The purpose of screening is to provide visual barriers, noise reduction, and to provide privacy.
A. When Required
Screening for individual
and
must be provided as determined in Table 7.6.4-1 and in addition to the required landscape borders. Screening is not required between similar uses in accordance with Table 7.6.4-1.
B. Screening Materials
1. Walls
a. All walls required by this section must be of masonry material or masonry with a stucco or textured finish.
b. Decorative openings may be incorporated into the upper 20% of an otherwise solid masonry wall located along a
.
2. Earth Berms
The
of an earth berm, used alone or in combination with a retaining wall, may not exceed one foot of rise for every three feet of linear distance. The width of an earth berm must be self stabilizing.
3. Hedges and Other Vegetation
a. Plants used for screening purposes may not be smaller than a five gallon can size when planted. The plants may be aligned, or unevenly spaced, but must provide a continuous
at maturity within two years.
b. Vegetative
shall be planted in areas not less than three feet in width.
4. Fences
a. Wood fences shall provide a continuous
.
b. Nonwood fences, such as chain link, may not be used along a
along a
or within the SCZ.
c. Nonwood fences shall have wooden slat inserts, or a similar material with equal or better durability, to provide opacity.
C. Location
1. Along
of the
, the required perimeter
must be located on the
, unless the
is provided between the
and the use and a landscaped area of a minimum width of 20 feet is provided between the
and the
. In situations where a utility or drainage easement runs along a
and the width of easement lying within a
is not used as part of the
, then the required
may be located at the easement line.
2. Whether or not required by this section,
along a
must be located on the
side of the
so that they do not obstruct the view of the
from the
.
3.
may be located within the
, if the following standards are met.
a. Minimum Width
The
is a minimum of ten feet wide.
b. Vegetative
Hedges and other vegetative
may not extend more than three feet into the
. If, based on the growing characteristics of the type of plant used, the ultimate width of the vegetative
will be greater than three feet, the vegetative
must be sufficiently set back from the landscape border to accommodate the wider growth.
c. Non-vegetative
Fences or walls constructed in a single continuous line may not extend into a
more than the actual width of the fence or wall. Where a fence or wall incorporates offsets or similar design features, a
may extend a maximum of three feet into the
. (See Figure 7.6.10-H, Screening Standards - Variations for Walls.)
d. Earth Berms
(1) Where earth berms are used, the crest of the berm must be located on
and no closer than one foot from the
or, on subject to the MS&R
, the
.
(2) If berms are used in conjunction with vegetation or a retaining wall to achieve the
, the vegetation or wall has to occur at the area of the landscape border farthest away from the
in accordance with Section 7.6.5.C.
(3) Bermed areas, front and back sides, must be landscaped to comply with minimum standards when located within the
area. Vegetation also minimizes
.
(4) If the toe of the berm
abuts a
or pedestrian area, design precautions must be implemented to prevent water from washing debris, dirt, rocks, etc., onto the
or eroding the pedestrian path.
(5) When berms are used, design solutions are to be provided accomplishing screening standards if the berm cannot satisfy the standards (i.e., at the ends where the berm
or if the berm is cut to place a tree).
D. Height Measurement
The
of a
required under Table 7.6.4-1 is measured as follows.
1. The
of a
to a
or along a
is the vertical distance measured on the
side of the
from the
at the base of the
to the top of the
.
2. For all
that are not
(e.g., ground mounted mechanical equipment) that are visible from the
, the
is measured from the
at the base of the to its highest point.
3. The maximum permitted
of a free-standing
is six feet.
E. Sight Visibility Triangle
F.
Screening for
is required as follows:
1. The perimeter screening element along the
must be installed during
of the first phase; or
2. Where the
is maintained in areas to be developed in subsequent phases, a temporary
may be erected around the perimeter of the initial phase, subject to the following:
a. Temporary screening may be an
wood fence, a chain link fence with wood slats, or any equivalent type of
; and,
b. Temporary screening must be replaced by a permanent
if construction of the subsequent phases is not started within two years of the date the original phase received a certificate of occupancy.
G. Exceptions to Screening Standards
1. The required
along a
for vehicular use and outdoor display areas may be lowered to 30 inches if the
is located:
a. On a
that is not designated as an MS&R; and
b. Across the
from nonresidential uses or unimproved, nonresidentially zoned
.
2. Where a
wall abuts a
, the
may serve as the required
.
3. The PDSD
may grant a partial or complete exception to the screening standards for
within a Historic Preservation
. The exceptions may be granted if, after completion of the historic
review required by Historic Preservation
, the PDSD
determines that the standards are not
with the character of the historic
.
4. A partial or complete exception may be granted to the screening standards for uses with extensive landscaped
, including parks, cemeteries, or golf courses.
5. For
to a Planned Area
(PAD), the screening standards are those that are required for
to residential
, except where an
PAD has been developed or planned for nonresidential uses. In that case, the required screening standards are based on the
.
6. Community and Urban Farm Uses are exempt from the screening requirements of Section 7.6.5, Screening Standards.
(Am. Ord. 11328, 12/8/2015)