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Whenever a site plan requires screening and/or landscaping, the applicant shall deposit with the City a cash or corporate surety bond, irrevocable bank letter of credit or any other security deemed acceptable by the City in the full amount of such improvement for the faithful completion of such improvement. When such screening improvement and/or landscaping requires landscaped earth berms or planted or natural vegetation screening, such bond shall continue for two years following the completion and inspection of all planting to ensure that all unhealthy and dead plant material shall be replaced, and the bond shall be released only after there has been a site inspection and a determination made that the screening has been planted as planned. The applicant shall provide a cost estimate on the site plan indicating the full amount of such improvement.
The Commission or official approving the site plan may waive or reduce the requirements of this division upon determining that the following would apply:
(a) The purpose of this division cannot be met; and
(b) Compliance with the requirements would impose a practical difficulty on the applicant or would create safety hazards to pedestrians or motorists.
Wherever in this Chapter screening, planting and/or material in conjunction with an obscuring fence is required, it shall be planted within six months from the date of issuance of a temporary certificate of occupancy and shall thereafter be reasonably maintained with permanent plant materials to provide a screen to abutting properties. Suitable materials equal in characteristics to the plant materials listed in this Chapter with the spacing as required in this Chapter shall be
provided.
Spacing of plant materials required under this Chapter shall be as follows:
(a) Trees and large shrubs shall not be placed closer than four feet from the fence line or property line.
(b) Where plant materials are planted in two or more rows, planting shall be staggered in rows.
(c) Evergreen trees, as defined in Section 1136.20, shall be planted not more than 30 feet on centers.
(d) Narrow evergreens, as defined in Section 1136.20, shall be planted not more than three feet on centers.
(e) Deciduous trees shall be planted not more than 30 feet on centers.
(f) Tree-like shrubs shall be planted not more than ten feet on centers.
(g) Large deciduous shrubs shall be planted not more than four feet on centers.
Suggested plant materials to be used pursuant to this Chapter shall be as follows:
(a) Large deciduous shrubs (minimum 24 inches in height at planting, minimum mature height of four feet):
(i) Gray Dogwood (Cornus racemosa).
(ii) Red-osier Dogwood (Cornus stolonifera).
(iii) Arrowwood Viburnum (Viburnum dentatum).
(iv) Nannyberry Viburnum (Viburnum lentago).
(v) Maple-leaved Viburnum (Viburnum acerifolium).
(vi) Native Spicebush (Lindera benzoin).
(vii) Winterberry Holly – females and males (Ilex verticillata).
(viii) Witch Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana).
(ix) Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis).
(x) Summersweet (Clethra alnifolia).
(xi) Serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea & A. laevis).
(xii) Sargent Crabapple (Malus ‘Sargent’).
(xiii) Lilac (Syringa spp.).
(xiv) Spirea (Spiraea spp.).
(xv) Winged Euonymous (Euonymous alatus).
(b) Evergreen trees (minimum five feet in height at planting):
(i) Norway Spruce (Picea avies).
(ii) Blue Spruce (Picea pungens).
(iii) White Spruce (Picea glauca).
(iv) White Pine (Pinus strobes).
(v) Austrian Pine (Pinus nigra).
(vi) White Fir (Abies concolor).
(c) Narrow evergreens (minimum three feet in height at planting, minimum mature height of six feet):
(i) Cap Yew (Taxus cuspidate ‘Capitata’).
(ii) Hick's Yew (Taxus x media ‘Hicksii’).
(iii) Hatfield Yew (Taxus x media ‘Hatfield’).
(iv) Chinese Juniper (Juniperus chinensis).
(v) Eastern Redcedar (Juniperus virginiana).
(d) Small trees (minimum 1 1/2-inch caliper at planting, maturing to less than 30 feet):
(i) Flowering Crab (Malus spp.).
(ii) Chinese Dogwood (Cornus kousa).
(iii) Serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis).
(iv) Hop Hornbeam (Ostrya virginiana).
(v) Redbud (Cercis canadensis).
(e) Medium deciduous trees (minimum two-inch caliper at planting, minimum mature height 30 feet):
(i) Black gum (Nyssa sylvatica).
(ii) Sweet gum (Liquidambar styraciflua).
(iii) Sargent Cherry (Prunus sargentii).
(iv) American Holly (Ilex opaca).
(v) American Hornbeam (Caprinus caroliniana).
(vi) Sassafras (Sassafras albidum).
(f) Large deciduous trees (minimum three-inch caliper at planting):
(i) Red Maple (Acer rubrum).
(ii) Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum).
(iii) River Birch (Betula nigra).
(iv) Tuliptree (Liriodendron tulipifera).
(v) Honey Locust (Gleditsia triancanthos).
(vi) Ginkgo - male only (Ginkgo biloba).
(vii) Linden (Tilia americana).
(viii) American beech (Fagus grandifolia).
(ix) Shingle Oak (Quercus imbricaria).
(x) English Oak (Quercus robur).
(xi) Red Oak (Quercus rubra).
For the purposes of this Chapter, the following plant materials shall not be permitted:
(a) Ailanthus (tree of heaven) (Ailanthus altissima).
(b) Ash (Fraxinus spp.).
(c) Asian bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculata).
(d) Box elder(Acer negundo).
(e) Buckthorn (Rhamnus spp.).
(f) Elm (Ulmus spp.).
(g) Hedge privet (Ligustrum).
(h) Japanese knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum).
(i) Multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora).
(j) Norway maple (Acer platanoides).
(k) Honeysuckle (Lonicera spp.).
(l) Olive - Autumn and Russian (Elaeagnus spp.).
(m) Poplar (Populus spp.).
(n) Soft maple (Acer saccharinum).
(o) Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria).
(a) Whenever a landscape planting screen or other plantings are required under this Chapter, such plantings shall be installed according to accepted good planting procedures and in a sound workmanlike manner. All plant material shall meet current standards of the American Association of Nurserymen.
(b) Four-inch overall depth of shredded, non-colored hardwood Cedar or Cypress bark or ground cover of low-growing woody shrubs, deciduous or evergreen plants, perennial plants and/or vines, such as cranberry cotoneaster (Cotoneaster apiculata), blue rug juniper (Juniperus horizantaus “Wiltoni”), myrtle (Vinca minor), or Baltic ivy (Hedera helix “Baltica”), shredded bark, wood chips, other similar mulch or landscaping stones shall be used in all planting beds. The minimum mulch radius shall be two feet surrounding a shrub and four feet surrounding a deciduous or evergreen tree. Deviations from this must be approved by the Administrative Official before installation.
(c) Maintenance of plantings shall be done to ensure a healthy and neat appearance, free of disease and insect infestations as well as clear of weeds and debris. Unhealthy or dead plant material is to be replaced within one year from completion and inspection of plantings.