(A) Conflicts in requirements. When an activity or land use falls under more than one of the categories listed in § 153.404(G): Landscaping and Bufferyard Requirements, the most stringent of the requirements shall be applied. The most stringent requirements shall be defined as those which require the highest fence, wall or screen or, if no fence, wall or screen is required, the requirements with the greatest quantity of plant material.
(B) Easements and setbacks.
(1) Required landscaping may be placed wholly or partially in utility or other easements providing all requirements can be fulfilled and approval is granted by the holder of the easements. Trees placed under overhead utility wires must be from Group B in § 153.407: Plant Lists.
(2) In no case, however, shall landscaping and bufferyards be established so as to block the sight distance at street or drive intersections subject to § 153.254(D): Sight Visibility Triangle. Ground cover and trees with at least eight feet of limbless trunk shall be permitted within the sight distance triangle.
(C) Landscape requirements for vehicular use areas.
(1) Vehicular use area landscaping requirements.
a) Vehicular use areas containing six spaces or more shall provide for perimeter landscaping as indicated in Table 404-1: Landscape and Bufferyard Requirements.
b) Vehicular use areas containing more than 5,000 square feet of area or 20 or more vehicular parking spaces, whichever is less, shall provide interior landscaping with peninsular or island landscape areas of un-compacted, well-drained soil, as well as perimeter landscaping.
c) For each 100 square feet or fraction thereof of vehicular use area, at least five square feet of landscape area shall be provided. In cases where the number of parking spaces exceeds the maximum parking requirements specified in § 153.302(P): Schedule of Off-Street Parking Requirements, at least ten square feet of interior landscape area shall be provided for each 100 square feet or fraction thereof of vehicular use area.
d) The landscape plan shall identify the square footage of the vehicular use area, the square footage of required vehicular use area landscaping, and the square footage of proposed landscaping.
(2) Interior landscape requirements.
a) Interior landscaping shall be dispersed throughout the parking areas. Landscaping shall be situated such that large, unbroken areas of pavement are avoided. Plant materials, trees, and grass islands shall be utilized to visually divide large parking areas, and to demark main driving lanes and aisles.
b) The minimum landscape area permitted shall be 180 square feet, excluding curbs, with a minimum width of eight feet measured from back of curb to back of curb. There shall be a four-foot minimum dimension to all trees from edge of pavement where vehicles overhang.
c) In order to encourage a proper dispersion of landscape islands, no individual landscape area shall be larger than 350 square feet in size in vehicular use areas less than 30,000 square feet and no individual landscape area shall be larger than 700 square feet in vehicular use areas over 30,000 square feet.
d) To retain visibility, trees shall have a clear trunk of at least five feet above the ground of the landscape area. The remaining area shall be landscaped with shrubs and/or ground cover not to exceed three feet in height.
e) The following are the minimum plant material requirements. These are in addition to any other landscape requirements for the site required by the city:
i) Trees. Either a two inch caliper canopy tree (Group A) or a one and one-half inch caliper small/ornamental tree (Group B) shall be planted in the landscape areas for the vehicular use areas for every 25 parking spaces, or fraction thereof, in the vehicular use area or fraction thereof. Each landscape island shall have at least one tree.
ii) Shrubs. For every 25 parking spaces, or fraction thereof, in the vehicular use area, six shrubs (Group E for interior landscape islands) shall be planted in the vehicular use areas. Each landscape island shall have at least four shrubs.
(3) Turf grass and ground cover. Turf grass or ground cover shall be planted on all portions of the landscaped areas not occupied by other required landscape material. Turf grass areas shall only be allowed in landscape peninsular or island areas within the vehicular parking areas over 400 square feet.
(D) Landscape requirements for service structures.
(1) Service structures shall include, but are not limited to, loading docks, propane tanks, waste enclosures, electrical transformers, utility vaults which extend above the ground, ground mounted utility equipment, and electrical and other equipment or elements providing service to a building or a site. Structures may be grouped together; however, screening height shall be based upon the tallest of the structures.
(2) Location of screening.
a) A continuous planting of evergreens or a fence must enclose any service structure on all sides, unless such structure must be frequently moved or accessed, in which case screening material shall be on three sides.
b) Screening materials shall be one foot more than the height of the service structure, but shall not be required to exceed ten feet in height. Whenever a service structure is located next to a building wall, perimeter landscaping materials shall be of an average height sufficient to meet the height requirements set out in this section.
c) Whenever service structures are screened by plant material, such material may count towards the fulfillment of required interior or perimeter landscaping. No interior landscaping shall be required within an area screened for service structures.
(3) Curbs to protect screening materials. Whenever screening material is placed around any trash disposal unit or waste collection unit, which is emptied or removed mechanically on a regular basis, a curb to contain the placement of the container shall be provided within the screening material. The curbing shall be at least three feet from the material and shall be designed to prevent possible damage to the screening when the container is moved or emptied.
(E) Landscape requirements for automotive sales and rental uses.
(1) Landscaping required by § 153.404(C): Landscape Requirements for Vehicular Use Areas shall only be required for the parking spaces necessary to meet the minimum off-street parking standards of Table 302-2: Number of Off-Street Parking Space Requirements. Vehicular use area landscaping shall comply with the requirements of § 153.404(C): Landscape Requirements for Vehicular Use Areas, except the city may approve the placement of required vehicular use area landscaping and landscape islands in alternative locations on the site.
(2) Landscape areas representing a minimum of 5 percent of the outdoor sales or lease display areas shall be provided on the site to reduce impervious surface area and to decrease the appearance of a single expanse of pavement. Such landscape areas are not required to comply with the planting requirements of § 153.404(C): Landscape Requirements for Vehicular Use Areas, however are required to have a combination of shrubs and ground cover.
