In addition to landscaping of all required setback areas, a minimum of 15% of the net area of all surface parking areas shall be landscaped as follows:
A. Where parking areas adjoin a public right-of-way, a landscaped planting strip equal to the required yard setback shall be established and continuously maintained between the public right-of-way and parking area. Any planting, sign, or any other structure within safety sight distance of a driveway shall not exceed 30 inches in height.
B. Provisions shall be made to ensure that adequate pedestrian paths are provided throughout the landscaped areas. At least one 24-inch box tree for every four spaces shall be included in the development of the overall landscape program. The maximum spacing between trees in parking areas shall be 30 feet; however, appropriate clustering of trees may be permitted.
C. All areas in a parking lot not used for driveways, maneuvering areas, parking spaces, or walks, shall be permanently landscaped with suitable materials and permanently maintained, pursuant to a program submitted by the applicant and approved by the Director of the Parks and Recreation Department.
D. All landscaped areas shall be bordered by a concrete curb that is at least six inches high and six inches wide. All landscaped areas shall be a minimum of six feet in width. Concrete now strips at least six inches deep and four inches wide shall be required to separate turf areas from shrub areas.
E. A permanent and automatic irrigation system shall be installed and permanently maintained in all landscaped areas. The system shall employ state-of-the-art water conservation technology and recognize differing irrigation needs of various plant materials.
F. The landscaping plan shall provide for a variety of plant materials, with an emphasis on drought tolerant species, appropriate for the local environment and shall include a legend showing common names, sizes, quantities, location, dimensions of planted area, and percentage of parking lot landscaping.
G. To increase the parking lot landscaped area, a maximum of 2½ feet of the parking stall depth may be landscaped in lieu of asphalt while maintaining the required parking dimensions. This overhang is in addition to the required yard setbacks.
(Ord. MC-1381, 12-19-12)