(a) Mechanical Equipment. All external mechanical equipment in all Districts, except the RE; R-LD, R-MD, and one (1) or two (2) unit dwellings in the TR Districts, shall be screened from adjacent existing or planned public rights-of-way or when located adjacent to a District that permits one (1) unit residential dwellings. Said screening shall comply with one of the following requirements:
(1) A wall or fence that is a minimum of one (1) foot taller than the mechanical units to be screened. Said wall or fence must be constructed with the same or similar materials as those used on the principal building; or
(2) A landscape screen that consists of evergreen trees that are a minimum of one (1) foot taller than said mechanical units at the time of installation. The evergreen trees or shrubs shall be installed in linear fashion around all sides of the mechanical unit(s) and shall have a maximum spacing of twelve (12) linear feet between each tree.
(3) Rooftop mechanicals shall be screened by a parapet wall or other similar screening mechanism that extends a minimum of one (1) foot above said mechanical units.
(b) Service Areas, Production Areas, Storage Areas, Trash Containers, and Loading Zones. All production areas, service areas, storage areas, trash containers and loading zones for all uses in all Districts shall be located at the rear or the side of the building. They shall be effectively screened on all sides from all adjacent property lines, existing or planned public rights-of-way and private streets as follows:
(1) Production areas, service areas, and loading zones: Screening of such areas shall consist of either landscaping or a minimum six (6) foot wall accented with landscaping materials that extends the entire length of the production area, service area of loading zone. Screening consisting of walls shall utilize the same or similar materials as those used on the principal building. When landscaping is utilized in lieu of a wall, it shall consist of evergreen trees that are a minimum of six (6) in height at the time of installation and spaced a maximum of twelve (12) feet between each tree.
(2) Trash containers and storage areas: Trash containers and storage areas shall be screened on three (3) sides with a solid wall or fence that is a minimum of one (1) foot taller than the trash container or the material within the storage area to be screened. Said wall or fence must be constructed with the same or similar materials as those used on the principal building and must be accented with landscaping for the entire screening perimeter. So that the trash container or storage area can be accessed, a solid, decorative gate of the same height as the wall/fence shall be utilized as screening on the fourth side of said trash container or storage area.
(3) Accent landscaping, as utilized in this section, means shrubs planted no more than five (5) feet apart and adjacent to the entire perimeter of the fence or wall utilized to screen the production area, service area, loading zone, or trash storage area as required by this section.
(Ord. 15-23. Passed 8-14-23.)