The regulations in section 3.8 apply to all zones with the exception of AD, AG, AR, RCL, RCH and unless otherwise stated in this bylaw.

A landscape plan shall be stamped, signed and dated by a Landscape Architect who is a full member of and in good standing with the Alberta Association of Landscape Architects, and contain the following:

1. (a) property lines and parcel dimensions;
2. (b) parcel area;
3. (c) date, scale, north arrow, legal address, name of the property owner(s), name and contact information of the person or firm responsible for the landscape plan;
4. (d) location, type, total area, and dimensions of all landscape areas (i.e. street-oriented landscape area, general landscape area);
5. (e) location of existing and proposed structures;
6. (f) location of storage areas;
7. (g) the total area of the parcel that is landscaped;
8. (h) the existing and proposed topography;
9. (i) drainage features;
10. (j) the location of existing natural features, including but not limited to, any water features, tree stands and other vegetation, that is to be retained;
11. (k) total amount, location and type of hard landscaping;
12. (l) total amount, location and type of soft landscaping, including the location and number of trees, shrubs and other vegetation to be planted;
13. (m) the location of berms, retaining walls, fences, hedges or any other screen;
14. (n) common outdoor amenity space, if applicable, including location, total area and materials used;
15. (o) location of pedestrian sidewalks and pathways;
16. (p) type of landscaping proposed for the area between the street curb and property line;
17. (q) pedestrian access ramp locations;
18. (r) adjacent existing and proposed roads, trails and sidewalks;
19. (s) all utilities and related ancillary structures;
20. (t) setbacks from utilities in accordance with County standards;
21. (u) landscape details (i.e. tree, shrub, retaining wall, fencing);
22. (v) plant list showing quantities, common and botanical name, size and condition;
23. (w) proposed landscape planting to be labelled and shown at mature size; and
24. (x) minimum planting requirements and proposed plant material on the landscape plans.

Unless covered by the provisions of a development agreement, any landscaping area between the property line and the existing curb shall be incorporated into the landscape plan and shall be landscaped concurrently with the development to the standard of landscaping required by County standards.

Existing landscaping or natural vegetation should be conserved and used to meet the requirements of this section, where practical.

In the event that plant material required in an approved development is inappropriate or fails to survive, the development officer may consider alternative materials to be substituted.

Where a landscape plan or security or both is required by this bylaw, no development shall commence unless the development officer has approved the landscape plan and received the required security for landscaping pursuant to section 3.8(7).

Landscaping security

The development officer may require, as a condition of a development permit that the owner provide a guaranteed security to ensure that landscaping is provided and successfully maintained for two growing seasons. The security shall be cash or an irrevocable letter of credit having the value equivalent to a minimum of 50% of the established landscaping costs.

Where applicable, the development officer shall require an applicant to submit an estimate for required landscaping for the proposed development. The estimate shall be prepared by a qualified professional, to the satisfaction of the development officer.

If cash is offered as the landscaping security, it shall be held by the County until the landscaping has been installed and successfully maintained for two growing seasons, and the development officer is satisfied through site inspection that this has occurred.

Where a landscaping security is submitted in the form of an irrevocable letter of credit, the letter of credit:

1. (a) must be in a form satisfactory to the County;
2. (b) must allow for partial draws by the County;
3. (c) must have an initial term of a minimum of one year and automatically renew 60 days prior to expiry until the landscaping security is no longer required;
4. (d) may be amended to a reduced amount at the discretion of the development officer when the required landscaping has been:
   1. (i) installed to the satisfaction of the development officer; or
   2. (ii) successfully maintained for one growing season, to the satisfaction of thedevelopment officer; and
   3. (iii) must be fully released when the required landscaping has been installed and successfully maintained for two growing seasons, and the development officer is satisfied through site inspection that this has occurred.

Inspections and maintenance period

To verify the installation of the required landscaping and to initiate the maintenance period, the development officer must conduct an inspection upon receipt of a written request.

Landscape inspections must occur during the growing season between June 1 and September 30, unless otherwise permitted at the discretion of the development officer.

The owner shall notify the County 60 days prior to the expiry date of the irrevocable letter of credit, in order to provide sufficient time for the development officer to conduct an inspection and to determine if the landscaping has been installed and maintained in accordance with the regulations of this bylaw. If an inspection cannot be conducted within the 60 day period prior to the expiry date of the irrevocable letter of credit, due to weather conditions or other extenuating circumstances, the irrevocable letter of credit shall automatically renew for a further one year term.

Use of the landscape security

The County may draw on the landscape security for the County’s use absolutely to install, maintain, or replace improperly maintained landscaping required for the development if the landscaping has not been:

1. (a) installed and successfully maintained within one growing season after completion of the development; or
2. (b) successfully maintained for two growing seasons after completion of the landscaping.

If the landscape security is insufficient, the owner must pay the deficiency to the County immediately upon being invoiced.

