[Ord. No. 1101-2008 §§1 — 2, 10-20-2008]
The intent of this Article is to provide shade and to enhance
the aesthetic qualities of the City; to encourage the use of landscape
vegetation to visually soften paved areas and hard architectural lines;
to ensure the preservation and/or replenishment of trees native to
the region. The desired aesthetic quality will be achieved through
the landscaping requirements set in this Article that apply to urban
developments. Specifically, these regulations are intended to increase
the compatibility of adjacent uses requiring a buffer or screen between
uses, to minimize the harmful impact of noise, dust, debris, motor
vehicle headlight glare or other artificial light intrusions, and
other objectionable activities or impacts conducted or created by
an adjoining or nearby use.
[Ord. No. 1101-2008 §§1 — 2, 10-20-2008]
A. All
pervious land areas shall be brought to finished grade and planted
in sod or seeded grass, native grasses or other appropriate ground
covers. A minimum number of trees, shrubs, ground cover and/or sodded
areas will be planted in accordance with the Article regulations,
pertaining to each project, which shall be determined by the design
criteria for the project relating to visual safety, species and landscape
function. A landscape and screening plan shall be required as part
of the site plan application for new construction or structural alteration
of buildings in all zoning districts excluding single-family or duplex
structures. Landscaping shall be installed prior to issuance of a
certificate of occupancy.
1. Plant units. Many of the landscaping standards of
this Section are expressed in terms of the number of "plant units"
required. Table 16 provides a breakdown of plant unit equivalencies.
Greater plant unit value is assigned to native plants and the preservation
of existing trees.
TABLE 16
SUMMARY OF PLANT UNIT EQUIVALENCIES
|
---|
Type of Plant Material
|
Size of Plant Material
|
Equivalent Plant Units
|
Native Plant Incentive
|
Preservation of Existing Tree
|
---|
Deciduous Tree
|
2.0" caliper
|
6.5
|
8.5
|
+3
|
Ornamental Tree
|
1.5" caliper
|
6
|
8
|
+3
|
Ornamental Tree
|
1.5" caliper
|
6
|
8
|
+3
|
Upright Evergreen
|
4' minimum height
|
2.5
|
3.25
|
+2
|
Shrub
|
18" — 24" spread
|
1
|
1.25
|
N/A
|
Perennial/ Ornamental
|
1 gallon
|
1
|
1.25
|
N/A
|
2. Plant quality. Plants installed to satisfy the requirements
of this Section shall conform to or exceed the plant quality standards
of the most recent edition of American Standard for Nursery Stock
published by the American Nursery and Landscape Association. Plants
shall be nursery-grown and adapted to the local area.
3. Encouraged and discouraged plants. The Community
Development Department shall keep on file a list of encouraged and
discouraged plants.
4. Existing trees. Table 16 gives additional plant
units for existing trees that are preserved during construction. In
the event that those trees that were intended to be preserved have
to be removed during construction, additional trees will be planted
to achieve the required number of plant units.
[Ord. No. 1101-2008 §§1 — 2, 10-20-2008]
A. Open Space. The open space landscaping standards shall apply
to all development.
1. Plant units required. At least two (2) plant units
shall be provided for each one thousand (1,000) square feet of lot
area or fraction thereof.
2. Location of plant units. Plant units required pursuant
to this Section shall be installed in the area between the adjacent
street and the primary building structure to the maximum extent possible.
3. All land areas not covered by buildings or to be left unpaved shall
be brought to finished grade and planted in sod, seeded or planted
in native grasses or other appropriate ground covers.
B. Street Frontage. At least seven (7) plant units shall be
provided for every thirty (30) feet of street frontage.
C. Buffering And Screening.
1. For all buildings except single-family and two-family dwellings,
all exterior trash storage containers shall be screened so that they
are not visible from off the property. A permanent masonry or frame
enclosure, compatible to the primary structure, shall be provided
for dumpsters and exterior trash storage containers to the greater
of two (2) feet above the height of the trash storage container or
six (6) feet above the ground. A detailed drawing of enclosure and
screening methods to be used in connection with trash bins on the
property shall be included on the site plan or landscape plan.
2. For all buildings, except residential structures, a solid screen
fence or wall shall be provided, not less than six (6) feet in height,
along all side and rear property lines which are common to property
zoned or used for residential purposes, except that such screening
shall not extend in front of the building line or adjacent dwellings
and shall not be required where such screening exists on the abutting
residential property. This height requirement is in addition to the
buffering required by Table 17.
