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(A) Minimum standards.
(1) At least 8% of the gross paved area of a parking facility shall be landscaped and located in the interior. For purposes of this section, interior shall mean the area within the parking facility curb or pavement and extensions that create a common geometric shape such as a square.
(2) Plantings shall be distributed evenly throughout the parking facility.
(3) All interior plantings shall be physically protected. Non-mountable concrete curbing shall be provided to prevent vehicles from encroaching onto and overhanging required plantings unless otherwise approved.
(4) Consecutive parking spaces shall incorporate landscaped peninsulas no more than 15 spaces apart and at the ends of all parking rows. Peninsulas shall contain at least 100 square feet in area and at least eight feet in width, measured from back of curb/barrier to back of curb/barrier.
(B) Existing
.
(1) Existing healthy, well-formed, canopy trees that are preserved on site according to § 152.536 may be counted toward the requirements of this section, provided that these trees are protected, in accordance with sections §§ 152.531 and 152.536, before and during of the site and maintained after in a healthy growing condition.
(Ord. 2005-O3, passed 3-15-2005) (Am. Ord. 2005-O8, passed 7-19-2005; Am. Ord. 2013-O15, passed 7-16-2013; Am. Ord. 2015-O3, passed 9-15-2015)
(A) Citizens may plant trees in front of their
and along the sidewalks adjacent to their property under the supervision of the Town Planner, but no trees or other plantings shall be planted in the
, gutters, or ditches of the town. The Town Planner shall notify all
having trees in front of their
to have them properly trimmed either by a company engaged in the business of tree trimming or by the property
themselves following published pruning standards. During normal
maintenance by the Public Works Department, all town employees involved in trimming of trees shall operate under the direction of the Town Planner and in accordance with published pruning standards. In addition, all other public service or utility companies shall also follow published pruning standards and shall notify the town prior to maintenance within the jurisdiction.
(B) The cutting, trimming, destruction, lopping of branches of any manner of trees or shrubbery standing along, in or extending over the
of any municipal or state maintained
by any
is hereby prohibited, except when done under the supervision and according to the direction of the
.
(Ord. 2005-O3, passed 3-15-2005) (Am. Ord. 2005-O8, passed 7-19-2005; Am. Ord. 2013-O15, passed 7-16-2013)
The town encourages the planting of trees and other approved
by private individuals, groups, and businesses on public property and along
. However, to obtain maximum benefit from those efforts, all plantings on public
or public property owned by the town, its agents, boards, or commissions shall be done in accordance with predetermined guidelines set forth in this Article and approved by the Town Planner utilizing such professional criteria and technical assistance as deemed necessary.
(Ord. 2005-O3, passed 3-15-2005) (Am. Ord. 2005-O8, passed 7-19-2005; Am. Ord. 2013-O15, passed 7-16-2013)
(A) Applicability. The following requirements apply to all landscaping and buffers installed under this subchapter.
(1) Plant materials.
(a) All tree and plant material selections shall be native or adaptable to the Swansboro region and its climate.
(b) The town recognizes Crape Myrtle as a widely planted species. The practice of topping such species is discouraged. Topping of this species can contribute to a decline in tree cover canopy and is in direct conflict with the goals of this section. Minimum pruning to develop the crape myrtle’s natural tree form is encouraged.
(c) A recommended plant materials list is provided in Appendix I.
(2) Plant size. The following are the minimum required sizes at planting:
(a) Shrubs: minimum of three gallons and 12 inches in height.
(b) Understory trees: six feet in height.
(c) Canopy trees: three inch in caliper, 12 feet in height.
(3) Berms. All berms used in a perimeter
, streetscape
or other landscape area shall meet all of the following design standards:
(a) The slope of all berms shall not exceed a 2:1 ratio (horizontal to vertical), shall have a top width at least one-half the berm height, and a maximum height of four feet above the toe (top) of the berm. The Town Planner shall approve all berms. Berms proposed to be greater than four feet in height may be permitted if deemed appropriate by the Town Planner.
(b) Proposed berms to be placed over an existing or proposed utility
(s) shall be approved by the Town Planner;
(c) Berms shall be vegetated as required by this section. Berms must be stabilized with ground cover to prevent erosion and sedimentation. It is strongly discouraged to use berms as a substitute for existing healthy
. However, if berms are allowed to replace existing
which already meets the standards in this section then they must also meet the standards and must be approved by the Town Planner; and
(d) Berms shall in no case damage the roots of existing healthy
designated to be preserved.
(4) Installation standards.
(a) All required landscaping shall be installed in a manner that insures the availability of sufficient soil and water for healthy growth and that is not intrusive to aboveground and underground utilities.
