(a) All development subject to site development plan review shall include the following required landscaping for parking lots consisting of five (5) spaces or more:
(1) Street trees: Street trees shall be planted in accordance with Section 1143.13 along the public street frontage which abuts a parking lot. The trees shall be planted between the street right-of-way and the parking area, within the parking setback. If required street trees cannot be planted within the parking setback or within ten (10) feet of the street right-of-way due to sight distance, utility easement, or other conflicting requirements, then the planting strip shall be enlarged to accommodate the trees. If this requirement creates a hardship by causing the relocation of required parking spaces, then the additional planting area may be counted toward the interior landscaping requirements;
(2) Interior landscaping: Exclusive of the requirements of Section 1143.15, an area equal to five percent (5%) of the paved parking and vehicular circulation area shall be landscaped with trees or shrubs. This shall include one (1) large or medium shade tree per ten (10) parking spaces or portion thereof, if five (5) spaces or more. Interior landscaping shall be located in reasonably dispensed planting islands or perimeter areas. Shrub plantings adjacent to a building shall not be counted as interior landscaping;
(3) Additional plantings along public streets: When a parking lot is located such that the parked cars will be visible from a public street, then additional landscaping of low street shrubs shall be required between the street and the parking lot.
(4) Shrubs: Shrubs shall be in a single row planted five (5) feet on center. Alternate methods of landscaping designed to minimize the visual impact of the parking lot may be approved by the Building and Zoning Inspector. See also Section 1143.23
(b) Landscaping the interior of off-street parking areas is required for all parking areas. The landscaping of interior off-street parking areas shall be in compliance with the following standards.
(1) All rows of parking spaces shall be provided a terminal parking island at the end of each row to protect parked vehicles, provide visibility, confine moving traffic to aisles and driveways and provide space for landscaping.
(2) All landscaped parking islands that are parallel to parking spaces on both sides of the island must be at least nine (9) feet wide to permit the simultaneous opening of vehicle doors on either side. Terminal parking islands must be a minimum of six (6) feet wide.
(3) Terminal parking islands for a single row of parking spaces shall consist of a minimum of one (1) tree along with ground cover, grass, and/or mulch.
(4) Terminal parking islands for a double row of parking spaces shall consist of a minimum of two (2) trees along with ground cover, grass, and/or mulch.
(5) In parking lots containing twenty-five (25) or more parking spaces, a row of parking spaces shall contain no more than fifteen (15) contiguous spaces without providing a landscaped parking island of at least the dimensions of one space.
(6) Off-street parking areas that are composed of double rows of abutting side-by-side parking spaces must provide a continuous landscaped divider strip centered on the dividing line between such rows of spaces. The divider strip shall have a minimum width of five feet and shall be surrounded by a raised curb with ground cover and/or mulch planted within the divider. A minimum of one (1) tree shall be planted in the landscape divider strip for every five (5) abutting parking spaces.
(7) All interior landscaped areas shall be landscaped with ground cover and/or mulch, shrubs, or other appropriate landscaping materials. Any form of pavement shall not be considered an appropriate landscaping material.
(8) All interior parking area islands shall be surrounded with continuous, raised, reinforced, concrete curb.
(9) All landscaped areas at the front line of off-street parking spaces shall be protected from encroachment of vehicles through the use of wheel stops. In addition, all parking spaces located along the perimeter of the building shall be required to provide wheel stops. Wheel stops must be constructed in accordance with accepted industry standards. Wheel stops must be securely anchored in place at all times and must be continuously maintained. Wheel stops shall be located two (2) feet from the front of the parking space.
(10) Parking areas with less than twenty (20) parking spaces must provide wheel stops at the front of the parking space as opposed to providing landscaped divider strips between double rows of abutting side-by-side parking spaces.
(11) Deciduous shade trees and low shrubs are required for interior parking area landscaping. Shrubs must be evergreen or dense deciduous plants.
(Ord. 22-089. Passed 12-5-22.)