3. Table 17 shall determine buffering between adjacent zone types.
TABLE 17
REQUIRED BUFFER TYPES BETWEEN ZONES
|
---|
Proposed Development Zoning
|
Adjacent Zoning
|
---|
|
Residential Estate To Low Density Residential
|
Medium To High Density Residential
|
Commercial
|
Industrial
|
---|
Residential Estate to Low Density Residential
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
Medium To High Density Residential
|
A
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
Commercial
|
C
|
B
|
—
|
—
|
Industrial
|
C
|
C
|
—
|
—
|
TABLE 18
BUFFER REQUIREMENTS
|
---|
Buffer Type
|
Buffer Width
|
Number of Plant Units1
|
Mix of Plant Material
|
---|
A
|
35 feet
|
35
|
Deciduous, ornamental and evergreen trees
|
B
|
35 feet
|
45
|
Deciduous, ornamental and evergreen trees
|
C
|
35 feet
|
55
|
Fence/wall or berm, plus deciduous, ornamental and evergreen
trees
|
|
1
|
per 100 feet of buffer length
|
4. Location of buffers. Transition buffers shall be
located along those portions of a site that are adjacent to and along
those portions adjoining lots with a residential zoning classification.
In the case of modifications or additions to an existing building
or site, buffers shall only be required along those portions of the
site that are directly affected by the proposed improvements as determined
by the City.
5. Use of buffers. Required buffers shall be reserved
solely for open space and landscaping. No proposed building addition,
structure, parking or storage area or any other type of physical land
improvement shall be located in a required buffer, provided that driveways
or roads may cross a required buffer if necessary to provide access
to the building site. Sidewalks, paths and project identification
signs may also be located within required buffers.
6. Responsibility for installing buffers. The developing
property shall always be responsible for providing required transition
buffers. In those cases where a landscape buffer that complies with
the standards of this Section is already in place, whether on the
site of the developing property or on the site of the adjacent property,
the developer may not be required to install another landscape buffer.
The developer of a subdivision or other developing site shall only
be responsible for ensuring that the intervening landscape buffer
complies with the standards of this Section. Landscape buffers required
for subdivisions shall be placed in easements.
7. Berming. The use of berms in buffering shall not
be required nor prohibited.
D. Parking Lot. These parking lot landscaping standards shall
apply to all off-street parking areas containing more than five (5)
off-street parking spaces. They shall not apply to vehicle/equipment
storage lots, vehicle and equipment sales lots or multi-level parking
structures.
1. Relationship to other landscaping standards. Landscaping
provided to meet the open space or buffer landscaping standards of
this Section shall not be counted towards meeting a project's parking
lot landscaping requirements.
2. Minimum plant units. At least twenty (20) plant
units shall be provided for each ten (10) parking spaces within an
off-street parking area. All landscaping areas that are not dedicated
to trees shall be landscaped with grass, ground cover, shrubs or other
appropriate landscape treatment. Sand or pavement shall not be considered
appropriate landscape treatment.
3. Location. Parking lot landscaping shall be reasonably
dispersed throughout off-street parking areas.
4. Planting areas. The interior dimensions of any planting
area used to satisfy parking lot landscaping standards shall be sufficient
to protect plant materials and to ensure proper growth. Planting areas
that contain trees shall be at least seven (7) feet wide, and all
planting areas shall be protected by raised curbs or wheel stops to
prevent damage by vehicles and vehicle overhang.
[Ord. No. 1101-2008 §§1 — 2, 10-20-2008]
A. Due
to its prominence within the City, heightened landscape standards
shall be used for downtown. Downtown is the geographical area delineated
by the Central Business District ("CBD") Overlay District.
1. For off-street parking lots, thirty (30) plant units shall be provided
for every ten (10) parking spaces.
2. At least seventy-five percent (75%) of plant units within downtown
shall be ornamental trees or perennial/ornamental shrubs.
3. All other requirements shall be consistent with the non-residential
requirements.
[Ord. No. 1101-2008 §§1 — 2, 10-20-2008]
A. A landscaping
and screening plan shall be required upon application for a building
permit for new construction or structural alteration of buildings,
in accordance with the approved site plan.
B. All
landscaping material will be established and healthy before the issue
of certificate of occupancy. A temporary occupancy certificate may
be issued prior to installation of required landscaping if written
assurances and financial guarantees are submitted ensuring that planting
will take place when planting season arrives. The amount of the financial
guarantee shall be equal to two (2) times the estimated cost of the
plant material based on written cost estimates provided by the developer.
All landscaping will be established in a generally healthy state within
one (1) year of a certificate of occupancy being issued.
C. Landscaping
plans will not be required for any modification to existing structures
that does not increase the building footprint or intensity of use.
Full compliance with the adopted landscaping code is required once
a previously built development expands to two hundred percent (200%)
of its building footprint and/or intensity of use compared to its
use at the time this landscaping code was adopted. Partial compliance
with the adopted landscape code is required for any parking and/or
building expansion less than two hundred percent (200%) of the building
footprint and/or intensity of use. The required number of plant units
will be calculated proportionally based on the size of the building
expansion and number of additional parking spaces to be constructed.
[Ord. No. 1101-2008 §§1 — 2, 10-20-2008]
Trees, shrubs, fences, walls and other landscape features depicted
on plans approved by the City shall be considered as elements of the
project in the same manner as parking, building materials and other
details are elements of the plan.