To: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
From: ANDREW WINJE, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR
TITLE
title
DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING OPTIONS TO INCREASE THE INSTALLATION OF NATIVE PLANTS AND POLLINATORS IN THE CITY AND CONSIDERATION OF THE INPUT PROVIDED BY THE PUBLIC WORKS AND SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION ON THE OPTIONS
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Habitat Gardening is an approach to landscaping that prioritizes the use of native plant and pollinator species along with pollinator fountains to attract and support native birds, bees, butterflies, and other wildlife. The practice can also reduce irrigation demand, potentially increasing the sustainability of landscaping investments in periods of drought. It also supports water conservation. The City Council Strategic Plan includes a staff presentation focused on the options to implement native plant and pollinator requirements in the City, including feedback provided by the Public Works and Sustainability Commission (PWSC) on the subject.
For landscaping activities in public spaces, the City has the opportunity to directly select plant species as part of its capital projects and through regular maintenance operations. The City can also educate, encourage, or mandate the use of native plants through the community development review process when projects require approval of a landscaping plan on public or private property. The City has certain policies and practices in place, but there is room for more strict controls, as discussed below, if desired by the City Council.
The increased use of native plants in City maintained spaces will require an investment of staff time and energy to train on new maintenance practices, irrigation changes, soil remediation and plant material replacement techniques and to educate the public on the seasonal bloom, growth, and dormancy cycles of native plants and the affect they have on landscape appearance. These investments in staff time and energy will be necessary for a successful transition from the Public Work’s traditional landscape planting and maintenance program, which has prioritized a year-round clean and green look, to a more contemporary preservation and environmentally minded focus.
The table included as part of this report summarizes possible approaches to a change in policy and practices, including redirecting efforts of City staff, updating landscaping standards for the development community, and/or educating residents. Staff is seeking direction on which, if any, or what combination of these approaches the Council wishes to pursue, and the specific objectives the Council would like to prioritize as next steps.
BACKGROUND
Public Works and Sustainability Commission Recommendations
The City Council adopted 12-month strategic planning objectives on May 30, 2023, that included Objective 2 of Goal 3: Increase Environmental Sustainability - “Native Planting and Pollinator Requirements: Prepare a discussion item for the Public Works and Sustainability Commission to consider requiring the inclusion of pollinator fountains and native plantings in new developments.” The PWSC is tasked with advising the City Council on all environmental issues; therefore, the City Council directed staff to bring this item to the PWSC to consider the inclusion of pollinators and native plantings as a policy for City controlled properties. While the objective states the inclusion of pollinator fountains, after discussion with Council Member Obagi, the Objective’s initiator, the focus has been clarified to include native planting and pollinator species in general and is no longer limited to pollinator fountains.
Staff initiated two presentations at meetings on September 25, 2023 and October 23, 2023. These discussions included input from Mike Garcia, Founder of Enviroscape LA Landscaping, a landscape design contractor, Mayor Jim Light, who at the time was the President of South Bay Parkland Conservancy, and Tracy Drake, Park Services Manager and Naturalist at the City of Torrance. The items covered the various ways that the City’s medians, parkways, and real estate could be improved to support pollinator activity and habitat development in the City. The conversation was also helpful in understanding what development conditions for private development might be appropriate when properties are entitled for new projects by the City’s Planning Division.
With the significant volume and range of information, the PWSC felt the need to develop a subcommittee to synthesize the data and come up with specific policy recommendations that could be discussed at a future PWSC meeting prior to sending formal recommendations to the City Council for potential policy adoption.
On October 8, 2024, the City Council adopted the new 12-month strategic plan objectives, with Objective 1 of Goal 3 Increase Environmental Sustainability - “Native Planting and Pollinator Requirements: Provide a report to the City Council on options to implement native plant and pollinator requirements in the City and present the feedback provided by the Public Works and Sustainability PWSC on the subject.”
Following work by the subcommittee, an outline of potential recommendations was discussed at the PWSC’s October 2024 regular meeting. As a result of the discussion, the PWCS approved the attached policy recommendations.
Provision of Educational Resources
In addition to the resources provided by the presenters at the PWSC, and those referenced by the subcommittee, staff has found the following websites helpful in providing more information on this topic:
• California Native Plant Society -www.calscape.org <http://www.calscape.org>, for garden design planner tool and care ideas, plant lists and specialty contractor references
• Metropolitan Water District - www.bewaterwise.com <http://www.bewaterwise.com>, for rebate programs, plant lists, lawn replacement information
• Los Angeles Audubon Society - www.laaudubon.org <http://www.laaudubon.org>, for conservation activities and guides for environmentally friendly urban living
• Pollinator Partnership - www.pollinator.org <http://www.pollinator.org>, for information on value of pollinators, field learning and activities, seed mixes, planting guides and pesticide education
The City Council may wish to direct staff to promote educational material about habitat gardening elements. Signage programs could be added to projects using new native landscaping. Links to the above websites and other similar tools can be added to enhance the City’s website (e.g the Environmental Programs and Forms and Permits pages, hosted by the Public Works Department, Engineering Services Division). The City could also sponsor, or continue to host, public outreach events such as the recent “Seeds to Superbloom - Pollinators in Your Garden” <https://library.redondo.org/calendar.php?view=day&month=02&day=22&year=2025&calendar=&id=547> family event held in the Main Library on February 22, 2025.
