11-4-4: MINIMUM LANDSCAPING STANDARDS:

   A.   The following landscape standards reflected in Table 11-4-3A-1 establish minimum landscape requirements that apply to any applicable development.

TABLE 11-4-3A-1 MINIMUM LANDSCAPING STANDARDS
A.   Minimum planting sizes at installation
Deciduous Trees	Two-inch (2") minimum caliper
Evergreen Trees	Six feet (6') in height
Shrubs	Two-gallon minimum size
Ground Cover / Perennials	One-gallon pot minimum size or equivalent
B.   General Planting Standards
Minimum Planting Density	One (1) tree and five (5) shrubs for every five hundred (500) square feet of landscape area. Plantings may be installed in a linear, cluster, or other appropriate pattern.
Minimum Width of Landscape Area	The minimum inside width of any required landscaped area, or of any form or fixed planter box used to satisfy required landscaping, must be three feet (3').
Ground Coverage Requirements	Remaining ground cover will consist of low shrubs, native seed, or other vegetative cover with no more than fifty percent (50%) of the remaining coverage being only turf, mulch or rock.
Species Requirement	At least fifty percent (50%) of required plant species must be native to Montana or a cultivar of a native species. No more than fifty percent (50%) of the required landscaping may be the same species.
Drought Tolerant Species Required Percentage	Fifty percent (50%) or greater of the proposed trees and shrubs must be drought tolerant species as defined in the latest edition of the Montana Nursery and Landscape Association’s Drought Tolerant Plants for the Montana Landscape or on a list adopted by the city of drought tolerant species for purposes of this section.
C.   Street Frontage Landscape Standards
Applicability	All private areas along street frontages not used for street pavement, curbs, gutters, parking, sidewalks or drive aisles must be landscaped as indicated in the general planting standards. Alleys are exempt from this requirement. This landscaping area may include amenities such as patios, courtyards, outdoor furniture and planter boxes. Landscaping in public rights-of-way is regulated per the City of Whitefish’s Engineering Standards (Refer to the Tree Protection and Planting Requirements of Chapter 1).
	When this requirement conflicts with other requirements of this chapter or other portion of the code, the more restrictive standard shall apply.
Minimum Width of Landscape Area	Ten feet (10').
	All properties within the WB-2 zoning district with street frontage along Highway 93 South from E. 13th Street to Highway 40 must provide a landscaped thirty foot (30') wide street frontage.
D.   Parking Lot Landscape Standards 1
Applicability	Applies to all uncovered parking lots of over five (5) parking spaces, including vehicle sales or service areas.
Minimum Required Landscaping Percentage	Ten Percent (10%) of the total area of parking lot and drive aisles must be landscaped as measured around the perimeter of all parking spaces and maneuvering areas. Interior parking islands, parking lot perimeters and parking lot side building perimeter landscaping may be calculated in this percentage.
Parking Lot Perimeter	A minimum five-foot (5') wide landscape strip must be provided along the perimeter of parking, loading, or other paved vehicular use areas, including drive aisles, vehicle sales areas, and vehicle storage areas.
	Two feet (2') must be added to the width of any required landscape area when curb stops are not used, and a car bumper hangs over the landscaped area.
Parking Lots Adjacent to Right of Way	A ten foot (10') wide landscape screen must be installed along any parking lot perimeter adjacent to right-of-way. The screen shall consist of planting materials and manmade features to create at minimum a three foot (3') high visual relief screen in the form of hedges, planter boxes, berms, dividers, shrubbery, or trees, or a combination of the above.
Parking Lots Abutting Residential Use	See residential buffer requirements in Section 11-4-3A-1-E.
Internal Landscape Island Standards:
Minimum Landscaping Required:	One landscape island must be installed per every ten (10) parking spaces and at the end of each parking row.
Minimum Planting Density:	All landscape islands shall include at least one (1) shade tree with remaining ground being covered with low shrubs, native seed, or other vegetative cover with no more than fifty percent (50%) of the remaining coverage being only turf, mulch or rock.
Minimum Dimensions:	Each island must be a minimum of one-hundred eighty (180) square feet and not less than nine feet (9') in width. All tree plantings must contain a root barrier around the perimeter of the planting area a minimum of thirty-six inches (36") in depth and which extends above the surface of the soil enough to prevent roots from growing over the top. Acceptable root barriers include any impermeable durable material that can withstand burial in soil for the life of the tree.
E.   Residential Buffer Standards
Applicability	Required along the entire property line of non-residential properties that abut a parcel used or zoned for entirely residential purposes, excluding mixed use 2 . Buffers should be designed to avoid the appearance of a straight line or “wall” of uniform plant material and must be wide enough to accommodate the planted species at maturation. Residential buffers are not required along property lines abutting a street or alley.
	Exemption: Buildings in the WB-3 classification are exempt from the residential buffer requirements but are encouraged to incorporate the landscaping for properties with reduced or no street frontage setbacks indicated in the general landscaping requirements in Section 11-4-4 D. when possible.
	In situations where the required residential buffer width is partially or completely contained within an existing easement (e.g., power or natural gas transmission, etc.), the screening requirements of this section must be met outside the easement area.
Residential Buffer Planting Standards:
Minimum Width:	Ten feet (10').
Minimum Planting Density:	One (1) tree and five (5) shrubs for every thirty feet (30') of linear frontage.
Minimum Height:	Must be planted to grow to at least five feet (5') in height, planted in a manner that best screens the proposed use.
Composition:	The remaining ground must be covered with low shrubs, native seed, or other vegetative cover with no more than fifty percent (50%) of the remaining coverage being only turf, mulch, or rock.
	No less than seventy five percent (75%) of the total required plant materials must be evergreen. The residential buffer must achieve a fifty percent (50%) visual screen of at least 5 feet (5') in height at maturity.
	An up to six foot (6') high closed masonry or wood wall, fence, or berm may be substituted for the shrub vegetation, but trees and ground cover are still required.
F.   Screening Standards
Applicability	1.   Ground level mechanical equipment.
	2.   Utility cabinets thirty (30) or more inches in height and located within twenty-five feet (25') of a street.
	3.   Materials, supplies, merchandise, vehicles, equipment, storage or shipping containers, trash receptacles or other similar matter not on display for direct sale, rental, or lease to the ultimate consumer or use.
Screening Method	Must be screened from view of streets and abutting residential uses and zoning districts by a dense hedge, berms, solid wall, solid fence or combination of such features. The hedge, fence, or wall must be tall enough to fully screen the equipment from neighboring parcels. (Ord. 23-08, 6-5-2023)

 

 

Notes

1	1. Parking lots also need to meet the parking lot design standards found in Appendix A of this title.
2	2. Unless otherwise required by the Zoning Administrator in order to observe the sight distance requirements contained in the development regulations.