A. Applicability. The standards of this section shall apply to new development and expansions greater than twenty percent (20%), as described below:
1. Expansion of a structure or use beyond twenty percent (20%) requires that the entire site must be compliant with the standards herein;
2. If the expansion is less than twenty percent (20%), then only the expanded part of the use, building or site must be compliant with these standards; and
3. If only the site, and not the use or building, is expanded by more than twenty percent (20%), then only the site must be compliant with these standards.
B. Enforcement. Failure to implement the approved landscape plan shall constitute a violation of this Ordinance.
C. Maintenance. All landscaping shall be maintained in accordance with the approved landscape plan with landscaped areas maintained with plantings in good health, and free of refuse or debris.
D. Vegetation. All proposed plant material shall be:
1. Included on the Greenwood Planting Guide kept on file at the Department of Planning and Buildings and in the appendix of this document, as approved by the Plan Commission;
2. All plants must be non-invasive species;
3. Not more than thirty percent (30%) of any single plant genus; and
4. Living, disease free, undamaged, and free of material defects.
E. Mature Tree and Plant Conservation. The preservation of plants and trees that exist on a site shall count toward the requirements of this Ordinance, provided that:
1. Existing preserved trees must be greater than six inches (6") in caliper measured diameter;
2. Existing vegetation is clearly indicated on the landscaping plan;
3. Existing vegetation is not an invasive species; and
4. Existing vegetation is in good health or can reasonably be brought into good health.
F. Types of Landscaping. The following types of landscaping described in this section are illustrated in the graphic below.
1. Mature Tree Preservation.
2. Foundation Planting.
3. Parking Lot Perimeter Planting, Parking Lot Islands, Drive Aisle Planting.
4. Streetscaping.
5. Buffering.
G. Foundation Plantings. Foundation landscaping shall be provided as per the property groupings listed below:
Standard | Single-family residential properties and duplexes | Multi-family properties | Commercial properties under 25,000 sf of GFA and institutional properties | Industrial properties, and any commercial property over 25,000 sf of GFA |
Front Yard Landscaping | Planting strip with minimum width of three feet (3') along the full length of the foundation facing a street. | Planting strip with minimum width of five feet (5') along the full length of the foundation facing a street. | Planting strip with minimum width of ten feet (10') along the full-length of the foundation facing a street.* | Planting strip with minimum width of fifteen feet (15') along the full length of the foundation facing a street.* |
Type of Planting | Five (5) small shrubs and one (1) shade tree per street frontage. | Shrubs, flowers, long grasses, shade or evergreen trees at the recommended spacing by plant type. Spacing distance for plantings may not be greater than the recommended spacing by plant type. | Shrubs, flowers, long grasses, shade/ evergreen trees at the recommended spacing by plant type. Spacing distance for plantings may not be greater than the recommended spacing by plant type. | Shade, ornamental and/or evergreen trees are required at one (1) per forty feet (40') of linear foundation length facing the front street. Shrubs, grasses, and flowers may be interspersed at the recommended spacing by plant type. Spacing distance for plantings may not be greater than the recommended spacing by plant type. |
*If a decorative masonry wall is erected, the planting strip may be decreased to four feet (4') in width. | ||||
Old Town development where the structure physically abuts the public sidewalks shall be exempt from the foundation landscape requirement. | ||||
H. Streetscaping. Street trees shall be planted at a rate of one (1) tree per forty (40) linear feet of frontage. Trees shall be planted in the front yard no closer than three feet (3') from the curb or edge of the right-of-way, or if there is a sidewalk then three feet (3') on the sidewalk opposite the street, as the case may be. Tree plantings shall not be placed in the visibility triangle located at an intersection. Street trees may be spaced thirty to sixty feet (30-60') apart depending on site conditions provided the spacing averages to one (1) tree per forty feet (40') of curb line adjacent to the subject properties.
I. Buffering. A landscaped buffer shall be required where districts and zones abut to mitigate the impact of adjacent uses that vary in intensity. Buffer yards shall be categorized as Small, Medium, or Large; the standards for each buffer yard are listed in the table below.
