Landscaping is accepted as adding value to property and is in the interest of the general welfare of the Town. The provision of landscaped areas also serves to increase the amount of a property that is devoted to pervious surface area that, in turn, helps to reduce the amount of impervious surface area, stormwater runoff, and consequent non-point pollution in local waterways. Therefore, landscaping is hereafter required of new development.
(Ordinance 361-05 adopted 3/22/05)
The standards and criteria contained within this Section are deemed to be minimum standards and shall apply to all new construction or any construction that increases the existing square footage of a structure by more than thirty percent (30%). Additionally, any use requiring a Conditional Use Permit or a PD zoning designation must comply with these landscape standards unless special landscaping standards are otherwise provided for in the ordinance establishing the CUP or PD district. The provisions of this Section shall be administered and enforced by the Town Secretary, or his/her designee. The landscape standards in this Section apply to nonresidential developments (including uses such as schools and churches within a residential zoning district).
If at any time after the issuance of a certificate of occupancy, the approved landscaping is found to be not in conformance with the standards and criteria of this Section, the Town Secretary, or his/her designee, shall issue notice to the owner, citing the violation and describing what action is required to comply with this Chapter. The owner, tenant or agent shall have thirty (30) days from date of said notice to establish/restore the landscaping, as required. If the landscaping is not established/restored within the allotted time, then such person shall be in violation of this Ordinance.
(Ordinance 361-05 adopted 3/22/05)
No permits shall be issued for building, paving, grading or construction until a detailed landscape plan is submitted and approved by the Town, along with the site plan and engineering/construction plans. A landscape plan shall be required as part of the site plan submission, as required in Chapter 3. The landscape plan may be shown on the site plan (provided the site plan remains clear and legible) or may be drawn on a separate sheet. Prior to the issuance of a certificate of occupancy for any building or structure, all screening and landscaping shall be in place in accordance with the landscape plan.
In any case in which a certificate of occupancy is sought at a season of the year in which the Town, determines that it would be impractical to plant trees, shrubs or ground cover, or to successfully establish turf areas, a temporary certificate of occupancy may be issued provided a letter of agreement from the property owner is submitted that states when the installation shall occur. All landscaping required by the landscaping plan shall be installed within six (6) months of the date of the issuance of the temporary certificate of occupancy.
(Ordinance 361-05 adopted 3/22/05)
Landscape plans shall be prepared by persons knowledgeable in plant material usage and landscape design (e.g., landscape architect, landscape contractor, landscape designer, etc.) and shall contain the following minimum information:
A. 
Minimum scale of one inch (1") equals fifty feet (50') or other such scale as approved by the Town Secretary, or his/her designee; show scale in both written and graphic form.
B. 
Location, size and species of all trees to be preserved (do not use “tree stamps” unless they indicate true size and location of trees).
C. 
Location of all plant and landscaping material to be used, including plants, paving, benches, screens, fountains, statues, earthen berms, ponds (to include depth of water), topography of site, or other landscape features.
D. 
Species and common names of all plant materials to be used.
E. 
Size of all plant material to be used (container size, planted height, etc.).
F. 
Spacing of plant material where appropriate.
G. 
Note on the face of the landscape plan stating that all landscaped areas will be irrigated with a below-ground, mechanical irrigation system meeting the minimum standards of Section 18.9.
H. 
Description of maintenance provisions.
I. 
Name and address of the person(s) responsible for the preparation of the landscape plan.
J. 
North arrow/symbol, and a small map showing where the property is located.
K. 
Date of the landscape plan
(Ordinance 361-05 adopted 3/22/05)
The following criteria and standards shall apply to landscape materials and installation:
A. 
All non-paved surfaces shall be completely covered with living plant material. Landscaping materials such as wood chips and gravel may be used under trees, shrubs and other plants, but shall not comprise a significant portion of the total landscaped area. This requirement shall not apply to public or private playgrounds built in association with any nonresidential or park use.
B. 
Plant materials shall conform to the standards of the approved plant list for the Town of Bartonville (see Chapter 31 for the approved plant list) and the current edition of the “American Standard for Nursery Stock” (as amended), published by the American Association of Nurserymen. Grass seed, sod and other material shall be clean and reasonably free of weeds and noxious pests and insects.
C. 
Native overstory trees required pursuant to this Chapter 18 shall meet the following minimum criteria:
1. 
