(A) Maintenance of landscaping and buffer-yards. All landscaping materials shall be installed and maintained according to accepted nursery industry procedures. The owner of the property shall be responsible for the continued property maintenance of all landscaping materials, and shall keep them in a proper, neat and orderly appearance, free from refuse and debris at all times. All unhealthy or dead plant material shall be replaced within one year, or by the next planting period, whichever comes first. Violation of these installation and maintenance provisions shall be grounds for the village to refuse a zoning certificate, require replacement of the landscape material or institute legal proceedings to enforce the provisions of this section.
(B) Buffer-yard establishment. Once a buffer-yard has been approved by the Planning Commission and established by the owner, it may not be used, disturbed or altered for any other purpose.
(C) Quality and installation. All specifications for the quality of trees and shrubs shall be in accordance with the American Standard for Nursery Stock (ANSI Z60.1). Installation of trees and shrubs shall be in accordance with industry standards.
(D) Size.
(1) Canopy trees shall be deciduous trees with a minimum of 15 feet overall height and a minimum caliper of three inches when installed and have an expected height of at least 35 feet at maturity.
(2) Evergreen trees shall be a minimum of ten feet in height when installed.
(3) Understory trees shall be a minimum of 15 feet in height in clump form or three inch caliper in single stem form when installed.
(4) Shrubs shall be at least 30 inches in height and 24 inches in spread when installed.
(E) Screens. The objective of providing a screen is to visually hide whatever is behind the screen. The following standards for each screening material shall be required.
(1) Planting requirements. To be counted towards screening requirements, evergreen trees and evergreen shrubs shall be planted close enough to fulfill the objective as defined in this section. Recommended spacing to achieve this is as follows:
(a) Spreading evergreen trees should be planted eight feet on center. Narrow evergreen trees should be planted four feet on center. Designations of evergreen trees as spreading or narrow shall be certified by a licensed landscape architect or certified horticulturist.
(b) Evergreen shrubs should be planted at a maximum of three feet on center.
(2) Combination of materials. Plant material may be used in conjunction with fences, walls and berms but the overall effect shall be a continuous screen at maturity. Plants may be planted in rows or be staggered.
(3) Fences. Fences should be used where appropriate to create an effective screen between incompatible uses. Fences to be used as screens should be approved by the Planning Commission during review of the landscape plan and shall be in conformance with regulations as established in § 153.019(U).
(Ord. 49-2019, passed 6-17-2019)