Buffer Yards | Small | Medium | Large |
Buffer Yards | Small | Medium | Large |
Width (min) | 20'* | 30' | 40' |
Canopy or Evergreen Trees (min per 100') | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Ornamental Trees (min per 100') | 2 | 3 | 4 |
Shrubs (min per 100') | 10 | 15 | 20 |
*Where a residential subdivision is being established, a perimeter buffer yard twenty feet (20') in width must be planted along all thoroughfares which abut the subdivision, irrespective of whether front, side or rear yards abut the thoroughfare, and provide access to the subdivision. All such buffers shall be located within common areas and not on an individual lot or lots. | |||
Trees shall be prorated and rounded up to the nearest whole number for every foot over the initial one hundred feet (100') of contiguous boundary with the conflicting district, zone or use. | |||
Undulating mounds or berms maybe substituted for a perimeter buffer yards. Mounds or berms shall be a minimum height of six feet (6'), a minimum crown width of two feet (2'), and a side slope not greater than three feet (3') horizontal to one foot (1') vertical. Mounds or berms shall be planted and covered with live vegetation. One tree must be planted on the berm for every forty feet (40') in length. | |||
For the Medium and Large buffer yards, the erection of a high-quality fence made of wood or masonry six feet (6') in height as measured from the nearest visible street or adjacent property shall reduce the required buffer yard by ten feet (10'). Landscape must be installed on the outward side of the fence. | |||
Buffers shall be located along the outer perimeter of the lot, parallel to and extending along one hundred percent (100%) of the shared lot lines, except the lot line abutting the right-of-way. | |||
If the difference in GFA between a minor commercial use and a major commercial use is less than ten thousand (10,000) sf of GFA, then a buffer yard is not required. | |||
The small, medium and large buffering as described above shall be applied at the perimeter of properties that abut a different district or zone. The buffer yard is the responsibility of the developing use, and shall be applied as per the matrix below:
District Or Zone Where Developing Use is Located*
| ||||||
Adjoining District or Zone | RL/RM/ RA/OTR | RMC/ RMH | CS/OT | CM/CL/ IC | IM/IL | |
RL/RM/ RA/OTR | Small | Small | Large | Large | ||
RMC/ RMH | Small | Small | Medium | Large | ||
CS/ OT | Small | Small | Medium | Large | ||
CM/CL/IC | Medium | Medium | Medium | Large | ||
IM/IL | Large | Large | Large | Large | ||
J. Parking Lot Landscaping:
1. Off-Street Parking Islands.
a. Within off-street parking lots, a landscaped interior island must be provided every fourteen (14) parking spaces and islands must be distributed evenly throughout the parking area.
b. Interior islands may be consolidated, or intervals may be expanded in order to preserve existing trees.
c. An interior island must be a minimum of ten feet (10') in width and one hundred eighty (180) square feet in area.
d. Interior islands must be installed below the level of the parking lot surface to allow for runoff capture.
e. All interior islands must contain at least one (1) tree with a minimum diameter of four inches (4").
f. Islands are not required to utilize curbs. If desired, roll or stand up curbs may be utilized not exceeding four inches (4") in height.
g. Bioswales that include tree plantings may be provided between parking rows in lieu of parking islands so long as ten percent (10%) of the parking lot is landscaped. Bioswales must contain one (1) shade tree per forty (40) lineal feet of bioswales.
h. For parking lots exclusively serving semi-trucks and trailers, interior islands and any bioswales may be situated along the perimeter of the parking lot. In such instances the islands and bioswales shall be in addition to any applicable buffer requirements herein.
i. No landscape interior islands must be included within two rows of parking directly adjacent to a loading dock so that trucks have adequate space to maneuver.
Parking Lot Landscaping - (Left) Parking Islands, (right) Bioswale
2. Perimeter Parking Lot Landscaping.
a. A minimum five (5)-feet wide, landscaped area with a continuous row of shrubs must be provided at the perimeter of the parking lot. Shrubs must be a minimum of eighteen inches (18") in height when planted and must reach a minimum size of three feet (3') in height within three (3) years of planting.
b. Per thirty-five (35) feet of lineal feet of planting, a minimum of one (1) tree and three (3) shrubs must be planted.
c. The required five (5)-foot landscaped area may be reduced to three feet (3') when a three (3)-foot high masonry wall, wrought iron or wood picket fence is erected.
d. Beyond the five (5)-feet wide landscaped area, when abutting a Primary or Secondary Arterial, an additional buffer area ten feet (10') in width must be given between the parking lot landscaping and the edge of the right-of-way.
e. Drive aisles must also have perimeter plantings.
f. Where parking lot perimeter landscape conflicts with tractor-trailer parking, alternate landscape placement may be approved by the Planning Director.
3. Perimeter Parking Garage Landscaping.
a. A minimum five (5)-foot wide, landscaped area with a continuous row of trees and shrubs must be provided at the perimeter of the parking garage. Shrubs must be a minimum of eighteen inches (18") in height when planted and must reach a minimum size of three feet (3') in height within three (3) years of planting and trees must have a minimum trunk diameter of 2 ½ inches at the time of planting. Trees and shrubs shall be planted at the minimum recommended plant spacing by genus.
4. Landscaping site Constraints.
a. Where landscaping site constraints exist and there is not sufficient space to provide all landscaping elements, reconfiguration is permitted only if the required number of vegetative units is provided, albeit in a reconfigured format approved by the Technical Review Committee.
(Ord. 20-29, §2, 9-21-20; Ord. 21-44, §1, 10-4-21)