The purpose of this article is to indicate the minimum requirements for the landscaping of new development and redevelopment of any multifamily residential, business, manufacturing, and institutional district, except for development requiring the platting process, in which case the landscaping plan shall be included with the submittal of all preliminary plats to be approved during the platting process by the Planning and Development Department. For purposes of this article, the term "redevelopment" means demolition and replacement of or rehabilitation and reconstruction of substandard and insanitary buildings and other improvements, such as parking areas and roadways, resulting from inadequate planning, excessive land coverage, lack of adequate open space, defective design and arrangement of buildings, lack of proper sanitary facilities, and the existence of buildings which, by reason of age, obsolescence, inadequate or outmoded design, or physical deterioration, no longer have economic value.
A.
A landscape plan shall be prepared by a registered landscape architect for all new development or redevelopment. The landscape plan shall provide for and address landscaping for open yard area, landscaping for building foundations, landscaping for street frontage, and landscaping for paved areas, including loading areas, The landscape architect shall stamp and certify in writing that the plan is complete and accurately depicts and complies with the standards set forth in this article.
B.
Following installation of landscaping, a written certification shall be submitted by the landscape architect certifying that all the required landscape materials specified on the plan have been installed in conformance with the landscape plan as approved by the Planning and Development Administrator. The development applicant shall commit, in writing, to maintain all required landscaping. The requirement that landscape plans and specifications be certified by a landscape architect may be waived by the Planning and Development Administrator. Refer to the "Tree and Shrub Selection Guide" for plant requirements.
C.
The landscape plan shall be drawn on a site plan that includes:
(1)
A graphic scale (not smaller than one inch equals 40 feet).
(2)
A North arrow.
(3)
Date drafted.
(4)
Property lines, easements, and street rights-of-way with dimensions.
(5)
Location and dimensions of all landscaped areas; location and botanical name and size of all plant materials and ground cover; and the location of pertinent landscape features.
(6)
Location of existing and proposed utility improvements.
(7)
Proposed layout of vehicular use areas, including the location, dimensions of parking spaces, parking lot islands, interior plantings, pedestrian walkways and circulation aisles.
(8)
Location of all existing significant trees on the site that the applicant proposes to remove; the location of all existing trees with a diameter at breast height (dbh) greater than five inches which are to be retained and counted towards minimum requirements.
(9)
The location, design, height and building material of proposed walls, planter boxes, and fences.
(10)
The direction of street and parking lot traffic using one-way or two-way arrows.
(11)
The location and extent of all waterways, wetlands and water features.
(12)
The location and extent of all primary and secondary environmental corridors as mapped by the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (SEWRPC).
Every attempt shall be made by the developer/applicant to preserve existing trees with a diameter at breast height (dbh) of at least five inches and significant trees which are to be counted towards minimum requirements. Significant trees are any tree or grouping of trees which has been determined to be of high value by the Planning and Development Administrator because of its size (24 inches or greater dbh), age, historic significance or other professional criteria. When it is necessary to remove significant trees, the developer shall replace twenty-four-inch caliper or larger deciduous trees with six three-inch-caliper deciduous trees. Conifers 24 inches in caliper or larger may be replaced with two ten-foot-tall conifers or three six-foot to eight-foot-tall coniferous trees. Existing trees to be saved during construction shall have a protective fence placed around the tree at the dripline.
On unique site or sites with unique design opportunities or properties located within the Village Center Overlay District, hard landscaping features (such as sculptures or statues, walls, foundations, benches, scenic viewpoints, scenic walkways) may be incorporated into a landscape in lieu of plantings, subject to review by the Planning and Development Administrator. Landscaping provided by hardscaping shall not preclude the need to provide plantings in other areas of the development.
All lots shall provide a minimum amount of landscaping provided on the basis of open yard area, which shall provide a combination of deciduous, evergreen, and ornamental trees and shrubs. Landscaping for open yard area is intended to provide yard shade and to screen detached exterior appurtenances such as HVAC, utility boxes, standpipes, stormwater discharge pipes and other pipes. Landscaping for this purpose is most effective if located away from buildings. Landscaping for open yard area shall be:
A.
In multifamily residential districts (not requiring the platting process): a minimum of two evergreen or deciduous trees per 1,000 square feet of open yard area. Two ornamental trees or two shrubs shall equal one evergreen or deciduous tree.
B.