(b) In order to reduce the damage to root systems of existing
within streetscapes, buffers or any other tree save areas, designation of planned utility connection corridors is required to be shown on all plans to coordinate the location of electrical, telephone, cable and other similar utilities.
(c) Understory trees are required to be substituted for canopy trees whenever located within 25 feet of an overhead utility line.
(d) Nothing shall be planted or installed within an underground or overhead utility
or a
without the consent of the Town and the
holder at the time of
approval.
(e) Tree planting in or about sidewalks and pavement areas with inappropriate tree species and inadequate soil volume may create damage to sidewalks and pavement and block light penetration to the pavement, preventing rapid evaporation of precipitation. To avoid potential damage to sidewalks and pavement and pooling of precipitation from such situations, a minimum soil volume of two cubic feet shall be reserved per one square foot of crown spread for every tree proposed for planting near sidewalks and pavement areas. The circumference of the tree planting area shall be protected with either mulch mounds or tree grates that will prevent root damage. Detail of this ratio must be included on the landscape plan.
(f) A minimum of 300 square feet of pervious ground area per canopy tree shall be provided (understory trees may be allowed in less area but no less than 240 square feet). Any planting area bounded by an
should be at least ten feet wide. No canopy tree should be planted closer than five feet to a sidewalk, paved areas or other
(other types of trees may be closer).
(g) Culverts, rip rap structures, holding ponds, and other stormwater- related devices must be landscaped to reduce their visual impacts. This landscape screening must consist of evergreen plantings and be part of the approved landscape plan.
(Ord. 2005-O3, passed 3-15-2005) (Am. Ord. 2005-O8, passed 7-19-2005; Am. Ord. 2013-O15, passed 7-16-2013)
(A) Minimum standards. The following minimum standards apply during construction, in addition to applicable standards from § 152.536.
(1) Responsibility. During
of the property, the shall be responsible for the erection of barriers necessary to protect any existing or installed located within the preservation or undisturbed
areas from damage both during and after construction.
(2) Tree protection fencing. All existing that is to be preserved, including buffers, shall be fenced with a sturdy and visible before grading begins. Fencing of these areas adjacent to existing and proposed roadways is also required. Fencing is required on all Town and NCDOT road projects that are adjacent to protected streetscapes or buffers. The fencing must be a minimum four feet high and of durable construction and must be placed outside of the drip line of the tree to be protected. Passive forms of tree protection, such as continuous rope or flagging, may be used to delineate tree save areas that are remote from the area of land disturbance. Both applicant and the Town Planner, in determining the exact location of any tree protection fencing, will consider the existing site conditions. The
shall be maintained on the site until all site work is completed. It shall be removed before final site inspection for the certificate of occupancy.
(3) Tree protection zone signs. Tree Protection Zone signs must be installed on the tree protection visible on all sides of the fenced in area (minimum one on each side and/or every 300 linear feet).
(Ord. 2005-O3, passed 3-15-2005) (Am. Ord. 2005-O8, passed 7-19-2005; Am. Ord. 2013-O15, passed 7-16-2013)
(A) Time limit.
(1) Installation guarantee. All landscaping, including mulching and seeding shall be completed in accordance with the approved
plan before a permanent certificate of occupancy for the site is issued unless the Town Planner grants an exception pursuant to § 152.532(A)(2). If an exception is granted, an installation guarantee shall be required that includes:
(a) A cost estimate provided by a landscape contractor and/or engineer.
(b) Cash, surety/performance bond or letter of credit that ensures the required landscaping will be completed at a predetermined later date, normally the next planting season but not to exceed one year from date of exception.
(c) The amount of the bond/letter of credit shall be for the cost of the plant materials plus the cost of labor to install the plants, plus 10%.
(2) Extensions and exceptions. Extensions and exceptions to the above time limit may only be granted under one of the following conditions:
(a) Unusual environmental conditions, such as drought, ice, over-saturated soil, or inappropriate planting season for the plant species (plantings between June through August are strongly discouraged);
(b) Substitution or unavailability of plant species or acceptable plant size as specified on the site plan; or
(c) Circumstances beyond the ’s or property
’s control, such as incomplete construction or utility work to occur in a proposed landscaped area within 30 days after expected site completion.
(3) Inspections. The Town Planner shall inspect the site before the issuance of a permanent certificate of occupancy for the
, unless exempted under § 152.532(2), and shall not issue the permanent certificate of occupancy if the landscaping required under this section is not living or healthy or is not installed in accordance with the standards set forth in this section and in accordance with the approved .
(Ord. 2005-O3, passed 3-15-2005) (Am. Ord. 2005-O8, passed 7-19-2005; Am. Ord. 2013-O15, passed 7-16-2013)
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