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.)