(3) No storage or display of vehicles shall be permitted in any required landscape area, unless approved by the city.
(F) Landscape requirements for the State Route 4 Corridor Review District. In addition to the landscape requirements set forth in Table 404-1: Landscape and Bufferyard Requirements, street tree plantings shall be required across all parcels within the State Route 4 Corridor Review District (CRD) frontage, as described in § 153.257(C)(8). The planting ratio shall be one tree (minimum two inch caliper) per 35 feet of street frontage with a minimum five foot distance from the right-of-way. All plant material shall be in accordance with § 153.407: Plant Lists.
(G) Landscaping and bufferyard requirements.
(1) Table 404-1: Landscape and Bufferyard Requirements defines the minimum buffer requirements between lots based on adjacent zoning districts and uses.
When... | Is proposed to abut... | A minimum bufferyard of... | To be planted with... |
When... | Is proposed to abut... | A minimum bufferyard of... | To be planted with... |
Any commercial land use | Any RSH-E, RSH- L, RSH-H, or RMH use or zoning district | 20 foot side and/or rear yard | Either
1 tree (A) per 35 lineal feet of the shared property line + a double row 6 foot hedge (D) OR 6 foot wall/fence or 3 foot earth mound + 3 foot hedge (D) + 1 tree (A) per 35 lineal feet of the shared property line OR A double row, staggered planting of trees (C) at 15 feet O.C. |
Any office land use | Any RSH-E, RSH- L, RSH-H, or RMH use or zoning district | 15 foot side and/or rear yard | |
Any industrial land use | Any RSH-E, RSH- L, RSH-H, or RMH use or zoning district | 50 foot side and/or rear yard | Either
1 tree (A) per 35 lineal feet of the shared property line + a double row 6 foot hedge (D) OR 6 foot wall/fence or 3 foot earth mound + 3 foot hedge (D) + 1 tree (A) per 35 lineal feet of the shared property line OR A double row, staggered planting of trees (C) at 15 feet O.C. |
Any OB, GB, or SS use or zoning district | 20 foot side and/or rear yard | ||
Any multi- household land use | Any RSH-E, RSH- L, RSH-H, or RMH use or zoning district | 15 foot side and/or rear yard | Either
1 tree (A) per 35 lineal feet of the shared property line + a double row 6 foot hedge (D) OR 6 foot wall/fence or 3 foot earth mound + 3 foot hedge (D) + 1 tree (A) per 35 lineal feet ofthe shared property line OR A double row, staggered planting of trees (C) at 15 feet O.C. |
Any institutional land use | Any RSH-E, RSH- L, RSH-H, or RMH use or zoning district | 10 foot side and/or rear yard | Either
A staggered double row of evergreens and trees (A, B and C) at 15 feet O.C. + a single row 6 foot hedge OR A 6 foot wall or fence + 1 tree (A or B) per 35 lineal feet of the shared property line |
A parking area or drive associated with any zone or land use except single household residences | Any public or private street/access drive | 10 foot front, side and/or rear yard | Either
1 tree (A) per 35 lineal feet of parking area or access drive frontage + 1 shrub (D or E) per 3 feet of frontage (1 tree minimum) OR 1 tree (B) per 25 lineal feet of parking area or access drive frontage + 1 shrub (D or E) per 3 feet of frontage (1 tree minimum) |
Adjacent property line to a non-residential district or use | 10 foot front, side and/or rear yard | Either
1 tree (A) per 35 lineal feet of parking area or access drive frontage + 1 shrub (D or E) per 3 feet of frontage(1 tree minimum) OR 1 tree (B) per 25 lineal feet of parking area or access drive frontage + 1 shrub (D or E) per 3 feet of frontage (1 tree minimum) | |
Adjacent property line to a residential district or use | 20 foot front, side and/or rear yard | Either
1 tree (A) per 35 lineal feet of parking area or access drive frontage + a double row 6 foot hedge (D) OR 6 foot wall/fence or 3 foot earth mound + 3 foot hedge (D) + 1 tree (A) per 35 lineal feet or 1 tree (B) per 25 lineal feet of parking area or access drive frontage OR A double row, staggered planting of tree (C) at 15 feet O.C. | |
Any commercial or business land use | Any public right-of-way without a parking area proposed adjacent to the public right-of-way | 10 foot front, side and/or rear yard | 1 tree (A) per 35 lineal feet of street/access drive frontage |
Notes:
1) (A, B, C, D, or E) means plantings from the list(s) in parentheses in § 153.407: Plant Lists. 2) O.C. means on center unless otherwise noted. 3) Two household and single household dwellings are both permitted in the RMH district. No landscaping is required between these uses when both exist side by side within the RMH zone district. 4) Plant quantities shall be determined by the next whole numbers. 5) Maximum spacing for staggered hedges is 4 feet triangular spacing. | |||
(2) An applicant may propose to group required landscaping in the bufferyard in order to create vision corridors for signage, building, or access visibility, or for other similar reasons. Grouping of landscaping does not allow for a reduction in the number of required plant materials, only an alteration to the lineal on center planting requirements. Grouping of landscaping is also not allowed when screening is required.
(3) Existing vegetation, fences, walls, or berms on a parcel may be counted toward the requirements for any required bufferyard provided that it meets the standards established in § 153.403: Landscape Materials and Standards.
(Ord. 4-2016, passed 3-2-16; Am. Ord. 36-2017, passed 9-20-17; Am. Ord. 04-2020, passed 1-15-20; Am. Ord. 21-2024, passed 6-19-24)