For the purpose of this subchapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
“ANNUALS.” A plant that dies at the end of the growing season both above and below ground.
“BERM (MOUND).” A man-made landscape feature used for screening in which earth is piled up in irregular, round, oblong shapes. Berms do not have consistent crest elevations but are irregular, creating a more natural landscape feature.
“BIORETENTION FACILITIES (RAIN GARDENS).” A stormwater management system that uses soil and plants to absorb stormwater runoff and to capture pollutants. These are small landscaped basins intended to provide water quality management by filtering stormwater runoff before release into a storm drain system. (See Appendix H-3 "Stormwater Technical Standards Manual".)
“BIOSWALE.” A bioswale is a shallow depression created in the earth to accept and convey stormwater runoff. A bioswale uses natural means, including vegetation and soil, to treat stormwater by filtering out contaminants being conveyed in the water. (See Appendix H-3 "Stormwater Technical Standards Manual".)
“BRANCH.” An outgrowing shoot, stem or twig that grows from the main stem or trunk.
“BUFFERING.” Any means of protecting an area of land from the adverse visual and suitable effects of another area, which may include trees, shrubs, walls, fences, berms/mounds, space or related landscaping features required under the UDO for buffering lots, parcels, etc., from adjacent properties or public rights-of-way for the purpose of increasing visual shielding or other aspects of privacy or aesthetics.
“CALIPER.” The American Association of Nurserymen Standard for trunk measurement of nursery stock. Caliper of the trunk shall be taken six inches above the ground for up to and including four-inch caliper sizes, and 12 inches above the ground for larger trees.
“CANE.” A primary stem which starts at a point not higher than 1/4 the height of the plant.
“CANOPY COVER.” The percent of a fixed area covered by the crown of an individual plant species or delimited by the vertical projection of its outermost perimeter. Small openings in the crown are included.
“CONIFER.” Cone-bearing tree.
“CONSERVATION.” Protection, improvement, and wise use of natural resources according to principles that will assure utilization of the resource to obtain the highest economic and social benefits.
“CRITICAL ROOT ZONE.” The area of undisturbed natural soil around a tree defined by a horizontal circle drawn at grade with the center being the center of the trunk of the tree and a radius equal to the distance from the trunk to the outermost portion of the drip line.
“CROWN.” The portion of the tree comprising the branches.
“CROWN FORM (SHAPE).” The configuration crown of a standing tree or shrub - circle, triangle, parabola, rectangle, or horizontal ellipse.
“CROWN WIDTH (DIAMETER).” The span of the crown of a tree or shrub.
“CURB.” A concrete boundary marking the edge of a street or other paved area and providing for a change in grade between the street surface and the adjacent unpaved portions of the street right-of-way. To promote the use of LID, a continuous curb shall be avoided and curb breaks strategically placed to allow stormwater to flow into the Stormwater BMP.
“DECIDUOUS.” Plants that shed their leaves annually.
“DRIP LINE.” The vertical line encompassing the outermost portions of the tree canopy extending to the ground.
“EVERGREEN.” A plant having green leaves or needles throughout the entire year.
“FENCE.” A structure including entrance and exit gates or openings designed and constructed for enclosure or screening.
“GROUNDCOVER.” A species of low-growing plant used for the purpose of growing over an area of ground.
“GROWTH HABIT.” The mode or rate of growth, general shape, mature size, and branching structure of a plant including the changes that take place seasonally during its life cycle.
“INVASIVE PLANT SPECIES.” An alien species that is not native to the ecosystem under consideration and whose introduction does or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human, animal, or plant health.
“LANDSCAPE AREA.” Areas on or adjacent to a lot or right-of-way or the perimeter of a development that are identified for application of landscaping regulations. Landscape areas include street tree plantings, parking lots including islands and perimeter, foundation planting areas, building base landscaping areas, peripheral buffer yard areas, LID Stormwater BMPs, and retention/detention pond areas.
“LANDSCAPE BUFFER YARD.” An area adjacent to the front, side, and rear property lines of a development, measured perpendicularly from and parallel to adjacent property lines and/or right-of-way lines, intended to provide attractive spaces to reduce the impacts of proposed uses on adjacent properties and rights-of-way, or to maintain natural features, or as required by the UDO. Buffers help to maintain existing trees and natural vegetation, to block or reduce noise, glare, or other emissions and to maintain privacy. Landscape buffer yards are in addition to and separate from front, side, and rear yard setbacks and such landscape buffer yards are not contained within any lots. This area is common area to be maintained by the property owners, homeowners association, developer(s) and/or another entity approved by the Director of Planning and Development.
“LANDSCAPE ISLAND.” A landscape area defined by a curb or edge of pavement and surrounded on all sides by pavement. To function as a LID Stormwater BMP, the landscape island shall be at a lower grade than the surrounding pavement and strategic breaks in the curbing shall allow drainage from pavement to enter into the recessed landscaping area.
“LANDSCAPE MATERIALS.” Trees, shrubs, grasses, plants, decorative fences, walls, berms, irrigation systems, flowerbeds, groundcover, and edging. Xeriscaping landscape materials are encouraged to function as LID Stormwater BMPs. Artificial trees, shrubs, grasses, plants, flowers, and groundcover are not considered landscape materials.
