All required landscaping, buffers, landscaped screens, and greenbelts
shall comply with the following standards:
A. Minimum standards for plant material.
(1)
All plant materials shall be hardy to Kent County and be free
of disease and insects.
(2)
No substitution of plant species or sizes shall be allowed unless
approved by the Zoning Administrator, in writing.
(3)
All plant material shall be installed in such a manner so as
not to alter drainage patterns on the site or adjacent properties,
or obstruct vision for safety of ingress or egress.
(4)
All plant material shall be planted in a manner so as to not
cause damage to utility lines (above- and below-ground) and public
roadways.
(5)
All required landscaping shall be planted prior to the issuance
of a certificate of occupancy (with allowance for delay resulting
from inclement weather) or within such greater period of time as may
be permitted, in writing, by the Zoning Administrator.
(6)
All landscaping shall be hardy and shall be maintained thereafter
in a neat, healthy and orderly manner following accepted horticultural
practices. Withered, dying and/or dead plants shall be replaced within
a reasonable period of time, but not longer than one growing season.
(7)
Mulch or similar material, by itself, does not constitute landscaping.
(8)
Minimum plant sizes at time of planting shall conform to the
following requirements:
Tree Type
|
Minimum Size*
|
---|
Deciduous canopy tree
|
2 1/2-inch caliper
|
Deciduous ornamental tree
|
2-inch caliper
|
Evergreen tree
|
7 feet in height
|
Deciduous shrub
|
2 feet in height
|
Upright evergreen shrub
|
2 feet in height
|
Spreading evergreen shrub
|
24 inches spread
|
NOTES:
|
---|
*
|
Larger or varied shrub and tree sizes may be required by the
Planning Commission to maintain a natural appearance, especially for
large areas that are planted with vegetation, such as berms, buffers,
greenbelts and landscaped screens.
|
(9)
In order for plants to achieve the required horizontal and vertical
landscaping and/or screening effects within a reasonable period of
time after initial installation, all trees, shrubs and other plants
shall be well-maintained and regularly watered to assure their continued
viability.
(10)
The overall landscape plan shall not contain more than 25% of
any one plant species.
(11)
The use of cobble stones, mulch, crushed stones, pavers, or
other nonliving material as a ground cover in planting beds shall
be minimized. Nonliving materials may be used to accent or protect
living plant material, but shall not dominate the landscape design.
(12)
Trees and shrubs in required greenbelts and buffer zones shall
be arranged in informal groupings and irregularly spaced to simulate
a natural setting, unless site specific conditions are such that a
more formal arrangement is appropriate, as determined by the Planning
Commission.
(13)
Plants that are placed in two or more rows shall be staggered.
(14)
Trees and shrubs shall not be placed closer than four feet to
a fence, wall, or property line.
(15)
Landscaping shall be provided adjacent to buildings in order
to provide shade, minimize energy demand, and/or to enhance the general
appearance of the building and site.
(16)
For the purpose of applying the landscape requirements of this
article, a corner lot shall be considered as having a front yard along
each intersecting street, and, accordingly, the required front yard
landscaping shall be provided for both street frontages.
(17)
Plant materials shall be planted and maintained so as not to
create any sight obstruction near street intersections.
(18)
Applicants shall give consideration to utilizing plant materials
to assist in stormwater management on the site, including the establishing
of rain gardens and other effective bioretention measures.
(19)
If required by the Planning Commission, prior to final site
plan approval, the applicant shall provide to the Township a financial
guarantee in the form of a letter of credit or other permitted form
of guarantee in a sufficient amount to insure the installation and
continued maintenance, for a period of two years, of all required
landscaping. The financial guarantee may be included with any other
such financial guarantee required by the Township with respect to
the land use being approved.
B. Preservation of existing trees and other landscape elements.
(1)
A landscape plan shall provide for the preservation of existing
trees of reasonable quality whenever such preservation is feasible,
particularly in proposed greenbelts or along a public roadway. Relocation
of existing trees within the site may also be permitted.
(2)
The Planning Commission shall credit healthy, existing vegetation
that has a high probability of surviving after development toward
meeting applicable landscape requirements, to the extent that such
existing vegetation supports the intent and complies with the standards
of this article.
