SUMMER LAKE RANCH

COMMERCIAL RESERVES

MASTER LANDSCAPE

DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES

October, 2003

Landscaping Requirements for Front Property

A minimum of a ten foot (10') landscape easement shall be provided along right-of-ways.

A single row of Quercus Virginiana (Live Oak) or Loblolly Pines shall be planted at twenty-five feet (25') on center spacing in a triangular or linear pattern.  Minimum recommended size for the Live Oaks shall be thirty gallon (30 gal.) containers, two and one-half inch (2 1/2") caliper single trunk, and nine to ten feet (9' - 10') in height.  Existing trees shall be maintained and only removed with prior written consent of the Commercial ACC.  To the extent that existing trees exceed the above tree requirement, this tree requirement shall be deemed satisfied.

A single row of Shrubs for Screening and Buffering from the Approved Plant List shall be planted in a four feet (4') wide bed on the backside of the front property landscape easements.  Shrubs shall be five gallons (5 gal.) in size and planted at thirty-six inch (36") on center in a triangular or linear pattern.

Landscaping Requirements for Parking Area

Parking areas must be properly screened from public streets and adjacent properties by the use of hedges, grass berms, trees, and/or other means approved by the Commercial ACC.

The intent of this screening requirement is to break up the view of the lower portions of cars by the use of berms or high density shrubs.

Large massive areas of uninterrupted surface parking shall not be permitted.

Landscape areas consisting of concrete curbed treewell five feet (5') by five feet (5') (outside diameters) in size must be located along the center line of the head to head parking layout will be required where long runs of parking bays are planned.  Single trunk thirty gallon (30 gal.), two and one-half inch (2-1/2") caliper, and nine feet (9') to ten feet (10') in height Shade Trees from the Approved Plant List shall be planted in each treewell.

Landscaping Requirements for Side & Rear Property and Near Buildings

Ornamental Trees from the Approved Plant List, thirty gallons (30 gal.) two and one-half inch (2-1/2") caliper, and nine feet (9') to ten feet (10') in height, shall be planted at a spacing of twenty-five feet (25') on center along the side and rear property lines of a Tract.

There shall be a ten foot (10') wide building setback on all side and rear property lines.  However, in no case shall any two buildings be less than forty feet (40') apart, unless they have a Common Wall Agreement and present the look of a single building.

A minimum five foot (5') surface parking setback shall be maintained at side and rear property lines, except where property lines fall in a common parking area or common drive.  In this case, additional greenspace may be required.

There shall be a single row of Shrubs for Screening and Buffering from the Approved Plant List on all side and rear property lines beside parking lots as shown below.

The Commercial ACC shall determine which property setbacks require a shrub hedge and which require ornamental trees or other trees.

Landscaping is necessary to soften areas where the concrete parking lot visually meets masonry walls. This can be accomplished in several ways depending upon scale, architecture, and materials.  Some combination of trees, planting beds, large greenspace areas, hardscaping, and/or waterscaping is necessary to accomplish this goal. 

The Commercial ACC shall use its discretion to revise these standards if easements present a problem.

Mounding and Earth Berms

Slopes intended to be covered by mowed grass shall be 5:1 maximum.

The grading of setback berms shall vary in height depending upon locations.  The desired effect is one of smooth transition from top of curb to property line.  Emphasis shall be on a gently transition and soft natural form, and not height.  Grading of mounds must not be too lumpy or abrupt.

Where mounding and berms or earth contouring is planned, smooth transitions with soft natural and well rounded forms are desired.  Trees and shrubs shall not be planted directly on top of these berms. 

All planted areas shall be graded so as to prevent ponding of water.  Particular attention should be given to drainage of planting beds to ensure that excess surface and subsurface water drain away rapidly.  All drainage structures in planting beds must be connected to the subsurface storm drainage system.

Approved Plant List

The following landscape materials are approved for use in the Summer Lake Ranch Commercial Reserves:

Botanical Name                     Common Name                      Approved Minimum

   Installation Size

Shade Trees

Quercus Shumardii                   'Shumard' Red Oak                  2-1/2" cal./30 gal.

Quercus Virginiana                   Live Oak                                  2-1/2" cal./30 gal.

Quercus Nigra                          Water Oak                               2-1/2" cal./30 gal.

Ulmus Parvifolia                        Drake Elm                                2-1/2" cal./30 gal.

Carya Illinoinensis                     Pecan                                       2-1/2" cal./30 gal.

Ulmus Parvifolia                        Semperviren     Chinese Elm     2-1/2" cal./30 gal.

Quercus Laurelfolius                 Laurel Oak                               2-1/2" cal./30 gal.

Loblolly Pine                            2-1/2" cal./30 gal.

Ornamental Trees

Magnolia Grandiflora                Southern Magnolia                    2-1/2" cal./30 gal.

Betula Nigra                             Riverbirch                                 30 gal./8'-10' ht.

Cercis Canadensis                    Redbud                                    2-1/2' cal./30 gal.

Ilex Opaca                               Savannah Holly                         2-1/2" cal./30 gal.

