(a) This section establishes the minimum standards by which vehicular use areas will be landscaped and screened from adjacent public streets or from adjacent properties. In addition, this section delineates standards for landscaping within the interior of parking areas.
(b) Whenever required landscaping is adjacent to vehicular use areas, such screening shall be protected by bollards, wheel blocks, or curbing to avoid damage by vehicles.
(c) Perimeter Landscaping Required.
(1) The perimeter landscaping requirements of this section shall apply to all off-street vehicular use areas adjacent to a public street or to a lot line where the parking area contains five (5) or more parking spaces.
(2) Areas Adjacent to Public Streets.
A. Vehicular use areas adjacent to public streets in all nonresidential districts shall be separated from the edge of the right-of-way by a perimeter landscape strip no less than five (5) feet in width.
B. The landscape strip shall be planted with one tree for each fifty (50) linear feet or fraction thereof.
C. In all nonresidential zoning districts except the CS, GI, and ITC, the landscape strip shall also include a hedge, wall, or other opaque durable landscape barrier, which will be at least two (2) feet in height at maturity, along the entire length of the landscape strip. See Figure 1119-A.
D. The landscape strip shall be covered with ground cover where not planted with trees or shrubs.
Figure 1119-A: The above image illustrates an example of the provision of a two-foot-high landscape barrier along the street right-of-way, adjacent to the sidewalk.
E. If the above two (2)-foot landscape barrier is constructed of non-living materials, one shrub or vine shall be planted every ten (10) feet along the barrier.
F. Perimeter landscape strips shall be continuous and unbroken except for driveways to access the parking area, sidewalks, or paved trails.
(d) Interior Parking Area Landscaping Required.
(1) The interior parking area landscaping requirements of this section shall apply to all vehicular use areas where the area contains twenty (20) parking spaces or more. Vehicular use areas in the CS, GI, and ITC Districts shall be exempt from these interior parking area landscaping requirements.
(2) Such landscaping shall be in addition to landscaping adjacent to public streets and screening requirements as specified in this chapter.
(3) The parking lot landscaping shall include at least one shade tree and two (2) shrubs per ten (10) parking spaces that shall be located within landscaped islands, provided there is no impairment to visibility of motorists or pedestrians (See Section 1113.02.). As an alternative to this standard, design landscaped islands as stormwater infiltration islands, as described in Section 1107.01(f)(1)E.iii.b), may be permitted. In providing this alternative, the applicant shall be in compliance with both the standard and the guideline, as required in Section 1107.01(d)(3).
(4) Where a parking lot exceeds the minimum requirements established in Section 1121.04(b), the minimum interior landscaping requirement described in Paragraphs (3), above, shall be doubled.
(5) The interior landscaping shall be located within landscaped islands that are separated from the perimeter landscaping required in Section 1119.05(c) and shall be scattered throughout the parking area to break up large areas of pavement. Landscaped islands that are designed as extensions from the perimeter landscaping areas shall also be considered as interior parking area landscaping but shall not count as the perimeter landscaping area. See Figure 1119-B.
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Figure 1119-B: The above images show different options for landscaped islands with the left image illustrating landscaped islands that run the full length of parking spaces. The right image illustrates a smaller landscaped island at the end of a parking bay.
(6) Landscape islands shall have a minimum size of 100 square feet with a minimum dimension of five (5) feet in any direction to provide a suitable living environment for the landscaping.
(7) If an existing tree is to be used to meet the requirements of this subsection, the landscape island shall be equal in size to the tree's drip line area to protect the root system of the existing tree.
(Ord. 2022-22. Passed 5-10-22.)