(A) The purpose of parking lot yards is to provide attractive views from roads and adjacent properties; provide shade to reduce the heat generated by impervious surfaces, reduce glare from parking lots and to help filter exhaust from vehicles. A PARKING LOT YARD is defined as a planting yard comprised of a landscaped planting area to be located within or adjacent to the parking area such as landscaped islands, inside medians, between ten parking spaces, and at the end of a parking bay. Parking areas shall be broken up with landscaping and should be screened by hedges, trees, planted berms, shrubs or walls. This section applies to parking lots with ten or more parking spaces.
(B) Parking lots shall provide a minimum 10% net area of landscaping on the interior or exterior of parking lots. All parking areas (not including parking decks) shall provide and maintain landscaped planting areas within the interior of or adjacent to the parking area or both.
(1) Landscaped planting areas are to be located within or adjacent to the parking area as landscaped islands, at the end of parking bays, inside medians or between rows of cars.
(2) There shall be one large shade tree within 60 feet of every parking space.
(3) There shall be one shrub for every 300 square feet of total parking area. Shrubs shall be 18 inches tall at planting and reach a minimum height of 30 inches in three years. No more than 40% may be deciduous.
(4) All trees and shrubs are to be planted within a landscaped planting area not less than 200 square feet in area.
(5) Parking bays shall be broken up with landscaped islands or medians to avoid long monotonous rows of parking; no more than ten spaces shall be located in one continuous row.
(6) Trees and shrubs shall be planted within 20 feet of the parking lot area to count as parking lot landscaping; provided, however, all street trees required pursuant to § 152.132 of this chapter, may not count as parking lot landscaping.
(Ord. passed 3-14-2005; Ord. passed 10-10-2016; Ord. passed 3-14-2019, § 703)