(a) Landscaping on the Interior of Parking Lots. All new parking spaces and their associated driving aisle shall be defined by landscaped curbed islands. In addition tothose parking lot islands, larger parking lots shall provide additional intervening ormidway islands to break up the sea of asphalt, to provide shade for cars and pedestrians,and to be areas to absorb run-off. As such, additional interior landscaping of parkinglots shall be provided in accordance with the following requirements:
(1) For any parking area designed to accommodate twenty (20) or more vehicles, a minimum of 5 percent (5%) of the parking lot shall be planted as landscaped island areas. Landscaped islands shall be developed and distributed throughout the parking lot to:
A. Define major circulation aisles and driving lanes; and
B. Provide visual and climatic relief from broad expanses of pavement.
(2) Each island shall be a minimum of ten (10) feet in any horizontal dimension;
(3) Within the landscaped islands, one (1) shade tree shall be provided for every ten (10) parking spaces. Each tree, at the time of installation, shall have a minimum caliper of 3.0 inches and a clear trunk height of at least six (6) feet. Two 1.75-inch trees may be substituted for each 3.0-inch tree.
(4) Shrubs or low, spreading plant materials shall be planted within required landscaped islands in such a way that there is no impairment to the visibility of motorists or pedestrians.
(5) Landscaped areas adjacent to the perimeter of the parking area shall not be counted as interior parking lot landscaped areas. For the purpose of this Section the area of a parking lot shall be the total vehicular surface area including circulation aisles.
(b) Screening Along Public Streets and Perimeter of Parking Areas.Whenever parking areas consisting of five (5) spaces or more are located such that the parked cars will be visible from a public street, vegetative screening along the perimeter of any parking area, in addition to the interior landscaping required in subsection (a) above, shall be installed and maintained as provided below:
(1) All shrubs, berms, walls, and fences shall have a minimum height of three (3) feet.
(2) Such landscaping and/or screening areas shall be located parallel to and within five (5) feet of the edge of the parking lot.
(Ord. 2009-09. Passed 5-11-09; Ord. 2023-06. Passed 5-1-23.)