(a) Required Parking Lot Landscaping.
(1) Perimeter parking lot landscaping is required for all parking lots and must be established along the edge of the parking lot.
(2) Interior parking lot landscaping is required for those lots of ten (10) or more spaces.
(3) For existing parking lots that currently do not comply with the required parking lot landscaping, such landscaping must be provided when any one (1) of the following occurs:
A. A new principal building is constructed on the site.
B. Over fifty percent (50%) of the total area of an existing parking lot is reconstructed.
C. When an existing parking lot up to ten thousand (10,000) square feet in area is expanded by fifty percent (50%) or more in total surface area.
D. When an existing parking lot of ten thousand (10,000) square feet or more in area is expanded by twenty-five percent (25%) or more in total surface area.
(4) When an existing parking lot is required by this section to provide landscape which would result in creating a parking area that no longer conforms to the parking regulations of this Zoning Ordinance, the existing parking lot is not required to install all or a portion of the required landscape. The property owner is required to show that landscape cannot be accommodated on the site. The Zoning Administrator will make the determination that all or a portion of required landscaping does not have to be installed.
(5) Nothing in this section prevents the applicant's voluntary installation of additional parking lot landscaping, so long as parking space requirements and parking lot design requirements are complied with.
(6) All parking lot landscape areas must be protected from parked cars by curbs.
Curb inlets are required to allow water into the landscape areas as permitted by grading.
(b) Perimeter Parking Lot Landscaping. Perimeter parking lot landscaping provides for the enhancement and screening of parking lots and enhancement of the street's shade tree canopy by requiring a scheme of landscaping along public streets. A perimeter landscape yard is required for all parking lots and the landscape treatment must run the full length of the parking lot where it abuts a street. In the case of parking located at the front of the building, the front landscape yard requirements control. The perimeter parking lot landscape yard must be improved as follows. (See Figure 1166.06(b): Parking Lot Perimeter Landscape Yard)
(1) The perimeter landscape yard must be a minimum of fifteen (15) feet in width.
(2) A single hedge row is required planted with one (1) shrub every thirty-six (36) inches on center, spaced linearly. The shrubs must measure a minimum of twenty-four (24) inches at planting, and a minimum of thirty-six (36) inches to a maximum of forty-eight (48) inches in height at maturity.
(3) A minimum one (1) foot of width of groundcover and/or mulch.
(4) One (1) shade tree every twenty-five (25) feet on-center, spaced linearly. Trees may be spaced at various intervals and/or clustered based on specific site requirements or design scheme to be approved as part of the landscape plan.
(5) Alternatively, a low pedestrian wall the height of which provides effective screening to a maximum height of three (3) feet may be used instead of shrubs. Where possible, plant materials must be installed between the sidewalk and the wall to provide a softening effect on the wall.
(6) All perimeter parking lot landscaping areas must be protected with raised curb and gutter. Curb inlets are required to allow water to infiltrate into the landscape areas as permitted by grading.
FIGURE 1166.06(b): PARKING LOT PERIMETER LANDSCAPE YARD
FIGURE 1166.06(b)(6): EXAMPLE OF CURB INLET
(c) Interior Parking Lot Landscaping.
(1) For parking lots consisting of ten (10) or more spaces, interior parking lot landscaping is required.
(2) One (1) parking lot island must be provided between every ten (10) contiguous parking spaces. As part of the landscape plan approval, parking lot island locations may be varied based on specific site requirements or design scheme, to be approved as part of the landscape plan, but the total number of islands must be no less than the amount required one (1) island for every ten (10) spaces.
(3) In addition to parking lot islands, additional landscaped areas must be provided within the interior of parking lots. All rows of parking spaces must terminate in a parking lot island or landscaped area. The minimum interior landscaped area, including parking lot islands, is ten percent (10%) of the parking lot area.
(4) Parking lot islands or landscaped areas must be at least one-hundred twenty-five (125) square feet in area. Double rows of parking must provide double-row width islands. See Figure 1166.06(c)(4)
FIGURE 1166.06 (c)(4): PARKING LOT DOUBLE ROW ISLAND
(5) Parking lot islands must be at least six (6) inches above the surface of the parking lot and protected with concrete curbing, except where designed to apply sustainable techniques allowing the flow and access of runoff. Such islands and landscaped areas must be properly drained and irrigated to ensure survivability.
(6) The following plantings are required in parking lot islands and landscaped areas:
A. Shade trees must be the primary plant materials used in parking lot islands and landscaped areas. Ornamental trees, shrubs, hedges and other plant materials may be used to supplement the shade tree plantings but must not create visibility concerns for automobiles and pedestrians. One (1) shade tree is required every parking lot island or landscaped area. If the island extends the width of a double row, then two (2) shade trees are required.
B. The remaining area of a parking lot island must be planted in shrubs, live groundcover, perennials or ornamental grasses. Mulch is required to fill in planting areas for early growth protection until the groundcover is established and covers the planting area. It is encouraged to mulch bare areas for three (3) to five (5) years, or until the plant material is fully established in the parking islands.
(7) The above specific planting provisions may be waived during site plan review if the applicant presents an alternate landscape plan that provides a combination of tree canopy and non-reflective auto canopies that shade at least fifty percent (50%) of the parking lot paved surface. This may include areas designated for solar powered electric auto recharging stations.
(Ord. 105-2017. Passed 1-16-18.)