A.
Purpose. The purpose of a buffer strip is to insulate residential zones and residential uses in nonresidential zones from adjacent Business and Industrial Districts, from adjacent arterial and limited access streets, from adjacent cemeteries and funeral homes and from any adjacent other specified use as may be specified in this chapter.
[Amended 12-1-2003 by Ord. No. 2003-30]
B.
Width, nature and function of a buffer strip. A buffer strip shall consist of a strip of land 50 feet wide along the entire edge of a residential area. There shall be located within the 25 feet of said strip closest to the residential area natural or planted trees and shrubbery, the function of which is to conceal business, industrial, highway, cemetery, funeral home and other uses, which uses shall be concealed by a buffer strip so that they cannot be seen from any point within a residential district that is at ground level and within 1/2 mile or less of the district boundary or property line along which the buffer strip is located.
[Amended 4-19-1965 by Ord. No. 1965-3; 12-1-2003 by Ord. No. 2003-30]
C.
Types of planting in buffer strips. The types of trees and shrubbery used in a buffer strip may vary, but an applicant for a building permit in connection with which there must be provided a buffer strip shall, prior to the filing of the application for said building permit, file with the Building Inspector or Zoning Officer a plan for the buffer strip to be provided; the plan shall show the layout of all existing trees and shrubbery and the layout of all trees or shrubbery to be planted; the plan shall also show the size and type of all trees and shrubbery. Said applicant shall file such additional information as shall be requested. The planting shown on the buffer strip plan shall not be made until said plan has been approved. The buffer strip planting must be of types of trees and shrubbery that will grow high enough to perform their required function within a reasonable time and be effective throughout the year. In connection with this latter requirement, evergreen trees and shrubbery will be used as necessary. No buffer strip planting shall be required if the same will impede traffic safety.
[Amended 4-19-1965 by Ord. No. 1965-3]
D.
Responsibility for providing and maintaining a buffer strip and the location thereof. Responsibility for providing and maintaining a buffer strip and the location thereof shall be as follows:
(1)
Where a business, industrial or nonresidential use or zone is adjacent to residentially zoned land or a residential use, it will be the responsibility of the owner of the business, industrial or nonresidential use to provide space for and to plant a buffer strip.
[Amended 12-1-2003 by Ord. No. 2003-30]
(2)
Where an arterial or limited access street is adjacent to residential use, it will be the responsibility of the residential owner or subdivider to provide space for and to plant a buffer strip. The buffer strip space shall be provided by providing larger lots than the minimum otherwise required in this chapter in such a manner that the additional lot areas will form a buffer strip adjacent to the arterial or limited access street.
(3)
A buffer strip shall consist of additional yard space over and above that otherwise required in this chapter and shall be maintained by the owner of the yard.
(4)
If a park or drainage right-of-way is located along the alignment of a required buffer strip, the park or drainage right-of-way area may be utilized in providing the buffer strip area; the person responsible for providing a buffer strip may be made responsible, however, for planting and maintaining trees and shrubbery of such a buffer strip, even though part or all of the buffer strip is in a park or a drainage right-of-way.
(5)
If the applicant is proposing multifamily housing of any kind and there are, or the applicant is proposing to construct, ponds, lakes or watercourses, whether natural or man-made, on or adjacent to the site, there shall be a fifty-foot buffer between the top of the bank around said pond, lake or watercourse and the nearest wall of any residential structure. Said fifty-foot buffer shall be subject to the provisions of Subsection C of this section of the Code of Ordinances of Mount Laurel Township.
[Added 8-15-1988 by Ord. No. 1988-34]