Georgetown City Council members supported changes to the unified development code that will simplify landscaping requirements for developers of commercial properties, while ensuring adequate tree shade on public streets.
What it means
The code update will create a flat rate of depth for commercial landscaping, setting a fixed measurement for how wide a landscaping strip must be along the edge of a street.
The flat rate will simplify how developers determine the landscaping requirements for their property, and allow for more relevant uses based on their street type and zoning, Planning Manager Ryan Clark said at a May 12 City Council workshop.
Under the current UDC, developers must calculate the total square footage of the space between the road and their building to figure out how many plants are required.
A closer look
The proposed change will require a 25-foot landscape depth, with one shade tree planted roughly every 50 feet, for major roads and highways, such as I-35 or Hwy. 29.
For local streets and neighborhood roads, there will be scalable requirements from 0 to 15 feet depending on the zone. Industrial warehouses or other large developments would have stricter landscaping requirements than a small business, Clark said.
The primary goal is to provide shade for pedestrians along the sidewalks rather than strictly enforcing shrub counts, council members said.
The discussion
Council members also discussed the potential unintended consequences of landscaping on smaller commercial properties by blocking visibility of stores, or being unfeasible with historic and unique sites.
“It’s hard to envision every single scenario that you could possibly have. I can definitely envision scenarios where this could ... make a site plan almost impossible,” District 1 council member Jake French said.
French requested that the code allow for exceptions on a case-by-case basis.
What’s next
Public meetings for these UDC changes, as well as ones affecting residential properties, are scheduled for July and August. The final ordinance is slated for approval Aug. 11, and the new code will go into effect Nov. 1.