An average crown spread of greater than fifteen feet (15') at maturity. Trees having a lesser average mature crown of fifteen feet (15') may be substituted by grouping the same so as to create the equivalent of fifteen feet (15') of crown spread.
2. 
A minimum trunk diameter of three inches (3") (measured forty-eight (48") inches above the ground) and seven feet (7') in height at time of planting.
3. 
All new trees shall be provided with a permeable surface under the drip line a minimum of five feet (5') by five feet (5').
4. 
All trees shall be in containers or “Balled and Burlapped” at the time of installation.
D. 
Understory/ornamental trees required pursuant to this Chapter 18 shall meet the following minimum criteria:
1. 
A minimum of one and one-half inch (1.5") (measured forty-eight (48") inches) and five feet (5') in height at time of planting.
2. 
All new trees shall be provided with a permeable surface under the drip line a minimum of five feet (5') by five feet (5').
E. 
Shrubs required pursuant to this Chapter 18 shall meet the following minimum criteria:
1. 
Shrubs variety shall be a minimum of five (5) gallons and two feet (2') in height when measured immediately after planting.
2. 
Hedges, where installed for buffering purposes, shall be planted and maintained so as to form a continuous, unbroken, solid visual screen which will be at least six feet (6') high within three (3) years after time of planting (except for parking lot/headlight screens, which shall form a continuous, solid visual screen three feet high within two years after planting).
F. 
Decorative fencing required pursuant to this Chapter 18 shall meet the requirements of town code Chapter 3, article 3.10.
F1. 
Vines not intended as ground cover shall be a minimum of two feet (2') in height immediately after planting and may be used in conjunction with fences, screens, or walls to meet landscape screening requirements as set forth.[1]
[1]
Editor’s note—Renumbered for sequence.
G. 
Grass areas shall be sodded, plugged, sprigged, hydro-mulched and/or seeded, except that solid sod shall be used in swales, earthen berms or other areas subject to erosion.
H. 
Ground covers used in lieu of grass in whole and in part shall be planted in such a manner as to present a finished appearance and reasonably completed coverage within one (1) year of planting.
I. 
All landscaped areas shall be equipped with an automatic, underground irrigation system with freeze and moisture sensors to prevent watering at inappropriate times. Landscaped areas having less than ten (10) square feet in area may be irrigated by some other inconspicuous method. If appropriate xeriscape planting techniques are utilized, the Town Council may waive the requirement for an underground irrigation system at the time of site plan approval. However, the landscaping shall be required to be maintained in a healthy, living and growing condition, and any irrigation devices shall not be visible from public streets or walkways.
J. 
Earthen berms shall have side slopes not to exceed 33.3 percent (three feet (3') of horizontal distance for each one foot (1') of vertical height). All berms shall contain necessary drainage provisions as may be required by the Town’s Engineer.
K. 
The planting requirements specified herein shall not be cumulative and planting materials required to meet one section of the ordinance may be credited toward the requirements to meet other sections of the ordinance. For example, tree plantings required to meet the bufferyard standards may also be credited toward the tree planting requirements for the perimeter planting requirements for off-street parking and vehicular use areas.
(Ordinance 361-05 adopted 3/22/05; Ordinance 760-23 adopted 11/21/2023)
A. 
The following percentages of landscaping coverage are the minimum required for all properties that are subject to this Section.
B. 
Landscaped areas include all areas that are planted. Areas that are retained in a natural state may be included, if they are comprised of native or non-invasive species and are maintained in a weed-free condition.
C. 
Tree canopy is measured by computing the area that the mature canopy will encompass, based on the standard tree list in Chapter 31. Mature canopies shall be estimated for existing trees on-site. Any tree not on the Tree List shall be estimated by use of the American Standards for Nursery Stock.
D. 
Landscaping in the adjacent public right-of-way may be counted toward meeting the overall landscaping requirements on a case-by-case basis, if approved by the Town Council.
E. 
The percentages specified in this section are the minimum required. At times, more landscaping or tree canopy will be required to meet the needs of the other sections of the landscaping standards, such as screening or parking areas, landscaping of setback areas, and providing usable outdoor space.
F. 
With the exception of athletic fields, golf courses, and playgrounds, all areas, which are not used for building or parking, are required to be landscaped, and where adequate room exists, all landscaped areas are required to contain trees.
G. 
Landscaping design shall include a variety of deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs and flowering plant species well adapted to the local climate.
H. 