(3)
If trees or other vegetation which are designated for preservation
and for which landscaping credit has been given should die, then the
applicant shall replace the tree or other vegetation with a tree or
other vegetation of the same or equivalent species which will in approximately
the same time attain the same height, spread and growth of the tree
or other vegetation being replaced.
(4)
Existing trees and other vegetation that are to be preserved
shall be labeled "to remain," or with some comparable legend, on the
landscape plan. During construction, protective measures shall be
taken so as to protect all plants that are to be preserved, including
the installation of temporary fencing or other barriers.
C. Minimum standards for berms.
(1)
Wherever a berm is used to meet the requirements of this article,
it shall have a minimum height of three feet and a maximum height
of five feet above grade, and the crest shall gently curve with a
level crown that is at least two feet wide.
(2)
Berms shall be designed to vary in height and shape to create
a more natural appearance. An unbroken earth mound of uniform height
shall be avoided.
(3)
Berms shall be planted so that they have a natural and informal
appearance; provided, however, the Planning Commission may require
a more formal design if the Commission determines that site conditions
or other landscaping factors warrant.
(4)
If appropriate, as determined by the Planning Commission, required
plant material shall be placed on the top and side slope facing the
exterior property line.
(5)
If possible, berms shall be constructed so as to maintain side
slopes that do not exceed a ratio of one foot vertical rise to three
feet horizontal distance. If topography or other site conditions prevent
this ratio, retaining walls or terracing may be permitted. If a berm
is constructed using retaining walls or terraces, the earthen slope
shall face the exterior of the site.
(6)
Areas of a berm not containing shrubs, trees, and/or perennial
flowers shall be planted with grass or other living ground cover and
maintained in a healthy condition.
(7)
Berms shall not be designed, constructed or maintained so as
to alter drainage patterns such as to have an adverse effect on adjacent
properties.
D. Minimum standards for screen walls and fences.
(1)
All required plant material shall be on the exterior side of
a screen wall or fence.
(2)
If a wall or fence is to be constructed with openings, the openings
shall not exceed 20% of the wall or fence surface. In any case, such
openings shall not have the effect of substantially reducing the required
obscuring effect of the wall or fence.
(3)
When a screen wall or fence has both a finished face and an
unfinished face, the finished face shall be installed so that it is
directed toward the exterior side of the development site, or the
side which will be most visible to the general public, as determined
by the Planning Commission.
(4)
Screen walls and fences shall be designed, constructed and maintained
so as not to alter drainage patterns such as to result in adverse
effects on the site or on adjacent properties.
All motor vehicle parking areas containing more than 10 parking
spaces shall be landscaped according to the following minimum requirements:
A. One tree for every 10 parking spaces shall be planted within the
parking area. Such trees shall be canopy species, such as red maple,
locust, sycamore, oak, male gingko, linden and comparable species.
While drought-tolerant native species are preferred, other species
of canopy trees may be planted within parking areas if approved by
the Planning Commission.
B. Parking lots shall contain curbed landscape islands. Each island
shall be a minimum of 10 feet wide, although islands may be combined
to ensure a better environment for tree and plant growth. Each island
shall be planted with a minimum of two trees to provide shade and
to break up the visual monotony of large paved parking lots. Trees
shall be planted at least three feet from the edge of the island to
avoid contact with vehicles.
C. Landscaping in parking areas shall be arranged so as not to obscure
traffic signs or fire hydrants or obstruct drivers' sight distance
within the parking area and at driveway entrances.
D. All landscape areas shall be protected by raised curbs, parking blocks
or other similar methods.
E. If any parking area subject to the requirements of this section abuts
or faces a public road right-of-way, the required greenbelt separating
the parking area from the public road right-of-way shall contain a
three-foot-high continuous obscuring screen, comprised of plant material,
berms, or any combination of these elements in addition to the minimum
greenbelt landscape requirements.
F. Landscaping required for a buffer zone which abuts the parking area
and front yard landscaping which abuts a parking area may in total
apply toward not more than 50% of the required parking area landscaping.