building located at 2 Portuguese Bend Road, Rolling Hills, CA.
If you challenge the approval or denial of the proposed ordinances in court, you may be
limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described
in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the City Council at, or prior to, the
public hearing.
Published in the Palos Verdes Peninsula News on Thursday, December 31, 2009.
Printed on Recycled Paper
Palos Verdes Peninsula News
550 Deep Valley Dr. Ste 293B
Rolling Hills Estates CA 90274
Proof of Publication
(2015.5 C.C.P)
STATE OF CALIFORNIA,
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES
I am a citizen of the United States, and a resident
of the county aforesaid; I am over the age of
eighteen years; and I am not a party to or interested
in the notice published. I am the chief legal
advertising clerk of the publisher of the
PALOS VERDES PENINSULA NEWS
a newspaper of general circulation, printed and
published Twice weekly in the City of Rolling
Hills Estates County of Los Angeles, and which
newspaper has been adjudged a newspaper of
general circulation by the Superior Court of the
County of Los Angeles, State of California,
under the date of February 15, 1977
Case Number C824957, that the notice, of which
the annexed is a printed copy, has been published
in each regular and entire issue of said newspaper
and not in any supplement thereof on the following
dates, to -wit:
November 12
All in the year 2009
I certify (or declare) under penalty of perjury that
the foregoing is true and correct
Dated at Rolling Hills Estates, California, this
12th day of November 2009
Signat(u-.e•�
El kiD
NOV 13 2009
City of Rolling Hills
By
PVPN#9510
P.V.P. News No. 9510
NOTICE OF A PUBLIC HEARING BEFORE THE
CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF ROLLING HILLS, CALIFORNIA
.NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that the City Council of the
City of Rolling Hills,will hold a Public Hearing at 7:30 PM on
Monday, November 23, 2009 in the Council Chambers of City
Hall, 2 Portuguese Bend Road, Rolling Hills, CA for the pur-
pose of receiving public input regarding the following proposed •
ordinance:
ORDINANCE NO. 316. AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF
ROLLING HILLS AMENDING THE ROLLING HILLS MUNIC-
IPAL CODE BY ADDING CHAPTER 13.18. WATER EFFI-
CIENT LANDSCAPE TO TITLE 13, WATER AND SEWERS.
In 2006, the California Legislature passed Assembly Bill
1881 (Laird, Water Conservation) amending the Water
Conservation in the Landscape Act. The bill requires cities and
counties to update their local Landscape Ordinances so that
;they are "at least as effective as° California Department of
'Water Resources (DWR's) updated Model Ordinance, meeting
'the requirements of AB 1881.
( The City Council determines that this ordinance is exempt
j from review under the California Environmental Quality Act
(California Public Resources Code §§ 21000, et seq., "CEQA")
and the regulations promulgated thereunder (14 California
I Code of Regulations §§ 15000, et seq., the "CEQA
' Guidelines') because it enacts regulations that are applicable
to new or altered landscape projects subject to project specif-
ic discretionary review. Therefore, it can be seen with certain-
ty that there is no possibility that this ordinance will cause a
direct physical change in the environment, and therefore the
adoption of this ordinance is not considered a project per sec-
tion 21065 of CEQA. In addition, this ordinance is an action
being taken for, enhanced protection of the environment that
I does not have the potential to cause significant effects on the
` environment. Consequently, it is categorically exempt in
I accordance with CEQA Guidelines §§ 15305 as a minor alter-
ation in land use limitations which do not result in any changes
in land use or density; and 15308 as an action taken by a reg-
ulatory agency as authorized by California law to assure main-
tenance or protection of the environment.
Any person is welcome to review the proposed ordinance
prior to the public hearing at the City Hall Administration
Building located at 2 Portuguese Bend Road, Rolling Hills, CA.
If you challenge the approval or denial of the proposed ordi-
nances in court, you may be limited to raising only those
issues you or someone else, raised at the public hearing
described in this notice, or in'written correspondence delivered
to the City Council at, or prior to, the public hearing.
