Landscaping of outdoor surface parking areas consisting of five or more stalls shall be provided and maintained according to the general standards of this section. The figures contained in this section are for illustrative purposes only and do not imply that the concept illustrated be implemented precisely as shown but rather in a manner consistent with the purpose of these regulations.
(A) Landscape area required. A minimum of 8% of any parking lot area shall be landscaped.
(B) Minimum planter dimension. No landscape planter that is to be counted toward the required landscape area shall be less than five feet in any horizontal dimension. The horizontal dimension is measured to the edge of the landscaped area and does not include curbing.
(C) Layout. Landscaped areas shall be well-distributed throughout the parking lot area. Parking lot should drain to the landscaped areas. Parking lot landscaping may be provided in any combination of:
(1) Landscaped planting strips at least five feet wide between rows of parking stalls;
(2) Landscaped planting strips between parking areas and adjacent buildings or internal pedestrian walkways;
(3) A landscaped island at least five feet in all interior dimensions and containing at least one 15-gallon-size or larger tree shall be provided at each end of each interior row of parking stalls and between every six consecutive parking stalls;
(4) On-site landscaping at the parking lot perimeter; and
(5) Curb cuts in landscape areas to allow for stormwater infiltration into the planter area.
FIGURE 153.226-(C): PARKING LOT, LANDSCAPE LAYOUT
(D) Landscaped buffer for open parking adjacent to right-of-way. A landscaped area at least five feet wide shall be provided between any surface parking area containing five or more stalls and any property line adjacent to a public street, unless a different dimension is specified in the base district standards applicable to a site. Landscape buffer shall contain at least one tree per 25 lineal feet. Parking lot shall drain to landscaped buffer. Curb cuts at the landscape buffer will allow for stormwater infiltration into the planted buffer.
(E) Landscaped buffer for open parking abutting interior lot line.
(1) Adjacent to residential districts. A landscaped area at least ten feet wide shall be provided between any surface parking area and any adjacent lot in a residential zoning district for the length of the parking area. The landscape buffer shall contain at least one tree per 25 lineal feet. Parking lot shall drain to landscaped buffer. Curb cuts at the landscape buffer will allow for stormwater infiltration into the planted buffer.
(2) Adjacent to nonresidential districts. A landscaped area at least five feet wide shall be provided between any surface parking area and any adjacent lot in a nonresidential zoning district for the length of the parking area. The landscape buffer shall contain at least one tree per 25 lineal feet. Parking lot shall drain to landscaped buffer. Curb cuts at the landscape buffer will allow for stormwater infiltration into the planted buffer.
FIGURE 153.226 (E): PARKING LANDSCAPE BUFFER
(F) Landscaped buffer for parking structures. A parking structure that does not incorporate ground-floor nonresidential or residential use or is not otherwise screened or concealed at street frontages on the ground level must provide a landscaped area at least ten feet wide between the parking structure and a public street. Runoff from parking structure roof is to be directed to a vegetated swale or arroyo for treatment and infiltration.
(G) Parking structure rooftop planting. Uncovered parking on the top level of a parking structure shall have rooftop planters with a minimum dimension of 24 inches around the entire perimeter of the top floor. The landscaping plan for the project shall include an irrigation plan for the rooftop planting.
(H) Trees. Trees shall be provided in surface parking lots in accordance with the following:
(1) Number required. One for each six parking spaces.
(2) Distribution. Trees shall be distributed relatively evenly throughout the parking area.
(3) Species. Tree species shall be selected from a list maintained by the Planning Division. A minimum of 50% of trees shall be of an evergreen type.
(4) Size. All trees shall be a minimum 15-gallon size with a one-inch diameter at 48 inches above natural grade.
(5) Minimum planter size. Any planting area for a tree must have a minimum interior horizontal dimension of five feet. Additional space may be required for some tree species.
(I) Protection of vegetation.
(1) Clearance from vehicles. All required landscaped areas shall be designed so that plant materials, at maturity, are protected from vehicle damage by providing a minimum two-foot clearance of low-growing plants where a vehicle overhang is permitted, or by wheel stops set a minimum of two feet from the back of the curb.
(2) Planters. All required parking lot landscaping shall be within planters bounded by a concrete curb at least six inches wide and six inches high. Curbs separating landscaped areas from parking areas shall be designed to allow stormwater runoff to pass through.
FIGURE 153.226-(I): PROTECTION OF VEGETATION
(J) Visibility and clearance. Landscaping in planters at the end of parking aisles shall not obstruct driver’s vision of vehicular and pedestrian cross-traffic. Mature trees shall have a foliage clearance maintained at eight feet from the surface of the parking area. Other plant materials located in the interior of a parking lot shall not exceed 30 inches in height.
(K) Screening. Parking areas shall be screened from view from public streets according to any one of the following standards:
(1) Walls. Low-profile decorative masonry walls between 24 inches and 30 inches in height placed approximately in the center of the planting area parallel to the street.
(2) Planting. Plant materials consisting of compact evergreen plants that form a three foot high opaque screen. Such plant materials must achieve a minimum height of two feet within 18 months after initial installation.
(3) Berms. Berms with a height of three to four feet planted with low-growing plant materials.
FIGURE 153.226-(K): PARKING AREA SCREENING
(L) Stormwater management.
(1) For all parking lots subject to this section, site drainage should be directed toward landscaped areas to the greatest extent feasible. This should be facilitated by breaks in required curbing and other methods to allow stormwater runoff to enter landscaped areas. Landscaped islands and landscaped buffers as described above may be designed to capture stormwater runoff. Other site landscaping may also be designed to capture stormwater from paved areas, and landscaped filter strips may be incorporated into paving solutions, as described in § 153.224. The landscape areas shall allow water to percolate or otherwise drain.
(2) Parking lots with 5,000 square feet or more of surface area or with 25 or more parking spaces are subject to the NPDES permit, and are required to incorporate stormwater management best practices as directed in § 153.132.
('65 Code, § 9-3.1610) (Ord. 142-C.S., passed - - ; Am. Ord. 248-C.S., passed - - ; Am. Ord. 455-C.S., passed 11-21-95; Am. Ord. 608-C.S., passed 5-10-14) Penalty, see § 153.999