(A) General:
(1) Buffer yard standards are listed in this section for peripheral buffer yards and for street buffer yards.
(2) Peripheral and street buffer yard standards are based on a required relative buffer yard intensity value. A variety of combinations of buffer yard width, planting intensity, and structural options (i.e., fences and earthen berms) may be selected from § 159-7.709, table 159-7.709 of this part to reach the required buffer yard intensity value.
(3) Peripheral buffer yards must be located along the outer perimeter of a lot or parcel, and must extend to the lot or parcel boundary line. Peripheral buffer yards may not be located on any portion of an existing or dedicated public or private street or right-of-way.
(4) Required buffer yard plantings may be planted in natural appearing groupings along the total length of the buffer yard and need not be spaced uniformly along the total buffer yard length.
(B) Plant Materials:
(1) For each buffer yard listed, a specific combination of deciduous canopy, shade, and understory trees; evergreen trees; and shrubs is required as indicated in § 159-7.702 of this part.
(2) All buffer yard areas must be seeded with lawn or native ground cover unless vegetation is already fully established.
(C) Height Of Required Vegetation: Height of vegetation selected for required buffer yards will be measured from the highest finished adjacent grade of the element to be screened.
(D) Berming: Earthen berms must be designed to transition to existing grades, not to exceed a slope ratio of 2:1, and must be covered with plant material, ground cover, or partially riprapped to prevent erosion. Berms with vegetative cover must be designed to retain irrigation water rather than encourage runoff. All earthen berms must be safely designed in order to accommodate mowing when needed.
(E) Calculation Of Buffer Yard Requirements:
(1) Buffer yard requirements are calculated using the standards listed in this § 159-7.700 for peripheral buffer yards and for street buffer yards as specified in § 159-7.707, table 159-7.707 of this part.
(2) Buffer yard standards listed in this § 159-7.700 are to be calculated for every 100 linear feet of peripheral lot line boundary and/or street frontage present on a given lot.
(3) In instances where the zoning district boundary and/or street frontage is less than 100 feet, the required buffer yard planting is 1 plant unit (see § 159-7.702, table 159-7.702 of this part).
(4) To determine the type of buffer yard required on a parcel, between 2 parcels or lots, or between a parcel or lot and a street, the following procedures will be used.
(a) Procedures For Determining Minimum Required Peripheral Buffer Yards.
1. Identify whether any portion or property line of the parcel or lot coincides with a zoning district boundary. If it does, determine the abutting zoning districts on both sides of the property line.
2. Refer to § 159-7.707, table 159-7.707 of this part to determine the required buffer yard intensity factor needed to be achieved between the 2 zoning districts.
3. Based upon the buffer yard intensity factor required, refer to § 159-7.707, table 159-7.707 of this part to select the minimum number of plant materials (per 100 feet of buffer yard length), the buffer yard width, and required structure type combination by selecting the desired alternative buffer yard type.
4. Calculate the actual number of plants required by selecting the minimum number of plant materials (per 100 feet of buffer yard length) from the alternatives indicated in § 159-7.709, table 159-7.709 of this part and multiply by the hundreds of feet of buffer yard to be planted.
5. Review §§ 159-7.703 and 159-7.704 of this part for responsibility for installation of peripheral buffer yards.
(b) Street Buffer Yards.
1. Refer to § 159-7.708, table 159-7.708 of this part to determine the required buffer yard intensity factor.
2. Follow the calculation and procedures outlined in division (E)(4)(a) of this section.
(Ord. 17-2-2065, passed 2-27-2017)