Published in Palos Verdes Peninsula News on November
12, 2009.
6
Palos Verdes Peninsula News
550 Deep Valley Dr. Ste 293B
Rolling Hills Estates CA 90274
Proof of Publication
(2015.5 C.C.P)
STATE OF CALIFORNIA,
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES
I am a citizen of the United States, and a resident
of the county aforesaid; I am over the age of
eighteen years; and I am not a party to or interested
in the notice published. I am the chief legal
advertising clerk of the publisher of the
. PALOS VERDES PENINSULA NEWS
a newspaper of general circulation, printed and
published Twice weekly in the City of Rolling
Hills Estates County of Los Angeles, and which
newspaper has been adjudged a newspaper of
general circulation by the Superior Court of the
County of Los Angeles, State of California,
under the date of February 15, 1977
Case Number C824957, that the notice, of which
the annexed is a printed copy, has been published
in each regular and entire issue of said newspaper
and not in any supplement thercof on the following
dates, to -wit:
November 12
All in the year 2009
I certify (or declare) under penalty of perjury that
the foregoing is true and correct
Dated at Rolling Hills Estates, California, this
12th day of November 2009
TZ111 bra
NOV 13 2009
City of P0;iing Hills
PVPN # 9510
P-V.P. News No. 9510,' .. ,, •
.:;
NOTICE OF A PUBLIC HEARING BEFORE THE
'CITY COUNCIL OF THE
. CITY OF ROLLING HILLS, CALIFORNIA k,.`" ;i f i
l 'NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that the City,Coundl of the;
City of Rolling Hills will hold a Public Hearing at 7:30 PM On
Monday, November 23, 2009 in the Council Chambers of City„ ;s;y
Hall, 2 Portuguese Bend Road, Rolling Hills, CA for.the pur-.€: ;; a„
pose of receiving public input regarding the following proposed ; i,k •,,-.�
ordinance: r i- tt; «e ;iF w `".
• ORDINANCE NO. 316. AN ORDINANCE OF THE CRY F
ROLLING HILLS AMENDING THE ROLLING HILLS MIMIC. ' h=;x-
' IPAL CODE BY -ADDING CHAPTER 13.18 WATER
CIENT LANDSCAPE TO TITLE 13, WATER AND.SEWERS.'Y.
In 2006, the California Legislature passed 'Asse iBiH^' r
1881 (Laird, Water Conservation) amending tthe Water,
Conservation in the Landscape Act. The bill requires cities and ,
counties to update their.local Landscape Ordinances so that
,they are "at least as effective, a§ California' Department Of ; .r
Water Resources (DWR's) updated Model Ordinance, meeting ,1,4 ?t+
:the requirements of AB 1881. ; •,
The City Council determines that this ordinance is exemptiwt6
1from 'review under the California' Environmental Quality Act r
( (California Public Resources Code §§ 21000, et seq.,'CEEQA) r;;,t
and the regulations promulgated thereunder (14„Califomia',:���
Code of Regulations §§ 15000, et r seq ;'4 the :,..,CEQA!,-,:;1.p,44.
Guidelines") because it enacts regulations that are applicable;u r
to new or altered landscape projects subject to project specl11
is discretionary review. Therefore, it can be seen with certain-, ' #,
ty that there is no possibility that this ordinance will cause a'':_'
direct physical change in the environment, and therefore the=,
adoption of this ordinance is not considered a project per
tion 21065 of CEQA. In addition, this ordinance is an action•.:.'a
r being taken for enhanced protection of the environment tfiaf 1,,;
does not have the potential to cause significant effects on the`?",f •
environment. Consequently, it is categorically.exempt
accordance with CEQA Guidelines §§ 15305 as a mina alter-, s;
ation in land use limitations which do not result in any changes,•,;z;,,,,t
in land use or density; and 15308 as an action taken by a rest -1,,,,, ,4;'
ulatory agency as authorized by California law to assure mains;*'. j
tenance or protection of the environment:''"'i';;;.4/11.1,-7.-1,4-.
