(a) Applicants are encouraged to use species native to Ohio; adaptive species are acceptable. Submitted landscape plans shall be subject to review and approval by the City Landscape Architect.
(b) Plant materials required by this chapter are categorized by mature size and type. Trees are grouped into three categories: shade trees, ornamental trees, and evergreens. Shrubs are grouped by size: small shrubs (<5' feet), large shrubs (5-12 feet), and low, spreading shrubs. Plant materials proposed for use during the review process will be assigned a classification based on height, spread, and/or crown at maturity, using the best available resources to determine its mature characteristics. Applicants should use industry resources, such as Michael A. Dirr's "Manual of Woody Plants" to determine the classification of proposed material before submitting landscape plan.
(1) Trees proposed for streets, parking lots and similar shall be broadleaf, deciduous species, shade or ornamental.
(2) Trees proposed to meet landscaped buffer/screen requirements may include evergreens.
(3) Turf grasses used in designated common areas or usable open spaces should be native and/or adaptive cool season grass mixes selected to limit the necessity for pesticides, fertilizers, or other chemicals, and to reduce mowing frequency.
(c) For design flexibility, plant substitutions may be made on the following basis with approval by the City Landscape Architect, unless otherwise noted:
(1) One ornamental tree = one evergreen tree
(2) One large shrub = two medium shrubs or four small shrubs
(3) One medium shrub = two small shrubs.
(d) Earthen berms and/or opaque fences or walls may be used in combination with the plant materials specified above to meet buffering requirements of this Chapter, provided they meet the following requirements.
(1) Earthen berms shall have a maximum slope of 3:1, shall be at least three feet high and no greater than six feet in height, and must be entirely vegetated with turf grass, ground cover or other acceptable plant material within two years of the completion of construction.
(2) Opaque fences or walls shall be constructed of wood, brick, masonry or other material selected to complement the materials of the subject development and as approved by the Architectural Review Board (ARB).
(e) Non-Qualifying Plant Material: In no instance shall invasive species or any species listed in Section 771.50, Table H: Non-Qualifying Trees be used to meet the landscaping requirements of this Chapter.
(Ord. 41-10. Passed 9-26-11.)