Photinia Fraseri                        Photinia Tree                             2-1/2" cal./30 gal.

Lagerstroemia Indica                Crepemyrtle                              30 gal./8'-10' ht.

Pyrus Calleryana                       Bradford Pear                          2-1/2" cal./30 gal.

Myrica Cerifera                        Wax Myrtle                              2-1/2" cal./30 gal.

Shrubs for Screening and Buffering

Ligustrum Japonica                   Waxleaf Ligustrum                    5 gal. 36" o.c. single row

Photinia Fraseri                         Redtip Photinia                         5 gal. 36" o.c. single row

Nerium Oleander                      Oleander                                  5 gal. 36" o.c. single row

Myrica Cerifera                        Wax Myrtle 'Dwarf'                  5 gal. 36" o.c. single row

Ilex Cornuta 'Burford'               Burford Holly                           5 gal. 36" o.c. single row

Shrubs for Mass Plantings

Raphiolepis Indica                    Indian Hawthorn                       5 gal. 30" o.c.

Ilex Vomitoria 'Nana'                Dwarf Youpon Holly                5 gal. 30" o.c.

Ilex Cornuta                             Dwarf Chinese Holly                 5 gal. 30" o.c.

Rhododendron Indica               Azaleas                                    5 gal. 30" o.c.

Ilex Furfordii                             Dwarf Burford Holly                 5 gal. 30" o.c.

Pittosporum Tobira                   Green Pittosporum                    5 gal. 30" o.c.

Pittosporum Variegata              Variegated Pittosporum            5 gal. 30" o.c.

Pittosporum Wheeleri               Dwarf Pittosporum                   5 gal. 30" o.c.

Lagerstroemia Indica                Dwarf Crepemyrtle                   5 gal. 30" o.c.

Nandina Domestica                  Compact Nandina                    5 gal. 30" o.c.

Juniperus C. Parsonii                Parson Juniper                          5 gal. 30" o.c.

Juniperus C. Tamariscifolia        Tam Juniper                              5 gal. 30" o.c.

Juniperus Pfitzerianna                Pfitzer Juniper                           5 gal. 30" o.c.

Existing native trees are also allowed.

Groundcover Plantings

Trachelospermum Asiaticum     Asian Jasmine                           1 gal. 15" o.c.

Ophiopogon Japonica               Monkey Grass                          1 gal. 12" o.c.

Buxus Macrophylla                   Boxwood                                 1 gal. 18" o.c.

Gelsemium Semperviren            Carolina Jessamine                   1 gal. 12" o.c.

Liriope Muscari                        Liriope                                     1 gal. 12" o.c.

Honeysuckle                             1 gal. 12" o.c.

Grass

Cynodon Dactylon                    Common Bermuda                   Hydromulch or sod

Seasonal Color

Annuals and perinnials are especially recommended for enhancing the landscape of each tract.  Seasonal color , variety and usage shall be approved by the Commercial ACC.

Summer:  April through October           Petunias            Verbina            Salvia

Begonias          Daylillies           Portulaca

Lantana            Impatiens          Mexican Heather

Winter:  November to March                Dianthus

Pansies

 Irrigation System

All landscaped areas shall be irrigated by an underground automatic irrigation system that has been approved by the Commercial ACC.  The irrigation system shall be of quality design, requiring minimum maintenance and minimizing runoff by utilizing water conservation measures.  Sprinkler heads shall be located to effectively water areas with minimum overthrow onto walks, driveways, etc.  Sprinkler heads shall produce complete coverage of specific areas to be watered.

Backflow prevention devices shall be installed as required by local codes.  Installation of backflow prevention devices shall be out of sight from any street.  It is recommended that such devices be located within a shrub mass on the project site.

Select a reliable contractor for installation of the automatic irrigation system. It is required that the irrigation contractor be licensed to business within the State of Texas.

Gate valves shall be located at scattered locations on the specific project site at no more than one hundred fifty feet (150') on center.

Remote control valves shall be sized to provide adequate pressure drop to insure proper valve operations.

Proper sprinkler nozzles shall be selected to provide water to landscape elements which have been chosen for their compatibility with the respective soils within the project site.

Sprinkler heads shall be flush mounted using high pop ups twelve inches (12') in height for shrubs and groundcover areas and pop ups four inches (4") in height in grass areas.

Swing joints on heads shall be used in all setback areas to avoid and minimize mechanical damage.

All irrigation systems shall be designed to guarantee no greater than twenty percent (20%) operating pressure differential and no less than the manufacturer's recommendation between the farthest head and remote control valve.

Areas planned for future expansion within the project site need not be irrigated.  However, these areas must be properly mowed and maintained.  Installation of temporary quick couplers to access these areas when needed is recommended.

Tracts adjacent to street rights-of-way shall provide irrigation for that adjacent right-of-way.  Alternatively, tract owners adjacent to street rights-of-way will reimburse the Association for the actual costs of irrigating and landscaping in the adjacent road right-of-way if such landscaping has previously been installed by the Association.

All controllers shall be located out of sight.