(A) Permits for off-street parking lots. No person shall expand an existing parking lot or construct a new parking lot of five spaces or more without having first obtained a written permit, issued by the appropriate official, or his or her designee representative. Prior to obtaining a permit for such expansion or new construction, the applicant shall submit to the appropriate official, or his or her designated representative, a landscape/site plan as required in this chapter, and plans showing the construction specifications for all off-street parking lots, and he or she shall provide for proper inspection of construction.
(B) Construction. All off-street parking lots required to obtain a permit as identified in the above section shall be laid to the line and grade of, and shall conform to surface thickness and other specifications of the appropriate county official, or his or her designated representative.
(C) Landscaping and screening requirements for off-street parking lots. The provisions of this section for the installation and maintenance of landscaping and screening requirements are intended to protect the character and stability of residential, commercial, industrial, and conservation areas, and to enhance the aesthetic and visual image of the county.
(1) (a) Parking lots of five or more spaces shall be set back ten feet from the front property line(s). Landscaping requirements with the front yard(s) include that the yard be seeded or sodded with lawn. Rock cover may be used, but may not exceed 20% of the landscaped front yard setback. In addition, one canopy tree for every five parking spaces and a minimum of 5% ground cover landscape coverage of shrubs and evergreens/conifers shall be required.
(b) The ten-foot front yard setback may be reduced to five feet if there is a continuous 26-inch solid wall/fence or shrubbery hedge provided. Sodding, rock ground cover, canopy tree, and ground cover landscape coverage requirements will still be applied if a solid wall/fence is provided. Sodding and/or rock ground requirements will still be applied if a shrubbery fence is provided.
(2) (a) Parking lots of five or more spaces shall be set back five feet from side and rear property lines. Landscaping requirements within the side and rear yards include that the yard be seeded or sodded with lawn. Rock ground cover may be used, but may not exceed 20% of the landscaped side and rear yard setback. In addition, one canopy tree for every five parking spaces and a minimum of 5% ground landscape coverage of shrubs and evergreens/conifers shall be required.
(b) 1. When a side and/or rear yard is adjacent to a residential use, a continuous four foot solid wall/fence or shrubbery hedge shall also be provided with the five-foot setback yard.
2. If a four-foot shrubbery hedge is provided, canopy tree and ground landscape coverage shall not be required.
(3) Wherever landscaping and screening requirements may interfere with traffic vision, the height and placement shall be determined by the County Engineer.
(5) Subject to the approval of the appropriate official, alternate landscaping plans may be substituted for consideration.
(6) A landscape/site plan will be required to be submitted for staff review prior to issuing a parking lot development permit for parking lots of five spaces or more. The following basic standards should be set:
(a) Drawn to scale;
(b) Identify location of landscaping or other features;
(c) Specify nature of materials (for example, species, variety, and the like); and
(d) Specify number of plants, shrubs, trees, and the like, by species.
(7) Landscaping and screening must be maintained in good condition, free of refuse and debris, and provide a healthy, neat, and orderly appearance at least equal to the original installation. It shall be the owner’s responsibility to see that the landscaping is maintained.
(D) Appeal process. If the appropriate officials approve a site plan, a parking lot permit may then be issued. If the appropriate officials do not approve a site plan, the applicant may appeal the appropriate officials’ decision to the Zoning Board of Appeals. A notice of appeal must be filed with the appropriate official no later than 15 days after receipt by the applicant of the decision of the appropriate officials.
(Ord. passed 5-16-2023)