The Landscape Checklist is a City of Dallas Development Services Department worksheet for Article X, the city's landscape regulations. It lists the mandatory provisions of Section 10.125, such as street buffer zones, residential buffer zones, interior zone trees and site trees, and the design option points of Section 10.126. On this page you can fill out the checklist online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF; the original PDF is published by the City of Dallas at the official link.
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What is Landscape Checklist – Dallas, TX?
The Landscape Checklist – Article X is a City of Dallas Development Services Department worksheet that lists the landscape requirements of Article X: the mandatory provisions of Section 10.125 and the design option points of Section 10.126, with spaces to record required and provided amounts.
The first page covers the mandatory provisions, which must be met when applicable. They include the Street Buffer Zone (SBZ) with its depth table by right-of-way type, the Residential Buffer Zone (RBZ), the Interior Zone rules for parking lots with 21 to 100 or 101 or more spaces, screening of off-street loading spaces, site trees and the table of site tree credits for retained trees.
The remaining pages cover Landscape Design Options under Section 10.126. A table sets the design option points required for a building site by lot size, from 0 points for a lot of 0 to 999 sf up to 50 points for 50 acres and greater. Eleven option groups then show how points are earned, from plant material bonus and buffer zone enhancements to pavements, conservation, Low Impact Development, parking lots and general options. A total-points line and a required-points line close the form.
The form carries its own caution: it is guidance for using the city ordinance and may not reflect the exact text of the regulation.
Who needs to file Landscape Checklist – Dallas, TX?
The checklist is aimed at people working through the Article X landscape provisions for a building site in the City of Dallas, such as property owners, designers and the reviewer who checks the result. The form has Address, Date, Reviewer and Trace # lines at the top of each page, and its mandatory provisions apply when applicable to the site.
Points to check before you start:
- Design option points are required for each building site, and the number depends on lot size. The form's own example is a 4500 square foot lot, which requires 4 points.
- Site trees depend on zoning: the standard rule is one 2" caliper tree per 4,000 square feet of lot area, while IM and IR zoning with industrial or warehouse uses uses one per 6,000 square feet.
- The Interior Zone rules apply by parking count, 21 to 100 spaces or 101 or more.
- Enhanced screening and enhanced facade designs require a landscape architect, according to the form's notes.
- Parking lot screening is mandatory in NO(A), LO(A), LO-1, LO-2, LO-3, MO(A), MO-1, MO-2 and GO(A) districts.
The form does not say who may sign or submit it for someone else, and it has no signature line.
How to fill out Landscape Checklist – Dallas, TX
Enter address, date, reviewer and trace number
At the top of page 1, fill in ADDRESS and DATE; the REVIEWER and TRACE # lines appear in the same header, here and on the design options page.
Complete the Street Buffer Zone
Mark Required and Provided for the Street Buffer Zone (SBZ): one 3" caliper large or medium tree per 40' of street frontage. Check the depth table for your right-of-way type (freeways, arterials and community collectors, or local and residential collectors), and mark Urban Streetscape or Right-of-Way if you use either option.
Complete the Residential Buffer Zone
Where a residential adjacency exists, mark whether screening is required (one large or medium tree per 40') or not required, and check which of the four plant group combinations you provide.
Mark the Interior Zone line
Check the line for 21 to 100 parking spaces or for 101 or more parking spaces. Confirm large and medium trees are at least 3" caliper, the landscape area is at least 160 sf with 8 feet of soil width, and trunks are 4 feet from pavement.
Complete the additional provisions
Mark screening of off-street loading spaces (minimum 6' height). Under Site trees, mark Required and Provided for the Standard ratio or the IM and IR zoning ratio, whichever applies.
Record site tree credits
In the credit table, enter the number of retained trees in each caliper range, using the credit for each range (for example 2 for 8 inches or more but less than 14 inches). See Sec. 51A-10.125(b)(4)(B) for eligibility details.
Enter the lot size points on page 2
Fill in ADDRESS, DATE, REVIEWER and TRACE #, then mark the lot size row that matches your site and note the points required. For lots of 2,000 sf to 9,999 sf the points are 2 to 9, one point for every 1000 sf.
