(A) Purpose and intent. This section establishes regulations for the preservation of natural features and minimum standards for the provision, installation, and maintenance of landscape materials. These regulations are intended to promote the health, attractiveness, and safety of the community; foster aesthetically pleasing and environmentally sensitive development that protects and preserves the appearance and character of the community; and encourage the preservation of natural areas.
(B) Applicability. These regulations apply to development in all zoning districts except for detached single-family and two-family dwellings not located in a subdivision. Plantings and landscaping features required by this chapter are subject to inspection to verify continued compliance with these regulations.
(C) Landscape plan review.
(1) Landscape plans must be shown on a separate drawing at the same scale as the required site plan. The plans must indicate all existing or proposed utilities and easements to ensure the proposed landscaping is not affected by, nor interferes with utilities. The plans must include:
(a) All proposed landscaping with circles indicating the anticipated plant size at maturity;
(b) A table listing all proposed plants including the scientific name, common name, quantities, and size at planting;
(c) Calculations illustrating how the plan complies with the requirements of this chapter;
(d) Existing natural and man-made landscape features and proposed buildings and structures;
(e) All existing trees (eight-inch caliper or greater) located in portions of the site that will be built upon or otherwise altered. Trees must be labeled "To Be Removed" or "To Be Saved" on the plan. Existing trees located outside of areas to be disturbed may be illustrated as a tree mass;
(f) Measures to protect existing trees to be saved must be noted on the plans;
(g) Contours shown at two-foot intervals.
(2) Review. Landscaping plans are subject to Plan Commission or Administrator review and approval.
(3) Modifications. The Plan Commission may modify the requirements of this section under any of the following circumstances:
(a) Existing vegetation or topographic features make compliance with requirements unnecessary or difficult to achieve.
(b) The application of requirements will result in a significant loss of existing vegetation, or natural or cultural features.
(c) Modification of requirements will clearly result in a superior design that could not be otherwise achieved.
(4) Additional conditions. The Plan Commission or Administrator may impose conditions on landscaping as part of site plan review.
(5) Performance guarantee. To ensure that all landscaping is installed as shown on the plan and in conformance with the requirements of this chapter, the Plan Commission may require the applicant to provide a financial guarantee, as provided in § 154.161.
(D) Landscaping general requirements.
(1) Landscape plan required. A landscape plan must be submitted as a part of all site plan and permit applications unless the Administrator determines compliance with the provisions of these regulations can be demonstrated without the use of a landscape plan. A landscape plan may be combined with other required application materials if compliance with these regulations can be demonstrated in the combined materials.
(2) Required plant materials. Tree and shrub species used to meet the requirements of this chapter must be from the Approved Plant List. Plants listed on the Prohibited Plant List cannot be used to fulfill any requirement of this chapter. All plant material must be hardy to Central Indiana, suitable for the site, free of disease and insects, and conform to the American Standard for Nursery Stock (ANSI Z60.1-2004). The use of native plants is strongly encouraged. The Administrator may authorize alternative species or cultivars that meet the intended purpose, are not invasive or hazardous, and are equally hardy.
(3) Minimum living materials. Within required landscaping areas, a minimum of 60% of the surface area must be covered by living materials, not gravel, stone, or other non-living materials.
(4) Soil condition and planting beds.
(a) Landscaping required by this chapter must be planted in uncompacted soil at least two feet in depth.
(b) Stone mulch is not permitted in required landscape areas or planting bed except as part of a storm water best management practice in accordance with the Storm Water Specifications Manual.
(c) Landscaped areas must be protected from vehicular encroachment by curbs or wheel stops. Curbs must be provided with openings to accommodate surface collection of storm water runoff in vegetated swales and detention facilities.
(5) Minimum plant sizes at installation. Unless otherwise specifically noted, the minimum plant size at the time of installation of landscaping required by this chapter is according to Table 5-1: Minimum Plant Sizes.
