All portions of the site not devoted to buildings and pavement shall be landscaped. Landscaping shall be used: as a design element to enhance the visual appearance of the development from the street, to define spaces that are intended as plazas and other outdoor activities; and for screening and buffering to remove, reduce, lessen, or absorb the impact between one use or zone and another.
(a) Landscaping Along the Public Street Frontage. Parking areas with more than five spaces adjacent to the public street shall be screened with vegetation to a minimum height of three feet and spaced to effectively obscure a minimum of 50% of the view of the parking area.
(b) Screening Adjacent To Residential Districts. A buffer with a minimum width of 20 feet shall be provided adjacent to a residential district and shall consist of one or a combination of the following:
(1) A dense vegetative planting incorporating trees and/or shrubs of a variety which shall be equally effective in winter and summer.
(2) A solid non-living opaque structure such as a masonry wall, or a solid fence constructed of materials approved by the Planning Commission.
(3) A landscaped mound or berm with a minimum height of three feet and supplemental vegetation.
The total height of screening shall be a minimum of six feet high measured from the natural grade. The required height of vegetation shall be achieved no later than two years after the initial installation.
(Ord. 2009-24. Passed 11-23-09.)