Design News

The streetscape of the Main Street Parking Garage in Pueblo is a great example of a pedestrian-friendly streetscape.

In 2007, the State of Colorado signed a bill requiring a landscape architect’s stamp for development projects, which most municipalities, including Pueblo, have added to their ordinance.

Pueblo’s landscape performance standards can be found in the Pueblo Zoning Code in Sec. 17-4-7 (Landscape Performance Standards).

The standards set forth in Sec. 17-4-7 are applicable in the following zone districts:  R-4, R-5, R-6, RCN, B-1, B-2, B-3, B-4, BP, PUD, H-B, I-1, I-2, O-1, CCN, S-1, S-4 and S-5.  They are applicable for the following conditions:

1.  New construction on any lot or placement of a structure on any lot

2.  An addition of 35% of more of the gross square footage of an existing building

3.  Use of 5,000 square feet or more for a contiguous off-street parking lot (not applicable if it is an improvement of parking lot that has been in use since before June 22, 1998).

Tree Spacing in Setback: ONE Tree AND FIVE Shrubs shall be provided for every THIRTY-linear-feet of frontage. Setback must be a minimum of 10-feet in width. 50% of the shade trees must be either evergreen trees or ornamental trees.

This parking lot, which doubles as on-site detention beneath the porous pavers, meets the intention of the code.

Parking Lot Landscape Islands:  A parking lot landscape island must be provided on the end of each bay of parking when FIVE or more regular parking spaces are included.  Additionally, there shall be no more than FIFTEEN consecutive parking spaces (including head-to-head parking spaces, see sketch) without a landscape island.  Islands must be a minimum of 9-feet in width and 18-feet in length (measured from the face of curb) and include at least ONE tree and FIVE shrubs.

Parking Lot and Drive-Through Screening:  In addition to the frontage requirements, screening must be attained by the use of shrubs with a minimum height of 3-feet, a berm that measures 3-feet higher than the parking lot elevation, or an opaque structure(wall/fence) that is 3-feet in height placed at the setback.

Landscape Buffers (Between Residential and Non-Residential Land Uses):  Buffer shall be at least 10-feet in width with at leastONE tree for every TWENTY-linear-feet AND an opaque fence or structure at least 6-feet in height.

The aforementioned standards are the key standards in Pueblo’s code.  There are many other codes and standards applicable to the City of Pueblo, but understanding the standards above will assist the landscape architect in understanding the needs of a project in Pueblo.  For the official codes from the City of Pueblo, please use the following link: Pueblo Landscape Standards