Any person is welcome to review the proposed ordinance'•.; =
prior to the public hearing at the City Hall Administration ?'ti
Building located at 2 Portuguese Bend Road, Rolling Hills, CA' 'n}y
• _ , ;r :are. r^L, ���}?i�;�,''x'°'
If you challenge the approval or denial of the proposed ordi;.'„«
nances in court, you may be limited, to' raising only those., ..4,„
issues youor someone else, raised; at,the public.hearingg•
described inthis notice, or in -written correspondence delivered '
to the City Council at, or poor to, the public hearing.,, itli r•
t •Publishedin Pales Verdes Peninsula News on November
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eery Rottea9 gead
INCORPORATED JANUARY 24, 1957
NO. 2 PORTUGUESE BEND ROAD
ROLLING HILLS, CA 90274
(310) 377-1521
FAX (310) 377-7288
Agenda Item No.: 5-B
Mtg. Date: 11-23-09
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: YOLANTA SCHWARTZ, PLANNING DIRECTOR
THRU: ANTON DAHLERBRUCH, CITY MANAGER
SUBJECT:
CONSIDERATION OF AN ORDINANCE NO. 316. AN ORDINANCE
OF THE CITY OF ROLLING HILLS AMENDING THE ROLLING
HILLS MUNICIPAL CODE BY ADDING CHAPTER 13.18 WATER
EFFICIENT LANDSCAPE TO TITLE 13, WATER AND SEWERS.
DATE: NOVEMBER 23, 2009
ATTACHMENT:
Draft Ordinance No. 316
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council review the staff report, open the public
hearing, introduce the ordinance for first reading and waive full reading.
BACKGROUND
In 1992, the State of California enacted the Water Conservation in Landscaping Act, (AB
325) requiring the adoption of a water efficient landscape ordinances by cities and
counties throughout the state. In 1993, the City of Rolling Hills adopted an ordinance,
Section 17.27.020 Water efficient landscaping requirements. This ordinance is applicable
to those projects requiring a site plan review and which the Planning Commission or
City Council requires compliance with the ordinance. Many of the provisions of the
existing ordinance are being complied through the site plan review process, and the
building code requires water efficient irrigation systems. This ordinance was placed in
the Zoning portion (Title 17) of the Municipal Code.
In 2004, the legislature passed Assembly Bill 2717 establishing a stakeholder -based
Landscape Taskforce charged with formul. » g recommendations to improve irrigation
efficiency in new and existing landscapes and to report their findings to the governor
and legislature by December 31, 2005. The report, "Water Smart Landscapes for
California: AB 2717 Landscape Task Force Findings, Recommendations, & Actions,"
contained 43 recommendations to achieve greater landscape water use efficiency.
In 2006, Governor Schwarzenegger signed Assembly Bill 1881 (Laird, Water
Conservation) amending the Water Conservation in the Landscape Act. The bill
required two new things: 1) California Department of Water Resources (DWR) was to
update the original Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance; and 2) cities and
counties are to update their local Landscape Ordinances so that they are "at least as
effective as "DWR's updated Model Ordinance. Cities could adopt the DWR model
ordinance outright, modify it to meet a city's local needs, or adopt an entirely different
ordinance.
In September 2009, the DWR adopted a Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance
and provided it to cities and counties in late October.
DISCUSSION
In evaluating the requirements of the new state Model Water Efficient Landscape
Ordinance (State Model), significant differences between the new requirements and
current regulations have been identified: The new requirements include the following:
1. Reduces the irrigated area compliance threshold from one acre to 2,500 square
feet for developer -installed projects and public agency projects. (Developer -
installed projects refer to large subdivisions).
2. Requires homeowner -provided or homeowner -hired projects exceeding 5,000
square feet of irrigated area to comply water conservation standards.
3. Collaboration between cities, counties, and water purveyors is now strongly
encouraged in the development and implementation of water efficient landscape
ordinances.
4. Local ordinances must now be "at least as effective as" the State Model and
documented "on the record."
