Council to discuss landscaping requirements

The Dixon City Council will direct staff regarding impervious surface requirements for front yards in single-family districts at Tuesday’s meeting.

The item was initiated by Councilman Kevin Johnson with a staff report authored by City Attorney Doug White.

In recent years, city staff have prepared revisions to the zoning code to address the city’s landscaping and paving standards, White wrote. Currently, the Municipal Code requires the front yards of all new or recent single-family homes to be xeriscaped or landscaped and irrigated.

White wrote that the standard provides a minimum landscaping requirement but does not establish specific limitations on paving or other impervious surfaces. Therefore, the council may be able to consider an amendment limiting paving in front yards, such as precluding half of any front yard from being paved or otherwise covered with impervious materials.

“Such a requirement would effectively clarify the minimum landscaping standard and establish a maximum coverage for paving or impervious materials,” he wrote. “Reasons for the proposal include maintaining and enhancing neighborhood character, and also reducing other potentially adverse effects caused by the complete coverage of front yards with impervious materials such as pavement.”

White also cited other Solano County cities with maximum paving standards. In Vacaville, for example, concrete, asphalt and other similar materials are forbidden from taking up more than 50 percent of a front yard and that impervious materials in front or side-street yards be limited to driveways of no more than 20 feet wide or walkways of no more than 5 feet wide in lots with less than 50 feet of street frontage. In Vallejo, sand, stones, wood and water may not make up more than 30 percent of the remaining front setback, with impervious materials precluded from covering more than 50 percent of the yard.

White wrote that if the council wishes to change requirements to frontyard landscaping, it could create a zoning amendment establishing a maximum standard. However, nonconforming use rules would still apply.

“New zoning standards apply to new construction projects and when property owners undertake alterations, in which case alterations must conform to existing zoning standards,” he wrote. “Under California planning and zoning law, there are limits on how new zoning standards may apply to existing properties. Implementing a paving requirement would likely require certain permit changes and enforcement protocols.”

One option provided in the staff report is for the council to direct city staff to further study front-yard landscaping standards and bring an ordinance to the Planning Commission for further action. The council

“Reasons for the proposal include maintaining and enhancing neighborhood character, and also reducing other potentially adverse effects.” — City Attorney Doug White

may also postpone any considerations unless directed otherwise.

In other business, the council will consider a resolution authorizing the issuance of requests for proposals for publication of the city’s legal notices, and consider updating the Master Fee Schedule based on the Consumer Price Index.

The council will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

The meeting can be accessed via Zoom at Us02web.zoom.us/j/9886211 137?pwd=R2dxZ3RkbU9S Q XdlU V llRkc0Q lQwZz09 and by teleconference at 669-900-9128. The meeting ID is 988 621 1137, and the passcode is 604754. Members of the public may comment by using the “Raise Hand” feature on Zoom or by pressing *9 when teleconferencing.

Comments may also be emailed to publiccomment@cityofdixon.us.