Town of Islesboro, ME Article XVI Buffers and Screening Standards

User's Guide: This article contains specific standards relating to the buffers and screening required along property lines and Town ways.

§ 45-89 Special buffer requirements along Town ways.

A. Land within 50 feet of the right-of-way of all Town ways shall be a buffer area.

(1) The Board may waive the following criteria when a natural stand of vegetation that substantially meets these requirements exists and is retained.

(2) Within the buffer area, the following minimum plantings and buffers shown in Table 9 below shall be required:

Table 9
			Number Per 100 Linear Feet
Buffer Area Location	Width	Structure	CT	UT	SH	ET
Screening for all one-story buildings	501	N/A	10	15	30	10
Screening for all buildings of two stories or more	501	N/A	15	15	30	20
Screening of all parking areas which are visible from Town ways	N/A	Berm	N/A	N/A	20	N/A
Total screening, where required by Planning Board	N/A	Fencing or berm wall	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

LEGEND:

CT = Canopy trees.

UT = Understory trees.

SH = Shrubs.

ET = Evergreen trees.

B. Landscaping also shall be required within 50 feet of the right-of-way of Town ways on any site where the aggregate required off-road parking exceeds five parking spaces, and where a site contains 24 parking spaces, a minimum of three canopy trees, two understory trees and six shrubs shall be required.

C. Unless otherwise specifically indicated by the Board, all plant materials required by the Board under this chapter shall meet the following minimum size standards shown in Table 10 below:

	Table 10
	Plant Material Type		Plantings in Buffer Areas Abutting Vacant Lands	All Other Plantings
	Canopy Trees
		Single stem	1.5 inches caliper	2.5 inches caliper
		Multi-stem clump	6 feet height	10 feet height
	Understory Trees		4 feet height	1.5 inches caliper
	Evergreen Trees		3 feet height	5 to 7 feet height
	Shrubs
		Deciduous	15 inches height	24 inches height
		Evergreen	12 inches height	18 inches height

D. All plantings required under this chapter shall be of a type and species appropriate for the soil types and climatic conditions in Islesboro, Maine.

§ 45-90 Buffer and screening requirements.

A. Buffers in the form of fences, landscaping, berms, and mounds shall be required to minimize any adverse impacts or nuisance on the site or on adjacent properties.

B. Buffers shall be considered in or for the following areas and purposes:

(1) Along property lines, to shield various uses from each other;

(2) Along interior roads running parallel to roads exterior to the site, to prevent confusion, particularly at night;

(3) Around parking areas, garbage collection areas, and loading and unloading areas; and

(4) To block prevailing wind patterns and to stop wind-borne debris from leaving the site.

C. Buffers shall be sufficient to shield structures and uses from the view of incompatible abutting properties and public road ways and to otherwise prevent any nuisances.

D. The following shall have setbacks and screening to provide an audio/visual buffer sufficient to minimize their adverse impact on other land uses within the development site and surrounding properties, such as a fence or a dense evergreen hedge six feet or more in height.

(1) Exposed storage areas, service areas, exposed machinery installation;

(2) Sand and gravel extraction operations;

(3) Truck loading areas, utility buildings and structures;

(4) Areas used for the storage or collection of discarded automobiles, auto parts, metals or any other articles of salvage or refuse; and

(5) Similar accessory areas and structures.

E. Where a potential safety hazard to children would be likely to arise, physical screening and fencing sufficient to deter small children from entering the premises shall be provided and shall be maintained in good condition.

F. Natural features shall be maintained wherever possible to provide a buffer between the proposed development and incompatible abutting properties and public roadways. When natural features such as a topography, gullies, stands of trees, shrubbery, or rock outcrops do not exist or are insufficient to provide a buffer, other kinds of buffers shall be utilized.

G. Evergreens may be used as buffers, provided that they are planted properly.

(1) An evergreen buffer requires two or three rows of staggered plantings.

(2) The rows shall be five feet apart and the evergreens planted four feet on center.

H. Fencing and screening shall be durable and properly maintained at all times by the owner.

I. Fencing and screening shall be located within the property line to allow access for maintenance on both sides without intruding upon abutting properties.

J. All buffer areas shall be maintained in a neat and sanitary condition by the owner.

§ 45-91 Plant material maintenance bond required.

A. Prior to issuance of any building permit, the Board may require that the applicant furnish, in the name of the Town of Islesboro, a bond, letter of credit, or other form of security approved by the Board, equal to at least 10% of the value of all plantings required under this subsection.

B. The bond shall be binding for a minimum of three years and shall be subject to the condition that required plantings be maintained in accordance with the terms of the Board's approval and in a good and healthy condition.

C. Notwithstanding the requirement of a bond from the applicant, the owner of any premises approved by the Board under any section of this chapter shall have a continuing obligation to maintain required plantings in accordance with the terms of the Board's approval and in a good and healthy condition.