Vegetation

Existing trees help to create an attractive rural character.  However, the development process often greatly alters the topography and removes vegetation in order to provide a clean site for construction.  It is important that site plans and building designs reflect the site's vegetation and topography.

Goals and Objectives

1. Preserve major hardwood trees as an important natural resource in promoting and maintaining a rural character for Westlake.
   

   Policies

   1. Ensure that buildings are designed and sited, and that parking is laid out, to avoid specimen trees as well as dense thickets of mature stands of trees.
   2. Ensure that construction techniques are used that avoid damage to existing trees.
   3. Preserve major hardwood trees with a caliper of 8 inches or greater, and all trees with a caliper of 2 inches or greater when located in dense thickets.
   4. Utility corridors should occur along proposed roadways.  Storm drainage and sanitary sewer lines, via easements, should be carefully located in the flood plain to preserve natural vegetation.
2. Ensure the landscaping reinforces the rural character.
   

   Policies

   1. Require landscaping and irrigation plans for all non-single family development.
   2. Where landscaping is proposed, hardy native species should be included in the design.
   3. Create landscaped buffers along all Collector roadways to screen views of development.
   4. Create landscape buffers between major freeways and development.
   5. Ensure that large parking areas are broken up with trees and vegetation.
   6. Ensure that distant view corridors to the north/northeast are preserved.