Include Native Plants and Pollinators in City Projects and Public Right-of-Way Practices
City-led capital improvement projects offer an opportunity for the City to select plant species, and install native habitat when landscaped areas are included in the scope of work. Typically, the City contracts final design of capital projects to consultants who seek input on City standards and project objectives, including those for landscaped spaces. Desires often vary from project to project and the City has no adopted plant material standards beyond “performance” standards for things like low water use, drought tolerance, aesthetic value, geographic continuity, safety of the public, maintenance demand, and cost to install.
More defined standards could increase the prescribed usage of native species, and could take many forms, such as: development of park or median master plans that include native species palettes (specific to a roadway corridor, for example); requirements that park improvement projects include a percentage of native species in their plant palette; or direction to add pollinator fountains when feasible. Types of native plants could be specified for particular purposes or when specific conditions are met, as is the case for the $30,000 Capital Improvement Project to install Seacliff Buckwheat in medians and parkways west of PCH to provide El Segundo Blue Butterfly habitat. Projects with more general purposes to introduce and model Habitat Gardening could also be defined and funded, similar to the project to improve the landscaped area in the City Hall courtyard. A general policy for larger CIP projects involving landscaping could be similar, with the added milestone that landscape plans, include certain types or percentages of plants that are approved by the City Council prior to the implementation of the work.
The Public Works Department also oversees maintenance landscaping at City properties and in portions of the public right-of-way. Per the State Highway Code (§5600 and §5610) adjacent property owners are responsible to maintain parkways in front of their parcels, but the City manages landscaping of parks, City facilities, medians, and some parkways. Adoption of standards (e.g. use of native species for a minimum percentage of the landscaped area), approval of specific plant palettes for arterial corridors, and the development of park master plans would all help in directing staff to establish an acceptable level of natives via ongoing maintenance efforts. Any such standards should recognize the additional objectives and constraints of publicly landscaped areas, beyond those addressed by Habitat Gardening. These include cost of installation and maintenance, likelihood of survival in urban settings, availability of stock for purchase, year-round aesthetic interests, continuity of established themes, and public safety. Council received a report on high level park master plans in July 2024 that addressed more fundamental park needs, but landscaping objectives should be a part of future master planning efforts on a park-by-park basis.
A transition to natives in City-maintained landscape spaces will require planning and patience. Caltrans, in their Roadside Maintenance Toolbox <https://dot.ca.gov/programs/design/lap-roadside-management-toolbox/tool4q-lap-native-vegetation>, suggests a three-to-five-year establishment period is needed for native plants used in a roadside installment. During that time, other more aggressive plant species and weeds will need to be controlled and the annual bloom and dormant cycles of natives (as compared to other ornamental choices) will need to be accepted by the public. Site-specific landscape installation requirements may include changes to irrigation systems, soil remediation, and removal/eradication of existing landscape material. Updated landscape management techniques will need to be developed and implemented in the Parks Services Division, as the City’s traditional methods for irrigation, pruning, and shearing do not always carry over to native plant material. The City’s landscaping staff will require training in these methods.
While properly established native plants in low intensity settings can be self-sustaining and require less maintenance in the long term, practical experience for relatively small municipal median installations suggests a spike in labor and material costs in the short term should be anticipated, and potentially without successful outcomes. Staff experience in other municipalities suggests an increase in labor costs of 20% to 30% should be expected when a native planting policy is implemented.
Requirements for Development Projects
The City has the opportunity to influence native plant use for all projects on provate propoerty that require landscape plan review. The General Plan Update policy discussion, anticipated in Summer 2025, includes proposed Goals, Policies, and Implementation Measures within the Land Use and Open Space and Conservation Elements <https://cms2.revize.com/revize/redondobeachca/Documents/Departments/Community%20Development/PLANredondo/General%20Plan/2024_July/03_RB_OpenSpaceAndConservation_July2024.pdf> concerning environmental sustainability and landscaping requirements on private property that include the use of drought tolerant and native plant species. Both the General Plan Advisory Committee and the Planning Commission have reviewed the proposed Goals, Polices, and Implementation Measures regarding this matter and the proposed Land Use and Open Space and Conservation Elements with these considerations will be presented to the City Council for consideration as part of the Phase 2 General Plan Update discussion. Such action may include changes to the municipal code or modifications of adoption of formalized landscaping guidelines to address the policy goals. The PWSC reviewed the germane policy recommendations prepared for the General Plan Update by the General Plan Advisory Committee and indicates their support for those related to this topic in their attached policy recommendation document.
