All uses and activities requiring screening must be submitted to the Planning Commission according to the site plan review requirements of this chapter.
(A) General screening requirements. All uses listed below shall be screened from adjacent residential zoning districts as required in this section. Screening may consist of walls, fences, vegetation, and berming, or a combination of any of these, as allowed by the Planning Commission:
(1) Buildings in commercial districts;
(2) Buildings in industrial districts;
(3) Communication towers;
(4) Multi-family dwellings;
(5) Outdoor storage areas;
(6) Off-street parking facilities;
(7) Loading and unloading areas;
(8) Compost facilities; and
(9) All other uses specifically identified as having to meet the requirements of this section.
(B) Walls and fences.
(1) Walls and fences shall have no openings for vehicular traffic or other purposes except as otherwise provided in this chapter and except the openings as may be approved by the Planning Commission.
(2) Walls and fences shall be constructed of durable, weather-resistant, rustproof, and easily- maintained materials.
(3) Walls and fences may not be constructed with openings that exceed 20% of the surface. The openings shall not reduce the obscuring effect and shall not reduce the minimum height requirement.
(4) The height of the required fence or wall shall be as follows:
Wall and Fence Heights | Required Height |
Wall and Fence Heights | Required Height |
Buildings in commercial districts | 4 feet, 6 inches |
Buildings in industrial districts | 6 feet |
Loading and unloading areas | 6 feet |
Multi-family dwellings | Use |
Off-street parking facilities | 4 feet, 6 inches |
Outdoor storage areas | 6 feet to 8 feet* |
*Wall height shall be a minimum of six feet unless a higher wall is required to adequately screen the area, with a maximum wall height being eight feet | |
(C) Vegetation.
(1) Vegetation shall consist of upright conifers such as, but not limited to: Blue, Green, White or Serbian Spruce; Douglas Fir; Austrian Pine; Juniper; or Hemlock.
(2) There shall be a greenbelt planting strip with a width of not less than 20 feet along the property lines and may be within the required setback. The greenbelt shall contain at least one straight or double-staggered row of deciduous and/or evergreen trees, spaced not more than 40 feet apart, and at least three rows of deciduous and/or evergreen shrubs spaced not more than eight feet apart and which grow to an ultimate height of not less than 12 feet.
(3) For staggered, double-row plantings, trees shall be planted not more than 15 feet on center. For single-row spacing, trees shall be planted not more than ten feet on center.
(4) Trees shall not be less than five feet in height at the time of planting.
(5) Existing trees that comply with the standards of this section, as determined by the Planning Commission, shall be credited toward meeting the screening requirements.
(6) (a) All required plant units shall be maintained in a healthy, growing condition.
(b) Any required plant units that are destroyed, removed, diseased, or die shall be replaced within six months with plant units that meet the requirements of this section.
(c) Failure to maintain required plant units in such a manner, including the removal and replacement of dead or diseased plant materials, shall constitute a violation of this chapter.
(7) The plantings shall be maintained in a neat and attractive manner commensurate with the adjoining areas, and shall maintain their density and screening effect throughout the calendar year.
(D) Berming.
(1) Berms shall be constructed with one foot of rise for each three feet of horizontal rise.
(2) Berms shall be constructed of clean fill and topsoil, and seeded with perennial rye and an appropriate grass seed, and shall be covered with organic mulch.
(3) Berms shall be landscaped with shrubbery and trees to enhance the screening effect and aesthetic appearance of the berm, and shall be maintained in a neat and attractive manner.
(E) Landscaping.
(1) LANDSCAPING shall mean, at a minimum, an area constructed of clean fill and topsoil and seeded with perennial rye and an appropriate grass seed with a minimum 30% cover of plant materials and mulch.
(2) Landscaping may include berms. Berms may include shrubbery and trees to enhance the landscaping effect and aesthetic appearance.
(3) Screening of refuse storage areas:
(a) Trash, garbage, and refuse storage and receiving areas are required to be screened from view. Screening walls or fences for these purposes shall be a minimum of four feet and six inches in height and shall be of satisfactory height so as to completely screen the appropriate areas from view; and
(b) Screening walls shall have no openings except for gates or doors intended to access the area.
(4) Surety, as required by this chapter, sufficient to cover the cost of the required screening may be required and used if the required improvements are not completed within 12 months from the date of approval.
(Prior Code, § 154.062) (Ord. 48, passed 6-21-2005)