a. Parking Lot Perimeter Requirements. All parking lots, including parking spaces, interior drives, and loading/unloading areas, must be separated from all Thoroughfare Plan recommended street rights-of-way by a landscaping area that is a minimum of ten (10) feet in width. The landscape area shall be planted with either of the following options or a combination of both:
1. Trees and Shrubs. A minimum of one (1) tree is required for every five hundred (500) square feet of landscaped area. The trees may be a combination of deciduous, evergreen, and ornamental trees. In addition, a minimum of one (1) shrub is required for every one hundred (100) square feet of landscaped area.
2. Landscape Berm. A landscaped berm that is a minimum of three (3) feet in height is required provided along the length of the landscaped area. A minimum of one (1) shrub is required for every five (5) linear feet of berm.
b. Parking Lot Interior Requirements. To help reduce excessive heat buildup and emissions from large areas of hard surfacing, landscape areas are required in parking lots.
1. Landscaped Areas Required. Landscape areas with a surface area equal to five percent (5%) of the area of the paved surface (including all parking spaces, interior drives, loading docks, drop-off/pick-up lanes, and access drives beyond the right-of-way) are required in all parking lots.
2. Landscaped Area Standards. The required landscape areas must meet the following minimum requirements:
(a) All required landscaped areas consist of curbed islands or peninsulas surrounded on at least two (2) sides by pavement. Landscaping on the perimeter of the parking lot does not count towards meeting this requirement.
(b) Landscape areas must be on a lot line that is immediately adjacent to another commercial lot while at the same time leaving space for vehicular and pedestrian access between adjacent commercial lots.
(c) A minimum of one (1) deciduous tree is required for every five hundred (500) square feet of total landscaped area required in this section.
(d) A landscaped area is required at the end of every twenty (20) parking spaces or one hundred (100) linear feet, whichever is less.
3. Vehicle Overhang. Parked vehicles may hang over the landscaped area up to two and one-half (2½) feet. Overhang does not count as part of the required parking space area.
(Ord. No. 2007-33, 12-27-07; Am. Ord. No. 2021-30, § 1, 11-10-21)