Specific Design Guidelines  

Components of Scenic Corridors

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Scenic Desert Landscape Setback

(Scenic Easement)

These portions of the corridor cross-section buffer adjacent land uses from the passing traffic while providing an aesthetically pleasing experience for those traveling the corridor right of way.

Scenic Desert Landscape Setback Minimum Width: 100' minimum width should be designated along the entire length of the designated street frontage measured from each edge of the planned ultimate Right of Way (150' full street, 75' half street minimums).

• Exceptions:

• The 100' width may be calculated as a minimum average along the frontage of a single family residential parcel or residential subdivision if:

• The setback perimeter edge horizontally meanders in a gentle curvilinear fashion and the minimum setback is no less than 85' measured from the outside edge of the planned ultimate right of way and if any perimeter wall, following the setback edge is no greater than 7'-4" in height at the street side face, measured from grade.

• Parcels with any zoning approved prior to October 2002 that stipulated a scenic corridor of a different minimum width.
• Parcels adjacent to parcels that have dedicated or have received City of Scottsdale approval (prior to October 2002) with a Scenic Corridor that is a different width than 100'. In such cases the 100' width shall taper to the adjacent property's scenic corridor set back. The taper should be made at a ratio of not greater than 1-foot change in perpendicular to each 3-feet parallel to street frontage.
• The scenic setback width for small lot (<10 acres gross) residential parcels not part of a subdivision shall be designated on an individual basis, however, shall not be less than 50' in average width.
• Parcels that receive specific formal approval by City Council for other set back widths through zoning, development agreement or other formal Council Action.

Scenic Setback as NAOS: In undisturbed native desert areas these setbacks may be considered preservation of that natural area open space (N.A.O.S.) and in most cases may be applied to the property owners' requirements as stipulated in the Environmentally Sensitive Lands Ordinance (E.S.L.O.). In disturbed areas, or areas where native plant densities have diminished, re-vegetation should be implemented. See the E.S.L.O. for designation of these areas as N.A.O.S.

Scenic Setback as Open space: The scenic setback may be counted towards a parcel's required open space.

Elements Discouraged Within the Scenic Setback: Buildings, parking areas, utilities, walls (except retaining walls under 4' in height) or other improvements should not be allowed within the scenic setback.

Acceptable Elements Within the Scenic Setback: Where natural features must be disturbed or recreated, The Scottsdale Sensitive Design Principles should be followed. All participants of the development process should focus on the main goal of minimizing the visual impact of development on the natural desert environment. The elements that may be found in this cross section component include:

• Natural topography
• Natural native desert landscape pallet at natural densities
• Natural desert washes
• Trails and paths
• Limited regional drainage ways (as described below)
• Grade separated pedestrian crossings
• Interpretative displays
• Low level landscape or pedestrian lighting
• Limited perpendicular property access drives

Any other existing structures found with in this setback should be planned for removal or remediation.

Sidewalks and Multi-use paths & Equestrian Trails:

• Rural / Preservation Character Types: A stabilized decomposed granite multi-use path of 8' to 10' in minimum width should be installed along each side of the entire length of scenic corridors. The walk/multi-use path should be separated from the vehicular travel lanes by a landscaped buffer of not less than 10' in width. The walk should meander gradually and return to the curb line at bus stops, intersections and driveways. Wherever possible the walk/multi-use path should be located within the scenic landscape setback and may require it's own easement or share the planned trail easement where such easement exists.

Equestrian trails and the multi-use path should be a combined path and clearances as described in the DS & PM should be kept.

• High Activity / Commercial Character types: An integrally colored 8' to 10' wide minimum concrete walk/multi-use path should be installed along each side of the entire length of scenic corridors. The walk/multi-use path should be separated from the vehicular travel lanes by a landscaped buffer of not less than 10' in width. The walk should meander gradually and return to the curb line at bus stops, intersections and driveways. Wherever possible the walk/multi-use path should be located within the scenic landscape setback and may require it's own easement or share the planned trail easement where such easement is wide enough to be shared.

Accesses from the adjacent parcels should be provided at convenient intervals not greater than ¼ mile apart and along all vehicular cross access routes. In some areas the DRB may determine that stabilized granite may be substituted for integrally colored concrete.