In business, manufacturing and institutional districts: a minimum of one evergreen or deciduous tree per 1,000 square feet of open yard area. Two ornamental trees or two shrubs shall equal one evergreen or deciduous tree.
All lots shall provide a minimum amount of landscaping for building foundations, which shall provide a combination of ornamental trees and shrubs. Landscaping required for building foundations shall be placed so that, at maturity, the plants' dripline is located within 10 feet of the building's foundation. Larger trees shall not be used to meet this requirement. The intent is to provide a visual break in the mass of buildings and to provide a visual screen for all appurtenances such as HVAC, utility boxes, standpipes, stormwater discharge pipes and other pipes extending from the building. Landscaping for building foundations shall be:
A.
In multifamily residential districts (not requiring the platting process): a minimum of one ornamental tree per 20 feet of building foundation. Two shrubs shall equal one ornamental tree.
B.
In business, manufacturing and institutional districts: a minimum of one ornamental tree per 20 feet of building foundation. Two shrubs shall equal one ornamental tree.
All lots shall provide a minimum of landscaping in those areas that abut the right-of-way of a public highway, street or road to visually soften the appearance of development, which shall provide a combination of deciduous, evergreen and ornamental trees and shrubs. Street yard landscaping shall not, however, impede vehicle or pedestrian visibility and shall comply with the traffic visibility (vision triangle) requirements of § 490-11.1. Shrubs shall not be used to meet this requirement.
A.
In multifamily residential districts (not requiring the platting process): a minimum of one evergreen or deciduous tree per 30 feet of street frontage. Two ornamental trees or two shrubs shall equal one evergreen or deciduous tree.
B.
In business, manufacturing and institutional districts: a minimum of one evergreen or deciduous tree per 50 feet of street frontage. Two ornamental trees or two shrubs shall equal one evergreen or deciduous tree.
All parking areas shall provide a minimum of landscaping around the perimeter, which shall provide a combination of deciduous, evergreen and ornamental trees and shrubs. All landscaped areas located adjacent to a parking lot shall be separated from the paved area by a continuous minimum four-inch curb which is constructed of concrete. The use of berms shall constitute over 75% of the parking areas abutting a right-of-way. The berm shall be designed to be meandering and undulating with a minimum height of four feet with slopes no greater than 4:1. Landscaping for parking lot perimeters shall be:
A.
In multifamily residential districts (not requiring the platting process): a minimum of one evergreen or deciduous tree per 25 feet. Two ornamental trees or four shrubs shall equal one evergreen or deciduous tree.
B.
In business, manufacturing and institutional districts: a minimum of one evergreen or deciduous tree per 25 feet. Two ornamental trees or four shrubs shall equal one evergreen or deciduous tree.
A.
All off-street parking areas in which the parking aisle or parking bay does not terminate with a landscaped buffer yard shall have a landscaped island. The minimum size of each landscaped island shall be 160 square feet and contain at least one deciduous or ornamental tree. At a minimum, every third parking bay (defined grouping of parking stalls) shall have a continuous landscaped planting strip of not less than eight feet in width running the entire length of the parking bay and shall contain at least one deciduous or ornamental tree per 50 feet.
B.
Location of landscaped areas, plant materials and protection afforded the plantings, including curbing and provision for maintenance, shall be subject to approval by the Planning and Development Department staff. All plans for proposed parking areas shall include a topographic survey and grading plan which shows existing and proposed grades and location of improvements. The preservation of existing trees, shrubs and other natural vegetation in the parking area may be included in the calculation of required minimum landscaped area.
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Illustration of Typical Parking Lot Landscape Island  |
The landscaping plan shall be included with the submittal of all preliminary plats to be approved during the platting process.
[Added 8-15-2022 by Ord. No. 2022.08-56]
Notwithstanding any provision of this Article 9 to the contrary, the Zoning Administrator and Director of Public Works, acting jointly, may authorize exceptions to the landscaping requirements of this Article 9 in business, manufacturing and institutional districts if they determine that the strict implementation of the landscaping requirements is impractical due to the size, configuration or other characteristics of the lot. When considering a proposed exception to the requirements of this article, the Zoning Administrator and Director of Public Works shall consider the use and proximity of neighboring structures; the value of landscaping features as a noise and light buffer; and the size and configuration of the lot. Under no circumstances shall the Zoning Administrator and Director of Public Works authorize exceptions which reduce the overall landscaping requirements below 50% of the requirements of this article.