Loading...
Required yards and all other portions of the lot not covered by permitted structures shall be landscaped with grass, trees, shrubbery and/or other appropriate ground cover or landscaping material, as required by the Planning Commission which at all times shall be maintained in good and healthy condition.
(a) All screening shall be free of advertising or other signs, except for directional signs and other signs for the efficient flow of vehicles.
(b) Unless otherwise specified, trees and shrubs shall be arranged to create varied and attractive views and plant material should provide a variety of color displayed throughout the year.
(c) The required landscaping shall be maintained in healthy condition by the current owner and replaced when required by Section 1294.09(b)(2)C. Replacement material shall conform to the original intent of the landscape plan.
(d) Vehicle parking shall not be permitted in landscaped areas.
(Ord. 58-01. Passed 5-29-01.)
Except for lots devoted to single-family detached and two-family dwellings, the entire area of a lot that is within the required front building and parking setback, excluding driveway openings, shall be landscaped. Each lot shall provide a minimum of one tree with a minimum caliper of 2.5 inches for each 10,000 square feet of developed land. The owners of the landscaped property shall be required to maintain it in a suitable manner.
(Ord. 58-01. Passed 5-29-01.)
Screening and buffering shall be provided along the entire length of a common boundary whenever a lot abuts a more restrictive zoning district or use as required below. Such screening and buffering shall be provided in accordance with the following regulations and shall be approved as part of the development plan required by Chapter 1228.
(a) Required for the Following: Screening and buffering shall be required according to the following:
(1) When a lot in any Office, Business or Industrial District abuts a Residential District;
(2) When a lot in any Industrial District abuts an Office or Business District;
(3) When a lot in a R-3 District abuts a R-1 or R-2 District; and
(4) When a lot in a Residential District is occupied by a nonresidential special use.
(b) Ingress and Egress. No buffer yard shall be used for any purpose other than for plantings and screening, except that necessary ingress to or egress from the lot shall be permitted, including access to easement tracts by the grantees to perform the functions of which such easements were granted. Buffer yards shall be designed to permit proper and adequate fire and emergency access to both the site and any established easements.
(c) Width of Buffer Yard. Each required buffer yard shall have a minimum width equal to the parking setback required for the district.
(d) Screening. When the natural vegetation within the required buffer yard does not form a solid, continuous, visual screen, as determined by the Planning Commission, or does not have a minimum height of six feet along the entire length of the common boundary, screening shall be installed in compliance with the following:
(1) Screening materials.
A. Screening within the buffer yard shall consist of one or a combination of the following:
1. A dense vegetative planting that provides 80% summer opacity and 60% winter opacity.
2. A fence with openings through which light and air may pass together with a landscaped area at least ten feet wide.
3. A non-living opaque structure such as a solid masonry wall, or a solid fence that is compatible with the principal structure.
4. A landscaped mound or berm at least seven feet wide.
B. Fences and walls, or fences and walls in combination with a mound or berm, may be used as a complete buffer only with the approval of the Planning Commission.
(2) Location. The location of the wall, fence, berm or vegetation shall be placed within the buffer yard to maximize the screening effect as determined by the Planning Commission.
(3) Height of Screening. The height of screening shall be in accordance with the following:
A. Visual screening walls, fences, or mounds and fences in combination shall be a minimum of six feet high measured from the natural grade, except as set forth in division (d)(3)B. below.
B. Whenever the required screening is located along the common side lot line in the area extending from the parking lot to the street, the required screening shall not exceed a height of three feet. Fences and walls in a front yard shall also comply with 1294.08.
C. Vegetation shall be a minimum of six feet high measured from the natural grade, in order to accomplish the desired screening effect.
(4) Buffering Effect. The desired buffering effect shall be achieved not later than 12 months after the initial installation. The Commission may extend this 12-month period where a hardship would be created because of lack of expected growth or material shortages, but the Commission shall not extend such period beyond three years from the time the initial installation was to have been or has been completed.
