(A) Design principles.
(1) Landscape design and planning shall be integrated with the overall project design concept. Proposed landscaping shall be evaluated in relation to the existing natural landscape and to existing and proposed landscaping, including the landscape elements existing on adjacent properties and street rights-of-way, and in relation to adjacent buildings, existing or proposed.
(2) The existing natural landscape character shall be preserved whenever possible. Greatest diligence and care shall be exercised to retain and protect existing trees in the proposed landscape design.
(3) All landscape areas shall provide an attractive transition to adjoining properties. The landscaping plans for the proposed development shall provide visually harmonious and compatible settings for structures on the development, with adjacent properties, and shall blend with the surrounding natural landscape. Natural appearing landscape forms are strongly preferred.
(4) Landscape design based on groupings of trees is preferable. Saving existing trees between the building and the street is a top priority. Tree masses are a valuable means of defining outdoor spaces and visually linking a site development to the larger community landscape. For streetscaping, trees planted in rows along roads and in site boundaries are preferred, except in road rights-of-way; Trees planted for streetscaping shall be a minimum of two and one half inch caliper and eight feet to ten feet in height.
(5) Landscaping shall be required between buildings and sidewalks and/or buildings and curbing, and between parking lots and driveways.
(6) Location of trees should be coordinated with the location of exterior lighting, security cameras and overhead power lines in order for trees to have room to mature and not conflict with these items.
(7) The clear cutting of trees and vegetative cover on any lot, parcel, tract or acreage in any district is specifically prohibited.
(8) Removal or cutting of trees in any public right-of-way shall not be permitted.
(B) Residential design requirements.
(1) In all single family residential properties, the area to be landscaped shall be seven percent of the total available area in a manner approved by the Zoning Administrator.
(2) The natural landscape character shall be preserved in every reasonable instance. Existing trees shall be incorporated into the landscaping plan where feasible.
(3) Materials shall be planted at regular intervals along the front and both sides of new residential units. Other natural or newly planted landscaping material shall be planted in various areas of the property to meet the seven percent requirement.
(4) At least one canopy tree shall be planted or preserved in the front yard of a residential lot, with a maximum distance of 50 feet between trees.
(C) Commercial, institutional, industrial, and/or multi-family residential design requirements. All commercial, institutional, industrial, and/or multi-family residential development shall incorporate the following design principles into a comprehensive landscaping plan for all new development, for projects involving substantial improvements as defined in § 151.028, projects involving structural improvements, and/or upon reusing a property where its use has been abandoned for 30 or more days.
(1) In all commercial, institutional, industrial, and/or multi-family developments the area to be landscaped shall be 12% of the total available area. The total available area shall be calculated by subtracting the area covered by buildings and structures from the total land area of the site and then multiplying this difference by 12%. This amount of land shall be devoted to vegetative landscaping which includes trees, shrubs, ground covers, and other plants. At a minimum, 10% of this landscaping shall be trees, whether existing or newly planted trees, or 12 trees per acre, whichever is greater. However, this requirement may be modified by the Zoning Administrator when strict application will seriously limit the function of the area.
(2) A comprehensive landscaping plan for each parcel located within commercial, institutional, industrial, and multi-family uses and districts is required based on the following design standards and guidelines. The plan shall detail the areas to be reserved for landscaping, indicating dimensions of landscaped areas, plant materials, decorative features, and site lighting. It is up to the discretion of the applicant to combine different types of landscaping methods in their proposal provided that at least 12% of the development is devoted to landscaping.
(3) In addition, the site plan for the development detailing the proposed building footprint(s) and parking arrangements shall include an overlay of the tree survey at the same scale showing the location of any protected trees and grand trees as defined in § 151.080 Use of Land or Building.
(4) When any commercial, institutional, industrial, or multi-family residential use shall be established or reestablished in an existing building or structure, landscaping shall be provided in accord with this section. When a property is reestablished for use or expanded or enlarged by 50% or more, the minimum landscaping required by the provisions of this section shall be provided throughout the building site. Enlargements of 20% to 49% of building area shall meet the minimum requirements for the enlargement only.
(5) A strong emphasis shall be placed on the appearance of the streetscape. Three canopy trees of a minimum of two and one half inch caliper shall be required for each 100 linear feet of street frontage using species approved during the Design Review Process. Such tree types shall be consistent with each block and evenly spaced, with exceptions made for curb cuts, utilities, and other obstructions.
(6) A landscaped transition yard, minimum of ten feet, shall be required between adjoining commercially zoned lots. Two canopy trees of a minimum of two and one-half inch caliper, four understory trees, and 20 shrubs shall be required for each 100 linear feet of yard length using species approved during the Design Review Process.
(D) Design for roadway and road edge planting.
(1) The lot shall be clearly separated from adjacent uses such as roads and sidewalks.
