(A) Applicability. The interior vehicular use area landscaping standards of this section apply to all of the following except that they do not apply to parking areas in bus terminals, truck terminals or recreational vehicle storage areas:
(1) The construction or installation of any new vehicular use area containing 12 or more parking spaces or more than 4,200 square feet of paved or impervious area;
(2) The expansion of any existing vehicular use area if the expansion would create 12 or more new parking spaces or more than 4,200 square feet of additional area, in which case the requirements of this section apply only to the expanded area; and
(3) The excavation and reconstruction of existing vehicular use areas containing 12 or more parking spaces or more than 4,200 square feet of area if such excavation and reconstruction involves the removal of more than 50% of the paved surface, in which case the requirements of this section apply only to the portion of the vehicular use area that is excavated and reconstructed.
(B) Standards.
(1) Vehicular use areas. Vehicular use areas include parking spaces, drive aisles, driveways and drive-through lanes. Vehicular use areas that are covered by canopies or similar structures must be included when calculating minimum interior vehicular use area landscaping requirements, but installation of landscaping is not required beneath canopies or other structures that block sunlight and rainfall. Parking and circulation areas located within a parking structure are not counted as vehicular use areas for purposes of these interior vehicular use area landscaping requirements.
(2) Minimum interior landscape area. Landscaping must be provided within the interior of vehicular use areas in accordance with the following minimum ratios:
Size of Vehicular Use Area (sq. ft.) | Minimum Interior Landscaping (pct.) |
3,501-49,999 | 5.0 |
50,000-149,999 | 7.5 |
150,000+ | 10.0 |
(3) Landscape islands. Interior vehicular use area landscaping must be provided in the form of landscape islands.
(a) Landscape islands must have an area of at least 135 square feet and be at least eight feet in width. Only pervious area within landscape islands may be counted toward meeting minimum area and width requirements. Combining landscape islands to form larger interior landscape areas is encouraged.
(b) At least one deciduous canopy tree must be provided per landscape island or per 150 square feet of landscape island, whichever results in more trees.
(c) Landscape areas located outside the perimeter of the vehicular use area may not be counted toward satisfying interior vehicular use area landscaping requirements. Landscaped areas within the corners of the vehicular use area may be counted up to a maximum of 200 square feet for each corner, if at least one deciduous canopy tree is located within the area.
(d) Landscape islands must be dispersed so that the distance between landscape islands is no greater than 12 parking spaces.
(e) If landscape islands are combined to form larger bioretention areas the maximum allowable distance between such bioretention landscape islands is increased to 20 parking spaces.
(f) Deciduous canopy trees must be provided in interior landscape islands at a minimum rate of one tree per 250 square feet of required interior landscape area.
(g) Depressed bioretention areas used for landscaping and stormwater management are strongly encouraged.
(C) Materials, design and maintenance. Interior vehicular use area landscaping is subject to the regulations of § 155-12.90.
(Ord. effective 10-1-2012; Ord. 18-1, passed 1-18-2018)