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City
Council Report |
City Council Meeting: December
13, 2011
Agenda Item: 7-F
To: Mayor and City Council
From:
Subject: Proposed Amendment to the Santa Monica
Municipal Code Chapter 8.108(b) regarding the City’s Green Building Regulations
and Proposed Adoption of Resolution Amending the Water-Efficient Landscape and
Irrigation Standards
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that
City Council:
1) Introduce for first
reading the attached ordinance updating the City’s Green Building Ordinance
Subpart B landscape and irrigation regulations to exempt registered local, state or
federal historical sites and plant collections as part of botanical gardens and
arboretums open to the public.
2) Adopt a Resolution updating the Water-Efficient Landscape and
Irrigation Standards to clarify definitions,
applicability, and acceptable water-saving irrigation equipment.
Executive Summary
The State
Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance provides exemptions for landscapes in
registered historical sites, botanical gardens, and arboretums. The City’s local ordinance must be at least
as effective as the State ordinance. The
City’s current Green Building Ordinance does not provide exemptions for these
types of landscapes. Staff recommends amending the ordinance to allow these
exemptions. In addition to the proposed
changes in the ordinance, staff recommends adopting changes to the Water-Efficient
Landscape and Irrigation Standards which contain specific requirements for the
design, installation and maintenance of public and private landscaping and
irrigation. These changes clarify
definitions and acceptable water-saving equipment that make it easier for the
public to understand and comply.
Background
On April
22, 2008, City Council adopted the Green Building
Ordinance 8.108, Subpart B relating to landscape and irrigation regulations
that promote the use of climate-appropriate plants and water-efficient
irrigation systems. On December
8, 2009 Council adopted modifications to that
ordinance and adopted the Water-Efficient Landscape and Irrigation Standards
(Standards) to comply with the State Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance in
Chapter 2.7 (commencing with Section 490) of Division 2 of the Department of
Water Resources Title 23 of the California Code of Regulations.
The current ordinance and Standards apply to all landscape,
irrigation systems, and water features, including City landscape projects such
as Town Square and Palisades Garden Walk, with a few specific exemptions for
public agencies, such as water features.
The ordinance and Standards are enforced by the Office of Sustainability
and the Environment.
Discussion
The State Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance allows
exemptions for specific types of landscape projects including registered local,
state or federal historical sites and plant collections as part of botanical
gardens and arboretums open to the public.
Those exemptions were not included in the City’s Green Building Ordinance. Staff recommends amending the ordinance to
allow these exemptions for projects with those designations. For instance Town
Square would be exempt, because City Hall is a designated historical site.
In addition to the proposed changes in the ordinance, staff
recommends adopting changes to the Standards which contain specific
requirements for the design, installation and maintenance of public and private
landscaping and irrigation. These
changes clarify definitions and acceptable water-saving equipment that make it
easier for the public to understand and comply.
The significant revisions include:
· Removing parkways from plan set and inspection requirements;
· Requiring the State Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance’s
Maximum Allowable Water Budget Formula for landscape plans submitted through a
combination permit;
· Clarifying applicability of water feature requirements;
· Exempting greywater from the irrigation
requirements as it must be used within a 24-hour period and as a result the
water may be distributed in mulch basins or through the use of higher flow
irrigation equipment;
· Weather-based irrigation controllers that are listed by the EPA’s WaterSense program and/or the Irrigation Association’s Smart
Water Application Technologies are acceptable.
The revisions to the Ordinance and Standards were developed collaboratively
by City staff from the Office of Sustainability and the Environment, Planning
and Community Development, Public Works, Community Maintenance, and the City
Attorney’s office.
Alternatives
As an alternative to
adopting the ordinance modifications, the Council may choose to keep the existing
ordinance and require that historical sites and botanical gardens comply with
the ordinance and the Standards. The
existing requirements would prohibit certain types of plants and/or irrigation
to be utilized in historical sites and botanical gardens, which would impact
the effectiveness of landscape as a demonstration garden. Council may choose to
keep the existing Standards.
Financial Impacts & Budget Actions
There
are no budget or financial impacts associated with the
recommendations made in this report. The
costs associated with plan review and inspections are paid for by the project
applicant’s building permit fees.
Prepared by: Kim O’Cain, Water
Resources Specialist
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Approved: |
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Forwarded to Council: |
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Dean Kubani Director, Office of Sustainability and the Environment |
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Rod Gould City Manager |
Attachments:
1. Ordinance: Green Building Subpart B
2. Resolution Amending the Water-Efficient Landscape
and Irrigation Standards