LANDSCAPE REGULATIONS

§ 152.185 INTENT.

   Landscaping is an essential element of the site design process and is an important feature in promoting the public health, safety, comfort, general welfare and the quality of life of the town. Landscaping is intended to: reduce the negative impacts of higher intensity land uses on less intense adjacent land uses; provide visual and noise buffering between higher intensity districts and less intense districts; lessen the impact of development on the environment by reducing glare and heat buildup; promote energy conservation; and break up large expanses of paved areas so as to reduce impervious surface area, storm water runoff, and the level of pollutants from non-point sources.

(Ord. 1221, Art. 8, passed 1-26-2010)

§ 152.186 GENERAL LANDSCAPING PROVISIONS.

   (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)

§ 152.187 LANDSCAPING OF REQUIRED PERIMETER YARDS AND RESIDENTIAL BUFFERYARDS.

   (A)   Front yard and front residential bufferyard landscaping in all Commercial/Town Center Districts, Industrial Districts, Residential Districts for multifamily dwelling. The front yard of any lot located in any Commercial/Town Center District, Industrial District, or Residential Districts for multifamily dwellings and which yard is not occupied by improvements permitted in the division “Use of Minimum Yards and Residential Bufferyards” in the applicable district shall be landscaped with trees as provided below and appropriate ground cover:

      (1)   Deciduous shade trees. A minimum of 1 shade tree planted for every 40 feet of the applicable lot line. The trees may be evenly spaced at 40 feet on center or grouped together; provided however, in no case shall spacing between trees exceed 80 feet; or

      (2)   Deciduous ornamental trees. A minimum of 1 ornamental tree planted for every 25 feet of the applicable lot line. The trees may be evenly spaced at 25 feet on center or grouped together; provided however, in no case shall spacing between trees exceed 50 feet.

   (B)   Side residential bufferyard and rear residential bufferyard landscaping in all Commercial/Town Center Districts, Industrial Districts, and Residential Districts for special exception uses. The side residential bufferyard or rear residential bufferyard located in a Commercial/Town Center District; Industrial District; or Residential District occupied by a special exception use, and which is not occupied by improvements permitted in the division “Use of Minimum Yards and Residential Bufferyards” in the applicable district, shall consist of either Type A: Open, Type B: Partial Screening, or Type C: Full Screening as specified below and in Table 152.187: Side and Rear Residential Bufferyard Landscaping.

   (C)   Residential bufferyards in the R1 Single Family Residential Districts, R2 Single and 2 Family Residential District, and MF Multifamily District for permitted nonresidential uses. Landscaping

required in any portion of a front residential bufferyard, side residential bufferyard or rear residential bufferyard which is not occupied by improvements permitted in the division “Use of Minimum Yards and Residential Bufferyards” in the applicable district, shall consist of Type A: Open.

Table 152.187: Side and Rear Residential Bufferyard Landscaping
Zoning of Adjacent Property	Zoning of Subject Property
	SE(1)	OB	LB	CB	TCD	LI	GI	PUD
R1	B	B	B	B	B	C	C	(2)
R2	B	B	B	B	B	C	C	(2)
MF	A	B	B	B	B	C	C	(2)
PUD (3)	B	B	B	B	B	C	C	(2)
(1)   Special exception use located in a Residential District; or other Special Use Districts.
(2)   Landscaping may be Type A: Open. Type B: Partial Screening or Type C: Full Screening and shall be determined as part of the review and determination of the Planned Unit Development.
(3)    Residential portion of a PUD.
A -   Type A: Open landscaping. See division (A), above.
B -   Type B: Partial Screening landscaping shall contain a minimum of 2 evergreen trees for every 25 feet of the length of a lot line which abuts a Residential District or a residential portion of a PUD District. The trees shall be evenly spaced.
C -   Type C: Full Screening landscaping shall contain a minimum of 4 evergreen trees for every 30 feet of the length of a lot line which abuts a Residential District or a residential portion of a PUD District. The trees shall be evenly spaced in a staggered double row where the rows are not more than 12.5 feet apart.

 

(Ord. 1221, § 8.01(b), passed 1-26-2010)

§ 152.188 FOUNDATION LANDSCAPING.