Street Trees:
All development fronting on public or private streets shall be required to plant street trees in accordance with the following standards. The Town Secretary, or his/her designee, may approve alternative plans due to special conditions, which may, for reasons such as safety, affect the ability to meet these standards:
1. 
Street trees shall be located between the street and sidewalk, except in cases where there is a designated planting strip in the right-of-way, or the sidewalk is greater than eight (8) feet wide and designated to accept trees in tree wells.
2. 
Spacing, Placement, and Pruning of Street Trees:
a. 
Street trees shall be planted at the rate of one (1) tree for every thirty (30) feet, or major fraction thereof, of street frontage. Street trees shall be planted at a regular interval along the street frontage, and shall be of the same species within any specific block.
b. 
Street trees shall not be planted closer than twenty-five (25) feet from the curb line of intersections of streets and no closer than ten (10) feet from private driveways, fire hydrants or utility poles.
c. 
Street trees shall not be planted closer than twenty (20) feet to light standards. Except for public safety, no new light standard location shall be positioned closer than ten (10) feet to any existing street tree, and preferably such locations will be at least twenty (20) feet distant.
d. 
Street trees shall not be planted closer than six (6) feet from the face of the curb except at intersections where it shall be five (5) feet from the curb in a curb return area.
e. 
Where there are overhead power lines, tree species are to be chosen that will not interfere with those lines.
f. 
Street trees shall not be planted within four (4) feet of any permanent hard surface paving or walkway. Cuts in concrete for street trees shall be at least sixty-four (64) inches; however, larger cuts are encouraged because they allow additional air and water into the root system and add to the health of the tree. Space between the tree and the hard surface may be permeable, non-permanent hard surfaces such as iron grates, bricks on sand, or paver blocks.
3. 
Existing trees may be used as street trees if there will be no damage from the development that will kill or weaken the tree.
4. 
Street trees shall be maintained by the adjoining property owner.
5. 
Street trees shall include irrigation, root barriers, and generally conform to the standards established by the Town of Bartonville.
I. 
Bufferyards:
Bufferyards shall be required in accordance with this Section to separate different land uses from each other and to eliminate or minimize potential nuisances such as dirt, litter, noise, glare, signs, and unsightly buildings or parking areas, or to provide spacing to reduce the adverse impacts of noise, odor or danger from fire or explosions. Both the amount of land and the type and amount of planting and specified structures for each bufferyard are designed to lessen nuisances between adjacent land uses or between a land use and a public road.
1. 
Screening Between Residential and Nonresidential Uses -
Screening shall be located on the site of the nonresidential use along all property lines adjacent to an existing residential use, residential zoning district or a planned residential area as designated on the Bartonville Land Use Plan, as amended, subject to the following standards:
a. 
Masonry Wall -
A brick or masonry wall with stucco or Mortar wash finish, both exterior finishes being the same, shall be constructed parallel to each property line abutting a residential use. Said wall shall be located ten feet (10') from the property line. Such walls may have one (1) access point for maintenance per one hundred (100) linear feet of wall distance for maintenance of landscaping and shall be a minimum of six feet (6') in height and a maximum of eight feet (8') in height, except that the first twenty-five feet (25') in from the street right-of-way may be stepped down to a minimum height of four feet (4').
b. 
Landscaped Edge -
A landscaped edge shall be installed and maintained in a healthy condition running the length of the residential side of any masonry wall as specified in Subsection a. above. Said landscaped edge shall require the following minimum planting materials:
1. 
Overstory trees of a species specified by Chapter 31 of this Ordinance shall be installed at a minimum ratio of one (1) tree per fifty (50) linear feet.
2. 
That portion of the landscape edge not occupied by other plant materials as specified in items 1 above shall be covered in a ground cover material as specified in Chapter 31 of this ordinance.
c. 
The Planning and Zoning Commission shall have the authority to approve alternate equivalent screening materials or methods including, but not limited to, living screens on the site plan (if prepared in accordance with Chapter 3). The Planning and Zoning Commission shall also have the authority to approve alternate locations of any screening wall. In no case shall a masonry wall be located less than five feet (5') or more than ten feet (10') from the property line.
2. 
Landscape Buffer between Nonresidential Uses -
A landscape buffer shall be located on the site of the nonresidential use along all property lines adjacent to another existing nonresidential use, nonresidential zoning district or planned nonresidential area as designated on the Bartonville Land Use Plan, as amended, subject to the following standards:
a. 
Landscaped Edge -
A landscaped edge of a minimum width of five feet (5') shall be installed along the property line. Said landscaped edge shall require the following minimum planting materials:
1. 