In the event the County uses funds from the landscape security to install, maintain, or replace improperly maintained landscaping required for the development, the County must provide a report to the owner or the owner's representative indicating how the funds from the landscape security were applied after installing, maintaining or replacing improperly maintained landscaping required for the development.

Additional landscaping requirements for mitigation

Where on-site parking for 20 or more vehicles is provided at grade on a site, there shall be landscaped open space within the parking area, unless otherwise decided by a development officer. Landscaped open space in the parking areas shall be provided in the minimum amount of 2.0 m² for each parking space. The required landscaping shall not be located in one area and shall be placed within the parking area so as to provide visual relief and break up large areas of parking into smaller cells.

The development officer may require additional landscaping such as but not limited to trees and shrubs, berms, solid hedges, other vegetative screens, fencing or any combination thereof to adequately mitigate potential negative impacts from a use or development on adjacent lots.

Screen plantings shall be maintained to provide effective screening from the ground to a height of 2.0 m to the satisfaction of the development officer.

A garbage collection area, an open storage area, or an outdoor service area, including any loading and vehicular service area, which is visible from an adjacent site in an agricultural or residential zone or from a public road other than a lane, shall be fenced or have screen planting or both. The location, length, thickness and height of such fence or screen planting shall be in accordance with the landscape plan approved by the development officer.

Despite section 3.8(19), for bulk outdoor storage, including but not limited to, auto wrecking, lumber yards, pipe storage and similar uses, where because of height of materials stored, a screen planting would not be sufficient, a fence, earth berm or combination thereof, with sufficient height to substantially block the view, shall be substituted.

Despite section 3.8(19), where a screen planting cannot reasonably be expected to survive because of conditions not conducive to good horticultural practices, the development officer shall require a masonry wall, wood fence, earth berm, or combination thereof, to be substituted for the requirements section 3.8(19).

Within commercial and industrial zones, a landscaped buffer area of at least 4.0 m shall be provided in front yards and flanking side yards.

Where a use on a non-residential lot or site generates nuisance, a landscaped buffer must be provided along the lot or site boundary that abuts an existing or planned residential lot(s). The minimum width of the landscaped buffer must comply with Table 3.8(A). The development officer may require a larger width where, in their opinion, more area is required to adequately buffer the nuisance or adverse effect.

Table 3.8(A) Minimum Landscaped Buffer Widths for Non-Residential Lots

Where a landscaped buffer area is not specified within this bylaw, the development officer shall determine the minimum width requirement of a landscaped buffer area taking the following into consideration:

1. (a) the use occurring on the lot or adjacent site;
2. (b) the potential for such a use to create a nuisance or adverse effect on an adjacent site; and
3. (c) the full growth potential of all trees, shrubs, hedges and other vegetation at maturity, based on the growing characteristics of the species, needed to buffer the nuisance or adverse effect.

Site Landscaping Requirements

The front yard for the purposes of calculating the landscaping requirements is the length of the front lot line multiplied by the minimum required setback from the front lot line for the applicable zone.

The flanking side yard for the purposes of calculating the landscaping requirements is the length of the flanking side lot line multiplied by the minimum required setback from the flanking side lot line for the applicable zone.

The landscaping of the required front and flanking side yards on any developed non-residential or multi-unit residential lot shall meet the following minimum standards:

1. (a) trees and shrubs shall be included on the landscape plan and planted in non-vehicular areas to meet the following requirement:
   1. (i) one tree for each 25 m² and one shrub for each 15 m² of required yards in the applicable zone(s) for multi-residential, commercial or institutional development;
   2. (ii) one tree for each 46 m² of any required yard in the applicable zone for industrial development; and
   3. (iii) one tree for each 15 m² and one shrub for each 10 m² of required parking area island provided that there will be at least one tree per parking area island.

Shrubs may be substituted for trees at the rate of five shrubs to one tree as site conditions and design may allow or at the discretion of the development authority.

Where existing trees that are retained on the site are at least 0.15 m in caliper, they may count double towards meeting the tree requirements of this section at the discretion of the development authority. When existing trees are at least 0.25 m in caliper, they may count triple towards meeting the tree requirements of this section at the discretion of the development authority.

The development officer may consider alternative landscaping treatments for development within the IH and IHH zones.

Within all lots with residential zoning, except those where landscape plans have been approved by the development authority for a development, the owner shall be responsible for the proper maintenance of landscaping of all yards visible from a road. All yards visible from a road shall be landscaped within 18 months of occupancy of the development. Alternative forms of landscaping may be substituted for seeding or sodding, provided that all areas of exposed earth are designed as either flower beds or cultivated gardens.

Specifications for Landscape Construction

All plant materials shall be hardy to the County and to the location on the site where they are planted.

Existing landscaping or natural vegetation that is to be retained must be protected.

All required landscaping materials shall be installed in accordance with the following:

1. (a) deciduous trees shall be at least 0.06 m caliper;
2. (b) coniferous trees shall have a minimum height of 2.5 m;
3. (c) coniferous shrubs shall have a minimum spread of 0.45 m; and
4. (d) deciduous shrubs shall have a minimum height of 0.45 m.