[HISTORY: Adopted by the Borough Council of the Borough of Downingtown 7-7-1999 by Ord. No. 99-9. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Streets and sidewalks — See Ch. 249.
Trees — See Ch. 270.
Zoning — See Ch. 287.
In an effort to revitalize the Boot Road Corridor, this ordinance has been prepared to enhance the visual character of the corridor through landscape enhancements, site amenities and pavement inserts.
The screening options presented below should not be used to produce monotonous, linear design. If a long length of screening is required, options should be combined or alternated, or plant materials should be varied to achieve a more pleasing effect. Other creative options, such as changes in elevation utilizing existing vegetation or varying plant materials within a bufferyard are encouraged. Screening in addition to that specified below may also be required due to slopes or specific conditions where specified screening measures do not achieve the necessary level of concealment. Landscape materials and screen elements should be utilized in a manner that provides unity and continuity to the streetscape.
A. 
Landscape strip.
(1) 
All commercial, industrial and nonresidential land uses within the Boot Road Corridor shall provide a landscaped strip as described below. This landscape strip shall be provided on the property adjacent to all public rights-of-way. (In any area where a parking lot is immediately adjacent to a public right-of-way, the provisions for parking lot landscaping shall apply.) The landscaped strip may not include any paved area except pedestrian sidewalks or trails which cross perpendicular to the landscaped strip.
(2) 
Any of the following landscaped strip treatments may be used singularly or in combination:
(a) 
Provide a minimum ten-foot-wide landscaped strip to be planted with a minimum of one shade tree and 10 shrubs per 35 linear feet of frontage, excluding driveway openings (see Commercial and Industrial Landscaped Strip Figure, Option 1).[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Said figure is located at the end of this chapter.
(b) 
Provide a minimum twenty-five-foot-wide strip of existing vegetation (see Commercial and Industrial Landscaped Strip Figure, Option 2).[2] The Planning Commission at its discretion may require additional plants to meet this specific requirement.
[2]
Editor's Note: Said figure is located at the end of this chapter.
(c) 
Where the plantings required in Subsection A(2)(a) or (b) above result in an inappropriate or impractical design due to underground utilities, overhead wires or other factors, the following will apply:
[1] 
Two ornamental trees may be substituted for one shade tree.
[2] 
Two evergreen trees may be substituted for one shade tree.
[3] 
One evergreen tree may be substituted for five shrubs.
(d) 
To provide landscape variety and enhanced aesthetics, ornamental grass and perennials may be substituted for shrubs at three ornamental grass or perennial per shrub. Up to 50% of the required shrubs may be replaced with ornamental grass or perennials.
B. 
Parking lot requirements. The following requirements shall apply to all parking lots within the Boot Road Corridor:
(1) 
Landscaped strip requirements. When a parking lot is located adjacent to a public right-of-way, a landscaped strip as described below shall be provided on the property between the parking lot and the right-of-way. The landscaped strip may not include any paved area except pedestrian sidewalks or trails which cross perpendicular to the landscaped strip. Any of the following landscaped strip treatments may be used singularly or in combination:
(a) 
Provide a minimum ten-foot-wide landscaped strip between the right-of-way and the parking lot to be planted with a minimum of one shade tree and 10 shrubs per 35 linear feet of frontage, excluding driveway openings (see Parking Lot Landscaped Strip Figure, Option 1).[3]
[3]
Editor's Note: Said figure is located at the end of this chapter.
(b) 
Provide a minimum eighteen-foot-wide landscaped strip for a berm, the top of which is at least 2 1/2 feet higher than the elevation of the adjacent parking lot pavement. The slope of the berm shall not exceed 33% (3 to 1) for lawn areas. Berms planted with ground covers and shrubs may be steeper. However, no slope shall exceed 50% (2 to 1). Berms should be graded to appear as smooth, rounded, naturalistic forms. Plant with a minimum of one shade tree and five shrubs per 35 linear feet of frontage, excluding driveway openings (see Parking Lot Landscaped Strip Figure, Option 2).[4]
[4]
Editor's Note: Said figure is located at the end of this chapter.
(c) 
Provide a minimum of an eight-foot-wide landscaped strip and a minimum of three-foot grade drop from the right-of-way line to the adjacent parking lot pavement. Plant the resulting embankment with a minimum of one shade tree and five shrubs per 35 linear feet of frontage, excluding driveway openings (see Parking Lot Landscaped Strip Figure, Option 3).[5]
[5]
Editor's Note: Said figure is located at the end of this chapter.
(d) 
Provide a minimum six-foot-wide landscaped strip between the right-of-way line and the parking lot with a minimum three-foot-high brick, stone or finished concrete or decorative block wall to screen the parking lot. The wall shall be located adjacent to but entirely outside the six-foot landscaped strip. Plant with a minimum of one shade tree per 35 linear feet of frontage, excluding driveway openings (see Parking Lot Landscaped Strip Figure, Option 4).[6]
[6]
Editor's Note: Said figure is located at the end of this chapter.
