[Amended 3-9-2005 by Ord. No. 1309; 6-16-2009 by Ord. No. 1449; 4-15-2010 by Ord. No. 1475; 9-20-2012 by Ord. No. 1556; 3-19-2013 by Ord. No. 1562]
A landscape buffer shall be provided in any nonresidential zone and for any nonresidential use where a development abuts a residential zone or residentially developed property. The buffer shall provide a year-round visual screen to minimize adverse impacts from the site on adjacent properties. The following buffer area and landscaping requirements shall apply, unless a different requirement is set forth elsewhere in this chapter:
A.
A minimum fifteen-foot buffer shall be provided for all uses in the RB and LB Districts, along all property lines, provided that a minimum thirty-foot buffer is required between any business district and residential district.
B.
A minimum twenty-five-foot buffer shall be provided for all uses in all I Districts, along all property lines, provided that a minimum thirty-foot buffer is required between any industrial district and any residential district.
C.
A minimum one-hundred-foot buffer shall be provided for all uses in the OB-RL and HOB-RL Districts along all property lines that abut residential uses; except that in the OB-RL District, Parsons Pond Road shall be permitted within this buffer area.
[Amended 10-20-2015 by Ord. No. 1645]
D.
Buffer areas will be contiguous with residential property lines and shall be of uniform width.
E.
An applicant may be required by the Planning Board, the Board of Adjustment or the Shade Tree Commission to provide a landscape buffer and a six-foot-high stockade fence within the buffer area parallel to the lot line of the abutting residential lot.
F.
Buffer areas shall be maintained and kept clean of all debris, rubbish, weeds and tall grass. Any screen planting shall be maintained permanently by the property owner, and any plant material which does not live shall be replaced within one year or one growing season.
G.
No structure, activity, storage of materials, driveways or parking of vehicles shall be permitted in the buffer area, except permitted signs and fencing as specified in the district regulations, and such signs and fencing shall be permitted in the buffer area only by a finding by the Planning Board that their location in the buffer is appropriate.
H.
Requirements for planting in buffer area.
(1)
A solid and continuous landscaped screen shall be planted and maintained around parking and loading areas, to eliminate glare of vehicle lights and enhance the building from the abutting residential areas. The landscaped screen shall consist of evergreen trees, such as hemlock, Douglas fir, Norway spruce, etc. Evergreen trees shall not be less than five feet high when planted, and the lowest branches shall be not more than one foot above the ground. In the event that the existing evergreen trees do not cover the required area from the ground, said landscaping screen shall be supplemented with evergreen shrubbery.
(2)
In addition to the landscaped screen, shade trees shall be planted by the applicant at a distance of not less than 20 feet nor more than 40 feet from each other.
(3)
If the buffer area includes existing growth of evergreen and deciduous trees and shrubbery, but not enough to provide a suitable screen as required above, existing trees and shrubbery may remain and shall be supplemented by additional evergreen plantings to provide the required landscaped screen. In the event the approving authority finds that further plantings of evergreens will not grow satisfactorily in said buffer areas, stockade fencing six feet high shall be erected in the buffer area.
I.
The Planning Board or Zoning Board shall have the power to waive any of the requirements or details specified above if it determines an adequate buffer can be provided in less than the required width while maintaining the purposes of this section. The Planning Board or Zoning Board, when considering waiving any of the buffer requirements, shall review the proposed plat and the standards and purposes of this chapter and, to these ends, shall consider the location of buildings, parking areas, outdoor illumination and topographic features of the area and existing features, such as trees and streams; the efficiency, adequacy and safety of the proposed layout of driveways, streets, sidewalks and paths; the adequacy and location of screening and parking areas, structures and uses; and such other matters as may be found to have a material bearing on the above standards and objectives.