Landscape Alberta was again invited to sit on the Landscape Standards review committee for 2017. Along with members of UDI and City staff from various departments, the group reviews issues and suggests changes to the Landscape Standards. The City in the end has final say on all changes but are open to modification based on our feedback as stakeholders. This year there were very few changes to the landscape standard. There is the release of a new draft Top Soil specification that will come in to effect July 1, 2018. All other changes take effect July 1 of this year. Please note the changes take effect on projects tendered and bid after the effective date. The standards in place at the time of approval and /or work are the standards that apply to that job.
Highlights of changes include:
- Identification of tree trenches on all drawings
- Updated detail (LA101) for enhanced Tree Protection Zone
- Increased setback to 6.0 m from field of play on sports fields and added requirement for top soil inspection at time of install for sports fields
- Project Manager or consultant must now provide maintenance records for sports fields
- Grasses in naturalized areas must maintain a minimum height of 100-150 mm during establishment
- Median are now considered a possible site for naturalization and will not require a mowed buffer strip
- Changed seed mix for non-maintained naturalized areas. It will be significantly more expensive with full understanding that this will be adjusted for in project bidding
- CCC inspection season is approximated at June 1st to October 15th, with a new clause that “considerable snow coverage will result in immediate end of inspection season”
- This same new wording also applies to FAC with original time lines in place
- Streamlined the inspection timelines to be initiated within 30 days of Parks Pre-Screen approval.
- Contractors must now provide maintenance logs for the period between CCC and FAC.
- A contractor wishing to apply a pesticide on City property or property that is in the possession of the developer and has not yet received FAC, must first submit a completed Contractor Pesticide Use Notification Form to the appropriate service area. This must be sent at least 48 hours (not including weekends and holidays) prior, and be acknowledged by an email confirmation before conducting the treatment. If no response within two business days, the contractor may proceed. Please submit only one site per form. The Contractor Pesticide Use Notification Form may be found on the City of Edmonton website: http://edmonton.ca/business_economy/selling_to_the_city/contractor-pesticide-use-notification-form.aspx
- Updated reference to current edition of Canadian Standards for Nursery Stock, available free to members at https://cnla.ca/training/cnss/
The top soil specifications will be undergoing a stakeholder review in the coming months with Landscape Alberta hosting a focus group session. We will also be working with the City of Edmonton on a training/standards manual for landscape and tree inspections in an effort to improve consistency of inspections.
https://www.edmonton.ca/city_government/documents/Design_and_Construction_Landscaping.pdf