“LANDSCAPE PENINSULA.” A landscaped area defined by a curb or edge of pavement and surrounded by paving on three sides. To function as a LID Stormwater BMP, the landscape peninsula shall be at a lower grade than the surrounding pavement and strategic breaks in the curbing shall allow drainage from pavement to enter into recessed landscape area.
“LANDSCAPE PLAN.” A scaled drawing, prepared and signed by a licensed landscape architect or a landscape contractor, showing all plant materials including locations, sizes, species (botanical and common names) at the time of planting. The mature tree canopy size shall be included.
“LANDSCAPE, STRUCTURE (HARDSCAPE).” Decorative fence; walls; retaining walls; decorative rocks or pavers; fountains or like materials.
“LANDSCAPING.” The improvements of an area with trees, shrubs, grasses and other vegetation and/or ornamental objects. “LANDSCAPING” may include flowerbeds, berms, depressions for LID stormwater BMP's, fountains, and other similar and man-made objects designed and arranged to create an aesthetically pleasing effect.
“LOW IMPACT DEVELOPMENT (LID).” A land planning and engineering design approach with a goal of replicating the pre-development hydrologic regime of urban and developing watersheds. The primary goal of LID is to mimic a site's predevelopment hydrology by reducing the impervious surface, infiltrating, filtering, storing, evaporating, and detaining runoff close to its source.
“NATIVE PRAIRIE GRASSES.” A mixture of perennial grasses that historically populated the prairie ecosystem of the United States that contain no trees. The prairie grasses may vary by region.
“NATURAL AREAS.” Any critical area such as floodplains, wetlands, high tree concentrations, critical habitats that contain rare, threatened or endangered species, wooded slopes, wooded or partially wooded streams, woodlands, and riparian areas.
“PERENNIAL.” A plant that has a life-cycle lasting more than two years and survives during the winter by an underground root system.
“PLANT MATERIALS.” Trees, shrubs, native grasses, groundcover, perennials, and the like. Xeriscaping landscape materials are encouraged to function as LID Stormwater BMPs.
“PLANTING SEASON.” The spring and fall time periods during which new plant materials that are installed are most likely to survive the planting process. Generally, these periods are from April 15 to June 15 (spring) and October 15 to November 15 (fall). This does not prohibit the installation of plant materials during other times of the year.
“PERMEABLE PAVERS.” Any kind of pavement constructed of material that allows water to penetrate and drain into underlying soils.
“RAIN BARRELS.” A container that collects rainwater, managing rooftop runoff for residential structures.
“RAIN GARDEN.” See “BIORETENTION FACILITY”.
“REGISTERED LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT.” An architect, specializing in landscaping, properly licensed and registered in the State of Indiana or through reciprocity permitted to practice in the State of Indiana.
“ROOT PROTECTION ZONE.” Generally an area 18 to 24 inches deep and a distance from the trunk of a tree equal to one half its height or its drip line, whichever is greater.
“SCREENING.” A structure erected or vegetation planted which eventually is of sufficient height and density for concealing an area from view.
“SHRUB.” A woody plant of relatively low height having several stems arising from the base and lacking a single trunk.
“SPREAD.” A term used to indicate the horizontal width of a shrub or the crown of a tree.
“STREET TREES.” Trees growing on public rights-of-way except for alleys and for medians contained within subdivisions.
“TREE.” A perennial woody plant with one main trunk and a rather distinct and elevated head, ordinarily growing to definite heights and usually developing branches at some distance from the ground.
“LARGE SHADE.” Any tree the height of which is 35 feet or greater at maturity and has a limb spread of 30 feet or more at maturity and has a spreading canopy which screens the sun.
“MEDIAN SHADE.” Any tree which has a mature height of 25 to 40 feet and has a spreading canopy which screens the sun.
“ORNAMENTAL.” Any tree grown for decorative purposes, typically small with multi-seasonal interest.
“SMALL SHADE.” Any tree which has a mature height of less than 25 feet and has a spreading canopy which screens the sun.
“TRUNK.” The portion of a stem or stems of a tree before branching occurs.
“VEGETATIVE SCREEN.” A visual barrier of vegetation with dense foliage used to block aesthetically intrusive land uses from view.
“WILDLIFE HABITAT (SIGNIFICANT).” A place or environment where a plant, insect, or animal naturally or normally lives and grows including shelter, food, nesting sites, and protection.
“WOODLAND.” Land covered with a dense growth of trees usually greater in extent than a grove and smaller than a forest.
“WOODY PLANTS.” A plant that has a hard stem and has buds that survive above ground in the winter.
“XERISCAPING.” An approach to landscaping that minimizes outdoor water use while maintaining soil integrity through the use of native, drought-tolerant plants.
(Ord. 64-11-08, passed 12-9-08; Am. Ord. 25-7-10, passed 8-24-10; Am. Ord. 32-10-11, passed 11-15-11; Am. Ord. 22-06-13, passed 7-9-13)