5. Jurisdictions must now utilize evapo-transpiration based "Maximum Applied
Water Allowance" (MAWA) rates of 0.7 instead of 1.0. The use of the new
MAWA rate represents a 30% reduction in water allocation for new landscapes.
6. Water purveyors are now required to offer landscape surveys and/or incentive
programs targeting landscape irrigation efficiency for new and existing
landscapes.
7. Local jurisdictions must now regulate large (one acre or more) existing
landscapes for water waste.
8. A local agency may designate another agency, such as a water purveyor, to
implement some or all of the requirements contained in the State Model
Ordinance.
Based on these requirements and on the State Model Ordinance, the City Attorney's
office prepared a sample ordinance for their clients. City staff used their sample to
prepare the enclosed ordinance, which more closely represents conditions and
development in the City of Rolling Hills, but yet meets the state requirements.
Because of the many changes between the 1993 requirements and the current
requirements it is recommended that Section 17.27.027 of the Municipal Code be
repealed in its entirety and this new ordinance adopted. It is further recommended that
the new ordinance be placed in the Municipal Code in the Water and Sewers Title and
not in the Zoning Code. In order to repeal or amend the Zoning Code, at least one
public hearing must be held before the Planning Commission and before the City
Council. Staff will prepare a resolution for the December 15 Planning Commission
meeting for the Commission to make a recommendation to the City Council to repeal
the Water Efficient Ordinance, Section 17.27.027 of the Municipal Code. The
recommendation from the Planning Commission will be placed on the City Council's
agenda as an ordinance on January 11, 2010.
CONTENT OF THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE
The proposed ordinance will be "at least as effective as" the State Model and will
contain provisions as follows:
1. Applicable to public development projects for new or altered landscaping area of
2,500 square feet.
2. Applicable to single family residential projects (by homeowner or home -owner
hired landscape designer) for projects requiring discretionary permit (i.e. Site
Plan Review, CUP or Variance) where the project includes altered or new
landscaping consisting of 5,000 square feet or larger.
3. Applicable to new or altered landscaping of one acre or more.
4. Comply with the Maximum Annual -Applied Water Allowance requirements
(MAWA).
5. Incorporate definitions from the Model Ordinance that are applicable to the City.
6. Retain some of the requirements from the existing ordinance will remain.
Specifically those pertaining to designing by "hydrozones", utilizing irrigation
design which reduces overspray and run-off of water, consideration of slope
factors in design and the provision of submitting a bond in the amount of the
cost estimate of the landscaping plus 15%.
7. Require that a "Statement of Compliance" be submitted certifying that the
landscape design complies with the mandatory elements of the ordinance. Such
certification shall be submitted to staff with a landscaping plan prior to obtaining
a grading or building permit. The Planning Commission or the City Council
could require such certification prior to approval of the discretionary permit.
8. Require that verification of compliance be submitted 90 days after the project
receives final inspection. A 90 -day extension would be allowed with proof of
good cause, at the City Managers or his designee's discretion.
9. Forms and guidelines will be developed for landscape designers and owners to
follow.
In order to implement these requirements as efficiently and cost effectively as possible
for both the City and applicants, staff will be creating and utilizing a self -certification
process. The self -certification includes two steps. First, the landscape designer will sign
a Statement of Compliance, which includes their license number and/or professional
stamp, stating that the landscape design is in conformance with the city ordinance and
guidelines. A permit for the discretionary project will not be issued unless the
statement is in order and required plans submitted. Second, once construction of the
landscape is complete, the installation contractor or designer will be required to submit
a singed Verification of Landscape Compliance within 90 -days of issuance of a final
inspection for the project, stating that the installation is complete and is in substantial
conformance with the original plan. Once the Verification of Compliance is accepted by
the city, the permit will be completed.
FISCAL IMPACT
Additional staff time will be required to implement the new provisions. It is projected
that 90% of projects that receive discretionary review will be affected by this new State
requirement.
CONCLUSION
The goal with the staff's proposed ordinance is ensure as much simplicity, efficiency,
and flexibility as possible, but yet comply with the state requirements.
