(a) Landscaping on the Interior of Parking Lots: Interior landscaping of parking lots shall be provided in accordance with the following requirements.
(1) For any parking area required to accommodate five (5) or more vehicles, a minimum of five percent (5%) of the parking lot shall be planted as landscaped island areas, developed, and reasonably distributed throughout the parking lot to define major circulation aisles and driving lanes and provide visual and climatic relief from broad expanses of pavement.
(2) Interior landscaped areas shall be dispersed so as to define aisles and break up the expanse of paving and limit unbroken rows of parking to a maximum of 100 feet. Each interior landscaped area shall be no less than 100 square feet. The minimum width for each area shall be ten (10) feet. In all cases, the minimum distance from a tree to the back of curb shall be four (4) feet;
(3) Within the landscaped islands, there shall be provided one shade tree for every 10 parking spaces. Each landscape island shall have at least one (1) shade tree.
(4) 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.
(5) If the application of an interior landscape requirement significantly limits the function of the building site, the Community Development Administrator has authority to permit consolidation and relocation of the landscaped areas on the building site.
(6) Landscaped areas along the perimeter of a parking area, or in any part of a yard, shall not be considered as part of the interior parking lot landscaped area. Perimeter plantings may, however be included when a parking facility with 20 or fewer spaces is less than forty-two feet in wide.
(7) If a landscaped island exceeds 50 linear feet, one shade tree shall be planted for every fifty (50) feet of length.
(8) To encourage the required landscaped areas to be properly dispersed, an individual landscape area shall not exceed 350 square feet, unless approved by the Zoning Inspector per sub-section (5) above or as otherwise permitted for herein. An individual landscape area shall not exceed 1,500 square feet in a vehicular use area over 30,000 square feet,.
(9) The area of a parking lot includes the vehicular use area within the perimeter of the parking lot, landscaped islands, parking spaces and circulation aisles. Circulation aisles with no parking spaces or landscaped islands located on either side are included. See Figure 1, Parking Lot Interior Calculation.
Figure 1. Parking Lot Interior Calculation.
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(b) Perimeter Landscaping Requirements. In addition to the requirements of Sections 1159.09(a) and 1159.09(c), perimeter landscaping is required along any side of a parking lot that abuts adjoining property. A landscaped strip at least5 feet wide shall be located between the parking area and the abutting property lines free of any wall, fence, embankment and/or walkway. One large deciduous or two small shade trees for each 40 lineal feet shall be planted in the landscaped strip. A wall, fence, or walkway may be constructed along the edge of the landscaped strip. This section shall not apply where planting is required for screening pursuant to Section 1159.11 (Buffering and Screening Between Districts and Uses).
(c) Screening Along Public Streets. In addition to the requirements of Sections 1159.09(a) and 1159.09(b), whenever parking area of five (5) spaces or more abuts or is located within 40 feet of a public street, a ten foot buffer yard and screening shall be provided and maintained between the parking area and the street right-of-way line. The screening shall be a combination of ornamental fencing or a brick wall and landscaping that provides a solid, continuous visual screen, unless additional requirements are mandated elsewhere in this Planning and Zoning Code. or shrubs, materials shall be spaced to form a solid, continuous visual screen within one year after the initial installation. The requirements of this subsection shall not apply where planting is required for screening pursuant to Section 1159.11(c)(6).
(1) All shrubs when planted, berms, walls, and fences shall have a minimum height of three (3) feet, measured from the highest finished grade of the parking area.
(2) Landscaping and screening shall be located parallel to and within five feet of the edge of the parking lot.
(3) Trees in the screening of a parking area, shall be planted at least four feet shall from the edge of the pavement, back of the curb and tree plantings.
(Ord. 2635. Passed 1-13-11; Ord. 3040. Passed 12-13-18.)