Plant Material Type (ASNS Types) | Minimum Size |
Deciduous/overstory shade tree (Type 1 or Type 2), single trunk | 2" caliper |
Deciduous/overstory shade tree (Type 1 or Type 2), multi-trunk | 10 ft. in height |
Evergreen/coniferous tree | 6 ft. in height |
Ornamental/understory tree, single trunk | 1.5" caliper |
Ornamental/understory tree, multi-trunk | 6 ft. in height |
Large shrub - deciduous (Type 2 or 3) | 24" in height |
Large shrub - evergreens (Types 4, 5 or 6) | 30" in height |
Small shrub - deciduous (Type 1) | 18" in height |
Small shrub - evergreens (Type 1, 2 or 3) | 24" in spread |
Ground cover | 3" in height |
(6) Plant material clearance. Except for buffer yard plantings, trees and shrubs cannot be placed closer than three feet to any lot line. A minimum five-foot clear area is required around fire hydrants, valve vaults, hose bibs, manholes, hydrants, and fire department connections. Plants must have a minimum five-foot separation from underground utilities. Any landscaping placed within an easement is done at the owner's risk. Should the plant material need to be removed to access the easement, the owner is responsible for the costs of removing and replacing the plants.
(7) Plant material spacing. Plant materials may be grouped but must be located within the landscape area to which it will be credited. The Administrator may authorize adjustments to these spacing requirements when necessary due to topography, drainage, utilities, or obstructions, provided the total amount of required landscaping is not reduced.
(8) Species variation. No one species of tree may make up more than 35% of the total number of trees. No one species of shrub may make up more than 35% of the total number of shrubs.
(10) Existing vegetation credit and bonus.
(a) If existing vegetation meets the intent of the screening requirements, preserved existing vegetation may be credited for landscape materials required by this chapter. Credit will not be given for existing vegetation listed on the Prohibited Plant List.
(b) If any vegetation fulfilling a requirement of this chapter dies or is removed, replacement plant materials must be installed in accordance these standards. Existing vegetation used to meet a requirement of this chapter must be protected during construction by a fence erected around the area encompassing an area one foot beyond the drip line of the vegetation. The enclosed area must be protected from any land disturbing activity, including placing materials within this protected area.
(c) Preservation of trees and surrounding vegetation will be given credit toward fulfilling landscaping requirements in this section as follows:
1. Existing trees and surrounding vegetation may be credited only one time towards any one buffer, screen, or other landscape area requirement.
2. Existing trees and surrounding vegetation must be located within the required landscape area to which it will be credited.
3. Existing trees that conform to these standards and are proposed to be used for credit must generally have location, species, caliper, and drip line indicated on the required landscape plan.
4. Existing trees will be credited as fulfilling a requirement based upon the tree size and provided that the minimum width of the surrounding landscape area is according to the criteria and the quantities of Table 5-2: Existing Tree Credits.
5. In the event an existing tree that was given credit is removed or dies within three years of the improvement location permit issuance date, replacement trees must be planted per Table 5-2: Existing Tree Credits. If the site cannot accommodate the number of replacement trees required, the Administrator may authorize an alternate location for the planting of the replacement trees within the Town as close to the site as feasible.
Existing Tree Size (inches) | Minimum Width of Surrounding Landscape Area (Feet) | Number of Trees Credited | Number of Trees To Be Planted To Replace an Existing Tree |
(11) Native vegetation and natural landscaping areas.
(a) Growing native vegetation including ferns, grasses, sedges, rushes, forbs, shrubs and trees is permitted in lieu of turfgrass lawn. Natural landscape areas are permitted if planned and designed to control, direct, and maintain the growth of natural vegetation, primarily native, and may include the detention and infiltration of storm water runoff in the natural landscape area.
(b) Natural landscaping areas must not be located within two feet of a front lot line, or within four feet of any other lot line, except where the natural landscaping is separated from adjacent lots by fencing or continuous shrub growth three feet or more in height, or where the natural landscaping area abuts another permitted natural landscaping area on an abutting lot.
