(a) Minimum Lawn Coverage Requirements. Each developed residential parcel shall maintain lawn areas in accordance with the following standards:
(1) Front Yard. Within the front yard each owner shall maintain an area of live ground cover equal to or greater than fifty (50%) percent of the total front yard area. The total front yard area shall be calculated as being the area bounded by each side property line and from the edge of the roadway to the front of the building. The required coverage area shall be calculated exclusive of the area of any sidewalks, driveways, and patios, and, exclusive of any area where due to the overgrowth of live trees and shrubs no ground cover can be grown.
(2) Side Yards. Within each side yard each owner shall maintain an area of live ground cover equal to or greater than fifty (50%) percent of the total side yard area. Each side yard area shall be calculated as being the area bounded by the closest side property line to the closest side of the building and from the front building line to the rear building line. The required coverage area shall be calculated exclusive of the area of any sidewalks, driveways, and patios, and, exclusive of any area where due to the overgrowth of live trees and shrubs no ground cover can be grown.
(3) Rear Yard. Within each rear yard each owner shall maintain an area of live ground cover equal to or greater than fifty (50%) percent of the rear yard area. The rear yard area shall be calculated as being the area bounded by the rear property line to the rear building line and from each side property line. The required coverage area shall be calculated exclusive of the area of any sidewalks, driveways, patios, decks, pools, any area where due to the overgrowth of live trees and shrubs no ground cover can be grown, and areas actively devoted to seasonal gardening. "Actively devoted" means the area is seasonally planted with annual vegetation and continuously maintained for that seasonal purpose.
(b) Limitation on Berms and Mounds. Berms/mounds on residential parcels shall be no greater than two (2) feet above the finished grade of the parcel, except solely where the berm /mound is part of a buffer required and approved pursuant to Section 1162.11. When a berm and/or mound, whether dispersed or contiguous, impacts an area greater than twenty (20%) percent of the total lawn area, it shall not be permitted except upon approval of a revised grading plan. Berms and mounds shall not be used as a method of altering the flow of surface water runoff unless it has been previously approved as a component of a storm water management plan.
(Ord. 17-O-95. Passed 10-3-17.)