[HISTORY: Adopted by the Borough Council
of the Borough of Downingtown 7-7-1999 by Ord. No. 99-9. Amendments noted where
applicable.]
In an effort to revitalize the Boot Road Corridor,
this ordinance has been prepared to enhance the visual character of
the corridor through landscape enhancements, site amenities and pavement
inserts.
The screening options presented below should
not be used to produce monotonous, linear design. If a long length
of screening is required, options should be combined or alternated,
or plant materials should be varied to achieve a more pleasing effect.
Other creative options, such as changes in elevation utilizing existing
vegetation or varying plant materials within a bufferyard are encouraged.
Screening in addition to that specified below may also be required
due to slopes or specific conditions where specified screening measures
do not achieve the necessary level of concealment. Landscape materials
and screen elements should be utilized in a manner that provides unity
and continuity to the streetscape.
A.
Landscape strip.
(1)
All commercial, industrial and nonresidential land
uses within the Boot Road Corridor shall provide a landscaped strip
as described below. This landscape strip shall be provided on the
property adjacent to all public rights-of-way. (In any area where
a parking lot is immediately adjacent to a public right-of-way, the
provisions for parking lot landscaping shall apply.) The landscaped
strip may not include any paved area except pedestrian sidewalks or
trails which cross perpendicular to the landscaped strip.
(2)
Any of the following landscaped strip treatments may
be used singularly or in combination:
(a)
Provide a minimum ten-foot-wide landscaped strip
to be planted with a minimum of one shade tree and 10 shrubs per 35
linear feet of frontage, excluding driveway openings (see Commercial
and Industrial Landscaped Strip Figure, Option 1).[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Said figure is located at the
end of this chapter.
(b)
Provide a minimum twenty-five-foot-wide strip
of existing vegetation (see Commercial and Industrial Landscaped Strip
Figure, Option 2).[2] The Planning Commission at its discretion may require
additional plants to meet this specific requirement.
[2]
Editor's Note: Said figure is located at the
end of this chapter.
(c)
(d)
To provide landscape variety and enhanced aesthetics,
ornamental grass and perennials may be substituted for shrubs at three
ornamental grass or perennial per shrub. Up to 50% of the required
shrubs may be replaced with ornamental grass or perennials.
B.
Parking lot requirements. The following requirements
shall apply to all parking lots within the Boot Road Corridor:
(1)
Landscaped strip requirements. When a parking lot
is located adjacent to a public right-of-way, a landscaped strip as
described below shall be provided on the property between the parking
lot and the right-of-way. The landscaped strip may not include any
paved area except pedestrian sidewalks or trails which cross perpendicular
to the landscaped strip. Any of the following landscaped strip treatments
may be used singularly or in combination:
(a)
Provide a minimum ten-foot-wide landscaped strip
between the right-of-way and the parking lot to be planted with a
minimum of one shade tree and 10 shrubs per 35 linear feet of frontage,
excluding driveway openings (see Parking Lot Landscaped Strip Figure,
Option 1).[3]
[3]
Editor's Note: Said figure is located at the
end of this chapter.
(b)
Provide a minimum eighteen-foot-wide landscaped
strip for a berm, the top of which is at least 2 1/2 feet higher
than the elevation of the adjacent parking lot pavement. The slope
of the berm shall not exceed 33% (3 to 1) for lawn areas. Berms planted
with ground covers and shrubs may be steeper. However, no slope shall
exceed 50% (2 to 1). Berms should be graded to appear as smooth, rounded,
naturalistic forms. Plant with a minimum of one shade tree and five
shrubs per 35 linear feet of frontage, excluding driveway openings
(see Parking Lot Landscaped Strip Figure, Option 2).[4]
[4]
Editor's Note: Said figure is located at the
end of this chapter.
(c)
Provide a minimum of an eight-foot-wide landscaped
strip and a minimum of three-foot grade drop from the right-of-way
line to the adjacent parking lot pavement. Plant the resulting embankment
with a minimum of one shade tree and five shrubs per 35 linear feet
of frontage, excluding driveway openings (see Parking Lot Landscaped
Strip Figure, Option 3).[5]
[5]
Editor's Note: Said figure is located at the
end of this chapter.
