A. Planting Area Placement. All parking lots planting areas shall generally be provided after each six parking spaces in any row and at the ends of each row of parking spaces in order to encourage the use of trees in parking areas. Landscape areas shall have a minimum dimension of four feet. Landscape areas shall be defined by concrete curbing designed to minimize damage to pavement caused by irrigation of landscaping. Landscape areas defining ends of rows shall extend to the minimum inside turn radius, shall not conflict with an aisle or backup area, nor be less than four feet in width. Exceptions to this provision may be granted by the community development director or the architectural review commission.

B. Planting Arrangement. In order to prevent large expanses of pavement, parking lots shall have at least five percent of their surface devoted to landscaping, exclusive of setbacks, arranged in an appropriate and effective manner. Additional landscape area may be required by the community development department or the architectural review commission.

C. Maintenance. In all zones, required street yard areas shall be landscaped and perpetually maintained. All landscape planting shall be maintained and dead plants shall be replaced as necessary. Drought-tolerant planting must be used in accordance with the city’s landscape standards for water conservation.

D. Irrigation. Drought-tolerant planting must be used in accordance with the city’s landscape standards for water conservation. Landscape areas shall have a permanent underground irrigation system.

E. Landscape Preservation. Planting areas which may be hit by automobiles or where drainage control is necessary shall be defined by a six-inch curb or berm of reinforced concrete, brick or block. A header-board protected by parking bumpers or other suitable permanent material may be approved by the community development department. Header-boards, walls or berms must also be provided between the back of a city sidewalk and a planting area to prevent soil from washing onto the sidewalk. Porous pavement surface methods approved by the city arborist shall be provided within the dripline of existing trees in or near parking lots. (Ord. 1156 § 3 (1) Ex. A (I), 1990)