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Design Standards and Guidelines
for Large Retail Establishments
SECTION B. SITE DESIGN AND RELATIONSHIP
TO THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY
1. Landscaping and Buffering
GUIDELINE: Large retail development should ensure that the parking, lighting, circulation and landscaping aspects are well designed with regard to safety, efficiency and convenience for vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians and transit, both within the development and to and from surrounding areas. Landscape and buffering should contribute to visual quality and continuity within and between developments, provide screening and mitigation of potential conflicts between activity areas and site elements, enhance outdoor spaces, reduce erosion and stormwater runoff and mitigate air pollution.
Landscaping that incorporates low impact development strategies for stormwater management should serve to meet the requirements of the City of Sequim's currently adopted stormwater management plan.2
Due to Sequim's growing agri-lavender business, developers are strongly encouraged to incorporate lavender plants into their Landscape Design Plan (especially for perimeter landscape areas). Evergreen varieties such as Grosso or Hidcote Giant or alternatives such as rosemary, which have attractive foliage when not in bloom, are recommended species.
The rear or sides of buildings often present an unattractive view of blank walls, loading areas, storage areas, HVAC units, garbage receptacles, and other such features. Architectural and landscaping features should mitigate these impacts.
Whenever possible, the Landscape Design shall provide open spaces that preserve or take advantage of natural features such as the view, stands of old growth timber, or waterways.
STANDARDS:
- Landscape areas shall include all areas on the site that are not covered by buildings, structures, paving or impervious surface. The selection and location of turf, trees, ground cover (including shrubs, grasses, perennials, flowerbeds and slope retention), pedestrian paving and other landscaping elements shall be used to prevent erosion and meet the functional and visual purposes such as defining spaces, accommodating and directing circulation patterns, managing hardscape impacts, attracting attention to building entrances and other focal points, and visually integrating buildings with the landscape area.
a.1 Landscape Design Plans shall complement the existing landscapes of different retail sites within a development and shall enhance the personal scale of a development by clearly defining pathways, entrance areas, plazas or public gathering spaces, parking areas, and access roadways.
a.2 Landscape Design Plans shall mitigate the impact to neighboring properties. The rear elevations of buildings, loading docks, and refuse collection areas must also be addressed in the Landscape Design Plan. It is required that rear elevations adjacent to non-commercial zoned parcels will be screened to the full height of the structure within seven (7) years of occupancy of the retail space.
a.3 Landscape Design Plans shall incorporate a mix of indigenous and native plants that are hardy and drought tolerant, and shall include a minimum of 40% evergreen plantings (trees, shrubs, groundcovers, ornamental grasses, and evergreen herbs). Permanently installed irrigation systems are required.
a.4 Perimeter landscape buffer planting areas shall be a minimum of ten (10) feet in depth from the edge of walkways, curbs or property lines, along all sides of the property. Parcels less than thirty (30) acres shall have a perimeter landscape buffer depth of ten (10) feet. Parcels thirty (30) to less than fifty (50) acres shall have a perimeter landscape buffer depth of thirteen (13) feet. Parcels fifty (50) acres or greater shall have a perimeter landscape buffer of fifteen (15) feet.
a.5 Parking lots with more than fifty (50) parking spaces shall have curbed planting areas. Planting areas shall be placed at each end of a parking row. No parking row shall contain 30 contiguous parking spaces without a curbed planting area.
a.6 Landscape Design Plans shall also address a variety of landscape lighting elements utilized both for safety and aesthetics.
- Any landscape element that dies, or is otherwise removed, shall be promptly replaced with the same, if not similar to, height or texture element as originally intended.
- Off-site access to pedestrian and bicycle facility improvements may be required in order to comply with the Transportation Element of the Comprehensive Plan and the Sequim Municipal Code.
- To the maximum extent feasible, pedestrians and vehicles shall be separated through provisions of a walkway. Where complete separations of pedestrian and vehicles are not feasible, hazards shall be minimized by using landscaping, bollards, special paving, lighting and other means to clearly delineate pedestrian areas.
- Landscaped parkways around parking lot perimeters shall be consistent with minimum setback requirements. Trees may be spaced irregularly in informal groupings or be uniformly spaced, as consistent with larger overall planting patterns and organization. Perimeter landscaping along a street and within the public right-of-way shall utilize the adopted City of Sequim Streetscape Manual4 for community-wide consistency.
- Future maintenance shall be in accordance with accepted maintenance practices.5
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