The following landscaping standards shall apply to all development requiring a building permit, plan approval or other type of permit under this title or title 11 of this code:
A. Preserve Existing Natural Elements:
1. Each development application, or building permit application shall be accompanied by a preliminary analysis of the lot or property describing: topography, existing vegetation, existing buildings or other structures, adjoining roadways, public or private, visual features and a description of the property's current use.
2. Development plans shall minimize impact on existing natural features, and where possible incorporate such natural features into the plan.
3. Construction activities, where possible, shall be restricted to those portions of the site, which shall be identified and staked, and that do not disrupt natural features and the drip lines of mature trees.
4. No development shall occur in "wetlands" and/or SFHAs as defined in title 11 of this code unless the provisions of said title are complied with. Such areas shall remain undeveloped where possible.
5. Trees with a caliper measurement of six inches (6") or more or groves of trees shall be developed around where possible. Variations in bulk regulations and other landscaping requirements will be considered to preserve such natural features.
6. Development on steep slopes and over highly erodible soils should be discouraged, and adherence to the county greenways plan should be encouraged in the placement of pathways and the preservation of animal migratory patterns.
7. The storm water management provisions of title 11 of this code shall be applied in every development.
B. Site Landscape Standard:
1. A landscape plan for all developments, buildings or alterations requiring a building or development permit shall be required.
2. The landscape plan shall comply with all of the requirements set out in the "County Development Manual".
3. A minimum of fifteen percent (15%) of total land area of the development site shall be devoted to landscaped open space. Standards shall be relaxed on a site specific basis when dealing with sites which are already partly or completely developed. Particular standard deviation should be permitted where the developer has retained significant natural features or designed in accommodation with the county greenways plan.
C. Types Of Landscaped Areas: Plantings are ordinarily required in four (4) distinct areas of a lot or property. These areas are: interior parkways; buffer yard areas; parking lots; site interiors. Parking lot landscaping is addressed in section 10-11-1 of this title. The standards set out herein may be relaxed where appropriate, or duplicative of requirements specified elsewhere.
1. Interior parkway plantings are required of new developments in order to screen vehicles visible to public roadways and to enhance the rural character of the county along roadway corridors. In single-family residential districts the type and density of interior parkway plantings shall be in keeping with the surrounding environment of the development.
a. In mixed and multiple-family residential districts there shall be:
(1) A minimum of twenty feet (20'), or seventy five percent (75%) of any applicable yard requirement, whichever is less, interior parkway provided adjacent to all public roadways;
(2) Shade trees spaced at not less than one tree every forty (40) linear feet of frontage, excluding driveways, parallel to and within the right of way, interior parkway or within the first five feet (5') of the front lot line;
(3) Surface areas of interior parkways shall be planted with sod, natural grasses or ground cover;
(4) Parking lot shielding as included in chapter 14, "Fencing", of this title.
b. In office/commercial districts there shall be:
(1) A minimum of ten feet (10'), or seventy five percent (75%) of any applicable yard requirement, whichever is less, interior parkway provided adjacent to all public roadways;
(2) Shade trees shall be spaced at not less than one tree every forty (40) linear feet of frontage, excluding driveways, parallel to and within the right of way, interior parkway, or within the first five feet (5') of the front lot line;
(3) Surface areas of interior parkways shall be planted with sod;
(4) Open automobile parking areas (4 automobiles or more) visible from the public roadway shall be effectively shielded as follows:
(A) One 8-foot ornamental or evergreen tree for each thirty feet (30') of parkway frontage;
(B) Acoustical shielding at least three feet (3') in height along the entire frontage of the parking area except that driveway openings shall remain visually unimpaired.