(c) Where a natural landscaping area is installed or preserved, a sign not exceeding one square foot should be installed indicating that the area is a natural landscape area and generally not mowed.
(12) Rain gardens, bioswales and storm water management features. Areas included in rain gardens or vegetated site features created to meet storm water management requirements of the Storm Water Specifications Manual may be counted towards any required interior site or parking lot landscaping, and if vegetated to meet the requirements for any landscaped buffers may count towards those buffer requirements. Where rain gardens or vegetated site features serving a storm water management purpose are installed, a sign not exceeding one square foot should be installed indicating the area should not be mowed.
(13) Retention and detention facilities. Landscaping must be provided around the perimeter of all retention and detention basins. Such landscaping must consist of trees, shrubs, and emergent plantings in a quantity, species, and arrangement that will maintain an ecologically functional environment. Per the Storm Water Specification Manual, tall plantings in the aquatic bench are desirable to keep waterfowl from the site. Retention and detention basins should be designed to resemble natural landforms, whenever possible. Such landscaping must be integrated with the littoral zone of emergent vegetation around the pond perimeter with the safety bench. Trees, shrubs, and upland plantings are to be located above the normal water line; emergent or wetland plantings are to be located below the normal water line. Vegetation must be established on all side slopes to prevent erosion. A storm water management easement and operation and maintenance agreement are required for each facility, clearly marking inlet/outlet structures and easements for inflow/outflow piping. Trees or deep-rooted vegetation must not be planted in any easement with storm drainage pipe. Vegetation must not obstruct inlet/outlet structures and inflow/outflow piping area.
(14) Alternative landscaping. The Administrator may approve an alternate landscape plan that does not meet the specific requirements stated in this if the Administrator determines that the alternative plan:
(a) Is consistent with the purposes of this chapter;
(b) Does not include invasive vegetation;
(c) Does not include a reduction of tree planting requirements;
(d) Provides equal or superior buffering of adjacent properties from anticipated impacts of the proposed development; and
(e) Provides equal or superior visual appearance of the property when viewed from the street;
(15) Installation and delay of installation due to season.
(a) Landscaping material used to meet the requirements of this chapter must be installed in accordance with the planting procedures established by the ANSI A300 Tree Care Operations: Standard Practices for Tree, Shrub and Other Woody Plant Maintenance.
(b) Landscaping material must be installed prior to issuing a certificate of occupancy. The Administrator may authorize a delay in installation up to 120 days due to periods of adverse weather, availability of plant material, or conflicts between construction scheduling and proper planting conditions. As a condition of authorizing a delay in installation, a surety or other guarantee, may be required, in a form acceptable to the Town, in the estimated amount of the installation. During any delay in installation, site management must comply with all applicable provisions for sediment and erosion control.
(16) Maintenance.
(a) All landscaping required by this chapter must always be maintained. Dead, missing, or damaged landscaping, or landscaping that supports less than 50% healthy leaf growth or shows dead branches over a minimum of 50% of the normal branching pattern must be replaced with healthy, live plants by the end of the growing season to maintain compliance with this chapter.
(b) The owner is responsible for the maintenance, repair, and replacement of all required landscaping, screening, and curbing.
(c) Fences, walls, and other barriers must be maintained in good repair. All barriers that are damaged, broken, or with failing paint must be repaired, replaced or refinished.
(d) Tree topping is prohibited. Tree topping is the practice of removing whole tops of trees, large branches or trunks from the tops of trees, leaving stubs or lateral branches that are too small to assume the role of a terminal leader.
(E) Landscape buffers.
(1) General standards.
(a) A buffer zone is required along common property lines between abutting land uses for the conditions described below. On properties with multiple owners, it is preferred that the buffer be located on private lots within a landscape easement rather than in a common area around the perimeter of the site. The owner's association must have the right to maintain or replace the required landscaping within the landscape easement if the property owner fails to do so.
(b) A buffer area is not required along a public right-of-way.
