(a) Landscaping. Landscaping shall be provided as follows on all parking lots, excluding those in agricultural zones, unless as required by a discretionary approval.
(1) Landscape plan required. A landscape and irrigation plan in conformance with State and local ordinance shall be submitted to the Planning Director for approval.
(2) Shading requirement. Parking lots shall include tree plantings that will result in fifty percent (50%) shading of the parking lot surface area within ten (10) years of commencement of use. A signed statement from a landscape architect or environmental design professional shall be included within the landscape and irrigation plan certifying that the shading requirement will be met within ten (10) years. The Planning Director may reduce or waive the fifty percent (50%) shading requirement, on a case by case basis, if the parking lot proposal includes solar panels or a paving technique that radiates significantly less heat than traditional asphalt.
(3) Landscaping materials. Landscaping materials shall be provided throughout the parking lot area using a combination of trees, shrubs, and vegetative ground cover. Water conservation and use of native landscape plant materials shall be emphasized.
(4) Location of landscaping. Parking lot landscaping shall be located so that pedestrians are not required to cross through landscaped areas to reach building entrances from parked cars.
(5) Curbing. Areas containing plant materials shall be bordered by a concrete curb or other barrier design as approved by the Planning Director.
(b) Screening. The following screening designs are required:
(1) Adjacent to residential uses. Parking lots that abut a residential use or zone shall be separated from the property line by a landscaping strip. The landscaping strip shall have a minimum width of five (5) feet. A minimum six foot (6’) high solid fence shall be installed on the residential side of the landscaping strip, except that the fence shall be a minimum of three feet (3’) high where located adjacent to a required front yard setback on an adjoining lot.
(2) Adjacent to streets. Parking lots adjoining a public street shall be designed to provide a landscaped planting strip or landscape berm between the edge of the street right-of-way and parking lot. The landscaped planting strip or berm shall not encroach on the street right-of-way. (Refer to the County of Yolo Improvement Standards, on file in the Planning, Public Works and Environmental Services Department, for visibility requirements at intersections and driveways.)
(3) Modification of screening requirements. The Planning Director may modify any or all of such screening requirements when, due to special conditions of the size or shape of the lot, differences in elevations between lots, intervening features, such as waterways and other man-made geographical features, or the distance of the parking lot from the adjoining lot, the modification meets the overall objectives of this section.
(Ord. 1445, eff. August 14, 2014)