(A) Landscaping shall be required along the perimeter and within the interior of the lot for all new, redevelopment, or retrofit projects. No additional landscaping shall be required for striping or restriping of existing parking lots.
(1) New parking and driveway areas that accommodate more than 40 cars, and parking lot expansions that add more than 40 parking spaces, shall be landscaped along the perimeter and within the interior of the lot. A minimum area equal to 20% of the parking and driveway surface area shall be designed with either landscaping islands or divider medians between opposing rows of parking.
(2) For redevelopment or retrofit projects with fewer than 40 new parking spaces, a minimum of 10% of the parking and driveway surface area shall be designed with landscaping features. Landscaping features may include linear parking lot landscaped islands, divider medians, parking lot rain gardens, and depressed infiltration curb islands. Where the city determines that the parking lot design cannot reasonably accommodate curb islands, divider medians, or other landscaping features or cannot accommodate that amount of landscaping cited herein, plant materials shall be moved to the outside perimeter of the parking lot.
(B) Landscape island design.
(1) Landscape islands shall be sized and designed to support plant health and shall be no smaller than 324 square feet in area. It is strongly encouraged to use these areas for infiltration purposes.
(2) Landscaped islands may contain:
(a) Rain gardens;
(b) Depressed infiltration areas; or
(c) Trees, shrubs, perennials, and/or native grasses.
(C) Any divider median shall be at least eight feet in width and extend the full length of the parking stalls. The divider median shall be covered in grass, ground cover, mulch, shrubs, trees, or other landscape treatment other than concrete and pavement.
(D) Shade trees shall be used for the perimeter of the parking area and island landscaping at a minimum rate of one shade tree per ten parking stalls. Shade trees shall be setback a minimum of eight feet from curbs and/or pavement.
(E) The preservation of existing trees, shrubs, and other natural vegetation in the parking area may be included in the calculation of the required minimum landscape area.
(F) Modifications from the requirements of this section may be permitted through the site plan permit review process.
(Ord. 20220120-01, passed 1-20-22)