(c) The buffer area must contain natural landscape materials such as grasses, ground cover, shrubs, and trees. Parking or impervious surfaces are prohibited within the buffer area. Plant spacing should be designed to minimize sound, light, and noise impacts.
(d) If the adjacent property is undeveloped, the Plan Commission may allow the installation of the buffer to be deferred until the adjacent property is developed. A performance guarantee is required to ensure the buffer is installed when the adjoining property is developed (see § 154.161).
(e) Except for access drives or private streets, determined by the Plan Commission or Administrator to be necessary to provide safe access to a property, a building, structure, or parking lot cannot encroach into a required buffer area.
Large-Scale Multi-Family Residential Use Abutting Single-Family Residential Use Where an apartment building: large use abuts an R1, R2, or R3 district, a landscape buffer must be provided using either Option 1 or Option 2 below. | |
Option 1 | Option 2 |
20 feet minimum buffer width Plantings at a rate of one shade tree or evergreen tree and five large shrubs per 25 linear feet of shared border. | 15 feet minimum buffer width An opaque wall or fence at least six feet tall placed at least three feet inside the property line of the proposed development and plantings at a rate of three medium shrubs per 25 linear feet of shared border must be provided between the fence or wall and the property line. |
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Small-Scale Multi-Family Residential Use Abutting Single-Family Residential Use Where an apartment building: small use abuts an R1, R2, or R3 district, a landscape buffer must be provided using either Option 1 or Option 2 below. | |
Option 1 | Option 2 |
15 feet minimum buffer width Plantings at a rate of one shade tree or evergreen tree and five large shrubs per 25 linear feet of shared border. | 8 feet minimum buffer width An opaque wall or fence at least six feet tall placed at least three feet inside the property line of the proposed development and plantings at a rate of three medium shrubs per 25 linear feet of shared border must be provided between the fence or wall and the property line. |
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Commercial or Mixed-Use Abutting Residential Use Where a commercial use or mixed-use abuts a residential use, a landscape buffer must be provided using either Option 1 or Option 2 below. | |
Option 1 | Option 2 |
15 feet minimum buffer width Plantings at a rate of one shade tree or evergreen tree and three large shrubs per 25 linear feet of shared border. | 3 feet minimum buffer width An opaque wall, fence or dense (at least 75% opacity) vegetative screen at least six feet tall and plantings at a rate of one shade tree per 35 linear feet of shared border. If a fence or wall is provided, it must be placed at least three feet inside the property line of the proposed development and plantings at a rate of three medium shrubs per 25 linear feet of shared border must be provided between the fence or wall and the property line. |
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Industrial Use Abutting Residential Use Where an industrial district, building, or project abuts a residential district or a lot containing any use listed as a residential use on the Permitted Use Table, a landscape buffer must be provided using either Option 1 or Option 2 below. | |
Option 1 | Option 2 |
15 feet minimum buffer width Plantings at a rate of one evergreen tree and four large shrubs per 25 linear feet of shared border. | 3 feet minimum buffer width An opaque wall, fence or dense (at least 100% opacity) vegetative screen at least eight feet tall and plantings at a rate of one shade tree per 35 linear feet of shared border. If a fence or wall is provided, it must be placed at least three feet inside the property line of the proposed development and plantings at a rate of three medium shrubs per 25 linear feet of shared border must be provided between the fence or wall and the property line. |
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Industrial Use Abutting Commercial Use Where an industrial district, building or project abuts a commercial or industrial use, a landscape buffer must be provided by using either Option 1 or Option 2 below. | |
Option 1 | Option 2 |
10 feet minimum buffer width Plantings at a rate of one shade tree or evergreen tree and four large shrubs per 30 linear feet of shared border. | 3 feet minimum buffer width An opaque wall, fence or dense (at least 50% opacity) vegetative screen at least 6 feet tall and plantings at a rate of one shade tree per 40 linear feet of shared border. If a fence or wall is provided, it must be placed at least three feet inside the property line of the proposed development and plantings at a rate of three medium shrubs per 25 linear feet of shared border must be provided between the fence or wall and the property line. |
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(F) Street frontage landscaping.
