The following describes the minimum requirements.
(a) General Requirements.
(1) All plant materials shall be sound, healthy live plants, conforming to the standards of the American Nursery and Landscape Association, which standards are hereby adopted by reference, and such plants shall have passed inspection required under State law.
(2) All landscaping used as fencing shall conform to City ordinances regulating fences.
(b) Site Requirements.
(1) In general.
A. All major trees on any publicly owned property near an excavation or construction site shall be protected from damage based on currently accepted practices, which shall be available for review at the City Hall or provided by the Shade Tree Commission. It is the recommendation of the Commission that all major trees located on private property be protected according to the same practices, in efforts not only to enhance the property but also the community generally.
B. No person shall excavate any trenches or tunnels or lay any drive within the critical root zone of any public tree or shrub without first obtaining permission from the Shade Tree Commission.
C. The City shall have the right to cause the removal of any dead or diseased tree(s) located on private property within the City and/or cause the removal of tree branches located on private property within the City that overhang public property, when such trees constitute a hazard to life and property or harbor disease that constitutes a potential threat to other trees within the City. The Shade Tree Commission or its designee shall notify, in writing, the owners of such trees. The City shall cause to be removed any trees made unsafe by various construction activities. This determination shall be made by the Shade Tree Commission.
(2) Street tree requirements.
A. All trees selected for tree lawns must be approved by the Shade Tree Commission before any planting begins. No trees will be planted that will interfere with underground utilities. Any plant lists that include species considered undesirable by the Shade Tree Commission will be rejected. (See Appendix B, attached to original Ordinance 195-96, passed November 7, 1996.)
B. Trees shall be located so that a thirty-foot sight triangle is maintained at street intersections, as illustrated in Figure A below.
Figure A
C. Trees shall be located so that a fifteen-foot sight triangle is maintained at all intersections of an alley and a street.
D. Trees shall be located so that a ten-foot sight triangle is maintained at all intersections of a driveway and streets and alleys and alleys.
E. Street trees shall be planted as follows:
1. Small trees shall be planted not less than fifteen feet apart.
2. Medium trees shall be planted not less than fifteen feet nor more than thirty feet apart.
3. Large trees shall be planted not less than thirty feet apart.
4. No street trees shall be planted in tree lawns three feet wide.
5. Only small trees shall be planted in tree lawns three to five feet wide.
6. Only small or medium trees shall be planted in tree lawns five to seven feet wide.
7. Only medium or large trees shall be planted in tree lawns over seven feet wide and shall be planted midway between the curb and sidewalk, unless otherwise specified by the Shade Tree Commission.
8. No street trees shall be planted closer than fifteen feet to any fire hydrant and/or fire well.
9. If the tree lawn area is less than three feet wide, the developer may choose to plant trees beyond the right-of-way. These trees are not to be considered as part of interior landscape requirements.
10. All trees shall be planted in accordance with generally accepted techniques. (See Appendix C, attached to original Ordinance 195-96, passed November 7, 1996.)
11. All trees must be maintained for one year after planting and replaced if death occurs within that year or if the Shade Tree Commission deems such plant less than satisfactory. After one year, the City of London shall retain rights to maintain trees in the public right-of-way.
F. Tree limbs of existing trees hanging over a public right-of-way shall be properly pruned to such an extent that no portion shall be lower than seven feet above sidewalks or lower than fourteen feet above streets.
(c) Minimum Planting Requirements. For all new development or substantial alteration to existing sites, the following landscape requirements apply.
(1) Existing, properly preserved trees (see Appendix D attached to original Ordinance 195-96, passed November 7, 1996) can be counted as part of the total caliper requirement.
(2) Individual lots, all R Districts and Residential PUD areas require tree plantings equal to six-inch caliper per lot.
(3) All uses other than residential require tree plantings equal to one-half inch caliper per every 1,000 square feet of ground area.
(d) Buffer Zone Landscaping.
(1) Buffer zone plantings are required between the following:
A. Single-family and multifamily use.
B. Commercial and manufacturing use.
C. Any different land use and residential use.
(2) Buffer zone requirements are as follows:
A. Screening shall consist of walls, fences, natural vegetation and earthen mounds, or a combination of all these.
B. Natural vegetation screening, during full foliage, shall have a minimum opacity of seventy-five percent based on type.
C. Parking lot screening shall conform to the following standards:
1. Conifers must be used as an element of all landscaping plans.
2. Screening shall be reasonably uniform in height and opacity along its entire length.
3. When vegetation is used either alone or in combination with other materials, the plants:
a. Shall be at least two feet minimum in height.
b. Shall be selected for year-round dense foliage and be adequate to shield adjoining properties from headlight glare.
c. Will reach the desired height and density within four years of installation.
(e) Interior Landscaping. Any open vehicular use area, excluding loading, unloading and storage areas in a Commercial or Manufacturing District, consisting of more than 6,000 square feet of area, or twenty or more vehicular parking spaces, shall have interior landscaping.
(1) Purpose. The purpose of interior landscaping is:
A. To help reduce glare and heat build-up.
B. To visually reduce and break up the pavement.
C. To promote interior islands for traffic separation.
(2) Requirements.
A. The minimum soil area shall be sixteen square feet.
B. Layout and design shall be at the discretion of the developer, with advice available from the Shade Tree Commission.
C. One large tree shall be planted for every twenty-five parking spaces, or fraction thereof.
D. Grasses, shrubs, ground cover and other landscaping materials may also be used.
(f) Perimeter Landscaping.
(1) Front yard requirements.
A. Landscaping is required in any Business District, Manufacturing District and multifamily use area over two units per lot.
B. No vegetation shall be higher than four feet at maturity, except trees.
(2) Side and rear yard requirements.
A. Landscaping is required in any Commercial, Manufacturing or multifamily District where vehicular use areas abut a single-family use area.
B. Landscaping shall be selected and planted to screen headlight glare onto adjoining property, shall have 100 percent opacity and shall be not less than five feet tall at maturity
C. Combinations of grasses, shrubs, shade and ornamental trees, conifers and other landscape materials shall be used.
D. Tree spacing for perimeter plantings only, on-center, shall be as follows:
Plantings Spacing (ft.)
Large trees 30 to 40
Conifer trees 8 to 15
Ornamental trees 10 to 20
Shrubs confined to common planting beds
(Ord. 195-96. Passed 11-7-96.)