c. In industrial districts and for institutional uses there shall be:
(1) A minimum of fifty feet (50') wide interior parkway adjacent to all public roadways;
(2) Shade trees shall be spaced at not less than one tree for every forty (40) linear feet of frontage, excluding driveways, parallel to and within the right of way, interior parkway, or within the first five feet (5') of the front lot line;
(3) Surface areas of interior parkways shall be planted with sod;
(4) Open automobile parking areas (6 automobiles or more) visible from the public roadway shall be effectively shielded as follows:
(A) One 8-foot ornamental or evergreen tree for each thirty feet (30') of parkway frontage;
(B) Acoustical shielding at least three feet (3') in height along the entire frontage of the parking area, except that driveway opening shall remain visually unimpaired.
d. In all districts to shield open storage and service and utility areas from visibility from public roadways there shall be:
(1) Acoustical shielding in such quantities and heights to completely eliminate the visual presence of such facilities.
2. Buffer yards are required between land uses to create a sense of privacy and security. Buffers may be constructed of one or a variety of types of acoustical shielding and plantings appropriate to the environment the shielding is meant to protect. In single-family residential districts the type and density of buffer yards shall be in keeping with the surrounding environment of the development. When reference is made to landscaping along an entire buffer yard, interior parkways, rights of way, crossover accesses, driveways, utility easements and other special circumstances are excluded.
a. In mixed and multi-family residential districts a planting strip shall be provided along the entire area of the buffer yard. The width of the strip shall be from twenty five feet (25') down to fifteen feet (15') wide depending upon the types of plantings provided. The planting strip may be bermed at a maximum slope of three to one (3:1). Twenty five percent (25%) of all plantings shall be evergreen. A minimum of thirty percent (30%) of the buffer yard shall be planted with groups or hedges of three foot (3') high shrubs. Each buffer yard shall contain at least two (2) 2-inch, and one 3-inch, caliper trees. To the extent the developer increases the number of evergreen plantings and other required plantings, the buffer yard may be reduced from twenty five feet (25') wide to a minimum of fifteen feet (15') wide as follows:
(1) Two foot (2') wide reduction for each additional three inch (3") caliper tree;
(2) One foot (1') wide reduction for each additional two inch (2") caliper tree;
(3) One foot (1') wide reduction for each additional ten percent (10%) of additional evergreen plantings above twenty five percent (25%);
(4) One foot (1') wide reduction for each ten percent (10%) increase in three foot (3') high groups or hedges of shrubs above thirty percent (30%) of the buffer yard.
b. Office or commercial districts:
(1) On office, commercial or institutional lots, abutting a residential lot, a planting strip ten feet (10') down to five feet (5') wide depending upon the types of plantings, shall be provided, along the entire length of the buffer yard. Acoustical shielding, at least seventy five percent (75%) opaque, and at least six feet (6') tall, shall be installed along the entire lot line. In addition, twenty five percent (25%) of the buffer strip shall be planted with shrubs three feet (3') or higher. Twenty five percent (25%) of all plantings shall be evergreen. Each buffer yard shall contain at least two (2) 2-inch caliper trees. To the extent the developer increases the number of evergreen trees and other required plantings, the buffer yard may be reduced from ten feet (10') wide to five feet (5') wide as follows:
(A) One foot (1') wide reduction for each additional two inch (2") caliper tree or better;
(B) One foot (1') wide reduction for each additional ten percent (10%) of additional evergreen plantings above twenty five percent (25%);
(C) One foot (1') wide reduction for each ten percent (10%) in increase in three foot (3') high groups or hedges of shrubs above twenty five percent (25%) of the buffer yard.
(2) On office, commercial or institutional lots abutting office, business, institutional or industrial lots, a planting strip twenty five feet (25') down to five feet (5') wide, depending on the types of plantings, shall be provided along the entire length of the buffer yard. Acoustical shielding at least seventy five percent (75%) opaque and at least six feet (6') tall shall be installed along the entire lot line affected. In addition, ten percent (10%) of the buffer strip linear length shall be planted with shrubs at least three feet (3') high. In addition, twenty five percent (25%) of all required shrub plantings shall be evergreen. The planting strip may be bermed at a maximum slope of three to one (3:1). Each buffer yard shall contain a minimum of three (3) 2-inch caliper trees. To the extent the developer increases the number of evergreen trees and other required plantings, the buffer yard width may be reduced from twenty five feet (25') to five feet (5') as follows:
(A) One foot (1') reduction for each additional two inch (2") caliper tree or better;
(B) One foot (1') reduction for each additional ten percent (10%) of additional evergreen plantings above twenty five percent (25%);
(C) One foot (1') reduction for each ten percent (10%) in increase in three foot (3') high groups or hedges of shrubs above ten percent (10%).
