21.08.400 Buffer area landscaping standards

A. A landscape buffer is required to screen development on the property from uses and development on abutting properties, in accordance with this section.

B. Location. When a landscape buffer is required it shall be placed at the property line; provided, that a buffer is not required when the properties are separated by a right-of-way.

1. If a site’s property line abuts more than one adjoining zoning designation, the applicant must provide a gradual transition between the different required buffer types. The transition must be complete at the start of the larger buffer or the larger buffer may be used in lieu of the smaller buffer for the entire length of landscaped buffer area.

C. Landscape Buffer Size. The landscape buffer types, listed in the first column of Table 21.08.09 below, are used in Table 21.08.08 below (low, medium, high). The landscape buffer is required when a zoned property abuts a differently zoned property as explained by the table below:

Table 21.08.08. Location and Type of Required Landscape Buffer
		Zone Abutting the Subject Property
Zone of the Subject Property		RS	RM	NC	PCD	CR	P-1
Residential Zones	Single-Family – Nonresidential Uses Only (RS)	Medium	-	-	-	-	-
	Multifamily Low and Medium (RML and RMM)	Medium	-	-	-	-	-
	Multifamily High (RMH)	Medium	-	-	-	-	-
Commercial Zones	Alderwood City Center (ACC)	-	-	-	-	-	-
	Neighborhood Commercial (NC)	Medium	Medium	-	-	-	Medium
	General Commercial (CG)	High	Medium	-	-	-	Medium
	Planned Commercial Development (PCD)	High	Medium	-	-	-	Medium
	Planned Regional Center (PRC)	High	Medium	-	-	-	Medium
Mixed Use Zones	College District Mixed Use (CDM)	-	Medium	-	-	-	-
	Commercial Residential (CR)	High	Medium	-	-	-	Medium
	Hwy 99 Mixed Use (HMU)	High	Medium	-	-	-	-
City Center Zones	All City Center Zones (CC-C, CC-W, CC-N)	High	Medium	-	-	-	-
Industrial Zones	Light Industrial (LI)	High	High	Low	Low	Low	Medium
Industrial Zones	Business/Tech Park (BTP)	High	High	Low	Low	Low	Medium
Public Zones	Public (P-1)	Medium	-	-	-	-	-

Notes: (-) indicates no landscaping buffer required.

If a zone is not listed along the top row (zone abutting property under development), no landscaping buffer is required.

D. Landscape Buffer Types. Where landscape buffer strips are required, one or more of the following landscape buffer types shall be placed along the entire property line between incompatible uses:

Table 21.08.09. Buffer Strip Types
Buffer Type	Width	Trees	Plants and Groundcover	Fence or Other Barrier
Low (L)	5 ft	1 small per 15 lineal feet.	Mix of natural groundcover that provides 100% cover. Shrubs of any height.	6-foot vision-obscuring fence or Row of shrubs reaching 3 ft max.
Medium (M)	10 ft	1 large per 30 lineal feet, or 1 medium tree per 22 lineal feet, or 1 small per 15 lineal feet.	Mix of natural groundcover that provides 75% cover. Shrubs of any height. Mulch or woodchips on rest of area.	6-foot vision-obscuring fence or Row of shrubs reaching 3 ft max.
High (H)	20 ft	1 large per 30 lineal feet, or 1 medium per 22 lineal feet. A combination of sizes is allowed per LMC 21.08.300(C)(2).	Mix of natural groundcover that provides 75% cover. Shrubs of any height. Mulch or woodchips on rest of area.	6-foot vision-obscuring fence or Row of shrubs reaching 3 ft max or Berm (see below).
Berm in lieu of buffer (3 to 4 feet in height, grade no steeper than 2:1)	20 ft	1 large per 30 lineal feet, or 1 medium per 22 lineal feet. May be planted in a row or staggered on the slope closest to the property line. A combination of sizes is allowed per LMC 21.08.300(C)(2).	Mix of natural groundcover that provides 100% cover. Shrubs of any height.	Fence not required. A row of shrubs to ensure a 6-foot total height from surrounding grade.