It is recommended that the City Council consider the proposed ordinance for first
reading, waive full reading and direct staff to bring forth the ordinance for adoption at
its January 11, 2010 meeting.
ORDINANCE NO. 316
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF ROLLING HILLS
AMENDING THE ROLLING HILLS MUNICIPAL CODE
BY ADDING CHAPTER 13.18 WATER EFFICIENT
LANDSCAPE TO TITLE 13, WATER AND SEWERS.
The City Council of the City of Rolling Hills, California, does hereby ordain as follows:
Section 1: FINDINGS
A. The waters of the State of California are of limited supply and are subject to
increasing demands;
B. It is the policy of the State of California and the City of Rolling Hills to promote
the conservation and efficient use of water and to prevent the waste of this valuable resource;
C. The City of Rolling Hills is a unique, well -established residential community
where development consists exclusively of single-family residential homes on large lots and
existing non-residential development in the community consists of City administration, fire,
school and school maintenance facilities;
D. In 2004, the State of California enacted Assembly Bill 2717 establishing a
stakeholder based Landscape Taskforce charged with formulating recommendations to improve
irrigation efficiency in new and existing landscaping;
E. In 2006 the Governor signed Assembly Bill 1881 requiring cities and counties to
implement the Taskforce's recommendation;
F. The water efficient landscaping standards adopted herein serve to advance the
foregoing goals, advance the goal of conserving water and further public health, safety and
welfare;
G. The City's water efficient landscape ordinance is at least as effective in conserving
water as the California Department of Water Resource's updated Model Water Efficient
Landscape Ordinance due to the following:
a. The ordinance is applicable to all new or altered development subject to discretionary
review by the City.
b. Under the ordinance, landscaping shall be designed and irrigated so not to exceed 70% of
the local evapotranspiration rate (ETo) established by the State for the City of Long Beach
and surrounding areas of Los Angeles County.
DRAFT Ordinance No. 316
0
c. Under the ordinance, landscape areas for residential and institutional type projects shall
be designed with less than 40% turf and non -water wise plant materials.
d. Under the ordinance, automatic irrigation systems are required and shall be designed to
avoid overspray and runoff with optimum distribution uniformity and setbacks from
hardscape, and shall employ a weather -based irrigation controller with a rain shut off sensor
and check values at the end of each line to hold water in the system, preventing unwanted
drainage from sprinkler heads.
e. Exceptions to the ordinance standards are allowed only upon a finding that alternative
design will promote equivalent or greater water conservation.
f. Under the ordinance, installation and compliance verifications are required from a
landscape designer.
g. Under the ordinance, the maximum annual applied water allowance calculation matches
the California Department of Water Resource's formula in its Model Water Efficient
Landscape Ordinance.
h. Under the ordinance, the identification of water wise plants matches that used by the
California Department of Water Resource's in its Model Water Efficient Landscape
Ordinance.
Section 2: CEQA. The City Council determines that this ordinance is exempt from
review under the California Environmental Quality Act (California Public Resources Code §§
21000, et seq., "CEQA") and the regulations promulgated thereunder (14 California Code of
Regulations §§ 15000, et seq., the "CEQA Guidelines") because it enacts regulations that are
applicable to new or altered landscape projects subject to project specific discretionary review.
Therefore, it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that this ordinance will cause a
direct physical change in the environment, and therefore the adoption of this ordinance is not
considered a project per section 21065 of CEQA. In addition, this ordinance is an action being
taken for enhanced protection of the environment that does not have the potential to cause
significant effects on the environment. Consequently, it is categorically exempt in accordance
with CEQA Guidelines §§ 15305 as a minor alteration in land use limitations which do not result
in any changes in land use or density; and 15308 as an action taken by a regulatory agency as
authorized by California law to assure maintenance or protection of the environment.