Overstory trees of a species specified by Chapter 31 of this Ordinance shall be installed at a minimum ratio of one (1) tree per fifty (50) linear feet of property line with fractions being rounded to the next whole number.
2. 
Understory trees of a species specified by Chapter 31 of this Ordinance shall be installed at a minimum ratio of three (3) trees per fifty (50) linear feet of property line with fractions being rounded to the next whole number.
3. 
Shrubs of a species specified by Chapter 31 of this Ordinance shall be installed at a minimum ratio of six (6) shrubs per one hundred (100) linear feet of property line with fractions being rounded to the next whole number.
4. 
That portion of the landscape edge not occupied by other plant materials as specified in items 1 through 3 above shall be covered in a ground cover material as specified in Chapter 31 of this ordinance.
J. 
Minimum Requirements for Off-Street Parking and Vehicular Use Areas:
Parking lots, [and] vehicular use areas for developments within all the nonresidential zoning districts are to be effectively screened from the public view and adjacent property. Both the interior and perimeter of such areas shall be landscaped in accordance with the following criteria. Areas used for parking or vehicular storage which are under, on, or within buildings are exempt from these standards.
1. 
Interior Landscaping -
A minimum of ten (10) percent of the gross parking areas shall be devoted to living landscaping that includes grass, ground cover, plants, shrubs, and trees. Gross parking area is to be measured from the edge of the parking lot and/or driveway paving and sidewalks. The following additional criteria shall apply to the interior of parking lots.
a. 
Interior landscape areas shall be protected from vehicular encroachment or overhang through appropriate wheel stops or curbs.
b. 
There shall be a minimum of one (1) native overstory tree planted for each four hundred (400) square feet or fraction thereof of required interior landscape area.
c. 
Interior areas of parking lots shall contain planting islands located so as to best relieve the expanse of paving. Planter islands must be located no further apart than every twelve (12) parking spaces and at the terminus of all rows of parking. Such islands shall contain at least one (1) overstory tree. Planter islands shall not be required for lots containing less than thirty-five thousand (35,000) square feet. The remainder shall be landscaped with shrubs, lawn, ground cover, and other appropriate material not to exceed three (3) feet in height at maturity. Interior planter islands shall have a minimum size of sixteen (16) square feet and a minimum width of eight (8) feet as measured from back-of-curb to back-of-curb or nine (9) feet from edge-of-pavement to edge-of-pavement if constructed without curbs.
d. 
The Town may approve planter islands required by Section 18.6 J.1.c. above to be located further than apart than twelve (12) parking spaces in order to preserve existing trees in interior parking areas. Off-street parking and drive areas located within the drip line of a tree shall be paved with permeable material approved by the Town when the drip line of an existing tree is larger than the planter islands required by Section 18.5 C.3 [18.6 J.1.c].
2. 
Perimeter Landscaping -
All parking lots and vehicular use areas located between a primary structure and a public right-of-way shall be screened from all public rights-of-way with a landscape barrier. Plants and materials used in the landscaped strip shall meet the minimum specifications as established in Section 18.5.
Perimeter landscaping shall be designed to screen off-street parking areas and other vehicular use areas, except for driveways that provide direct connection to a public right-of-way, from public rights-of-way. Said perimeter landscaping shall include the following:
a. 
Whenever an off-street parking area or vehicular use area is located between a primary structure and a public right-of-way, a perimeter landscape area of at least fifteen (15) feet in depth shall be maintained between the abutting public right-of-way and the off-street parking or vehicular use area. An appropriate landscape screen or barrier shall be installed in this area and the remaining area shall be landscaped with materials as specified in b. and c. below.
b. 
The following planting materials shall be required within a landscape barrier as specified herein. Plant materials as required for the mandatory bufferyards required by Section 18.6 may be counted toward the perimeter landscape requirements specified herein:
1. 
One (1) overstory tree per fifty (50) lineal feet of frontage;
2. 
Three (3) understory trees per fifty (50) lineal feet of frontage;
3. 
Curvilinear berm measuring a minimum of three (3) feet in height or a hedge row creating a solid vegetative screen at maturity of the plant materials. Said plant materials shall meet the minimum criteria for shrubs as specified by Section 39.5 E. [18.5 E.]; and
4. 
All areas not covered by plant materials specified in items 1. through 3. above shall be covered in ground cover, which shall be selected from the approved plant list.
c. 