It should be noted that the Redondo Beach Municipal Code (RBMC) currently requires developers, and anyone seeking a building or planning permit, to follow provisions of the State’s Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance, 23 CCR, Division 2, Chapter 2.7 (MWELO). MWELO encourages the use of fire-safe landscaping, including native plants. In addition, the RBMC regulates landscaping in its Planning and Zoning Chapter (Title 10, Article 7) <https://ecode360.com/42656482>. That Chapter addresses plant and tree type, location, use and size. It states that drought-tolerant plants shall be used where feasible and recommended drought-tolerant plant species are listed in the “City of Redondo Beach List of Trees and Water Conserving Plants,” which is maintained by the Public Works Department. The current tree and plant list document was developed with only street tree species in mind and is available on the City’s Park Maintenance page <https://www.redondo.org/departments/public_works/parks_maintenance.php>. This document could be reimagined to include appropriate palettes for natives and drought tolerant species. Additional policy information pertaining to best practices for sustainable community development is available from the non-profit Sustainable Development Code <https://sustainablecitycode.org/about/>.
The Public Works Department has prepared a flyer to inform residents about parkway landscaping guidelines when a City permit is not required, what’s been called “Level 1” landscaping. This handout is dated and includes a Parkway Plant Palette that was developed to promote drought tolerant species, some of which may also be considered natives. This handout could be modified to highlight and promote the use of natives for parkway landscaping done by homeowners not under permit.
The California Native Plant Society provides a good resource for homeowners wishing to convert existing parkway landscaping to natives <https://www.cnps.org/gardening/parkways>. An education and incentive approach (such as directing residents to turf-removal rebate program <https://www.bewaterwise.com/turf-replacement-program.html> offered by the Metropolitan Water District) is recommended in this case as residents are much more likely to maintain a parkway if it is designed to their preference. However, some cities do include regulations regarding parkway planting in their municipal code. These regulations typically address prohibited materials (invasive species, artificial turf, plant types deemed as potential threats to public safety), but some include recommended guidelines or detailed parkway landscape project permitting requirements.
Summary of Potential Action
City Council can influence the increased use of native plant species and pollinator fountains in many ways, from education to mandated compliance with stronger City standards. The following table summarizes some potential policy actions the Council may consider. At this time, staff is seeking direction from Council on what additional avenues, if any, it would like to pursue in order to meet the City’s desired objectives and outcomes with respect to native plant and pollinator requirements. The table below categorizes the various policy/practice options and describes their relative ease, time, and cost for implementation.
|
Policy Topic |
Specific Actions |
Implementation: |
|
|
|
Ease |
Time |
Cost |
|
Education |
|
|
|
|
|
Website tools |
Enhance appropriate City webpages to advocate for habitat gardening, including adding links to external resources |
Simpler |
Shorter |
Lower |
|
Website tools |
Revise “List of Trees and Water Conserving Plants” into a “Parkway and Development Landscaping Guidelines” document that includes approved trees and suggested plant palettes for private and public spaces, and prohibited plant and landscaping material in the ROW |
Simpler |
Middle |
Lower |
|
Community events |
Waive rental/use fees for education events |
Middle |
Shorter |
Middle |
|
Community events |
Plan and host education events |
Harder |
Longer |
Higher |
|
Interpretive Signage |
Provide interpretive signage where feasible for City projects involving the use of native plantings and pollinators |
Middle |
Middle |
Middle |
|
City Capital Projects and Maintenance Activities |
|
|
Landscaping Standards |
Develop policy goals for landscaping in capital projects at City facilities and for City maintained ROW |
Simpler |
Shorter |
Lower |
|
Master Planning |
Develop plant palette and landscape objectives for medians along arterials and collector streets |
Middle |
Longer |
Higher |
|
Master Planning |
Develop plant palette, pollinator fountain requirements for parks and parkettes |
Harder |
Longer |
Higher |
|
Landscape Projects |
Develop specific project list to consider as a future CIP for landscape conversion to native habitat and pollinator support |
Middle |
Middle |
Middle |
|
Restoration Projects |
Develop policy and budget to support, as feasible, native habitat restorations projects |
Middle |
Middle |
Middle |
|
Private Development Project Requirements |
|
|
|
|
Municipal Code |
Modify municipal code in accordance with outcomes of the General Plan Update discussion anticipated in July of 2025 |
Middle |
Middle |
Longer |
|
Municipal Code |
Modify municipal code to expand project types requiring Low Impact Development plan approval |
Middle |
Middle |
Longer |
|
Incentives |
Develop entitlement incentives for projects meeting certain native planting landscaping criteria and develop those criteria |
Middle |
Middle |
Middle |
|
Incentives |
Support and provide information regarding “turf to garden” conservation rebates offered by Cal Water, MWD etc. |
Simpler |
Shorter |
Lower |
COORDINATION
This report was coordinated by the Public Works and Community Development Departments in conjunction with the PWSC.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact with this item.
APPROVED BY:
Mike Witzansky, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
• PWSC Native Plant and Pollinators Recommendations
• Flyer -Guidance for Parkway Landscaping - Level 1