   Foundation landscaping shall be provided for all new buildings and building additions in all districts (except for the following: buildings in the TCD - Town Center District; and single family dwellings or 2 family dwellings) in compliance with the following requirements.

   (A)   Foundation landscaping shall be applicable to any elevation of a new building or building addition which is:

      (1)   Over 35 feet in width; and

      (2)   Includes the main or primary customer entrance or is oriented toward a front yard.

   (B)   (1)   When required, foundation landscaping shall be provided at a rate of:

         (a)   One shade tree for every 50 feet of width of the applicable elevation;

         (b)   One ornamental tree or 1 evergreen tree for every 35 feet of width of the applicable elevation; or

         (c)   Ten hedge plants or shrubs for every 50 feet of width of the applicable elevation.

      (2)   The above rates of foundation landscaping may be combined or prorated, as necessary, based upon the length of the applicable elevation.

   (C)   Foundation landscaping areas shall maintain a minimum dimension of 6 feet in the smallest dimension, with a minimum of 36 square feet of foundation landscaping area provided for each tree and for every 2 hedge plants or shrubs.

   (D)   Location: foundation landscaping areas shall be located along or adjacent to each applicable building elevation; provided, however, where a portion of the building elevation is devoted to pedestrian ingress/egress, vehicular ingress/egress, loading or drop-off zones, foundation landscaping areas may be aggregated into 1 or more locations along or abutting the building elevation.

   (E)   Relationship to buildings: foundation landscaping areas shall be located:

      (1)   Adjacent to the building; or

      (2)   So as to begin within 15 feet of the building (i.e., to allow for a walkway or similar improvements adjacent to the building).

(Ord. 1221, § 8.01(c), passed 1-26-2010)

§ 152.189 INTERIOR OFF-STREET PARKING AREA LANDSCAPING.

   All new surface, off-street parking areas containing 30 parking spaces or more, and all expanded surface off-street parking areas which are increased by 30 parking spaces or more, whether the increase occurs at 1 time or in successive stages, shall be subject to the following regulations.

   (A)   All such off-street parking areas shall include at least 1 required interior landscape island for every 15 parking spaces (or fraction thereof), or 5,000 square feet of off-street parking area, whichever yields the greater number.

   (B)   Each required interior landscape island shall measure a minimum of 8 feet by 18 feet.

   (C)   Each required interior landscape island shall contain a minimum of 1 deciduous shade tree, 1 deciduous ornamental tree, or 1 evergreen tree.

   (D)   Interior landscape islands shall be located at the end of parking bays so as to define vehicular and pedestrian traffic patterns.

   (E)   All trees shall comply with the size at time of planting as indicated in Table 152.191: Minimum Size at Time of Planting.

   (F)   Area devoted to interior landscape islands shall be in addition to any required perimeter yard landscaping, foundation landscaping, or parking area screening required by this subchapter.

   (G)   Off-street parking areas shall include areas used for the parking or display or automobiles, boats, truck, or farm equipment associated with a dealership or leasing business.

   (H)   Off-street parking areas shall not include areas used for semi-truck loading areas, semi-truck maneuvering areas, and semi-truck parking areas.

(Ord. 1221, § 8.01(d), passed 1-26-2010)

§ 152.190 OFF-STREET PARKING AREA SCREENING.

   (A)   The regulations of this section shall apply to all new surface, off-street parking areas, and expanded surface off-street parking areas for any use except a single family dwelling or 2 family dwelling.

   (B)   In addition to perimeter yard landscaping, foundation landscaping, and interior parking area landscaping, if an off-street parking area is located: between a front building line and a front lot line; between a side building line and any required side residential bufferyard; or between a rear building line and any required rear residential bufferyard, the edge of the parking area facing the front lot line, side residential bufferyard, or rear residential bufferyard shall be screened by a compact row of shrubs/hedge plants planted 3 feet on-center across the front of the parking area located between the front lot line, side residential bufferyard, or rear residential bufferyard and the edge of the parking area. Minimum planting size shall meet the requirements of Table 152.191 for hedge plants/shrubs, and be maintained at a maximum allowable growth height of 36 inches.

(Ord. 1221, § 8.01(e), passed 1-26-2010)