(A) Purpose: In order to reduce reflected sunlight and headlight glare from parked vehicles, as well as to maintain a separation between vehicles and other uses and to reduce the effects on the environment of vehicle parking facilities, the following standards apply.
(B) Required Perimeter Landscape Plants:
(1) Large trees (unless subject to overhead power lines): Longleaf pines shall be planted at the rate of one three (3) inch caliper tree per twenty (20) linear feet of property line abutting a street and/or adjoining property, less driveways and sight distance triangles. Trees must be a minimum of five (5) feet and a maximum of twenty (20) feet from the parking lot edge to meet this requirement. Credit given for existing, healthy, protected trees, regardless of species, shall be according to 9.5.2.8 of this Section;
(2) Evergreen shrubs at the rate of one (1) 24-inch height minimum shrub per three (3) linear feet of parking lot edge abutting streets and adjoining property, less driveways, of a species expected to reach a minimum height of thirty-six (36) inches and a minimum spread of thirty (30) inches within three (3) years of planting. This rate may be varied based upon size of installed plant materials. Shrubs must be a minimum of five (5) feet and a maximum of ten (10) feet from the parking lot edge to meet this requirement.
(a) Shrubs shall be planted such that no less than seventy-five percent (75%) of the length of the parking lot edge, to a height of thirty-six (36) inches, is obscured from view after three (3) years of growth. Shrubs planted within sight distance triangles shall be of a type with a maximum mature height of eighteen (18) inches.
(b) Additionally, shrubs shall not be planted within six (6) feet of the trunk of a tree;
(3) A brick or stone wall, or fence, at least thirty-six (36) inches tall and of a material compatible with the building, may be substituted for the requirements of shrubs.
(4) Berms may be installed within the highway (front) or interior (side or rear) yards with a minimum two (2) foot height, two (2) foot minimum crown width, and side slopes of not steeper than two horizontal to one vertical. Berms shall be planted with live vegetation, and may be used with smaller plants to meet the required screening area, provided that the combination of the berm and the shrubs obscures no less than seventy- five percent (75%) of the length of the parking area, to a minimum height of thirty-six (36) inches after three (3) years of growth;
(5) Areas used for vehicle sales and/or service, parking, and business transactions such as areas adjacent to gasoline pumps (even if under a canopy) and areas for drive-up service, shall be considered parking areas and shall comply with the requirements of this Section.
(C) Landscaping Within Parking Areas:
(1) Location: Parking areas shall provide and maintain landscaped areas based upon the parking area. Areas under canopies, loading and service areas, and portions of drives with no parking on either side for a distance longer than twenty-five (25) feet and/or used exclusively as access to loading or service areas, are exempt from this requirement. The landscaping within parking areas shall be provided in addition to planted buffer requirements of this Ordinance.
(a) Areas used for landscaping shall be provided in the amount equivalent to at least ten (10) percent of the parking area, and shall be used for planting either trees and/or shrubs according to the requirements below. Tree planting areas shall be located such that no parking space is farther than seventy-five (75) feet from a tree trunk.
(2) Required Landscape Plants: Trees shall be used at the following rates, either in combinations of small and large trees, or with large trees only, to add up to the required landscape area:
(a) One three (3) inch caliper, large hardwood or pine tree per two hundred fifty (250) square feet of required landscaped area. Each large tree shall be located within a minimum growing area of two hundred fifty (250) square feet un-encroached upon by shrubs or impervious pavement, with a minimum dimension of ten (10) feet;
(b) One understory tree less than three (3) inch caliper at the rate of one eight (8) foot tall tree per one hundred twenty-five (125) square feet of required landscaped area. Understory and evergreen trees shall be located within a minimum growing area of one hundred twenty-five (125) square feet, with a minimum dimension of seven and one half (7 1/2) feet, un-encroached upon by shrubs or impervious pavement. Understory trees may be used to fulfill up to one third (1/3) of the required trees.
(3) Islands and Medians:
(a) Minimum curb radii of five (5) feet are required on the comers of all tree islands and medians to allow for free movement of motor vehicles around planting materials. (See the Village of Pinehurst Engineering Standards and Specifications Manual). All islands shall have raised curbing around them meeting the Village of Pinehurst Engineering Standards and Specifications Manual to further protect plants from being run over by motor vehicles. Medians without curbing shall include devices to stop vehicles from driving into the planted areas;
(b) No more than one tree may be provided per island, unless there is at least the minimum growing area per tree as required above. Large trees shall not normally be planted less than eighteen (18) feet apart, and small trees/large shrubs shall not normally be planted less than twelve (12) feet apart.
(4) Existing Trees:
(a) Credit given for existing, healthy, protected trees shall be according to 9.5.2.8 of this Section. Trees used to meet other requirements of this Ordinance may not be used to meet the requirements of this Section.
(b) Sight Distances: To facilitate safer vehicle circulation within parking lots, shrubs shall be pruned to a maximum height of forty-two (42) inches. Tree limbs shall be pruned to no lower than seventy-two (72) inches from the ground.
(D) Parking Area Landscaped Yards: Any new or expanded off-street parking areas shall provide landscaped areas meeting the requirements below:
(1) New or expanded parking areas shall provide a landscaped area, adjacent to and outside of the street right-of-way, and/or adjacent residential property line edge, less driveways, of a minimum of ten (10) feet in width and adjacent non-residential property line edge, less driveways, of a minimum of five (5) feet. Proposed locations of plants and parking spaces shall be arranged to protect plants from vehicles;
(E) Street Trees Required. For all non-single-family developments one three (3) inch caliper, large hardwood or pine tree per forty (40) lineal feet of street frontage minus driveways shall be planted in the road right of way. These street trees shall be approved by the Village Engineer as being acceptable street trees. These trees shall be planted outside of site triangles and not conflict with any utilities. Alternate type and size trees may be approved by the village engineer based on existing site conditions and constraints.
(Ord. 21-06, passed - -)