New Landscaping Requirements in Williston | Video

Evan Kruegel | 10/18/2012

Before now, new developments in Williston have had no landscaping requirements. As of January 1, that`s going to change.

"Nobody likes to drive into a neighborhood and see weeds and rocks and dirt piled, and we realize it takes some time and we realize it costs some money. But if we want to be a city that people can be proud of we think we need to address this," said Mayor Ward Koeser.

Ordinance 959 will do just that, placing aesthetic requirements on all new residential, commercial and light industrial properties. It`s something that`s new to Williston, but very common in cities of similar size.

"Your larger communities tend to do this and have for many, many years,” said Koeser.

For homeowners, the law will require both front and side yards to be landscaped. The definition of landscaped, however, is pretty lenient, requiring just basic grass and trees.

"If they do a good job of trying to level out the ground and plant some grass, that’s acceptable. If they want to plant some sod, that`s even better."

Potential buildings that do not meet the landscape requirements will simply not be granted permits until developers change their plans.

"What they do is when they get their building permit, they have to file a plan, a landscaping plan. So that gets approved, and then we follow through to the building department to make sure that gets done," said Koeser.

Residents will also be responsible for planting trees on city boulevards in front of their homes. Businesses will be responsible for creating buffering zones if they develop next to a residential property. The new ordinance may cost new home owners some extra money, but a well-landscaped property can significantly increase a home`s value.

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