The following landscaping and screening requirements are established to provide for landscaping and visual screening which will improve the environmental quality of the community by preventing soil erosion and maintaining permeable land areas essential to surface water management; remove, reduce, or absorb the impact between one incompatible use or zoning district and another; and obscure the view of outdoor parking, waste receptacles, and outdoor storage. This section is in addition to the setback and yard requirements provided elsewhere in this Code.
(a) Landscaping of Areas not Covered by Buildings and Parking Lots. Required yards and all other portions of the lot not covered by permitted structures or permitted impervious surface material shall be landscaped with grass, trees, shrubbery, and/or other appropriate ground cover or landscaping materials, which at all times shall be maintained in good and healthy condition.
(b) Tree Preservation and Management. In all districts, trees shall be provided, preserved, and protected during construction in compliance with the provisions of Chapter 1218.
(c) General Screening Requirements. The following requirements shall be considered the minimum requirements for the installation of all required landscaping and screening elements:
(1) Screening materials. When the existing vegetation on the site does not form a solid, continuous visual screen with the minimum height required in subsections below, additional screening elements shall be provided. Such additional elements shall be comprised of one or more of the following, and the configuration of the required screening elements shall be in a manner that maximizes the screening effect as determined by the Planning Commission:
A. A dense vegetative planting incorporating trees and/or shrubs, of a variety(ies) which form a solid, continuous visual screen that will be equally effective in winter and summer.
B. A non-living opaque structure such as a solid masonry wall or solidly constructed decorative fence.
C. A landscaped mound or berm with no more than a 3:1 slope.
(2) Height of screening. Screening materials shall comply with the height requirements specified for the type of screening, as specified below.
(3) Performance. When screening is comprised solely of new landscaping materials, the desired screening effect shall be achieved no later than twelve months after the initial installation.
(4) Signs. All screening material shall be free of advertising or other signs, except for directional signs and other signs for the efficient flow of vehicles.
(5) Location. The location of the required screening elements shall be such as to maximize the screening effect and shall be approved by the Planning Commission.
(6) Landscape plan. All new and expanded uses or site renovations shall be permitted only after review of the Landscape Plan, as part of the requirements for development plans outlined in Section 1232.06.
(d) Screening Requirements Between Districts. When a lot in a C or I District abuts a D, P, or MUPD District, or dwelling in a C-3 District, screening along the entire length of the common boundary shall be provided in accordance with the following regulations. The Planning Commission, after review as outlined in Section 1232.04, may require that conditional uses in residential districts be screened in accordance with these regulations.
(1) Screening Materials. Materials used for screening shall comply with the requirements set forth in Section 1274.01(d)(1).
(2) Height of Screening.
A. Screening of Lots in Commercial Districts. Visual screening walls, fences, mounds, vegetation, or such items in combination, shall be a minimum of six feet in height, except for fences and walls in front yards, which shall comply with Section 1274.03(a).
B. Screening of Lots in Industrial Districts. Visual screening walls, fences, mounds, vegetation, or such items in combination as determined by the Planning Commission to be most effective, shall be a minimum of eight feet in height or the minimum height needed to screen the materials and/or equipment from the view of any observer standing at grade level at the abutting lot line, as determined by the Planning Commission, except that fences and walls in front yards shall comply with Section 1274.03(a).
(e) Screening and Landscaping Requirements for Parking Lots.
(1) Landscaping on the Interior of Parking Lots. Interior landscaping of parking lots shall be provided in accordance with the following requirements (this provision does not apply unless more than two rows of parking are provided):
A. For any parking area designed to accommodate forty or more vehicles, a minimum of five percent of the parking lot shall be planted and landscaped islands.
1. Landscaped islands shall be developed and distributed throughout the parking lot to:
a. Define major circulation aisles and driving lanes; and
b. Provide visual and climatic relief from broad expanses of pavement.
2. Each island shall be a minimum of ten feet in any horizontal dimension.
3. Within the landscaped islands, one shade tree shall be provided for every ten parking spaces. Each tree, at the time of installation, shall have a minimum caliper of two inches and a minimum of at least five feet below the lowest branches.
4. Shrubs or low, spreading, plant materials shall be planted within required landscaped islands in such a way that there is not impairment to the visibility of motorists or pedestrians.
5. Landscaped areas adjacent to the perimeter of the parking area shall not be counted as interior parking lot landscaped areas.
B. For the purpose of this Section, the area of a parking lot shall be the total vehicular surface area including circulation aisles.
(2) Screening along public streets. Any parking lot for five or more passenger vehicles that fronts on a public street or abuts a public sidewalk shall be screened in accordance with the following regulations:
A. Materials used for screening shall comply with the requirements set forth in Section 1274.01(d)(1).
B. The minimum height of screening shall be 2-1/2 feet.
C. Such screening shall be located between the parking area and the street right-of-way, parallel to and within five feet of the edge of the parking lot pavement. When fences are used for such screening, fences shall be located at least 2 feet from the inside edge of public sidewalk or right-of-way line.
D. Screening on corner lots shall comply with the traffic vision clearance requirements of Section 1274.04.
(f) Screening Requirements for Waste or Recycling Receptacles, Outdoor Storage Yards, Loading Areas, and Building Equipment.
(1) Waste or recycling receptacles, (exclusive of waste or recycling receptacles for one and two-family dwellings), dumpsters, and equipment used in the servicing of buildings shall be screened by an opaque masonry wall or a solidly constructed fence of a minimum height sufficient to completely screen the waste or recycling receptacle or building equipment.
(2) All outdoor storage yards (including outdoor storage areas for fleet vehicles, and loading areas) shall be screened from an observer’s view at grade level on an adjoining road or residential lot according to the following:
A. Materials used for screening shall comply with the requirements set forth in Section 1274.01(d)(1).
B. The height of the screening materials shall be sufficient to adequately screen the stored goods, material, and/or fleet vehicles or other vehicles being loaded or unloaded from the view of any observer standing at grade level on a residential district boundary line or public street. However, in no case shall the height of the screening material be less than eight feet.
C. Such screening shall be located parallel to and within five feet of the edge of the outdoor storage area.
(g) Flexibility. The standards and criteria in this section establish the City’s objectives and the levels of landscaping intensity expected. However, in applying these standards, the Planning Commission may:
(1) Exercise discretion and flexibility with respect to the placement and arrangement of the required elements to ensure that the objectives of this Section are best satisfied.
(2) Grant a waiver allowing existing conditions, trees and/or vegetation retained on site to be used to meet the landscaping and screening requirements when it can be determined that the proposed measures equal or exceed the intent and provisions of this section.
(Ord. 75-2005. Passed 10-11-05.)