Section 3: Title 13, Chapter 13.18 of the Rolling Hills Municipal Code, commencing
with Section 13.18.010 is hereby added to read as follows:
Chapter 13.18
WATER EFFICIENT LANDSCAPE
Sections:
DRAFT Ordinance No. 316
(OP
13.18.010 Purpose.
13.18.020 Applicability.
13.18.030 Definitions.
13.18.040 Compliance Requirements.
13.18.050 Exceptions.
13.18.060 Submittals.
13.18.070 Determination of Conforming Installation/Compliance Certification.
13.18.080 Existing Landscapes.
13.18.010 Purpose.
It is the policy of the City of Rolling Hills to promote water conservation. The landscape
water conservation standards detailed in this Chapter are intended to promote water conservation
while allowing the maximum possible flexibility in designing healthy, attractive, and cost-
effective water efficient landscapes.
13.18.020 Applicability.
This Chapter applies to:
A. All public development projects which are subject to discretionary review by the
City and propose new or altered landscape area of 2,500 square feet or more; and
B. All homeowner -provided or homeowner -hired landscaping projects for single-
family residential projects which are subject to discretionary review by the City and propose new
or altered landscape area of 5,000 square feet or more; and
C. All existing landscapes installed before January 1, 2010 that are over 1 contiguous
acre in size and as regulated by this Chapter.
13.18.030 Definitions
"Application rate" means the rate of irrigation .(inches/hour or gallons per minute) at
which water is applied by an irrigation system.
"Automatic irrigation system" means an irrigation system that can be controlled without
manual manipulation and which operates on a preset program.
"Evapotranspiration" or "ET" means the approximate summation of water losses through
evaporation from soil and transpiration from the plants during a specified period of time.
"ETo" means the approximation of water loss expressed in inches per year from a field of
4 -to -7 -inch -tall cool season grass that is not water stressed.
"ET Adjustment Factor" means a factor used to set an efficiency goal, that when applied
to ETo adjusts for plant factor and irrigation efficiency, two of the major influences upon the
amount of water that needs to be applied to a landscape.
"Hydrozone" means a portion of the planting area having plants grouped according to
water need.
DRAFT Ordinance No. 316
"Irrigation system" means a complete connection of system components, including the
water distribution network and the necessary irrigation equipment and downstream from the
backflow prevention device.
"Landscape Area" means all areas where new or altered landscaping is proposed as part
of a new development proposal.
"Landscape Plan" means design plans with a planting plan and irrigation plan, and plans
with supporting detail sheets to include notes and/or specifications.
"New Development" means a new building on a vacant site, an addition to an existing
building on a site, a new building on a developed site, or a change in land use type that requires a
discretionary permit from the City.
"Plant Factor" means a factor that when multiplied by the ETo, estimates the amount of
water used by a given plant species.
"Planting area" means the parcel area less building pad(s), driveway(s), patio(s), deck(s),
walkway(s) and parking area(s). Planting area includes water bodies (i.e., fountains, ponds,
lakes) and natural areas.
"Special Landscape Area (SLA)" means park and recreational areas permanently and
solely dedicated to edible plants such as orchards and vegetable gardens, and areas irrigated with
recycled water are subject to the MAWA with an ET adjustment factor not to exceed 1.0.
"Turf' means a groundcover surface of mowed grass with an irrigation water need of
greater than 30% of the ETo.
"Water Budget Calculation" means the Maximum Annual Applied Water Allowance,
which shall be calculated using this formula:
MAWA = (ETo) (0.62) [0.7 x LA + 0.3 x SLA1
MAWA= Maximum Applied Water Allowance (maximum gallons
per year available for the project).
Eto = Reference Evapotranspiration (39.7 inches per year for the
City of Rolling Hills).
0.7 = ET Adjustment Factor (as designated by the state of
California)..
LA = Landscape Area (square feet, including SLA)
0.62 = Conversion Factor (inches to gallons)
SLA = Special Landscape Area (square feet)
0.3 = The additional ET Adjustment Factor for the Special
Landscape Area
"Water Wise Plants" means those plants that are evaluated as needing "moderate" (40-
60% of ETo), "low" (10-30% of ETo) and "very low" (< 10% of ETo) amounts of water as
defined and listed by Water Use Classifications of Landscape Species (WUCOLS) available
from the State of California Department of Water Resources. Other sources of water wise plant
classifications may be used if approved by the City Manager.
