In order to reduce heat and glare and minimize the loss of natural vegetation common to the construction of parking facilities, landscaping shall be provided and maintained in accordance with the following provisions.
(A) A landscaping plan, either as a separate document or as an element of a more inclusive development plan, shall accompany every application and set of plans and include the following:
(1) Perimeter buffer strip. A strip of land at least six feet wide abutting and paralleling the perimeter of the off-street parking lot shall be landscaped. Such landscaping shall include grass, ground cover, and/or other landscape treatment, excluding paving, and one medium-size canopy tree, or if space is limited, one small-size canopy tree, for every 50 linear feet or major fraction thereof.
(a) In C-1, C-2 and C-3, a planting strip of ten feet, not including sidewalks, shall be provided and maintained within the required front yard per § 154.032 and shall separate vehicle parking and drive areas from any public or private street or right-of-way.
(b) Required front yards. Landscaping requirements shall include grass, ground cover, and/or other landscape treatments, and shall include at least one medium-size canopy tree for every 50 feet of frontage of any public or private street right-of-way. Care should be taken with the placement of these trees so they do not obstruct the view of traffic or interfere with the flow of traffic in any way.
(2) Perimeter parking spaces. Rows of parking spaces adjoining the perimeter of the parking lot having fewer than 25 (24 and less) parking spaces need not be interrupted by a landscaping island. Rows of parking spaces adjoining the perimeter of the parking lot having 25 or more parking spaces shall be interrupted by the intrusion of a landscaping island; no greater than 25 contiguous, side-by-side parking spaces shall be permitted. Each landscaping island shall be a minimum of six feet wide and a minimum of 20 feet deep.
(3) Interior parking spaces.
(a) Interior parking rows, parking rows that are not adjacent to the parking lot perimeter, shall have landscaping island at each end of the parking row. Interior parking rows having 15 or more contiguous side-by-side parking spaces shall be interrupted by the intrusion of a landscaping island; no more than 24 contiguous, side-by-side parking spaces shall be permitted. Parking islands shall be a minimum of six feet wide and a minimum of 20 feet in length if for a single parking row or not less than 40 feet if for two contiguous, interfacing, parallel rows.
(b) The landscaping of the islands shall include grass, ground cover, and/or other landscape treatment, excluding paving, and include at least one small-size canopy tree per island. Proper drainage shall be provided for each landscaped parking island.
(B) Every landscaping plan shall at least include the following information:
(1) The proposed type, amount, size and spacing of all plantings, including trees, shrubbery and ground cover;
(2) The proposed size, construction materials and drainage of landscaped islands; and
(3) A sketch indicating the proposed spatial relationships of landscaped areas, parking spaces, automobile circulation and pedestrian movement.
(Ord. passed - - ; Ord. 2022-14, passed 4-18-2022)