In addition to the general design criteria prescribed in section 9-12-3 of this chapter, the following requirements shall also apply to off street parking:
A. Scope: All off street parking lots designed for twenty (20) or more parking spaces shall be landscaped in accordance with the provisions of this section.
B. Interior Parking Lot Landscaping: To define circulation within a parking lot and to visually and physically break up long rows of parking spaces, landscape islands are required to be provided within parking lot areas in one or more of the options, as follows:
1. Parking Aisle Landscape Islands: A landscaped island shall be provided at the end of each parking row. The island shall be protected by a continuous concrete barrier curb and shall have a minimum width of seven feet (7'), measured back of curb to back of curb, and shall have a depth equal to the adjoining parking space. Each parking aisle landscape island shall contain two (2) shade trees.
2. Parking Space Landscape Island: In addition to parking aisle landscape islands, one or more of the following alternatives shall be used to divide each row of parking having twenty (20) spaces or more:
a. Full Parking Space Landscape Island: One landscape island protected by a continuous concrete barrier curb and having a minimum width of seven feet (7'), measured back of curb to back of curb, and a depth equal to the adjoining parking space may be provided for each twenty (20) parking spaces in the parking row. Said landscape islands shall be dispersed throughout the parking row. Each said landscape island shall contain one shade tree; or
b. Partial Parking Space Landscape Island:
(1) One landscape island positioned at the front corner of a parking space, protected by a continuous concrete barrier curb and having minimum dimensions of six and one-half feet (6.5') square, measured back of curb to back of curb, may be provided for each ten (10) parking spaces in the parking row.
(2) Said landscape islands shall be dispersed throughout the parking row and shall not be used in parking rows along the perimeter of a parking lot. Each said landscape island shall contain one shade tree; or
c. Continuous Parking Row Landscape Island: A continuous landscape island protected by a continuous concrete barrier curb and having a minimum depth of seven feet (7'), measured back of curb to back of curb, may be provided between parking rows. Said landscape island shall not be used in parking rows along the perimeter of a parking lot. Each said landscape island shall contain one shade tree for each twenty (20) parking spaces in the parking row.
3. Additional Landscaping Standards: In addition to the shade trees required in this section, each landscape island required herein shall be landscape with an appropriate number and selection of shrubs, flowers, ground covers, sod and mulch. Shrubs planted in a parking lot landscape island shall not exceed a mature height of thirty inches (30") above the adjoining pavement. No tree planted in a parking lot landscape island shall have branches maintained at a height less than six feet (6') above the adjoining pavement.
C. Parking Lot Perimeter Landscaping:
1. Front And Corner Side Yards:
a. Where a parking lot is located in or adjacent to a front or corner side yard in a residential district, continuous landscaping shall be provided across not less than one hundred percent (100%) of the parking lot frontage to a minimum height of three feet (3'). Such landscaping shall consist of any combination of berms, shade and ornamental trees, evergreens, shrubbery, hedges, and/or other live planting material.
b. Where a parking lot is located in or adjacent to a front or corner side yard not in a residential district, continuous landscaping shall be provided across not less than sixty percent (60%) of the parking lot frontage to a minimum height of three feet (3'). Such landscaping shall consist of any combination of berms, shade and ornamental trees, evergreens, shrubbery, hedges, and/or other live planting material. Plantings may be placed in clusters containing, at a minimum, seven (7) evergreens and/or shrubs per cluster, spaced at intervals of approximately thirty five feet (35') along the frontage of the parking lot. However, when a continuous row of shrubs or hedges is chosen, the entire parking lot frontage shall be screened.
2. Rear And Side Yards:
a. Where a parking lot is located in a yard adjacent to a residential zoning district, landscaping shall be provided as follows:
(1) Screening between the parking lot and the residential property line shall be a minimum of six feet (6') in height.
(2) Shade trees shall be provided at the equivalent of one for each fifty (50) lineal feet, or fraction thereof, of parking lot frontage and shall not be planted more than forty feet (40') apart.
(3) Other planting material, including ornamental trees, evergreens, shrubbery, hedges, and/or other live planting materials, shall be provided in a continuous row covering one hundred percent (100%) of the frontage of the parking lot adjacent the residential lot(s).
(4) Except where occupied by planting beds, all side and rear yard perimeter landscaping area shall be sodded or seeded.
b. Where a parking lot is located in a yard adjacent to a nonresidential property, landscaping shall be provided across not less than fifty percent (50%) of that portion of the parking lot abutting the property line to a minimum height of three feet (3'). Such landscaping shall consist of any combination of berms, shade and ornamental trees, evergreens, shrubbery, hedges, and/or other live planting materials. Plantings may be placed in clusters, containing not less than seven (7) shrubs per cluster, spaced at intervals of approximately thirty five feet (35') along the property line. (Ord. 2004-19, 8-10-2004)