c. Industrial district:
(1) On industrial property abutting residential property, a planting strip of a minimum of fifty feet (50') wide shall be provided along the entire length of the buffer yard. Acoustical shielding at least seventy five percent (75%) opaque and at least six feet (6') tall shall be installed along the entire lot line affected. In addition twenty five percent (25%) of the buffer strip linear length shall be planted with three foot (3') shrubs. Twenty five percent (25%) of all required shrubs shall be evergreen. At a minimum, six (6) 21/2-inch caliper trees shall be planted in the buffer yard.
(2) On industrial property abutting office, commercial, or institutional property, a planting strip twenty five feet (25') down to fifteen feet (15') wide, depending on the type of plantings, shall be provided along the entire length of the buffer yard. Acoustical shielding at least seventy five percent (75%) opaque and at least six feet (6') tall shall be installed along the entire lot line affected. In addition twenty five percent (25%) of the buffer strip linear length shall be bermed to a minimum height of three feet (3') at a maximum slope of three to one (3:1). Ten percent (10%) of the buffer yard shall be planted with shrubs. Twenty five percent (25%) of all required shrubs shall be evergreen. There shall be a minimum of four (4) 2-inch caliper shade trees. Shrubs shall be a minimum of three feet (3'). To the extent the developer increases the number of evergreen trees and other required plantings, the buffer yard width may be reduced as follows:
(A) One foot (1') reduction for each additional two inch (2") caliper tree or better;
(B) One foot (1') reduction for each additional ten percent (10%) of additional evergreen plantings above twenty five percent (25%);
(C) One foot (1') reduction for each ten percent (10%) in increase in three foot (3') high berms, groups or hedges of shrubs above ten percent (10%).
(3) On industrial property abutting industrial property, a planting strip of a minimum of ten feet (10') wide shall be provided along the entire length of the buffer yard. A minimum of thirty percent (30%) of the length of the buffer yard shall be planted with shrubs or evergreens three feet (3') or greater in height. There shall be a minimum of four (4) 2-inch caliper shade or evergreen trees.
3. Site interior landscaping shall utilize plant materials, berming and other elements to screen and aesthetically enhance site and buildings through the implementation of the following standards. These standards are applicable to all uses in all districts except purely agricultural uses in agricultural districts.
a. Foundation plantings:
(1) A minimum four foot (4') wide landscape area shall be provided along fifty percent (50%) of building walls (excluding driveways, entrance areas, patios and decks) when adjacent to or facing off street parking areas or a public street.
(2) One hundred percent (100%) of this landscape area shall be planted with a mixture of ornamental and evergreen trees, shrubs or ground covers (including sod).
(3) These plantings shall emphasize the softening of large expanses of the building walls, accent building entrances and architectural features, and screen mechanical equipment adjacent to buildings.
b. Service area screening:
(1) All freestanding utility and mechanical equipment shall be screened from view through the use of acoustical shielding, or evergreen plant materials compatible with building design.
(2) Trash dumpsters and other similar waste receptacles or equipment shall be screened by acoustical shielding on three (3) sides to such a height that such refuse equipment is not visible from the public roadway.
c. Intersection visibility:
(1) Landscaping and acoustical shielding must be designed and installed to minimize potential obstruction of critical sight lines at intersections.
(2) Trees are allowed in these critical visibility areas if the lowest branching begins not less than six feet (6') above to pavement. (Ord. 06-05-002, 6-21-2005)