(e) 
Provide a minimum twenty-five-foot-wide strip of existing vegetation (see Parking Lot Landscape Strip Figure Option 5).[7] The Planning Commission at its discretion may require additional plants to meet this specific requirement.
[7]
Editor's Note: Said figure is located at the end of this chapter.
(f) 
Where the plantings required in Subsection B(1)(a), (b), (c) or (d) above results in an inappropriate or impractical design due to underground utilities, overhead wires or other factors, the following will apply:
[1] 
Two ornamental trees may be substituted for one shade tree.
[2] 
Two evergreen trees may be substituted for one shade tree.
[3] 
One evergreen tree may be substituted for five shrubs.
(2) 
Interior parking lot plantings.
(a) 
In any parking lot containing 20 or more parking spaces (except parking garages), 5% of the total area of the lot shall be devoted to interior landscaping. Such interior landscaping shall be provided at the end of parking space rows and used to break up rows of parking spaces. An island, equal in size to a parking space, shall be provided to break up rows of parking spaces. One island shall be provided between every 10 parking spaces. For the purposes of computing the total area of any parking lot, all areas within the perimeter of the parking lot shall be counted, including all parking spaces and access drives, aisles, islands and curbed areas.
(b) 
Ground cover alone is not sufficient to meet this requirement. Trees, shrubs or other approved material shall be provided. At least one shade tree shall be provided for each 300 square feet (or fraction) of required interior landscaping area. These trees shall have a clear trunk at least six feet above finish grade level.
(c) 
Planting spaces must be large enough to allow for healthy tree growth and must be protected from car overhangs and opening car doors.
[1] 
Planting islands which are parallel to parking spaces shall be a minimum of nine feet wide to allow car doors to swing open (see figure for Planting Island Parallel to Space).[8]
[8]
Editor's Note: Said figure is located at the end of this chapter.
[2] 
In cases where a planting island is perpendicular to parking spaces and the space head into the planting island on both sides, the island shall be a minimum of eight feet wide to allow for bumper overhang. A curb or wheel stop shall be provided for all parking spaces adjacent to planting or pedestrian areas to protect those areas from overhanging by parked vehicles. If parking spaces are located on only one side of such a planting island, the island shall be a minimum of six feet wide (see figure for Planting Island Perpendicular to Space).[9]
[9]
Editor's Note: Said figure is located at the end of this chapter.
C. 
Screening requirements. In general, screening materials shall consist of evergreen trees and shrubs, walls, fences and berms or a combination. Screening fences and walls shall not be constructed of corrugated metal, corrugated fiberglass, sheet metal, chain link or wire mesh. Screening requirements shall be required as indicated below:
(1) 
At all loading areas consisting of two or more loading spaces, loading docks, vehicular lanes providing access to the above, and service or maintenance areas provide screening from land adjacent to public roads. Screening shall be provided according to the following options:
(a) 
Six-foot-high opaque fences or walls.
(b) 
Six-foot-high berm.
(c) 
Six-foot evergreen screen (trees or shrubs, minimum six feet high at minimum nine feet on center, double staggered).
(2) 
All dumpsters, trash pads and trash collection or storage areas shall be carefully located and oriented on the site to be as inconspicuous as possible. They shall be screened from all adjoining properties except for those on which there are industrial, warehouse, distribution or resource recovery uses which are permitted; from all public roads; and, if located within a commercial development, from all outdoor recreation areas, retail parking areas and entrance drives within the development. The foregoing shall be provided according to the following options:
(a) 
Opaque fence or wall with a six-foot height minimum.
(b) 
Evergreen screen (height, spacing and variety to be determined by size and location of area to be screened).
(3) 
At all mechanical equipment and meters (including freestanding air conditioners, heat pumps and similar equipment, but not including public utility transformers) provide screening from all adjacent properties; from all adjacent public roads; parking areas and entrance drives within the development; and, if located within a commercial development, from all parking areas and entrance drives. The foregoing screening shall be provided in accordance with the following options:
(a) 
Opaque fence or wall.
(b) 
Evergreen screen (height, spacing and variety to be determined by size and location of area to be screened).
In an effort to enhance the visual character of the Boot Road Corridor, site amenities such as seating benches with matching trash receptacles and pole lighting shall be provided to enhance the corridor's visual character and to further ensure that adequate lighting, seating and refuse facilities are available to further promote the revitalization of the corridor.
A. 
Seating/benches: Timber Form Contour Bench (or approved similar), Series 2100, Bench 2140-6.
B. 
Litter Containers: Timber Form, Series 2100, Container 2107.
C. 
Light Standards: Spring City Electrical Manufacturing Company, Cast Iron Lighting Posts, Northampton Series.
To further promote the streetscape visual character of the corridor, the intersections of Reed Street, Skelp Level and the entry to the proposed Transportation Center will include repaving the intersections with a bituminous pavement texturing to simulate brick/unit inserts. The textured pavement will be colored with a substrate pigment (brick crosswalk and terra cotta interior).