(Ord. 58-01. Passed 5-29-01.)
Interior landscaping for any parking area that contains more than two rows of parking and is designed to accommodate 30 or more vehicles shall be required in accordance with the following:
(a) Landscaped island areas shall be developed and reasonably distributed throughout the parking lot so as to provide visual and climatic relief from broad expanses of pavement, to define major circulation aisles and driving lanes and to prevent vehicle headlights from shining into dwelling units. Interior landscaping shall be provided, based on the district in which the parking area is located:
(1) In a Residential or Office District, a minimum of 10% of the parking lot shall be landscaped. Landscaped islands shall be distributed at intervals of a minimum of one island for every ten spaces.
(2) In a Business District a minimum of 7.5% of the parking lot shall be landscaped. Landscaped islands shall be distributed at intervals of a minimum of one island for every 15 spaces.
(3) In an Industrial District a minimum of 5% of the parking lot shall be landscaped. Landscaped islands shall be distributed at intervals of a minimum of one island for every 30 spaces.
(b) Interior landscaping shall be accomplished by the standards set forth below:
(1) The minimum size of any landscaped island shall be at least equal to the dimensions of the parking spaces in the subject lot.
(2) Within the landscaped islands, there shall be provided one major shade tree. Each tree, at the time of installation, having a clear trunk height of at least six feet and a minimum caliper of 2.5 inches.
(3) Shrubs or low, spreading plant materials may be planted within the required landscaped islands, provided there is no impairment to the visibility of motorists or pedestrians.
(4) Landscaped areas adjacent to the perimeter of the parking area shall not be counted as interior parking lot landscaped areas.
(c) For the purpose of this section, the area of a parking lot shall be the total vehicular surface area including circulation aisles.
(Ord. 58-01. Passed 5-29-01.)
For attached single-family and multi-family developments, Office, Business and Industrial Districts, and for nonresidential special uses in Residential Districts, screening of accessory uses shall be provided according to the following:
(a) Waste Storage. Any exterior area dedicated to the temporary storage of refuse shall be screened from view with materials compatible with the main building finishes. Screening materials shall extend at least two feet above the storage container.
(b) Loading and Service Areas. Each loading area shall be screened along any perimeter that faces a street right-of-way or adjoining property according to the screening requirements of Section 1294.05(d).
(c) Outdoor Storage. Permitted accessory outdoor storage of goods, supplies or equipment used in operation of an establishment shall be screened according to the requirements of Section 1294.05(d).
(Ord. 58-01. Passed 5-29-01.)
(a) All fences shall comply with the following general standards, except as otherwise regulated in the district regulations and fences erected principally as enclosures for swimming pools.
(1) Permit Required. A fence or any extension thereof, in either height or length, shall be deemed a structure within the purview of this Planning and Zoning Code of the City, and shall require a zoning permit. A plot plan showing lot lines, the location of the fence and any other structures on the plot shall be presented before any permit is issued.
(2) Requirement by Zoning Enforcement Officer. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Planning and Zoning Code, the Zoning Enforcement Officer may require a fence when the absence of such fence would jeopardize the health and safety of persons. Whereas the height and location of the fence shall be established with the approval of the Zoning Enforcement Officer, the construction and maintenance of the fence shall be the responsibility of the landowner. When necessary, the Planning Commission shall act as an arbitrator regarding the location and height of fences.
(3) Location, Height and Opacity.
A. Except for fences erected as enclosures for swimming pools, fences shall be constructed according to the requirements of Schedule 1294.08(a).
