All open off-street parking areas for 4 or more vehicles will require landscaping. The standards herein are designated to provide flexibility in meeting the landscape requirement. Applicants can establish a landscape design which most effectively achieves the desired aesthetic results, and is consistent with the need of providing readily accessible and visible parking.
(A) Landscaping objectives.
(1) The objectives of the landscape standards are to recognize both the functional importance of parking areas and the public benefits associated with well-designed landscaped areas which enhance the visual environment, promote public safety, moderate the microclimate and reduce nuisances, such as noise and glare.
(2) The overall intent of the landscape standards is to soften the visual and other sensory impacts. This can be achieved through the use of large canopy trees and well-designed clustered plantings; as opposed to the requirement of screening the entire perimeter with a hedge or fence.
(B) Minimum canopy tree and parking space requirements.
(1) All off-street vehicular parking areas with more than 6 vehicles shall provide and maintain 1 canopy-type tree for each 12 parking spaces, or fraction thereof, over the initial 6 spaces. Canopy trees shall be located in tree islands, or within 10 feet of the periphery of the parking area surface. The preservation of desirable existing trees is encouraged. Existing mature trees which are a minimum of 2"-2½" caliper and are within the distance requirements may be applied toward the canopy standard. All newly planted canopy trees must also have a minimum of 2"-2½" caliper.
(2) Parking spaces must be broken by a tree island at the rate of 1 tree island for each linear row of 12 parking spaces, for single row configurations, or for each 24 parking spaces in double row configurations.
(3) Schedule for canopy trees standards.
No. of Stalls | Trees Required |
No. of Stalls | Trees Required |
1 to 6 | 0 |
7 to 18 | 1 |
19 to 30 | 2 |
31 to 42 | 3 |
43 to 54 | 4 |
55 to 66 | 5 |
67 to 78 | 6 |
79 to 90 | 7 |
91 to 102 | 8 |
103 to 114 | 9 |
Over 114 | 9, plus 1 tree for each 12 spaces or fraction thereof |
(C) Screening standards for parking areas near residential zoned parcels.
(1) In the following situations there shall be a screening barrier for the purpose of obstructing light beams and muffling noise:
(a) Where an off-street parking area for 4 or more vehicles abuts within 25 feet of an adjoining lot line in an "R-Residential" Zoning District (R-1, R-2 or R-3).
(b) Where an off-street parking for 4 or more vehicles is located in a manner where nearby residentially zoned properties would be affected by headlight glare (i.e., directly across a public right-of-way).
(2) The effective height of the barrier shall be a minimum of 3½' above the surface of the parking area. Such a barrier may consist of wood or masonry fencing, walls, berming, or the use of plant material. Where plant materials are used for screening, they shall be of suitable size and density to accomplish the screening objective within 3 years from the time of planting.
(D) Minimum landscape element standards and point scoring system.
(1) In addition to the requirements for canopy trees and residential screening, all parking areas shall be required to accumulate a minimum number of points. The number of points required is based on the number of parking spaces. Parking areas for 4 or more vehicles are required to accumulate 15 points for each space.
(2) To qualify for points, the landscape elements must be located in a manner which primarily meet the objectives of landscaping parking areas. The criteria used to determine which landscape elements qualify are: (a) perimeters adjacent to public rights-of-way; (b) interior areas and immediate perimeters to the parking area; and (c) perimeter of lots adjacent to other property. Landscaping which primarily serves the aesthetic enhancement of the building and related open areas will qualify for 50% of the accumulation of points. Points are tabulated in the following manner:
POINT SCHEDULE FOR LANDSCAPE ELEMENTS | ||
Landscape Element | Min. Planted Size | Points |
POINT SCHEDULE FOR LANDSCAPE ELEMENTS | ||
Landscape Element | Min. Planted Size | Points |
Canopy trees | 2-2½" or 1-1½" for multi-stem trees | 50 |
Canopy trees | 1½-2" or 8-10 ft. | 30 |
Evergreen trees | 4 ft. | 30 |
Low ornamental trees | 5 ft. and BB stock | 20 |
Tall shrubs | 2½-4 ft. | 9 |
Medium shrubs | 18-36" | 6 |
Low shrubs | 15-24" | 3 |
Walls, decorative fences, earth berms, ground covers and shrubs with a mature height of less than 2 ft. | 0 | |
(3) (a) Trees used to meet the canopy standard and landscape materials used to meet the screening of abutting and residentially zoned property may not be applied toward the minimum landscape element standards.
(b) To qualify for the points indicated, trees and shrubs shall be of good nursery stock and not less than the minimum required planting size.
(c) The following publication will be used to determine which plants are "low-ornamental trees" and "tall/medium/low shrubs": A Guide to Selecting Landscape Plants for Wisconsin. E.R. Hasselkus, UW-Extension Publication A2865.
(d) The planting plan list shall include the size of the material to be planted. All landscape plants shall be delineated on the landscape plan and include the crown width the plant will achieve 5 years after plan implementation.
(e) The applicant may request points for decorative fence, earth berms, ground covers, existing vegetation and shrubs of the mature height of not less than 2 feet. It must be demonstrated by the applicant that these landscape elements will contribute to the overall landscape objectives. The number of points credited will be negotiated with the Zoning Administrator and subject to review by the Plan Commission.
(E) Minimum dimensions for tree islands and planted areas.
(1) All tree islands and landscaped areas with trees shall be a minimum of 4 feet as measured from the inside of any curb or frame.
(2) All landscape areas without trees, but planted with shrubs, shall have a minimum width of 3 feet measured from inside the curb or frame.
(F) Unsuitable species. Several shrubs and trees, which are not native to Wisconsin, have an established history of spreading to nearby parks and conservancy areas. These non-native plants tend to become overly abundant and ultimately eliminate many desirable native species. The control and eradication of these unsuitable plants create a costly management problem. The following species of plant material are unsuitable for use as landscape plants:
(1) Honeysuckle: lonicera x-bella, lonicera marrawi and lonicera tartarica.
(2) Buckthorn (common): rhamnus cathartica and rhamnus frangula (tall hedge).
(3) Norway maple: acer negcindo.
(Ord. 586, passed 6-21-89) Penalty, see § 1.1.99