This article shall apply to all site plan applications.
The following guidelines shall be used to prepare and review
buffering and screening for any development plan. The provision of
buffer areas and screening within such areas shall take into account
the opportunities and constraints of existing conditions on the site,
such as existing vegetation to be preserved, critical views into and
out of the site, the days and hours of operation, intensity of use
of the proposed development, potential off-site impacts and other
such issues.
The following standards shall be used to prepare and review
screening devices required in this article:
A. Evergreen trees or hedges. Where an evergreen screen is utilized,
such plantings shall be sufficiently dense so as to provide a minimum
of 75% of the required screening at time of planting. Arrangement
of plantings shall be in a continuous row and may be overlapped or
staggered within such row. Placement of such plantings shall provide
maximum protection to existing vegetation to be preserved located
in the buffer area and on adjacent properties.
B. Walls and fences. Where a masonry wall or solid wooden fence is utilized,
the design of such shall be architecturally compatible with the style,
materials, colors and details of the building(s) on the site. Where
such wall or fence fronts toward or is visible from a public right-of-way,
foundation plantings shall be planted along the base of all visible
portions of the wall or fence.
C. Earth berms. Where an earth berm is utilized, it shall be designed
to have a maximum side slope of one increment high to two increments
wide or a ratio of one high to two wide (1:2). The minimum width of
the top of a berm shall be four feet. Berms shall be composed of a
soil type sufficient to sustain the growth of plantings it will support.
Berms shall be landscaped with combinations of evergreen and deciduous
trees and shrubs and ground cover.
The following standards shall be used to prepare buffering and
screening for any development plan:
A. Residential uses and districts. Any residential use and district
shall be suitably buffered and screened from all uses other than single-
and two-family dwellings in order to minimize the impacts of noise,
glare, vibration, vehicular traffic, pedestrian activity and other
potential nuisances. The width of buffering and height of screening
shall be provided based on the type of use that is being buffered
and the district in which it is located, as follows:
Type of Use/Location
|
Width of Buffering
(feet)
|
Height of Screening
(feet)
|
---|
Conditional uses in residential districts
|
10
|
6
|
Permitted residential uses other than single- and two-family
dwellings
|
5
|
6
|
Permitted nonresidential uses
|
10
|
6
|
Permitted light industrial uses
|
25
|
10
|
All nonconforming uses
|
As deemed appropriate by the Board
|
|
B. Driveways and parking lots. All driveways and parking lots shall
be suitably buffered and screened to minimize the impacts of noise,
lighting and glare, exhaust fumes, views of parked vehicles and other
nuisances. Buffering and screening shall minimize such impacts both
within the site itself, as well as from adjacent and nearby properties
and public rights-of-way as follows:
(1)
Buffering shall consist of a minimum five-foot-wide area surrounding
all sides of a parking lot exposed to view. Where such parking area
is located on a tract adjacent to a residential use or district, such
buffering shall consist of a minimum ten-foot-wide area surrounding
all sides of a parking lot exposed to view.
(2)
Screening shall consist of a minimum four-foot-high visually
impervious screen to be located within the buffering area. Where such
parking area is located on a tract adjacent to a residential use or
district, such screening shall consist of a minimum six-foot-high
visually impervious screen. The height of any required screen shall
decrease to a maximum of three feet in height where driveways approach
sidewalks or walkways, in order to provide adequate visibility of
pedestrians from motor vehicles.
C. Loading areas. All loading areas, including loading dock areas of
buildings and driveways providing access to the same, shall be suitably
buffered and screened to minimize the impacts of noise, loading and
unloading activities, lighting and glare, exhaust fumes, views of
loading and unloading vehicles and other nuisances. Buffering and
screening shall minimize such impacts both within the site itself,
as well as from adjacent and nearby properties and public rights-of-way,
as follows:
(1)
Buffering shall consist of a minimum ten-foot-wide area surrounding
all sides of a loading area exposed to view. Where such loading area
is located on a tract adjacent to a residential use or district, such
buffering shall consist of a minimum twenty-five-foot-wide area surrounding
all sides of a parking lot exposed to view.
(2)
Screening shall consist of a minimum ten-foot-high visually
impervious screen. If such screen consists of a wall or fence, the
buffer area between the wall or fence and the lot line shall be a
minimum of 10 feet in width and shall also be extensively planted
with both deciduous and evergreen trees.
D. Disposal and collection areas. All areas used for solid waste disposal
and recyclable collection facilities shall be suitably buffered and
screened to minimize the impacts of noise, odors, disposal and collection
activities and views of collection bins and dumpsters. Buffering and
screening shall minimize such impacts both within the site itself,
as well as from adjacent and nearby properties and public rights-of-way.
(1)
Buffering shall consist of a minimum four-foot-wide area surrounding
all sides of such facility exposed to view. If such facility is located
on a site adjacent to a residential use or district, such buffering
shall consist of a minimum ten-foot-wide area surrounding all sides
of such facility exposed to view.
(2)
Screening shall consist of a minimum six-foot-high masonry wall,
solid wooden fence or accessory building with gates or doors and ramped
access to facilitate the movement of bins or dumpsters. The base of
such screen shall be planted with a minimum four-foot-high evergreen
hedge along the sides and rear of same.
E. HVAC equipment and utility service boxes. All ground level HVAC equipment
and utility service boxes shall be suitably buffered and screened
to minimize views of the same from both within the site itself, as
well as from adjacent and nearby properties and public rights-of-way,
as follows:
(1)
Buffering shall consist of a minimum three-foot-wide area surrounding
all sides of HVAC equipment and utility storage boxes exposed to view.
(2)
Screening shall consist of a minimum four-foot-high evergreen
hedge along all sides of the same.
F. Screening for wireless communications facilities. Such facilities
shall be screened from view from all adjacent properties and public
rights-of-way in order that a six-foot tall person, with an eye level
from grade of approximately 5 1/2 feet, is not able to see the
lowest 20% of the total antenna height from a distance of 25 feet
from the lot line containing such antenna. In no instance, however,
shall such screening be less than six feet in height; however, any
fence greater than six feet in height shall require a variance from
the provisions of this subsection. Such screening may utilize a solid
wooden fence, earth berms, closely spaced evergreen plantings or some
combination of those devices. If evergreen plantings are utilized,
such shall be sufficiently dense as to achieve 75% of the required
screening at planting.
[Added 6-16-1997 by Ord.
No. 97-8]