(A) Landscaping of parking area. A minimum buffer area of ten feet shall be required along all street rights-of-way and common property boundaries. A continuous three foot high planting, hedge shall be located within ten feet of all parking lot pavement. A buffer area that exceeds ten feet in width shall contain three-foot high plantings or serpentine earth mounds along 50% of the boundary. If existing paving is less than ten feet from the property line then additions to the parking area may be made that have the same setback as the existing paving. The reduction in the landscape area shall be calculated and additional landscaping equaling that amount of landscaping area shall be placed elsewhere on site.
(B) Joint driveways and common vehicular use area. Vehicular use area screening shall not be required between a vehicular use area and the adjoining property where a property line divides a driveway used for common access to two or more properties, or when both of the following conditions exist:
(1) VUAs are for the required parking for the properties or the common use of the properties (as substantiated by reciprocal parking and access agreements); and
(2) A final development plan for the properties has been approved.
(C) Interior landscaping for vehicular use areas. An open VUA (excluding loading, unloading and storage areas in any regional commercial, general commercial or industrial zone) shall provide interior landscaping in accordance with § 154.164 Table 1. Interior landscaping shall be peninsular or island types. Where a VUA is altered or expanded to increase the size to areas shown in § 154.164 Table 1, interior landscaping shall be provided to the extent of its alteration or expansion. In industrial zones landscaping, including earth berms, may be placed along the street frontage and may still be counted towards meeting the required VUA landscaping.
(D) Minimum area. The minimum landscape area permitted shall be as found in § 154.164 Table 2, with a four-foot minimum dimension to all trees from edge of pavement where vehicles overhang.
(E) Maximum area. In order to encourage the required landscaped areas to be properly dispersed, required landscaped area shall be as found in § 1154.164 Table 2. In both cases, the least dimension of any required area shall be a four-foot minimum distance to all trees from edge of pavement where vehicles overhang. Landscaped areas larger than above are permitted. However, area in excess of the maximum will not be counted towards fulfillment of VUA landscaping requirements.
(F) Landscape area equivalents. Landscape areas will be calculated, for purposes of meeting square foot requirements, as found in § 154.164 Table 7. Once area equivalents have been met, remaining areas may consist of mulch, turf grasses or groundcovers.
(G) Minimum trees. Trees shall be required as shown in § 154.164 Table 7. Trees shall have a clear trunk of at least five feet above the ground. For the purpose of this subchapter, trees are classified as shown in § 154.164 Tables 4 and 5. Trees of a species whose roots are known to cause damage to public roadways or other public improvements shall not be planted closer than 15 feet to such public improvements.
(I) Species mix. To encourage variation and ensure that an entire landscape is not susceptible to blight, disease or other disaster, the number of species required as part of the required VUA landscaping shall be as found in § 154.164 Table 3. No individual species may exceed 50% of the required number of trees or shrubs for the entire landscape area.
(J) Other materials. All plant material shall be living plants (artificial plants are prohibited) and shall meet the following requirements.
(1) Vines. Vines shall be at least 12 inches high at planting and are generally used in conjunction with walls or fences.
(2) Grass. Grass of the fescue, bluegrass or rye family shall be planted in species normally grown as permanent lawns in the county and may be sod, plugged, sprigged or seeded; except in swales or other areas subject to erosion, here solid sod, erosion reducing net or suitable mulch shall be used. Grass sod shall be clean and free of weeds and noxious pests or disease.
(3) Ground cover. Ground cover such as organic material shall be planted not more than 15 inches on center and in such a manner as to present a finished appearance and have 75% of complete coverage after two complete growing seasons. In certain case, ground cover also may consist of rocks, pebbles, sand and similar approved materials.
(4) Mulch. Mulch may consist of organic and/or inorganic materials such as bark mulches, rocks, pebbles, sand or other similar materials.
(K) Plant quality. Plant materials in conformance with the provisions of the zoning regulations shall conform to the standards of the American Association of Nurserymen and shall have passed any inspection required under state regulations. Bare root plants, with the exception of shrubs, hedges, vines and ground cover shall be prohibited.
(L) Vehicular overhang. Parked vehicles may hang over the interior landscaped area not more than two and one-half feet, as long as concrete curbing or other wheel stops are provided to ensure no greater overhang or penetration of landscaped area.
(M) Maintenance and installation. All landscaping materials shall be installed in a sound, workmanlike manner and according to accepted, good construction and planting procedures. The owner of the property shall be responsible for the continued proper maintenance of all landscaping materials and keep them in a proper, neat and orderly appearance, free from refuse and debris at all times. All unhealthy or dead plant material shall be replaced within one year or by the next planting season, whichever comes first, while other defective landscape materials shall be replaced or repaired within three months. Topping trees or the severe cutting of limbs to stubs larger than three inches in diameter within the tree crown to such a degree as to remove the normal canopy shall not be considered proper or permitted for the maintenance of trees required by the zoning regulations. Violation of these installation and maintenance provisions shall be grounds for the Department to refuse a building occupancy permit, require a replacement of landscape materials or institute legal proceedings to enforce the provisions of the zoning regulations. Whenever the zoning regulations requires a continuous planting or hedge, in addition to accepted planting procedures and size as prescribed elsewhere in the zoning regulations, the landscape materials planted shall be spaced a minimum of 24 inches apart at the time of planting, unless accepted landscaping practice recommends a greater spacing requirement based on growth rates or other conditions.
(N) Special provision, convenience markets, residential storage warehouses. Convenience markets and residential storage warehouses must install the minimum required square feet of interior landscaping. Because of the greater number and intensity of vehicular trips, the landscaping may be placed along the perimeter of the paved areas. All other landscaping requirements remain in effect.
(Ord. 06-2008, passed 6-16-2008, § 5.10; Ord. 26-2011, passed 11-21-2011; Ord. 10-2014, passed 4-7-2014; Ord. 05-2017, passed 6-5-2017)