(a) This section establishes the minimum standards by which parking areas will be screened from adjacent public streets or from adjacent properties. In addition, this section delineates standards for landscaping within the interior of vehicular use areas and along the perimeter.
(b) Whenever required screening is adjacent to parking areas or driveways, such screening shall be protected by bollards, wheel blocks, or curbing to avoid damage by vehicles.
(c) Perimeter Landscaping Required.
(1) The perimeter landscaping requirements of this section shall apply to all off-street vehicular use areas adjacent to a public street or to a lot line where the parking area contains five or more parking spaces.
(2) Vehicular use areas adjacent to public streets shall be separated from the edge of the right- of-way by a perimeter landscape strip no less than two and one-half feet in width in the VC District and five (5) feet in width in all other districts. This width shall not include the sidewalk or any other paved area.
(3) The screening shall consist of fences, landscaping walls, or live vegetation with a minimum height of two feet and a maximum height of six (6) feet.
(4) The screening shall have a minimum opaqueness of seventy-five percent (75), year-round. Areas of the landscaped area not covered by trees or shrubs shall be covered with grass or other approved ground cover.
(5) Perimeter landscape strips shall be continuous and unbroken except for driveways or sidewalks required to access the parking area.
Figure 1113-C: The above image illustrates an example of a perimeter landscaping screening of a vehicular use area.
(d) Interior Vehicular Use Area Landscaping Required.
(1) The interior vehicular area landscaping requirements of this section shall apply to all off- street parking areas where the parking area contains 6,000 square feet of paved surface or fifteen (15) parking spaces, whichever is less.
(2) Such landscaping shall be in addition to landscaping adjacent to public streets and screening requirements as specified in this chapter.
(3) A minimum of ten percent (10%) of the vehicular use area shall be landscaped. Whenever possible, large parking areas shall be designed so as to break up their visual expanse and create the appearance of smaller parking lots. This distinction or separation can be achieved by interspersing yard space and buildings in strategic areas and by taking advantage of natural features such as slope, existing woodland or vegetation, drainage courses and retention areas.
(4) The interior landscaping shall be located within landscaped islands that are separated from the perimeter landscaping required in Section 1111.03 and shall be scattered throughout the parking area to break up large areas of pavement. Landscaped islands that are designed as extensions from the perimeter landscaping areas shall also be considered as interior parking area landscaping but shall not count as the perimeter landscaping area. See Figure 1113-D.
Figure 1113-D: The above images show different options for landscaped islands with the top image illustrating landscaped islands that run the full length of parking spaces. The bottom image illustrates a smaller landscaped island at the end of a parking bay.
Figure 1113-E: Illustration of areas of landscaped islands that count toward the minimum
interior landscaping requirements.
(5) Landscape islands shall have a minimum size of 200 square feet within a minimum dimension of ten (10) feet in any direction to provide a suitable living environment for the landscaping.
(6) There shall be a minimum of two feet between all tree trunks and shrub bases and the edge of pavement.
(7) There shall be at least one tree (deciduous or evergreen) and two shrubs for every ten (10) parks spaces. Such vegetation shall be planted in the required landscape islands.
(8) Where site distance or maneuvering conflicts exist, trees shall have a clear trunk of at least six (6) feet above the ground, and the remaining required landscape areas shall be planted with shrubs or groundcover not to exceed two (2) feet in height.
(9) The Planning Commission may consider a variance to the minimum and maximum size of parking islands and peninsulas if situations including, but not limited to, the following:
A. The need to concentrate landscape areas for the purpose of stormwater detention; or
B. The need to relocate required landscaping on the perimeter of a parking area in the case of a small or unusually shaped lot or where additional screening is desired.
(Ord. 2023-16. Passed 6-5-23.)