This article contains the landscaping standards
required for on-site landscaping, parking lots, district
boundaries, and street buffers. The standards:
A.Â
In general. Required landscaping shall conform to
one or more of the following standard plant unit alternatives provided
in this section.
B.Â
C.Â
Countryside, Estate, Suburban Estate, and Suburban
Residential Districts. In the Countryside, Estate, Suburban Estate,
and Suburban Residential Districts, the shrub requirements for street
buffers may be substituted with two four-foot tall trees for every
five shrubs required per plant unit.
D.Â
Buffer yards. In buffer yards, canopy trees may be reduced in caliper by one inch and evergreen trees may be reduced in height by two
feet, if a three-foot high berm is used.
E.Â
Fractions of a plant unit. The amount and type of
plantings for a fraction of a total plant unit shall be determined
by the Planning Director.
A.Â
In general. In accordance with the guidelines set forth in Subsection B below, multifamily, manufactured home communities and nonresidential
developments shall contain a minimum amount of on-site landscaping
in those areas not designated as parking areas, buffer yards, or buildings as specified
in the table below. Existing vegetation may qualify at the discretion
of the Planning Director.
Table of Standards for On-Site Landscaping
[Amended 9-7-2004 by Ord. No. 04-24; 1-24-2012 by Ord. No.
11-17] | |||
---|---|---|---|
District and Use
|
Number of Plant Units
(per acre of required open space or landscape surface area)
| ||
Agricultural (AG)
| |||
Agriculture
|
None
| ||
Agricultural support
|
2
| ||
All other nonresidential
|
2
| ||
Countryside (CS)
| |||
Agriculture
|
None
| ||
Multifamily
|
4
| ||
All other nonresidential
|
4
| ||
Estate (E)
| |||
Multifamily
|
4
| ||
All other nonresidential
|
2
| ||
Neighborhood Conservation (NC)
|
4
| ||
Suburban Estate (SE)
| |||
Multifamily
|
4
| ||
All other nonresidential
|
2
| ||
Suburban Residential (SR)
| |||
Multifamily
|
4
| ||
Manufactured home community
|
4
| ||
Institutional
|
5
| ||
All other nonresidential
|
5
| ||
Suburban Commercial (SC)
|
5
| ||
Suburban Industrial (SI)
|
5
| ||
Urban Residential (UR)
| |||
Multifamily
|
None*
| ||
Manufactured home community
|
6
| ||
All other nonresidential
|
6
| ||
Urban Commercial (UC)
|
4
| ||
Grasonville Gateway Medical Center (GGMC)
|
6
| ||
Village Center (VC)
|
None*
| ||
Stevensville Historic Village Center (SHVC)
|
None*
| ||
Grasonville Neighborhood Commercial (GNC)
|
None*
| ||
Grasonville Village Commercial (GVC)
|
None*
| ||
Light Industrial Highway Service (LIHS)
|
6 (75% located in front and side yards)
| ||
NOTES:
* May be conditioned to meet the unique needs
of the immediate area as part of the approval process.
|
B.Â
Landscape design guidelines. To allow for better site design, placement of plant material, screening, and buffering, the following design guidelines
are intended to allow for flexibility in the placement of required
plantings to address site-specific conditions, but shall not be used
to reduce the amount of required planting material.
(1)Â
A variety of species shall be used in the preparation
of the landscaping plan, and the use of native species
is encouraged. The landscaping plan should include a mix in plant
size, shape, and textures.
(2)Â
The landscaping plan should incorporate a mix of species
and materials that account for the seasonal changes. The plant materials
should include flowering plants and evergreens that add interest to
the site year round.
(3)Â
Landscaping and screening treatments
between potentially incompatible uses should be installed
or enhanced to lessen negative impacts.
(4)Â
Ornamental grasses may be substituted for required
shrubs.
(5)Â
Foundation landscaping is strongly encouraged around
commercial buildings.
(6)Â
Retention of existing healthy trees on-site is encouraged.
Trees with a caliper measurement larger than five
inches may receive consideration and credit for more than one new
tree of minimum caliper size. When existing trees
are kept on-site, they may be counted towards required landscaping,
provided they meet the minimum size provided in the landscaping standards.
(7)Â
Landscaping shall not be placed in a location that
may obstruct lines of sight for motorists or pedestrians that could
result in an unsafe situation.
(8)Â
Substitution of required plants sizes may be considered
in limited circumstances to address specific needs of the site or impacts on the adjacent properties.
(9)Â
Landscaping shall be used to break up large expanses
of wall space on nonresidential buildings.
(10)Â
Freestanding signs shall have
an architectural base or be landscaped in accordance with § 18:1-81A(10)(c)[4].
(11)Â
Landscaping should be used to screen mechanical
equipment and outside storage of bulk materials.
A.Â
In general.
(1)Â
Multifamily developments and nonresidential parking lots shall contain a
minimum amount of landscaping within the parking lots
and adjoining entrance drives and circulation drives as specified
in the table below.
[Amended 1-24-2012 by Ord. No. 11-17]
Use
|
Zoning District
|
Number of Plant Units Required for Every
24 Parking Spaces
| |
---|---|---|---|
All residential uses
|
E, SE, SR, UR, GNC, SHVC, GVC and VC
|
1.5
| |
All uses
|
UC, TC and GGMC
|
2.0
| |
All nonresidential uses
|
UR, GNC, SHVC, GVC, and VC
|
2.5
| |
Agricultural support uses
|
AG and CS
|
1.5
| |
All nonresidential uses, except agriculture and agricultural support uses
|
AG, CS, E, SE, SR, SC, SI, SIBE, and LIHS
|
3.0
|
(2)Â
Planting areas and landscaping islands shall be no
less that six feet wide and no less than the length of the adjacent parking space.