Perimeter landscaping shall include the installation of a Decorative Fence meeting the standards specified in town code Chapter 3, article 3.10.
K. 
Landscaping Requirements for Non-Vehicular Open Space -
Development within the RLI, RB, GC and P/SP zoning districts shall meet the following landscaping standards in addition to the landscaping of off-street parking and vehicular use areas and all bufferyards required by Section 18.6. All remaining open spaces on any developed lot or parcel shall conform to the following minimum criteria:
1. 
Grass, ground cover, shrubs, and other landscape materials shall be used to cover all open ground within twenty (20) feet of any building or paving or other use such as storage.
2. 
All structures shall be treated with landscaping so as to enhance the appearance of the structure and to screen any detractive or unsightly appearance.
3. 
Landscaping shall be provided on each developed lot in accordance with the following standards:
a. 
Native Overstory Trees - Overstory trees shall be planted in non-vehicular open space to meet the following criteria. Existing trees that are preserved on a developed site may be credited as specified by this Section.
Percentage of Site in [Non-]Vehicular Open Space:
Tree Ratio per Non-Vehicular Open Space:
Less than 30
1 tree/2,500 square feet
30 to 49
1 tree/3,000 square feet
More than 49
1 tree/4,000 square feet
4. 
Landscaping that is in excess of the required minimum open space that is located in the rear yard of the site shall not be used to meet the minimum open space requirements for the site.
L. 
Vehicular driveways from the public right-of-way and sidewalks, in accordance with Town regulations, shall be permitted through all required landscaping.
(Ordinance 361-05 adopted 3/22/05; Ordinance 451-08, sec. 3, adopted 5/20/08; Ordinance 513-11, sec. 7, adopted 3/15/11; Ordinance 564-14, sec. 7, adopted 7/15/14; Ordinance 760-23 adopted 11/21/2023)
A. 
Strict compliance with these landscaping requirements shall not be such as to cause visibility obstructions and/or blind corners at intersections.
B. 
Landscaping, except required grass and low ground cover, shall not be located closer than three feet (3') from the edge of any vehicular pavement.
C. 
In the event other visibility obstructions are apparent in the proposed landscape plan, as determined by the Town Secretary, or his/her designee, the requirements set forth herein may be slightly reduced, if necessary, to remove the conflict.
(Ordinance 361-05 adopted 3/22/05)
A. 
The owner, tenant and/or their agent, if any, shall be jointly and severally responsible for the maintenance of all landscaping. All required landscaping shall be maintained in a neat and orderly manner at all times. This shall include, but not to be limited to, mowing (of grass six inches or higher), edging, pruning, fertilizing, watering, weeding, and other such activities common to the maintenance of landscaping. Landscaped areas shall be kept free of trash, litter, weeds, and other such material or plants not a part of the landscaping. All plant material shall be maintained in a healthy and growing condition as is appropriate for the season of the year. Plant materials which die shall be replaced with plant material of similar variety and size, within ninety (90) days. Trees with a trunk diameter in excess of six inches (6") measured twenty-four inches (24") above the ground may be replaced with ones of similar variety having a trunk diameter of no less than three inches (3") measured at caliper. A time extension may be granted by the Town, if substantial evidence is presented to indicate abnormal circumstances beyond the control of the owner or his/her agent.
B. 
It shall be the duty of any person or persons owning or occupying real property bordering on any street to prune trees next to the street in such manner that they will not obstruct or shade the streetlights, obstruct vision of traffic signs, or obstruct the view from any street intersection, pursuant to the Town’s visibility standards. The minimum clearance of any portion of a tree overhanging public street right-of-way shall be fourteen feet (14'), and overhanging a public sidewalk shall be eight feet (8').
C. 
Failure to maintain any landscape area in compliance with this Section is considered a violation of this Section and may be subject to penalties of this Ordinance.
(Ordinance 361-05 adopted 3/22/05)
A. 
All required landscaped areas shall include a below-ground, mechanical irrigation system to insure the health and growth of the landscaping. Medians, rights-of-way, visibility clips and other common areas that are landscaped shall be irrigated, with irrigation plans for said landscaped areas approved by the Town prior to the issuance of a building permit.
B. 
All required overstory trees shall be irrigated with a separate line and said system shall include tree bubblers.
C. 
Each irrigation system shall be installed with moisture sensors for all required overstory trees and a rain sensor.
(Ordinance 361-05 adopted 3/22/05)