"Weather Based Irrigation Controller" means ari irrigation controller that automatically
adjusts the irrigation schedule based on changes in the weather.
13.18.040 Compliance Requirements.
DRAFT Ordinance No. 316
Applicants for New Development, subject to discretionary review, proposing new or
altered landscaping shall comply with each of the following requirements in the design,
installation, and maintenance of the landscaped area, unless an exception is granted pursuant to
Section 13.18.050.
A. Landscape Plan: Applicants shall submit a Landscape Plan depicting the
landscaped area and all existing landscaping to remain on the lot. Landscaping shall be designed
to be irrigated at no more than 0.7 of the reference evapotranspiration (ETo) and shall not exceed
the MAWA. The City reserves the right to modify plans in quantity and quality of the landscape
to meet the requirements of this Chapter.
B. Use of Turf and Water Wise Plants:
1. The landscape area of single family residential and institutional use projects shall
be designed with no more than 40% of the landscaped area in turf or plants that are not water
wise plants. Approved turf parkways or roadway easements shall not be counted toward the 40%
turf limitation.
2. Turf shall not be used on slopes of 20% (5:1) or greater within the landscape area.
3. Additional turf areas may be approved by the City for areas designed and used for
outdoor sporting and recreational activities, or for an approved functional use. Approved turf
areas may be watered at 1.0 of the reference evapotranspiration (ETo).
C. Mulch: The landscape area, except those portions of the landscape area planted in
turf, shall be covered with mulch material to an average thickness of at least 3 inches throughout.
In areas with groundcovers planted from flats, mulch shall be installed to an average thickness of
1-'/2 inches. Additional mulch material shall be added from time to time as necessary in order to
maintain the required depth of mulch.
D. Irrigation: All new or altered irrigation systems proposed as part of a new
development shall incorporate the following requirements in their design, installation and
maintenance:
1. Irrigation systems shall be designed and installed to avoid overspray and runoff.
Valves shall be separated for individual hydrozones based on plant water needs and sun or shade
requirements.
2. Water Budget Calculations (Section 13.18.030.J. above) shall be shown on
Irrigation Plans.
3. An automatic irrigation system is required and shall include a weather -based
irrigation controller, including a rain shut-off sensor.
DRAFT Ordinance No. 316
4. Areas less than eight feet wide shall be irrigated with appropriately selected
equipment that provides the proper amount of water coverage without causing overspray onto
adjacent surfaces.
5. All sprinklers shall have matched precipitation rates within each valve and circuit.
All irrigation systems shall be designed to include optimum distribution uniformity, head to head
spacing, and setbacks from walkways and pavement.
6. All irrigation systems shall provide check valves at the low end of irrigation
lines to prevent unwanted draining of irrigation lines.
7. Pressure regulators may be required on the irrigation system as determined by the
Building and Safety Department.
13.18.050 Exceptions.
Exceptions to these landscape water conservation standards may be granted by the City
Manager upon a finding, based on substantial evidence, that the exceptions will promote
equivalent or greater water conservation than is provided for in these standards. Requests for
exceptions shall be in writing and shall be submitted to the City Manager at the time the
application is submitted to the City for review. Requests for exceptions must be accompanied
by documentary evidence supporting the finding of equivalent or greater water conservation.
13.18.060 Submittals.
A. Applicants shall provide all relevant information on the landscape plan including
botanical names for plants and turf species; container sizes; percentage calculations of allowable
areas of turf; low, medium or high water use plants and water -wise plants; water budget
calculations; monthly irrigation schedule; and specific requests for any exceptions to the
requirements of this Chapter. Areas of existing landscaping to remain unaltered shall be
indicated on the landscape plan.