Equestrian trails may be placed adjacent to the hard surface walk and should be constructed to meet the standards described below.

• Unpaved Equestrian (only) Trails: Trails should be surfaced with decomposed granite (stabilized preferred). Trails should be built to standards consistent with section 7.3 of the City of Scottsdale's Design Standards and Policy Manual (see City' web site). Trails should be placed within the scenic setback behind the vehicular right-of-way. The trail should meander gently with the topography and return to the curb line at intersections and driveways. Minimum travel surface width should be determined by the trails master plan or trails coordinator. Low vegetation should be maintained each side of the trail along with a vertical clear zone of 10'. All other improvements and clearing of vegetation should be kept to a minimum.

• Drainage Facilities:

• Detention Basins: On Site detention basins should not be placed within the scenic landscape setback, unless they are part of a regional drainage solution. In such a cases detention basins should be built to recreate a natural arroyo or wash and should not occupy more that 25% of any portion of scenic setback between vehicular accesses. All edges and basin bottoms should be revegatated to a native-like state.
• Channel work: Any civil engineering improvements required to control channels as they cross the scenic setback or move collected runoff to major wash corridors should be rounded to blend with the natural form of the terrain and should be built to recreate a natural arroyo or wash. Drainage structures should be constructed with materials possessing deep desert color tones and textures. Colors should be darker than the native soil. Smooth, reflective, metallic, streamlined structures, crisp tooled masonry, etc... should be avoided. Materials such as native stone, adobe, integrally colored shot-crete etc...are suggested materials. Retention walls of channels should not be greater than 4' in height, or should be stepped in increments of less than 4'. All surfaces disturbed by construction cuts should be treated with desert varnish. All channel edges should be revegetated as described in the landscape section below.
• Railings related to drainage structures: All metal work should be finished as described in the Street Hardware -Right of Way section of these guidelines.

• Signs: Signs are allowed by ordinance if setback 80% or greater within the scenic desert landscape buffer depth (example 100' deep setback, signs may be 80' or more setback from the edge of R.O.W.). Low wall or ground mounted signs built from natural or simulated desert material with heavy textures and deep desert colors are preferred. Reverse channel letter halo illumination or non-illuminated signs are preferred. Low level spot lighting may also be encouraged when it accents the natural materials and textures. Internally illuminated cabinet signs and tower signs are discouraged. The number and size of signs should be kept to a minimum to reduce visual clutter in the natural landscape setting.

All pole-mounted signs should have poles with finishes as described in the Street Hardware - Right of Way section of these guidelines.

• Landscape: Landscaping within the scenic desert landscape setback should be composed of the native Sonoran desert pallet found at (or were historically found at) that particular elevation. Plant species and densities shall be consistent with the typical natural undisturbed desert for the specific local location.

• Wherever possible native plant materials that remain should be retained.

• Where plant densities are diminished, species are missing and or scarring has occurred, additional plantings should be implemented.

• Revegetation should follow the N.A.O.S. Revegetation Area Guidelines found in the appendix of this document.

• All plant materials should match the local surrounding area and shall be of those species found on the City of Scottsdale Indigenous Plants for Environmentally Sensitive Lands list found in the appendix of this document, or as specifically approved by the Development Review Board.

• All landscape plant materials should blend with the native vegetation in mature height and plant form at the time of planting.

• New landscaping for areas such as shoulders, medians, and utility remediation should follow the revegetation guidelines noted above.

• Decorative boulders should only be used where boulder outcroppings are present in the local setting.

For more specific Sonoran desert landscape reference purposes the following documents have been included in the appendix of this document:

• N.A.O.S. Revegetation Area Guidelines
• City of Scottsdale Indigenous Plants for Environmentally Sensitive Lands
• E.S.L.O. Design Guidelines 802-2 Landscape Development Sections 1&2 Native Vegetation & Landscape Features.

• Setback landscape Intensification: The scenic desert landscape setback may be intensified with additional native desert trees and shrubs to create bosque like screens where very shallow historic scenic setbacks exist or to mask dense and or undesirable adjacent development. Tree bosques should not be considered an alternate to following the design guidelines.