Bay-Friendly, But Is It Piedmont-Friendly?

The Piedmont City Council tonight will consider a revised Bay-friendly landscaping ordinance, arguably the most contentious issue in Piedmont since Blair Park.

Council members on June 4 tabled an earlier version of the ordinance, based on guidelines developed by StopWaste.org, after several Piedmont residents emailed, wrote and spoke about their opposition.

Adoption of a Bay-friendly ordinance is a requirement to receive a $22,000 annual grant from StopWaste, which has been used in Piedmont to fund curbside recycling and similar programs. The grant program is in its final year.

The proposed ordinance sets requirements for landscaping that are designed to reduce water use and the amount of "green waste." It applies to new construction with a yard area of 5,000 square feet or more landscaped with irrigated plantings. A major change in the revised version would adopt current StopWaste.org guidelines but not automatically accept future changes in those guideliens.

Proponents have argued that the ordinance would demonstrate Piedmont's commitment to environmentally friendly practices and would help the city meet its goals of reducing "greenhouse gas" emissions.

Opponents have focused largely on the issue of local control, saying that they do not want Piedmont landscaping practices dictated by an outside agency.

The council's public session begins at 7:30 p.m. Monday, June 18, in the City Hall council chambers, 120 Vista Ave. The full agenda for the meeting is attached above, and staff reports are available on the City of Piedmont website.

Here are links to a variety of information and opinion about the proposal:

City of Piedmont planning staff report, including a copy of the revised ordinance.

City of Piedmont FAQ about the ordinance.

Piedmont Patch blog in favor of the ordinance.

Piedmont Patch letter to the editor opposing the ordinance.

Piedmont Civic Association editorial opposing the ordinance.

Piedmont Civic Association reader comments on the ordinance.