Score options (1) through (5)
Mark each option used for plant material bonus, buffer zone enhancements, engineered solutions for soil volume, screening and building facade, and enter the points. Stay within each group's maximum: 5, 20, 10, 20 and 15.
Score options (6) through (9)
Mark the options and subtotals for pedestrian uses (25 maximum), pavements (15), conservation (25) and Low Impact Development (20).
Score options (10) and (11)
For parking lots, use the 30-point maximum for a DIA of 10 acres or larger and 20 for less than 10 acres. Then mark the General options, SITES documentation or a landscape maintenance plan of at least 3 years, if you use them.
Enter total and required points
Add every option you marked and write the result on the TOTAL POINTS line. Enter the number from the lot size table on the REQUIRED POINTS line; the reviewer line sits beside them.
Review and download the completed PDF
Check that required and provided amounts match your site plan and that no category exceeds its maximum. Download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF and deliver it as the City of Dallas Development Services Department directs.
How to submit Landscape Checklist – Dallas, TX
The checklist prints no mailing address, portal, office or submission instructions, so the channel is not stated on the form itself. It has Address, Date, Reviewer and Trace # lines, which tie a completed copy to a specific site and review. Because the City of Dallas Development Services Department publishes the form, confirm with that department how and where to deliver the completed checklist for your project. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the agency's channels.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Counting street trees smaller than 3" caliper toward the Street Buffer Zone, which needs one 3" caliper large or medium tree per 40' of street frontage (two small trees may substitute only when existing conditions allow).
- Placing site trees off the lot; the form says all site trees must be located on the lot.
- Using the 4,000 square foot site tree ratio for IM or IR zoning with industrial or warehouse uses, where the form gives one 2" caliper tree per 6,000 square feet.
- Claiming plant material bonus points above the 5-point maximum, or for plants not placed in the front yard.
- Claiming buffer zone enhancement points where the street buffer zone is reduced to no more than 5% of lot area; the form says they are not available then.
- Claiming Enhanced design screening points without a landscape architect, which the form's asterisk note requires.
- Listing parking lot screening as a voluntary option in NO(A), LO(A), LO-1, LO-2, LO-3, MO(A), MO-1, MO-2 or GO(A) districts, where screening is mandatory.
- Entering more points in a category than its stated maximum, such as 25 for Pedestrian uses or 20 for Screening.
- Treating the checklist as the exact text of the regulation; the form says it is guidance and may not reflect the exact text.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Dallas Article X Landscape Checklist?
It is a City of Dallas Development Services Department checklist for Article X landscape rules. It lists the mandatory provisions of Section 10.125 and the design option points of Section 10.126, with spaces to record what is required and what is provided for a site.
Is the Landscape Checklist a Dallas building permit application?
The form does not present itself as a permit application. It is a checklist with Address, Date, Reviewer and Trace # lines, described as guidance for using the city ordinance. For permit procedures, contact the City of Dallas Development Services Department.
How many design option points does my lot need?
It depends on lot size. The form lists 0 points for 0 to 999 sf, 1 point for 1,000 to 1,999 sf, 2 to 9 points for 2,000 to 9,999 sf (one per 1000 sf), and higher totals up to 50 points for 50 acres and greater.
How many street trees does the Street Buffer Zone require?
The form requires one 3" caliper large or medium tree per 40' of street frontage, provided along the entire length of the lot excluding paved ingress and egress points. Where existing conditions allow, two small trees may substitute for each required tree.
How do site trees and retained tree credits work?
Standard lots need one 2" caliper site tree per 4,000 square feet; IM and IR lots with industrial or warehouse uses need one per 6,000. A retained tree earns credits by caliper, from 0 for under 2 inches up to 20 for 38 inches or more.
Do I need a landscape architect for the design options?
Only for certain choices. The form marks the Enhanced design options for screening and building facade with an asterisk meaning a landscape architect is required. Other options do not carry that note on the checklist.
Can I fill out the Landscape Checklist online?
Yes. You can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is an independent service and does not submit the checklist to the City of Dallas; delivery follows the agency's instructions.
Where do I submit the Landscape Checklist?
The form prints no address, portal or office for submission. Contact the City of Dallas Development Services Department to confirm where and how to deliver the completed checklist for your project.
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