(a) The following shall be provided as part of the minimum required landscape area:
(1) R-1 Zoning Districts: No landscaping required.
(2) R-2 Zoning Districts:
A. A landscape area not more than thirty-five (35) feet deep from any street line shall be planted.
B. All Townhouse developments shall contain one (1) tree per lot. This tree shall be placed in a commonly held and maintained landscape area located between the lot and any street that serves the lot.
(3) R-3 Zoning Districts.
A. For all development within the R-3 District landscaping shall be based on an approved landscape plan.
B. For all development within the R-3 District, a landscape area at least thirty-five (35) feet deep shall be provided from the street line. On a lot with more than one (1) street frontage, the landscape area shall be at least thirty-five (35) feet deep on all major streets and at least twenty (20) feet deep on all minor streets. However, parking may occur in the required thirty-five (35)-foot landscape area if the parking is set back at least twenty (20) feet from any street and is screened.
(4) C-1 Zoning Districts:
A. For all development within the C-1 District, the required fifteen (15)-foot front yard shall be planted as a landscape area except for access driveways and walks. Street trees shall be provided.
B. The removal of any healthy mature trees located on the property is subject to approval of the Zoning Officer.
(5) C-2 Zoning Districts:
A. For all development within the C-2 District, the area between the front property line and the principal building shall be landscaped except for parking, access driveways and walks. Street trees shall be provided. At least five percent (5%) of all areas used for parking shall be landscaped.
B. The removal of any healthy mature trees located on the property is subject to Building Department approval.
(6) C-3 Zoning Districts:
A. For all development within the C-3 District, the area between the front property line and the principal building shall be landscaped except for parking, access driveways and walks. Street trees shall be provided. At least five percent (5%) of all areas used for parking shall be landscaped.
B. The removal of any healthy mature trees located on the property is subject to approval of the Zoning Officer.
(b) Required Landscape Improvements. The following shall be provided as the minimum required landscape improvements:
(1) Unless otherwise specified herein, all trees shall have a fifteen (15)-gallon minimum container size; and at least fifty percent (50%) must be mature trees. The Development Review Board may require larger trees. In developments where buildings have more than one (1) story, fifty percent (50%) of the trees shall meet the following standards:
A. Single trunk trees: three (3) inch caliper; and
B. Multiple trunk trees: one and one-half (1½) inch caliper average trunk.
(2) All plant material utilized for screening of parking, service and utility areas shall have a minimum five (5) gallon container size and shall be installed in a pattern with spacing that will provide a continuous screen upon mature size of the plant material.
(3) All shrubs utilized on site shall have a minimum five (5) gallon container size.
(4) All ground covers utilized on site shall have a minimum one (1) gallon container size.
(c) Landscape areas shall be designed and maintained in accordance with the approved landscape plan and the height, location, and sight visibility requirements as set forth in Section 1333.27.
(d) Parking Lot Landscape Area and Landscape Islands.
(1) A Landscape area at least five (5) feet deep shall be provided between any parking lot area and any street line.
(2) At least five percent (5%) of any parking lot shall be landscape areas. This is in addition to any open space requirement.
(e) Parking Lots of More than Twenty (20) Spaces. A parking lot contains more than twenty (20) parking spaces, then a minimum of one-third (1/3) of the required parking lot landscape area shall be in landscape islands distributed within the parking lot area, rather than on the perimeter of the parking lot. These landscape areas shall have a minimum width of seven (7) feet and a minimum area of one hundred twenty (120) square feet. All landscape areas shall be planted and maintained as prescribed herein.
(f) Landscape Buffers.
(1) For all development within the R-2 and R-3 District which abuts a single-family residential district a buffer a minimum of ten (10) feet wide shall be planted and maintained along the abutting lot line.
(2) For all development within the C-1, C-2 and C-3 Districts a minimum 10-foot wide landscape area shall be planted and maintained wherever the District abuts a residential district.
(3) All plant material utilized for screening shall have a minimum five (5) gallon container size and shall be installed in a pattern with spacing no more than five (5) feet in any direction that will provide a continuous screen upon mature size of the plant material.
(g) Required Landscape Maintenance.
(1) The property owner shall maintain on-site landscape areas, and landscape areas in the adjacent right-of-way.
(2) These are the minimum maintenance requirements for all landscape areas subject to an approved landscape plan:
A. All landscape areas shall be maintained in a neat and clean condition.
B. All landscape materials shall be maintained in a healthy, trimmed and weed-free condition to conform to the approved landscape plan.
C. Landscape materials shall be replaced as necessary to conform to the approved landscape plan.
D. Plant material that dies shall be replaced promptly upon its demise.
E. Plant material shall be maintained in a natural growth pattern or characteristic mature form.
(h) Except for routine maintenance of landscape areas in accordance with this section, modifications to existing landscape materials subject to an approved landscape plan, are subject to Zoning Officer approval. The Zoning Officer may determine that, based on the scope of the modifications, a new landscape plan must be submitted, subject to approval as provided in this Zoning Ordinance.
(i) It shall be unlawful for any person to:
(1) Strip, excavate or remove topsoil, or store soil on a site, except in accordance with approved plans.
(2) Severely prune plant materials to the extent that the plant materials' purpose in the approved landscape plan has been nullified.
(3) Alter, or allow deterioration of, areas designated and intended for stormwater management, to invalidate the purpose of the stormwater management area.
(Ord. 2023-02. Passed 4-17-23.)