City Council OKs Landscaping Law to Cut Water Use

The City Council on Monday voted unanimously, with Councilwoman Carol Liu absent, to approve a state-mandated landscaping ordinance that aims to reduce water usage.

Irrigation plans will be required for anyone seeking building permits for apartment and commercial buildings with more than 2,500 square feet of landscaping.

The ordinance exempts existing structures and new single-family dwellings. Historic sites and ecological restoration projects with less than 2,500 square feet of landscaping are also exempted.

Major developments will be required to install “sensing devices” that automatically shut off sprinklers when it rains, City Manager Gabrielle Pryor said.

In other action, the council approved a cultural heritage program and authorized the La Canada Historical Society to review properties and compile a list of the most noteworthy.

The society will research the architect, architecture, occupancy and history of the structure and forward that data to the city, which will decide whether the building should be placed on a historic preservation register.

The council is expected to vote on a preservation ordinance in six to 12 months, Pryor said.