Schedule 1294.08(a)
FENCE LOCATION, HEIGHT AND OPACITY | ||
Location | Maximum Height | Maximum Opacity(1) |
FENCE LOCATION, HEIGHT AND OPACITY | ||
Location | Maximum Height | Maximum Opacity(1) |
(a) Front yard |
4 feet
| 70% of fence must be uniformly distributed open space |
(b) Side yard | ||
(1) Within required setback | 6 feet | None |
(2) Within required setback adjacent to street | 4 feet | 70% of fence must be uniformly distributed open space |
(c) Rear yard | ||
(1) Within required setback | 6 feet | None |
(2) Within required setback adjacent to street | 4 feet | 70% of fence must be uniformly distributed open space |
(1) Opacity requirement does not apply to living fences. | ||
B. Fences may be built up to, but not on the property line, and shall be located entirely on the property of the person constructing it.
C. Only decorative or ornamental fences shall be permitted in front of a building, unless required for screening pursuant to this chapter.
D. Fences, gates, doors and other obstructions shall not swing across or over a sidewalk or public right-of-way.
E. No fence shall be constructed, without City authorization, within a utility right-of-way. Any fence constructed within a utility right-of-way or inhibiting access to such right-of-way may be removed by the City and the cost of such removal may be charged against those parties having an interest in the fence.
(4) Materials.
A. Fences may be solid or open and may be constructed of stone, brick, finished wood, masonry, iron, metal, synthetic look-alike products and other materials fastened to the ground and approved by the Planning Commission.
B. Chain link fences shall be permitted in any nonresidential district, provided that, if visible from the street, such fence is 100% screened by evergreen vegetation and constructed of a dark, neutral-colored, non-reflective material, as approved by the Planning Commission.
C. No fence shall be electrified or topped with broken glass, spikes or other sharp-edged material, except as otherwise specified in division (a)(4)D. below:
1. A living fence whose species has briars, thorns or other foliage which can scratch, injure or harm a person or animal shall be kept trimmed by the owner when such fence is within the required front, side or rear yard.
2. No osage orange, blackthorn hedge or multiflora rose shall be planted or maintained along or adjacent to any public street, or within the required front, side or rear yard of any residential property.
D. A fence in an M-1 or M-2 district may be topped with barbed wire when:
1. The barbed wire is placed on a 45-degree angle-arm away from the side of the fence that fronts a property line, public sidewalk or public right-of-way. An outward projecting angle-arm or V-type arm carrying barbed wire is prohibited along a public sidewalk, public right-of-way or any residential property;
2. Included as a security fence as part of an approved development plan;
3. A minimum height of six feet is maintained; and
4. The fence is located in a rear or side yard.
(5) Construction.
A. Fences shall be erected to withstand a 15-pound per square foot horizontal wind pressure, shall be placed perpendicular to the ground, and shall be properly supported according to standard practice.
B. All fences shall be designed, constructed and finished so that the supporting members face the property of the owner of the fence.
C. All fences on a single parcel shall have a unified style along a single plane and for all fence segments visible from off the premises from any single direction.
(6) Maintenance Required. All fences shall be maintained in good condition, be structurally sound and attractively finished at all times.
(b) Additional Regulations for Business, Office and Industrial Districts.
(1) Screening and Landscaping. All fences, when located in front of a building or when visible from the street, shall be visually softened and reasonably screened from the street with appropriate landscaping as follows:
A. Fences that are located within the required building and parking setbacks shall be considered appropriately screened when the landscaping required in Section 1294.05 is planted within five feet of the fence and between the fence and the property line.
B. Fences that are not located within required setback areas shall be screened with the following landscape materials, planted not more than five feet from the fence and between the fence and the property line:
1. One shade tree shall be provided for every 50 linear feet of fence length or fraction thereof, not including gates or other fence openings. Each tree at the time of installation shall have a minimum caliper of 2.5 inches and a clear trunk height of at least six feet.
2. One shrub shall be provided for every ten linear feet of fence length or fraction thereof, not including gates or other fence openings.
3. The landscaping may be flexible in its arrangement by appropriately aggregating the required plant materials.
(Ord. 58-01. Passed 5-29-01; Ord. 2-13. Passed 2-11-13; Ord. 122-14. Passed 11-10-14; Ord. 62-21. Passed 9-27-21.)
Loading...