Please note that this round of grants can be used for improving the landscaping on any front-facing portion of eligible commercial property along S. Western Avenue. Please also note that any amount of landscaping on commercial properties requires review for compliance with the City’s Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance, which is found in Chapter 15.34 of the Rancho Palos Verdes Municipal Code (RPVMC). This review can range from simple (for new planting only) to more complex (if irrigation work is included.) See the questions and answers below for more details.
What do I need to submit?
If you wish to submit a grant application for the purpose of improving the landscaping on the portion of your property abutting S. Western Avenue, you will need to submit landscape plans. Please note that at a minimum, the landscape plans would need to show:
- Existing plant material to be retained or removed by type;
- Planting areas, plant spacing, plant location and size, natural features, areas irrigated with non-potable water, surface areas and types of water features and all hardscapes (pervious and non-pervious);
- A legend listing the common and botanical plant names and total quantities by container size and species; and,
- List of soil amendments, type and quantity.
If you would like to replace irrigation as well, you would also need to submit an irrigation that shows, at the minimum:
- Identify location and size of separate water meters for landscape; and identify water purveyor name;
- Identify location, size and type of all components of the irrigation system, including controllers, main and lateral lines, valves, irrigation heads, moisture sensing devices, rain shut-off sensor, quick couplers, pressure regulators and backflow prevention devices, and power supply, as applicable;
- Identify static water pressure at the point of connection to the public water supply, as applicable;
- Provide the flow rate (gallons per minute), application rate (inches per hour) and design operating pressure (pressure per square inch) for each station;
- Water budget calculation worksheet.
What if I do not want to include replacement of my existing irrigation system as part of the grant application?
This should simplify the WELO review of your submittal. However, the City would still require that an ET based SMART irrigation controller with a rain shut off device be installed on your existing irrig
What if I am on a corner lot?
If your property is located on a corner lot, you will need to be aware of the Intersection Visibility requirements, located in RPVMC Section 17.49.070. The intersection visibility triangle shall be the area formed by the intersection of extended curblines and a line joining points on the curb 60 feet (measured along the curblines) from the point of intersection of the curbline extensions, as shown in the example below:
