TABLE 155.5203.C: MINIMUM DEVELOPMENT SITE LANDSCAPING

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TABLE 155.5203.C: MINIMUM DEVELOPMENT SITE LANDSCAPING
Lot Type and Size	Base Zoning District
	RS-1, RS-2, RS-3, RS-4, RS-L, RD-1, MH-12	RM-12, RM-20, RM-30, RM-45	B-1, B-2, B-3, B-4, M-1, M-2, I-I, I-IX, OIP, TO, BP	CR, PR, CF, PU, T, LAC
Corner lots no more than 7,000 sq ft in area	5 trees and 20 shrubs	1 tree and 5 shrubs per 3,000 sq ft of lot area or major fraction thereof	1 tree and 5 shrubs per 3,000 sq ft of lot area or major fraction thereof	2 trees and 5 shrubs per 2,000 sq ft of lot area or major fraction thereof
Other lots no more than 7,000 sq ft in area	3 trees and 20 shrubs
Corner lots more than 7,000 sq ft in area	6 trees and 30 shrubs
Other lots more than 7,000 sq ft in area	4 trees and 30 shrubs

 

   D.   Vehicular Use Area Landscaping

      1.   Applicability

         a.   General

      Except as otherwise provided by the provisions of this subsection, all vehicular use areas in all zoning districts shall include landscaping around and within the vehicular use area as a means of mitigating the parking area's microclimate and visual impacts.

         b.   Exemptions

            The standards in this subsection shall not apply to single-family dwellings.

         c.   Conflict with CPTED Guidelines

            The Development Services Director may waive all or part of the standards in this subsection 155.5203.D., if it is demonstrated that the implementation of the standards result in a conflict with the city's adopted CPTED guidelines.

      2.   General

         a.   Required landscaped planting areas and canopy trees shall be distributed and sited within and around the vehicular use area so as to maximize heat abatement.

         b.   Nonlandscaping features such as walkways, light or utility poles, fire hydrants, and stormwater management facilities may be located in required landscaped areas only to the maximum extent necessary to comply with other provisions of this Code and provided the minimum landscaping width and planting standards for vehicular use areas are met.

      3.   Perimeter Landscaping Strips

   Perimeter landscaping strips shall be provided and maintained around the perimeter of a vehicular use area to screen view of it from any abutting public right-of-way, private roadway, alley, property, or waterway in accordance with the following standards, except where such screening is provided by an intervening on-site building or other structure and on land crossed by an authorized vehicular, bicycle, or pedestrian accessway or easement for an underground utility line.

         a.   Location and Configuration

            i.   Except as provided in ii below, perimeter landscaping strips shall be located on the same property as the vehicular use area and placed to assure visibility and safety of bicyclists and pedestrians within the vehicular use area and on adjacent accessways.

            ii.   Where abutting properties are subject to the same perimeter landscaping strip requirement along a common property line, a single perimeter landscaping strip meeting these standards may be provided along either or both sides of the common property line through joint written agreement by the owners of the abutting properties.

         b.   Composition

            Perimeter landscaping strips shall be comprised of:

            i.   Canopy trees spaced a maximum average of 30 feet on center, except that:

               (A)   Canopy trees may be spaced a maximum average of 40 feet on center within perimeter landscaping strips screening a vehicular use area from an abutting property or waterway;

               (B)   Where more than ten canopy trees are required, large palm trees may be substituted for 50 percent of required canopy trees, and shall be spaced a maximum average of 20 feet on center where used along an entire side of the vehicular use area ; and

               (C)   Understory trees spaced a maximum average of 20 feet on center may be substituted for canopy trees in areas beneath overhead utility lines; and

            ii.   Shrubs planted to form a continuous, opaque hedge along the perimeter of the vehicular use area , provided that:

               (A)   To allow security surveillance of parking areas, the shrubs shall be maintained at a maximum height of three feet above the elevation of the adjacent vehicular use area ; and

               (B)   A solid masonry wall up to three feet high may be substituted for all or part of the required shrub hedge provided that shrubs or vines spaced a maximum average of five feet on center shall be planted between the wall and any adjacent vehicular use area ; and

            iii.   Ground cover or grass planted in all areas not occupied by trees, shrubs , or walls.

         c.   Width

            The minimum width of the perimeter landscaping strip shall be:

            i.   Twenty feet in industrial developments abutting a major arterial, minor arterial, or collector street;

            ii.   Ten feet in all other developments on lots greater than 100 feet wide; and

            iii.   Five feet in all other developments on lots no more than 100 feet wide.

         d.   Credit towards Perimeter Buffers

      Perimeter landscaping strips associated with a vehicular use area may be credited towards compliance with perimeter buffer standards. (See Section 155.5203.F, Perimeter Buffers.)

      4.   Interior Landscaping Standards

         a.   Applicability

            i.   General

         Except as otherwise provided in subsection ii below, landscaped planting areas making up at least 15 percent of the total area of a vehicular use area shall be provided and maintained within the interior of a vehicular use area in accordance with the following standards.

            ii.   Exceptions

               (A)   Where a vehicular use area is used for the storage of motor vehicles, boats, trailers, recreational vehicles, or heavy equipment, landscaped planting areas shall be provided and maintained within at least 15 percent of the interior of the vehicle storage area, and such planting areas shall be distributed within the vehicle storage area so as to avoid the appearance of an unbroken expanse of paved area.

               (B)   These standards shall not apply to parking decks or garages or to vehicle display areas.

               (C)   For all other uses, other suitable solutions or innovative designs to reduce heat-glare may be substituted when approved by the Development Services Director, provided landscaped planting areas shall be provided and maintained within at least 15 percent of the interior of the vehicular use area , and such planting areas shall be distributed within the vehicular use area so as to avoid the appearance of an unbroken expanse of paved area.

         b.   Landscaped Islands in Parking Bays

            i.   A landscaped island shall be provided at each end of every row of parking spaces. Where a row of parking spaces contains ten or more parking spaces, additional landscaped islands shall be provided at a spacing no greater than one every ten parking spaces.

            ii.   Each landscaped island shall be at least eight feet wide and at least as long as the adjacent parking spaces, with the long axis of the landscaped island running approximately parallel to that of the adjacent parking spaces.

            iii.   Each landscaped island shall contain at least one canopy tree. Understory trees may be substituted for canopy trees in areas beneath overhead utility lines. Trees shall be maintained to provide maximum canopy crown.

         c.   Landscaped Areas Between Parking Bays

      A landscaped area at least eight feet wide shall be provided between abutting parallel parking bays. The landscaped area shall contain canopy trees spaced no more than 40 feet apart, a continuous hedge, and grass or groundcover throughout the remaining area.

Figure 155.5203.D.4: Landscaping of vehicular use area interior

         d.   Landscaped Driveway Medians

      Driveways within vehicular use areas may include a center landscaped median provided the median:

            i.   Is at least eight feet wide;

            ii.   Is maintained in grass, groundcover, shrubs , ornamental trees, or understory trees ; and

            iii.   Is protected from vehicular encroachment by curbing.

      5.   Landscaping Between Vehicular Use Areas and Buildings

   A landscaped area shall be provided between a vehicular use area and an abutting building in accordance with the following standards. No landscaped area is required along those parts of an abutting building facade containing building entrances, driveways into garages or carports, or loading docks.

         a.   The minimum width of the landscaped area shall be a minimum of eight feet for each 15 feet of height of the abutting building facade. For structures taller than 15 feet, the landscaped area shall be a minimum of one additional foot for every two feet (or major fraction thereof) of height, up to a maximum of 24 feet of landscaped area.

         b.   The landscaped area shall include landscaping meeting the foundation planting standards in Section 155.5203.E.3.

         c.   The Development Services Director may grant modifications to the required landscaping between vehicular use areas and buildings for development that provide at least 50% of the required width, subject to providing superior landscape design that includes a minimum of trees or palms as follows within the subject area and must include one or more of the following elements:

            i.   Palms must be provided in multiples (doubles or triples);

            ii.   If palms and trees are combined, one row of shrubs can be provided;

            iii.   If palms or trees are provided, shrubs must be included in layering or height tiering with a minimum of 2 layers or tiers;

            iv.   If trees are provided, design must include a minimum of 2 species;

            v.   Trees or palms must be a minimum of 14 feet in height;

            vi.   Layered or height tiered shrubs are provided in variety with a minimum of 2 species;

            vii.   Suspended pavements systems are provided for the adjacent vehicular use area.

   E.   Building Base Plantings

      1.   Purpose and Intent

   Building base plantings are intended to soften the visual impact of building foundations and provide for the even dispersal of shrubs along the bases of building facades that face streets. They consist of shrubs planted around the base of a building to help soften its appearance.

      2.   Building Base Planting Required

Figure 155.5203.E: Building base plantings

   Except for single-family dwellings, shrubs shall be planted along the base of any building facade facing a street. This requirement shall not apply to a building facade constructed along or within one foot of the street right-of-way boundary, or along those parts of a building facade containing building entrances, driveways into garages or carports, or loading docks.

      3.   Building Base Planting Standards

         a.   Required shrubs shall be planted within three feet of the base of the building. If a street sidewalk is located between the base of the building and the street, required shrubs may be planted up to 15 feet from the base of the building.

         b.   Required shrubs shall maintain a maximum average on-center spacing of six feet, and be evenly-distributed along the building facade.

   F.   Perimeter Buffers

      1.   Purpose and Intent

   Perimeter buffers are intended to help mitigate potential negative effects of proposed developments on abutting property and abutting rights-of-way.

      2.   Applicability

         a.   Development required to obtain Major Site Plan or Minor Site Plan approval shall provide a perimeter buffer to separate it from abutting property zoned for a less intensive or inconsistent zoning district, including developed and vacant property, in accordance with Table 155.5203.F.3, Required Buffer Types and Standards.

         b.   Except as noted in subsection d below, when required by a Use-Specific standard in Article 4, development required to obtain Major Site Plan approval shall provide the specified perimeter buffer type along all property lines, regardless of the zoning district of the abutting property.

         c.   Except as noted in subsection d below, when required by a Use-Specific standard in Article 4, development required to obtain a Minor Site Plan approval shall provide to the maximum extent practicable the specified perimeter buffer type along all property lines, regardless of the zoning district of the abutting property.

         d.   Any new establishment of Outdoor Storage, including principal and accessory Outdoor Storage, and any additions to existing Outdoor Storage areas shall provide the specified perimeter buffer type along all property lines, regardless of the zoning district of the abutting property.

         e.   The Development Services Director may modify or waive all or part of the standards in this subsection, 155.5203.F., if it is demonstrated that the implementation of the standards results in a conflict with the city's adopted CPTED guidelines, or if there are conflicts with adjacent property conditions.

      3.   Required Buffer Types and Standards

   Table 155.5203.F.3, Required Buffer Types and Standards, describes each of three different types of perimeter buffers in terms of where it is required, function, and optional combinations of width and screening standards.