City Tentatively Approves Landscape Ordinance

In order to comply with California’s Water Conservation in Landscaping Act, (Assembly Bill 1881) , Oakdale City Council members reluctantly voted to tentatively approve a new state mandated water-efficient landscape ordinance. Under the ordinance, homeowners will be required to file a soil management report, a landscape design plan, an irrigation design plan, an irrigation schedule, an irrigation audit, and a grading design plan if they install, or rehabilitate, any landscaping area over 5,000 sq.

The Oakland cty manager told the council thatthe ordinance was mandated by the state, and the state could withhold various funds if the council did not act to pass it. The sample ordinance includes the minimum requirements cities must pass to enforce AB 1881. In addition, developers and homeowners, as well as the city, will have to consult experts to ensure thatstate requirements are met.