(a) Purpose
Utilities, mechanical equipment, service areas, and other site fixtures should be:
(1) Integrated into the site planning and architectural design of a project and surrounding uses.
(2) Visually screened from public view and from adjacent properties through architectural design, landscaping and screening devices.
(b) Requirements
(1) For non-residential properties abutting residential uses:
(A) A solid wall or fence between five and eight feet in height shall be constructed and maintained along the residential property line.
(B) Walls facing residential properties shall incorporate architectural design features and landscaping in order to reduce apparent mass and bulk.
(C) Loading docks and exterior storage of materials or equipment shall be screened from view from residential properties by fencing, walls or landscape buffers.
(D) All required interior yards (setbacks) abutting residential properties shall be planted and maintained as a landscaped screen.
(2) For all project types:
(A) All areas not covered by structures, service yards, walkways, driveways, and parking spaces shall be landscaped with ground cover, shrubs, and/or trees.
(B) Rooftop equipment shall be screened by a parapet or enclosure. Rooftop equipment or rooftop equipment enclosures shall be set back at least 20 feet from the building edge or a minimum of 100 feet from the property line, whichever is closer. Roof vents, flues and other protrusions through the roof of any building or structure shall be obscured from ground-level public view (when viewed from the sidewalk on the opposite side of a street), by a roof screen or proper placement. See Section 18.40.090 (height limit exceptions) for further restrictions.
(C) A minimum ten-foot planting and screening strip shall be provided adjacent to any façade abutting a low density residential district (R-1, R-2, or RMD) or abutting railroad tracks.
(D) All exterior mechanical and other types of equipment, whether installed on the ground or attached to a building roof or walls, shall be obscured from public view, when viewed from the abutting opposite sidewalk, except for residentially used EVSE and energy storage systems and associated bollards.
(E) Windows, balconies or similar openings above the first story should be offset so as not to have a direct line-of-sight into the interior living areas of adjacent units within the project or into units on abutting residential property.
(c) Guidelines
(1) For landscape buffers to provide a visual screen, trees and shrubs in the buffer area shall be installed in a manner that provides maximum visual separation of residential uses from the commercial or industrial use, taking into consideration topography and sight lines from residences.
(2) Size and density of plant materials shall be in proportion to the size of planting areas and the mass of the structure.
(3) Plant material selection shall take into consideration solar orientation, drought tolerance, maintenance requirements and privacy screening.
(4) Plant material species and container sizes shall allow for a mature appearance within five years.
(5) Roof vents, flues and other protrusions through the roof of any building or structure should be clustered where feasible and where visual impacts would thereby be minimized.
(6) Building elevations facing residential property should not have highly reflective surfaces, such as reflective metal skin and highly reflective glazing. The paint colors should be in subdued hues.
(7) Increased setbacks or more restrictive daylight planes may be proposed by the applicant, or recommended by the architectural review board, as mitigation for the visual impacts of massive buildings.
(8) Appropriate landscaping should be used to aid in privacy screening.
(9) Planting strips and street trees should be included in the project.
(10) Textured and permeable paving materials should be used, where feasible, in pedestrian, driveway and parking areas in order to visually reduce paved areas and to allow for retention and/or infiltration of storm water to reduce pollutants in site runoff.
(11) Landscaping material associated with screening should have adequate room to grow and be protected from damage by cars and pedestrian traffic.
(12) Where rooftops are visible from offsite, they should be treated to minimize aesthetic impacts, including the use of rooftop gardens or other green spaces, where feasible.
(Ord. 5601 § 6, 2023: Ord. 5554 § 21, 2022)