(A) Landscape Area Credit for Tree Preservation.
(1) To encourage preservation of existing mature trees and/or the planting of larger trees, each square foot of landscaped area which is permeable and within the drip line of a tree at least 6 inches in caliper, will be counted as 1.5 square feet of landscaped area for the purpose of meeting the requirement of 15% street yard landscaping and/or parking area landscaping. The following conditions must be met for this section to be applicable:
(a) Overlapping drip line areas shall only be counted once;
(b) At least one-half of the drip line area shall be permeable; and
(c) The original grade of the soil within the drip line and the soil properties of said area shall not be changed.
(2) The 1.5 square foot incentive credit shall not constitute more than 25% of the landscape requirement.
(B) Reduction of Required Parking Spaces for Tree Preservation. To encourage the preservation of existing and established trees, credit shall be given for trees that are preserved rather than planted. For each tree which is in good condition and which is greater than 12 inches in caliper the required number of parking spaces shall be reduced by one space if the following conditions have been met:
(1) At least one-half of the tree's drip line shall be permeable;
(2) The original grade of the drip line shall not be changed; and
(3) The area included inside of the drip line shall have been protected from construction traffic and from storage of construction materials.
(Ord. 2002-04, passed 2-4-02)