14.60.120 Landscaping in right-of-way, easements and access tracts.
A. Applicability. The requirements of this section apply when street frontage improvements are required as part of any development by BCC 14.60.110 or the Land Use Code, as may be hereinafter amended.
B. Required Review. The city shall review proposed street frontage improvements for compliance with this section and other applicable city policies and codes.
C. Preservation of Existing Street Trees and Landscaping.
1. Retention of existing vegetation may be required along city streets. When retention is not feasible, native plant species or species with a proven ability to survive in an urban environment are preferred for landscaping.
2. When permitted to remove or relocate plant materials from the right-of-way in connection with the widening of the street or highway, the paving of a sidewalk, or the installation of ingress or egress, the developer shall replant such trees or replace them according to city standards.
3. Any landscaping in the right-of-way that is disturbed by construction activity on private property, including but not limited to damaged trees or trees that need to be removed, shall be replaced or restored to its original condition by the developer. If such replacement or restoration is not physically or practically possible, as determined by the review engineer, the developer may be required to instead reimburse the city for the value of the removed, damaged or destroyed landscaping. Such reimbursement value shall be determined under the methods described in the Guide for Establishing Value of Trees and Other Plants, published by the International Society of Arboriculture, now or as hereafter amended. The value of other landscape plants shall be determined by the city based upon reasonable estimates.
4. Landscaping and other improvements such as fencing and rockeries within the right-of-way are subject to removal by the city or at the request of the city.
D. Street Tree and Landscaping Installation Requirement.
1. Street landscape installation or improvement is required when applicable projects are to be undertaken along any public street as identified in, and according to the guidelines of, city codes, standards, adopted street design plans, and adopted city plans including the capital investment plan, transportation facilities plan, pedestrian and bicycle transportation plan, and comprehensive plan.
2. Where not in conflict with other applicable code provisions, ground cover shall be provided for street frontage of the site in order to control erosion.
E. Species Selection. Refer to LUC 20.25A.060 and Chapter 20.25D LUC for selection of tree species. If not otherwise specified in code, tree species selection shall be listed in the City of Bellevue Environmental Best Management Practices and Design Standards, now or as hereafter amended.
F. Maintenance of Plant Materials.
1. Landscaping in the right-of-way shall be maintained by the abutting property owner(s) unless maintenance has been accepted by the city.
2. All landscape materials in the right-of-way shall be maintained to industry standards. Trees shall be pruned according to standards adopted by the International Society of Arboriculture.
3. The property owner is responsible for ensuring that landscaping fronting his/her property does not impair driver or pedestrian sight distance as described in the transportation department design manual.
4. Topping of street trees and other pruning that does not conform to industry standards is a civil violation under Chapter 1.18 BCC and subject to penalties set forth in BCC 1.18.045. (Ord. 6319 § 2, 2016; Ord. 6181 § 2, 2014.)