As part of the City of Peoria’s commitment to the principles of sound water management and smart growth, the mayor and council recently adopted updates to Peoria’s Landscape Code and Community Design Guidelines to further reduce water usage. These targeted and practical modifications are intended to have a measurable impact on water savings, while maintaining the high-quality development standards that define Peoria.
“Over the past several years, council and I have implemented strategic and smart water policies to further position our community for long-term sustainability and prosperity,” says Mayor Cathy Carlat. “These updates will offer our development community an opportunity to save water and money, and these updates will ensure we further protect our water resources.”
Highlights include:
• Adjustments to shrub and groundcover (e.g., lantana) density, which promotes proper tree canopy coverage and spacing of shrubs to allow plants to better thrive and will require less maintenance over time. This adjustment has negligible visual impact but yields a significant water savings. It has the additional effect of lowering initial development costs and on-going maintenance expenses.
• Reduction in total amount of turf that can be utilized in new development or redevelopment projects and limiting placement of turf to functional and accessible open space areas such as in sports fields and play areas. This alteration does not diminish or reduce the amount of open space required within development projects; rather, it is intended to eliminate turf in areas where ineffective watering occurs and maintenance is problematic for HOAs and property management companies.
• Promotion of a greater range of development techniques that are appropriate for our climate, such as building placement that works with surrounding topography, careful selection of building colors and materials to reduce heat retention, and utilization of Low Impact Development (LID) strategies and techniques for increased water and energy conservation.
“These sensible and meaningful updates are a reflection of Peoria’s commitment to smart water policy,” says Water Services Director Cape Powers. “These updates are a win economically, a win environmentally, and a great step forward as we remain diligent stewards in meeting our community’s water resources needs.”
To see Peoria’s Landscape Code and Community Design Guidelines, visit peoriaaz.gov/planning. To learn more about Peoria’s diverse water portfolio, conservation efforts, and rebate programs, visit peoriaaz.gov/conservation.
