Dumas, Texas Kills Code

Dumas, Texas has taken the unusual step of killing its landscape code. The ordinance was designed to beautify Dumas, but water supply problems have nixed it.

LASN's Associate Editor for ordinances, Prof. Buck Abbey, ASLA of the Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture at Louisiana State University, informs us the small suburban town of Dumas, Texas (pop. 14,000) near Amarillo carries the distinction of being the first community in the country in recent memory to repeal its landscape ordinance regulations.

?EUR??,,????'??During these times of poor economy and push back against government regulations many communities are looking carefully at their development regulations, including those related to landscaping,?EUR??,,????'?? said Buck Abbey. ?EUR??,,????'??For a city to remove its landscape ordinances from the book of zoning regulations is most unusual,?EUR??,,????'?? he adds.

The Dumas Landscape Ordinance No. 1089, Chapter 98, Article VI, Division 4 was voted out on January 9, 2012 during the city commission meeting. The code applied to all multifamily and nonsingle-family residential development. It required street yard landscaping, landscaping a percentage of the front right of way and 10 percent of the interior of all parking lots. Trees were required based upon lot size at one tree per 5,000 sq. ft.

Commissioner David Bonner initiated the repeal during a Dec. 19, 2011 commission meeting. ?EUR??,,????'??The ordinance, one of the better quality of life regulations in the zoning ordinance, was originally enacted to help beautify the community. Since water shortages have hit Texas and Oklahoma hard this season, the commission decided in a four to one vote to ditch the ordinance, since it was clearly in conflict with the city goal to conserve water supplies,?EUR??,,????'?? Buck explains.

Since the dust bowl of the 1930s, native landscaping in the panhandles of Texas and Oklahoma have been known for their soil stabilizing ability. (Editor?EUR??,,????'???s note: If you want to delve into the engaging history of the environment abuse that created the disaster of the Dust Bowl, read The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan.) Many communities have found that by revising their landscape code to reduce the use of lawn grass, mandating water harvesting from roofs and parking areas and requiring Xeriscape based design, they can have their water supply and landscaping at the same time. But Dumas only recommends Xeriscapes, it does not mandate it.

?EUR??,,????'??It is important for landscape architects to work with their community to help them find a better way to preserve the character of an urban area without resorting to 'the final solution' of killing the code,?EUR??,,????'?? say Buck Abbey.