(2) A planted strip a minimum of six feet in width will delineate the edge.
(E) Landscape for parking lot.
(1) To create shade over the majority of a paved surface, the majority of the trees shall be canopy trees. Tree canopies soften the visual impact of parking areas and relieve them from heat build-up.
(2) To provide a canopy, a planted island or break at least five feet wide with at least one tree and two shrubberies, or two trees shall be installed for every ten spaces of parking area.
(3) Parking islands shall extend the full length of the adjacent parking aisles.
(4) Parking lots shall provide a minimum ten percent net area of landscaping on the interior or exterior of parking lots.
(5) Tree islands shall be placed along the perimeter of the parking area at each end of the drive aisles and interspersed as needed.
(6) Where vehicles overhang a foundation planting strip, the width of the planting strip must be expanded to six feet.
(7) For parking lots exceeding 75,000 square feet, linear planting strips are required every 250 linear feet which shall include, in addition to the required trees, 15 shrubs per 100 linear feet. These are minimum standards; additional landscaping is encouraged.
(8) Where shrubs and ground covers are used, their use should reflect a design aesthetic that is commercial, not residential. Planting design will consist predominantly of mass plantings of shrubs and ground covers in arrangements that are simple in geometry and form do not require significant maintenance and are appropriate in scale for their specific context.
(9) All landscaped areas shall be protected from vehicular encroachment by concrete curb and gutter unless planted per best management practices for Low Impact Development site design.
(F) Landscape for large open spaces. Lawn areas utilized in buffers and open space areas shall be used sparingly, and ground covers and mulched areas are preferred.
(G) Landscape for building foundations.
(1) Where building foundations are visible from the public street or from adjacent uses, foundation landscaping is required. Landscaping of this area shall complement the building elevations, connect the building to the site and increase continuity.
(2) Planters may be required as a design element to soften the building exterior and enhance the streetscape appearance.
(3) Shrubs maturing to a two foot minimum shall be planted at five feet on center maximum for the length of the building facing the public right-of-way. To soften and screen a blank building facade, shrubs maturing to a minimum of four feet in height shall be planted eight feet on center (maximum), and small maturing trees shall be planted within 15 feet of the building facade.
(4) No shrub smaller than those in three gallon containers shall be planted. Understory trees
shall be no smaller than six feet in height at the time of planting. Canopy trees must be at minimum two and one half calipers and eight feet to ten feet in height at time of planting.
(5) A two inch to four inch layer of chipped wood, bark, pine straw, or mulching materials shall be used only in connection with plant materials and shall not stand alone as ground cover.
(6) Arcades across a building's front facade accompanied by tree planting may be used in lieu of shrub plantings and satisfy the requirements for foundation plantings.
(7) Lawn areas within 50 feet of a building or adjacent to public roadways require sodding. Other lawn areas may require sodding depending upon slopes, impact on public views, pedestrian traffic, time of year, as well as other considerations.
(H) Landscape for retention areas.
(1) Retention ponds shall be landscaped with appropriate plants and materials as recommended by best management practices for bioretention areas.
(2) Plant materials shall be compatible with the use.
(3) The slopes of these areas shall be regulated.
(4) Large areas for retention shall be designed to eliminate small unusable areas.
(I) Landscaping or architectural treatment of free-standing signs. All freestanding signs shall be landscaped or installed on a wood, stone or other base structure that is at least two feet high.
(J) Fencing as landscaping mechanism.
(1) Long, solid fences shall contain offsets or other architectural treatments to break up the appearance of a continuous mass. Vertical lines of trees help to break the often monotonous horizontal line of a fence.
(2) Any fence design shall include detailed plans for planting. Shrubbery and trees shall be used in fence plantings.
(K) Landscaping maintenance.
(1) All plant materials installed must be in healthy growing condition and remain so within the first year of planting.
(2) The owner, occupant, tenant, and the respective agent of each, if any, shall be jointly and
severally responsible for the maintenance of all landscaping. Landscaping shall be maintained in a good condition so as to represent a healthy, neat, and orderly appearance at least equal to the original development, and shall be kept free of refuse, with dead vegetation promptly replaced. All landscaping shall be inspected by the Zoning Administrator or designee one year after issuance of certificate of occupancy to ensure it is surviving in a healthy condition. Any plants found to be declining shall be replaced by the owner of the development within 30 days of notification from the Zoning Administrator or designee. If replacement is necessary there shall be reinspection six months after the replacement planting.
(L) Garages and parking decks. Parking structures must be heavily screened from the public right-of-way or adjacent property. Grading and additional landscape planting may be used independently or combined to visually separate the structure from its public neighbors.
(Ord. 19-007, passed 6-11-2019; Ord. 2023-002, passed 1-10-2023)