B. The landscape plan shall be prepared in accordance with the provisions of the
California Business and Professions Code relating to the practice of landscape architecture
(Business and Professional Code Section 5641 et seq.).
C. The landscape plan shall include a "Statement of Compliance" in a
form approved by the City Manager certifying that the landscape design complies with the
mandatory elements of this Chapter. The Statement of Compliance shall be signed by the person
who prepared the landscape plan and shall be submitted to the City prior or concurrent with
submitting final development plans to the Building and Safety Department.
The Planning Commission or City Council may require, on a case -by -case basis, that the
statement of compliance be submitted concurrently with the development application or prior to
rendering a decision for the development.
DRAFT Ordinance No. 316
13.18.070 Determination of Conforming Installation/Compliance Verification.
The person who prepared the landscape plan shall inspect the installation of the
landscaping and any irrigation system included in the plan and shall certify in writing to the City
Manager that the installation substantially conforms to the approved landscape plan.
Certification shall be submitted within 90 days of the date the construction project has received
approval of a final inspection from the Building and Safety Department. The person is eligible
for a one-time extension in submitting the certification up to 90 days, based on findings of good
cause provided the application requesting an extension is filed prior to the original 90 -day
deadline.
Verification of compliance with this Chapter, as applicable, shall be made by the City
Manager in accordance with the following requirement:
A. No building permit shall be issued unless the statement of compliance
required by Section 13.18.060.C. above has been included on the final landscape plan.
13.18.080 Existing Landscapes.
The following provisions apply to all existing landscapes referenced in Section 13.18.020.0 of
this Chapter:
A. For landscapes served by a single water meter, the City may require the
following, including but not limited to; irrigation water use analyses, irrigation surveys, and
irrigation audits to evaluate water use, and to provide recommendations as necessary to reduce
landscape water use to a level that does not exceed the Maximum Applied Water Allowance for
existing landscapes. The Maximum Applied Water Allowance for existing landscapes shall be
calculated as: MAWA = (.8) (ETo) (LA) (0.62). All landscape irrigation audits shall be
conducted by a certified landscape irrigation auditor.
B. For landscapes that do not have a meter, the City may require the following,
including but not limited to: irrigation surveys and irrigation audits to evaluate water use, and to
provide recommendations as necessary to prevent water waste. All landscape irrigation audits
shall be conducted by a certified landscape irrigation auditor.
Section 4: Severability. If any section, subsection, subdivision, sentence, clause,
phrase, or portion of this ordinance is, for any reason, held to be invalid or unconstitutional by
the decision of any court of competent jurisdiction, such decision shall not affect the validity of
the remaining portions of this ordinance. The City Council hereby declares that it would have
adopted this ordinance, and each section, subsection, subdivision, sentence, clause, phrase, or
portion thereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more sections subsections, subdivisions,
sentences, clauses, phrases, or portion thereof be declared invalid or unconstitutional.
Section 5: Notice. The City Clerk shall certify as to the adoption of this ordinance
and post a certified copy of this ordinance, including the vote for and against the same, in the
office of the City Clerk, in accordance with Government Code Section 36993.
DRAFT Ordinance No. 316
C19
Section 6: Effective date. This ordinance shall go into effect and be in full force and
operation from and after thirty (30) days after its final passage and adoption.
PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED this day of January, 2010.
THOMAS F. HEINSHEIMER, MAYOR
Attest:
HEIDI LUCE, DEPUTY CITY CLERK
DRAFT Ordinance No. 316
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES
CITY OF ROLLING HILLS
)§§
I certify that the foregoing Ordinance No. 316 entitled:
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF ROLLING HILLS
AMENDING THE ROLLING HILLS MUNICIPAL CODE
BY ADDING CHAPTER 13.18 WATER EFFICIENT
LANDSCAPE TO TITLE 13, WATER AND SEWERS.
was approved and adopted at a regular meeting of the City Council on January , 2010 by the
following roll call vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTAIN:
and in compliance with the laws of California was posted at the following:
Administrative Offices
Heidi Luce
Deputy City Clerk
DRAFT Ordinance No. 316