When a lot in any Commercial, Industrial, or Mixed-Use District abuts a Residential District or when a nonresidential use is approved in a Residential District, buffering along the entire length of the common boundary shall be provided in accordance with the following regulations and shall be approved as part of the development plan required by Chapter 1107.
(a) No structure shall be permitted within a required buffer area other than a wall, fence, mound, or earth berm. Driveways may cross perpendicularly across a buffer area, disturbing the least amount of buffer.
(b) Buffer areas shall be provided as set forth below:
(1) When a development in a C-1 Commercial District, I-1 or I-2 Industrial District or M-1 Mixed Use District abuts a residential district, a buffer area with a minimum width of 25 feet shall be provided unless a greater setback is required as part of a variance or conditional use.
(2) When a use other than single-family dwellings is permitted in any residential district, a buffer area with a minimum width of 20 feet shall be provided unless a greater setback is required as part of a conditional use.
(c) Screening Materials.
(1) Screening within the buffer yard shall consist of one or a combination of the following:
A. A dense vegetative planting incorporating trees and/or shrubs of a variety which shall be equally effective in winter and summer.
B. A non-living opaque structure such as a brick, slump block, stucco masonry wall, or a solid fence that is compatible with the principal structure.
C. A fence having openings through which light and air may pass together with a landscaped area.
D. A landscaped mound or berm at least 10 feet wide. Earth berming, if utilized, shall be at a maximum slope of 3:1 (horizontal to vertical) unless appropriate engineering measures are taken.
E. Approved. Provisions must also be taken to control surface water runoff so the rate of flow of surface water leaving the site would not be greater
F. Than if the site had remained undeveloped.
(2) The location of the wall, fence, or vegetation shall be placed within the buffer yard to maximize the screening effect as determined by the Planning Commission.
(3) Existing landscape material shall be shown on the required plan, and any material in satisfactory condition may be used to satisfy these requirements in whole or in part when, in the opinion of the Planning Commission, such material meets the requirements and achieves the objectives of this chapter.
(d) Height of Screening. The height of screening shall be in accordance with the following:
(1) Visual screening walls, fences, or mounds and fences in combination shall be a minimum of 6 feet high measured from the natural grade, in order to accomplish the desired screening effect.
(2) Vegetation shall be a minimum of 6 feet high measured from the natural grade, in order to accomplish the desired screening effect. The required height shall be achieved no later than twelve months after the initial installation.
(e) Placement of Screening. The location of the wall, fence, or vegetation shall be placed within the buffer area to maximize the screening effect. Trees, evergreens, and/or hedges shall be adequately spaced and appropriately staggered to meet the screening objectives within two years after the initial installation. The landscaping and buffer plan shall indicate the specific type of option(s) to be used.
(f) Additional Screening Required. Whenever a lot with a lower elevation than the abutting residential parcel requires screening and buffering, the height of the required screening shall be sufficient to adequately screen the site from the adjacent residential lot. The Planning Commission may, in its review of the landscaping plan, require more than the minimum requirements specified in this section in order to accomplish the desired screening effect.
(Ord. 19-10. Passed 11-7-19.)