This article shall apply to all site plan applications.
The following guidelines shall be used to prepare and review buffering and screening for any development plan. The provision of buffer areas and screening within such areas shall take into account the opportunities and constraints of existing conditions on the site, such as existing vegetation to be preserved, critical views into and out of the site, the days and hours of operation, intensity of use of the proposed development, potential off-site impacts and other such issues.
The following standards shall be used to prepare and review screening devices required in this article:
A. 
Evergreen trees or hedges. Where an evergreen screen is utilized, such plantings shall be sufficiently dense so as to provide a minimum of 75% of the required screening at time of planting. Arrangement of plantings shall be in a continuous row and may be overlapped or staggered within such row. Placement of such plantings shall provide maximum protection to existing vegetation to be preserved located in the buffer area and on adjacent properties.
B. 
Walls and fences. Where a masonry wall or solid wooden fence is utilized, the design of such shall be architecturally compatible with the style, materials, colors and details of the building(s) on the site. Where such wall or fence fronts toward or is visible from a public right-of-way, foundation plantings shall be planted along the base of all visible portions of the wall or fence.
C. 
Earth berms. Where an earth berm is utilized, it shall be designed to have a maximum side slope of one increment high to two increments wide or a ratio of one high to two wide (1:2). The minimum width of the top of a berm shall be four feet. Berms shall be composed of a soil type sufficient to sustain the growth of plantings it will support. Berms shall be landscaped with combinations of evergreen and deciduous trees and shrubs and ground cover.
The following standards shall be used to prepare buffering and screening for any development plan:
A. 
Residential uses and districts. Any residential use and district shall be suitably buffered and screened from all uses other than single- and two-family dwellings in order to minimize the impacts of noise, glare, vibration, vehicular traffic, pedestrian activity and other potential nuisances. The width of buffering and height of screening shall be provided based on the type of use that is being buffered and the district in which it is located, as follows:
Type of Use/Location
Width of Buffering
(feet)
Height of Screening
(feet)
Conditional uses in residential districts
10
6
Permitted residential uses other than single- and two-family dwellings
5
6
Permitted nonresidential uses
10
6
Permitted light industrial uses
25
10
All nonconforming uses
As deemed appropriate by the Board
B. 
Driveways and parking lots. All driveways and parking lots shall be suitably buffered and screened to minimize the impacts of noise, lighting and glare, exhaust fumes, views of parked vehicles and other nuisances. Buffering and screening shall minimize such impacts both within the site itself, as well as from adjacent and nearby properties and public rights-of-way as follows:
(1) 
Buffering shall consist of a minimum five-foot-wide area surrounding all sides of a parking lot exposed to view. Where such parking area is located on a tract adjacent to a residential use or district, such buffering shall consist of a minimum ten-foot-wide area surrounding all sides of a parking lot exposed to view.
(2) 
Screening shall consist of a minimum four-foot-high visually impervious screen to be located within the buffering area. Where such parking area is located on a tract adjacent to a residential use or district, such screening shall consist of a minimum six-foot-high visually impervious screen. The height of any required screen shall decrease to a maximum of three feet in height where driveways approach sidewalks or walkways, in order to provide adequate visibility of pedestrians from motor vehicles.
C. 
Loading areas. All loading areas, including loading dock areas of buildings and driveways providing access to the same, shall be suitably buffered and screened to minimize the impacts of noise, loading and unloading activities, lighting and glare, exhaust fumes, views of loading and unloading vehicles and other nuisances. Buffering and screening shall minimize such impacts both within the site itself, as well as from adjacent and nearby properties and public rights-of-way, as follows:
(1) 
Buffering shall consist of a minimum ten-foot-wide area surrounding all sides of a loading area exposed to view. Where such loading area is located on a tract adjacent to a residential use or district, such buffering shall consist of a minimum twenty-five-foot-wide area surrounding all sides of a parking lot exposed to view.
(2) 
Screening shall consist of a minimum ten-foot-high visually impervious screen. If such screen consists of a wall or fence, the buffer area between the wall or fence and the lot line shall be a minimum of 10 feet in width and shall also be extensively planted with both deciduous and evergreen trees.
D. 
Disposal and collection areas. All areas used for solid waste disposal and recyclable collection facilities shall be suitably buffered and screened to minimize the impacts of noise, odors, disposal and collection activities and views of collection bins and dumpsters. Buffering and screening shall minimize such impacts both within the site itself, as well as from adjacent and nearby properties and public rights-of-way.
(1) 
Buffering shall consist of a minimum four-foot-wide area surrounding all sides of such facility exposed to view. If such facility is located on a site adjacent to a residential use or district, such buffering shall consist of a minimum ten-foot-wide area surrounding all sides of such facility exposed to view.
(2) 
Screening shall consist of a minimum six-foot-high masonry wall, solid wooden fence or accessory building with gates or doors and ramped access to facilitate the movement of bins or dumpsters. The base of such screen shall be planted with a minimum four-foot-high evergreen hedge along the sides and rear of same.
E. 
HVAC equipment and utility service boxes. All ground level HVAC equipment and utility service boxes shall be suitably buffered and screened to minimize views of the same from both within the site itself, as well as from adjacent and nearby properties and public rights-of-way, as follows:
(1) 
Buffering shall consist of a minimum three-foot-wide area surrounding all sides of HVAC equipment and utility storage boxes exposed to view.
(2) 
Screening shall consist of a minimum four-foot-high evergreen hedge along all sides of the same.
F. 
Screening for wireless communications facilities. Such facilities shall be screened from view from all adjacent properties and public rights-of-way in order that a six-foot tall person, with an eye level from grade of approximately 5 1/2 feet, is not able to see the lowest 20% of the total antenna height from a distance of 25 feet from the lot line containing such antenna. In no instance, however, shall such screening be less than six feet in height; however, any fence greater than six feet in height shall require a variance from the provisions of this subsection. Such screening may utilize a solid wooden fence, earth berms, closely spaced evergreen plantings or some combination of those devices. If evergreen plantings are utilized, such shall be sufficiently dense as to achieve 75% of the required screening at planting.
[Added 6-16-1997 by Ord. No. 97-8]