(A) Applicability. Within the town, all new developments and all additions to existing development (i.e., building additions, parking area expansions, and the like) shall provide landscaping as required by this subchapter for the new development or addition.
(B) Location of landscaping. Required landscaping areas shall consist of 4 locations on a site:
(1) Perimeter yards or residential bufferyards, as applicable;
(2) Foundation landscaping;
(3) Interior landscaping of off-street parking areas; and
(4) Perimeter screening off-street parking areas.
(C) Types of landscape screening. Three types of landscape screening are provided for in this subchapter and are intended to provide a progression of screening options suitable to a variety of landscaping and buffering needs between land uses and districts. The 3 types of landscape screening are:
(1) Type A: Open. The Type A: Open landscaping creates a pleasant visual experience but provides a minimal visual or sound barrier. Therefore, Type A: Open landscaping is intended for use on lots where the district of the abutting lots includes permitted uses with similar intensities, lights, sounds, and regular operations and would have minimal, if any, negative impact on adjacent properties. Type A: Open landscaping requires a majority of the landscape materials to be of a shade tree variety with flexibility to add color, interest, or heavier visual screening, if desired;
(2) Type B: Partial Screening. The Type B: Partial Screening landscaping creates a partial visual and sound barrier and is intended for use on lots where the district of the abutting lots includes permitted uses that may be similar in land use intensity, but may still contain lights, sounds, and regular operations which may adversely impact adjacent properties. Type B: Partial Screening landscaping requires the use of evergreen trees to provide year-round buffering while allowing flexibility to add color and interest with deciduous trees or shrubs/hedge plants; and
(3) Type C: Full Screening. The Type C: Full Screening landscaping shall be designed to create a substantial visual barrier from grade to at least 6 feet above grade at time of planting. Type C: Full Screening landscaping should also provide a sound barrier effect. Type C: Full Screening landscaping is intended to be placed on lots in higher intensity districts which abut lots located in lesser intense districts that may be adversely impacted by the lights, sounds, and regular operations of the higher intensity district. Type C: Full Screening landscaping requires significant use of evergreen trees to provide year-round buffering while allowing flexibility to add color and interest with deciduous trees or shrubs/hedge plants. Any evergreen species that drops its lower branches (e.g., white pines, and the like) shall not be permitted as a “evergreen” tree in a Type C: Full Screening landscape area.
(D) Utility easement landscaping. In those instances where overhead utilities are located within required yards or required residential bufferyards, plant material selections shall be limited to small growing trees which typically do not exceed 25 feet in height at maturity. Appropriate utility easement plant materials include: ornamental trees, such as the redbud, dogwood, and crabapple; or evergreen trees (narrow spread), such as the emerald green arborvitae. See § 152.194 for additional limitations.
(E) Live vegetation. All trees and shrubs required by this subchapter shall be living vegetation.
(F) Ground cover. Ground cover within landscape areas may consist of: grasses; preserved existing natural vegetation (i.e., thickets); or mulch, chipped bark, or other natural forms of ground cover. Loose stone, rock or gravel may be used as a landscaping accent, but shall not exceed 20% of the area of the required landscape area in which it is used.
(G) Alternate landscape plan approval. The Zoning Administrator may approve alternate landscape materials or landscape design options as set forth in § 152.194.
(H) Man-made elements. Landscaping may consist, in part, of walls, berms, and fences. When used, these elements shall be combined with live vegetation per the requirements of § 152.194.
(I) Credit for preservation of existing trees, vegetation and man-made elements. It is highly encouraged that existing landscaping elements be considered for incorporation into the overall landscape requirements. Credit is provided per § 152.194.
(Ord. 1221, § 8.01(a), passed 1-26-2010)