(1) In all districts, the front yard and street side yard must be landscaped with at least one shade tree per 35 feet of street frontage (Figure 5-1) and must be planted within 25 feet of the right-of-way (Figure 5-2). If overhead electric distribution lines are present, ornamental trees with a maximum mature height of 15 feet must be planted at a rate of at least one ornamental tree per 20 feet of street frontage. For lots with a front yard less than five feet deep or where the sidewalk extends from the back of curb to the lot line, tree wells may be installed in the right-of-way to accommodate the required frontage trees (Figure 5-3 and Figure 5-4). For tree wells adjacent to sidewalks measuring five feet wide or less, the tree well opening must be covered with a tree grate or surrounded by a fence or wall at least 18 inches in height. The opening in a tree grate for the trunk must be expandable or otherwise accommodate the mature diameter of the tree.
(2) All planting in the public right-of-way may be counted toward fulfilling the requirements of this chapter.
(3) On lots adjacent to a landscaped median in the right-of-way, 50% of the vegetation in the median that meets a street frontage and front yard landscaping requirement may be credited towards the landscaping requirements of this section.
(4) Where the rear yard of a residential lot abuts or is within 50 feet of an existing public right-of-way, perimeter landscaping must be provided within a landscape area at least 15 feet wide abutting the right-of-way planted at a minimum rate of two shade trees, three evergreen trees, one ornamental tree, and 15 shrubs per 100 lineal feet. The required landscaping may be placed within a landscape easement on the lot or within a common area abutting the right-of-way.
(5) Where the rear yard of a non-residential lot abuts or is within 50 feet of an existing public right-of-way perimeter landscaping must be provided within a landscape area at least ten feet wide abutting the right-of-way planted with a minimum of three shade trees, four evergreen trees, and 25 shrubs per 100 lineal feet. This requirement also applies where the street side yard of a non-residential lot adjoins an outdoor storage area located on the lot.
(G) Parking lot landscaping. Parking lots must provide at least the following landscaping unless otherwise required by this chapter.
(1) Street frontage landscaping. In addition to required street frontage landscaping, where a parking lot is within 50 feet of a street a landscape area at least five feet wide must be provided between the parking lot and the street planted with seven medium-sized shrubs per 35 linear feet of landscape area provided. If an opaque fence or wall is installed, the shrub requirement is reduced to three small shrubs per 35 linear feet planted on the street side of the fence or wall.
(2) Interior landscaping. Any parking lot with 20 or more parking spaces must provide interior landscaping. A landscape island at least 160 square feet in area must be provided per 20 parking spaces or fraction thereof. The islands should be distributed evenly throughout the parking lot with no more than 20 parking spaces in a row between islands. Landscape islands must be at least eight feet wide and planted with one shade tree per 160 square feet of interior landscape area. Trees must be planted at least three feet from the edge of the curb or pavement.
(H) Screening.
(I) Applicability. Screening is required around all trash dumpsters, around a staging or loading/unloading areas, and around outdoor storage areas; screening is required, even if the surrounding area or adjacent properties are not developed.
(J) Requirements.
(1) Unless otherwise permitted in accordance with this section, a screen consists of a solid, sight-obscuring fence or wall meeting the following specifications:
(a) Six feet high;
(b) Enclosed on all sides and not contain openings, other than an access gate, which always remains closed when not being used. A screen around a staging or loading/unloading area may provide an opening that does not contain an access gate;
(c) Constructed of masonry, treated wood or other material approved by the Plan Commission or Administrator and must be durable, weather resistant, rust proof and easily maintained;
(d) Trash dumpsters require a masonry enclosure. The enclosure and gates must be protected by bollards or other means to prevent vehicle damage.
(2) If approved by the Plan Commission or Administrator, a screen may consist of berms and/or landscaping as a substitute for a fence or wall. The alternate design must provide the same degree, or enhanced screening as required by this section.
(Ord. 2022-17, passed 7-19-2022)