(A) Generally. The bufferyards required in this section provide transition and physical barriers between properties of differing land uses to reduce the effects of sight, sound, and other incompatibilities. The bufferyards are based on the amount of screening they provide, which are classified from less screening (Type A) to more screening (Type C), depending on the types and intensities of adjoining land uses.
(B) General standards.
(1) Groundcover. In addition to the required plantings, walls, fences, and berms, remaining portions of all bufferyards shall contain groundcover.
(2) Plant groupings. Bufferyard plantings may be located in small groupings to appear more natural or evenly spaced.
(3) Earthen berms. Earthen berms within a bufferyard may vary and undulate to accommodate drainage and to provide a more natural appearance. Incorporation of a berm into a buffer yard may necessitate an increase in width of the bufferyard beyond what is required in Table 156.F.004-1, Bufferyard Classifications.
(4) Encroachment. No part of any required bufferyard shall be used for structures, parking, storage, loading, locating refuse containers, or any similar activity which may create a nuisance.
(5) Extent. All required bufferyards shall be located on the parcel proposed for development.
(6) Access breaks. Breaks for pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicle access are permitted on the condition that access shall be designed to cross a bufferyard at as near a perpendicular angle as practical.
(7) Low impact development. Low impact development and other similar stormwater management features are permitted in a required bufferyard.
(C) Bufferyard types. There are three types of bufferyards, each of which varies in width and the numbers and types of plants required per 100 linear feet. The minimum planting requirements for each type of bufferyard are set out in Table 156.F.004-1, Bufferyard Classifications, except that parking lot setback plantings are set out in § 156.F.003, Development Landscaping. Illustrative examples of bufferyards are in Figure 156.F.003-1, Illustrative Bufferyard Types.
Bufferyard Classifications | ||||||
Type | Width | Required Plantings per 100 Linear Feet | Height of Berm, Wall, or Fence1 | |||
Overstory Trees | Understory Trees | Evergreen Trees | Shrubs | |||
Bufferyard Classifications | ||||||
Type | Width | Required Plantings per 100 Linear Feet | Height of Berm, Wall, or Fence1 | |||
Overstory Trees | Understory Trees | Evergreen Trees | Shrubs | |||
Option 1: Landscape Only Bufferyard | ||||||
Type A | 5 ft. | 0 | 2 | -- | 10 | N/A |
Type B | 10 ft. | 1 | 2 | 1 | 12 | N/A |
Type C | 15 ft. | 2 | 1 | 1 | 15 | N/A |
Option 2: Landscape with Berm, Wall, or Fence2 | ||||||
Type A | 3 ft. | -- | -- | -- | 10 | 6' tall fence or wall/4' tall berm |
Type B | 5 ft. | -- | -- | -- | 15 | 6' tall fence or wall/4' tall berm |
Type C | 10 ft. | -- | 2 | -- | 20 | 6' tall fence or wall/4' tall berm |
TABLE NOTES: 1 A berm, wall, or fence is not required for landscape only bufferyards. 2 Plant material, including overstory trees, may be installed on the inside or outside of the wall or fence facing the abutting properties. Plant material, including overstory trees, must be installed on the outside of the wall or fence facing the street. | ||||||
(D) Bufferyard locations. Bufferyards shall be established within a bufferyard easement on individual lots or parcels, unless a property owners' association is established in which case bufferyards may be within common open space. Properties separated by the public street right-of-way are not considered adjoining for the purposes of this section. Bufferyards shall be required as follows:
(1) Between zoning districts. The type of required bufferyard between two adjoining zoning districts or use category in the GI zoning district, with the type determined by the intensities of the districts. Table 156.F.004-2, District Bufferyard Standards, establishes the required bufferyard type between the zoning district of the parcel proposed for development and the zoning of the abutting district. Where "--" is found there is no bufferyard required.
District Bufferyard Standards | |||||||
Zoning of Parcel Proposed for Development | Zoning of Abutting District | ||||||
AG, RR, RL | RM, RH | MU, UC | GC | PI, REC | GI - Heavy Industrial Uses1 | GI - All Other Industrial Uses1 | |
District Bufferyard Standards | |||||||
Zoning of Parcel Proposed for Development | Zoning of Abutting District | ||||||
AG, RR, RL | RM, RH | MU, UC | GC | PI, REC | GI - Heavy Industrial Uses1 | GI - All Other Industrial Uses1 | |
Residential (AG, RR, RL) | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | C | C |
Residential (RM, RH) | B | -- | -- | -- | -- | C | C |
Mixed-Use (MU, UC) | C | C | -- | -- | -- | C | C |
General Commercial (GC) | B | B | B | -- | -- | C | C |
Nonresidential (PI, REC) | C | C | B | B | -- | C | C |
Heavy Industrial Use Category (GI) | C | C | C | C | C | -- | -- |
All Other Industrial Use Categories (GI) | C | C | C | B | C | -- | -- |
Table Notes: | |||||||
(2) Along corner and rear yards abutting collector and arterial streets. When a corner or rear yard of a lot zoned RM, RH, MU, UC, GC, PI, or REC abuts collector and arterial street right-of-way, a Type B bufferyard is required. A Type C bufferyard is required for uses in the GI district.
(3) Single-family residential through (double frontage) lots. Any single-family detached or attached residential lot having both its front and rear lot lines abutting a public street, private street, or interstate highway (a double frontage lot) or a corner lot which is adjacent to a double frontage lot shall be required to have a Type C bufferyard along that corresponding rear or side yard lot line. The rear yard and front side yard building setbacks shall be measured from the farthest extent of the bufferyard.
(4) Adjacent to agricultural land. A Type A bufferyard is required for a parcel proposed for development when adjoining agricultural land that is not planned for development. At the time of development, unless no bufferyard is required, the adjoining property would also be required to provide the bufferyard required in Table 156.F.004-2, District Bufferyard Standards.
(5) Along a natural resource feature, park, or recreation area. Development must meet applicable city codes related to stream/riparian protection.
(6) Adjacent to public streets. Refer to the requirements for trees and parking lot screening in § 156.F.003, Development Landscaping.
(E) Natural area exemption. A parcel that would typically require bufferyards may be exempt from the requirement to provide bufferyards where the parcel is separated from the adjacent property by a natural area that meets or exceeds the number of plantings required by the applicable bufferyard. Natural areas shall be exempt from the shrub requirement.
(F) Warranted exceptions of bufferyard requirements. Should a bufferyard requirement overburden a property by making development impractical, in the sole discretion of the Zoning Administrator, the width of a required buffer may be reduced, and a privacy fence, screen wall, or other measures may be used to mitigate the impact on the property to be buffered.
(G) Credits for existing landscaping improvements.
(1) Generally. Existing trees, fences, and landscape or retaining walls that meet, in part but not in whole, the bufferyard requirements set out herein, may be counted toward a bufferyard requirement, provided that the trees and landscaping are in good health or the fences or walls are structurally sound.
(2) Existing landscaping credit. Credit shall be given for existing trees and landscaping within bufferyards and perimeter yards.
(H) Relationship to other bufferyard requirements. Some limited or special uses may have different requirements for bufferyards, as specified in § 156.C.004, Limited Use Standards, and § 156.C.005, Special Use Standards. If bufferyards are required by another section of this Zoning Ordinance along property boundaries that are also district boundaries, then the most restrictive bufferyard requirement is required.
(Ord. 15039, passed 4-11-2022)