(d)
Provide a minimum six-foot-wide landscaped strip
between the right-of-way line and the parking lot with a minimum three-foot-high
brick, stone or finished concrete or decorative block wall to screen
the parking lot. The wall shall be located adjacent to but entirely
outside the six-foot landscaped strip. Plant with a minimum of one
shade tree per 35 linear feet of frontage, excluding driveway openings
(see Parking Lot Landscaped Strip Figure, Option 4).[6]
[6]
Editor's Note: Said figure is located at the
end of this chapter.
(2)
Interior parking lot plantings.
(a)
In any parking lot containing 20 or more parking
spaces (except parking garages), 5% of the total area of the lot shall
be devoted to interior landscaping. Such interior landscaping shall
be provided at the end of parking space rows and used to break up
rows of parking spaces. An island, equal in size to a parking space,
shall be provided to break up rows of parking spaces. One island shall
be provided between every 10 parking spaces. For the purposes of computing
the total area of any parking lot, all areas within the perimeter
of the parking lot shall be counted, including all parking spaces
and access drives, aisles, islands and curbed areas.
(b)
Ground cover alone is not sufficient to meet
this requirement. Trees, shrubs or other approved material shall be
provided. At least one shade tree shall be provided for each 300 square
feet (or fraction) of required interior landscaping area. These trees
shall have a clear trunk at least six feet above finish grade level.
(c)
Planting spaces must be large enough to allow
for healthy tree growth and must be protected from car overhangs and
opening car doors.
[2]
In cases where a planting island is perpendicular
to parking spaces and the space head into the planting island on both
sides, the island shall be a minimum of eight feet wide to allow for
bumper overhang. A curb or wheel stop shall be provided for all parking
spaces adjacent to planting or pedestrian areas to protect those areas
from overhanging by parked vehicles. If parking spaces are located
on only one side of such a planting island, the island shall be a
minimum of six feet wide (see figure for Planting Island Perpendicular
to Space).[9]
[9]
Editor's Note: Said figure is located at the
end of this chapter.
C.
Screening requirements. In general, screening materials
shall consist of evergreen trees and shrubs, walls, fences and berms
or a combination. Screening fences and walls shall not be constructed
of corrugated metal, corrugated fiberglass, sheet metal, chain link
or wire mesh. Screening requirements shall be required as indicated
below:
(1)
At all loading areas consisting of two or more loading
spaces, loading docks, vehicular lanes providing access to the above,
and service or maintenance areas provide screening from land adjacent
to public roads. Screening shall be provided according to the following
options:
(2)
All dumpsters, trash pads and trash collection or
storage areas shall be carefully located and oriented on the site
to be as inconspicuous as possible. They shall be screened from all
adjoining properties except for those on which there are industrial,
warehouse, distribution or resource recovery uses which are permitted;
from all public roads; and, if located within a commercial development,
from all outdoor recreation areas, retail parking areas and entrance
drives within the development. The foregoing shall be provided according
to the following options:
(3)
At all mechanical equipment and meters (including
freestanding air conditioners, heat pumps and similar equipment, but
not including public utility transformers) provide screening from
all adjacent properties; from all adjacent public roads; parking areas
and entrance drives within the development; and, if located within
a commercial development, from all parking areas and entrance drives.
The foregoing screening shall be provided in accordance with the following
options:
In an effort to enhance the visual character
of the Boot Road Corridor, site amenities such as seating benches
with matching trash receptacles and pole lighting shall be provided
to enhance the corridor's visual character and to further ensure that
adequate lighting, seating and refuse facilities are available to
further promote the revitalization of the corridor.
To further promote the streetscape visual character
of the corridor, the intersections of Reed Street, Skelp Level and
the entry to the proposed Transportation Center will include repaving
the intersections with a bituminous pavement texturing to simulate
brick/unit inserts. The textured pavement will be colored with a substrate
pigment (brick crosswalk and terra cotta interior).
