It is recognized that a vegetative landscape is desirable throughout the county. The conservation and planting of vegetation serves to enhance our cultural and physical environment. With landscaping, the appearance of our business, residential and industrial zones is improved, as is the natural beauty of the less developed areas. Vegetation also provides protection against environmental degradation. The converse is also true. Uncontrolled cutting or destruction of trees and vegetated areas can damage the cultural and physical environment. It is appropriate therefore to regulate landscaping through this ordinance in the interests of protecting public health, safety and welfare. It is the intent of these regulations to promote the planting and preservation of landscape materials in order to achieve the following goals:

a.

Enhance the outward appearance of all developed sites;

b.

Create greater property value;

c.

Provide screening between incompatible land uses;

d.

Protect ground water and air quality;

e.

Provide shade and windbreaks for conservation of energy;

f.

Reduce damage due to ultraviolet radiation, noise pollution and light pollution;

g.

Decrease erosion and flood damage;

h.

Enhance the beauty of vehicular and pedestrian transportation corridors;

i.

Buffer unsightly development;

j.

Support the Virginia stormwater regulations and requirements.

(Ord. of 6-18-02, § I; Ord. No. 2013-0013, § 1, 10-15-13)

All landscaping shall be installed by the first planting season following the issuance of a certificate of occupancy. The applicant shall post a secured bond, cash escrow or letter of credit in favor of the County equal to the value of material and installation costs prior to the issuance of a certificate of occupancy. One-half of the surety may be released upon total implementation of the landscape plan. One-half of the surety shall be retained by the County for twelve (12) months following the planting date. In lieu of a surety equal to the full value of the landscape plan, the applicant may fully implement the landscape plan and post one-half the total value of the plan prior to issuance of the certificate of occupancy. Thereafter, landscaping shall be maintained in a healthy condition by the current owner or property owners' association, and replaced when necessary. If at any time the vegetation is not maintained in accordance with the plan such action shall be a violation of the zoning ordinance and subject to Article XV of this ordinance.

(Ord. of 6-18-02, § II)

A landscape plan shall be required as a precedent to final site plan approval for the following:

a.

All development subject to site plan review as found in section 1103;

b.

Any development which the commission and zoning administrator identify as needing a landscape plan in order to help accomplish the goals identified in section 1601, supra.

(Ord. of 6-18-02, § III; Ord. No. 2013-0013, § 1, 10-15-13)

All information shown on the plan shall be in compliance with the sections 1605 through 1608 and include the following:

a.

The location, size and species of all proposed plant materials;

b.

Existing trees or wooded areas that are being preserved in lieu of new materials in order to satisfy landscaping and screening requirements. In such cases, the landscape plan shall indicate the species and size of trees to be saved; limits of clearing; location and type of protective fencing; grade changes requiring tree wells or walls; and trenching or tunneling proposed beyond the limits of clearing;

c.

Any unique amenities such as natural features and scenic or historic vistas.

(Ord. of 6-18-02, § IV)

The following minimum standards shall apply to any proposed plantings, retention of vegetation and screening:

a.

Any existing tree used to meet the requirements of this ordinance must be at least three (3) inch caliper, in healthy condition and be protected from construction activity;

b.

One (1) tree per fifty (50) feet of street frontage and one (1) shrub per ten (10) feet of street frontage shall be planted in creative groupings. The trees may be a combination of evergreens and large and small deciduous trees, and both trees and shrubs must meet the size requirements below. The construction of flower/mulch beds of a total area of at least one hundred (100) square feet may be planted in exchange for a tree as stated above;

c.

Shade trees shall be a minimum one and one-half (1½) inches caliper (measured six (6) inches above ground level) when planted. Ornamental or flowering street trees shall be a minimum of one-inch caliper when planted. Evergreen trees for screening shall be a minimum four (4) feet in height when planted. Shrubs shall be a minimum twelve (12) inches in height when planted and shall be maintained to a height not to exceed twenty-four (24) inches.

d.

Planting islands shall contain a minimum of fifty (50) square feet per tree, with a minimum dimension of five (5) feet in order to protect the landscaping and allow for proper growth;

e.

Trees that obstruct traffic sight lines shall be limbed up to a height of eight (8) feet.

(Ord. of 6-18-02, § V; Ord. No. 2013-0013, § 1, 10-15-13)

Parking lots consisting of twenty (20) spaces or more:

a.

Interior landscaping shall include a minimum of one (1) shade tree per ten (10) parking spaces or portion thereof. Interior landscaping shall be located in reasonably dispersed planting islands or perimeter areas. Shrub plantings adjacent to a building shall not be counted as interior landscaping;

b.

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. Shrubs shall be in a single row planted five (5) feet on center;

c.

Screening of parking lots shall not be counted toward the interior landscaping requirement.

(Ord. of 6-18-02, § VI; Ord. No. 2013-0013, § 1, 10-15-13)

The following requirements shall apply to screening:

a.

When required, screening shall consist of a planting strip, existing or new vegetation, wall, fence, earthen berm or combination thereof. Where only vegetative screening is provided; such screening strip shall not be less than twenty (20) feet in depth. Vegetative screening shall consist of a double staggered row of evergreen trees planted fifteen (15) feet on center, or a double staggered row of evergreen shrubs planted ten (10) feet on center. When a fence or wall is provided, it shall be a minimum of six (6) feet in height and plantings shall be required along such fence or wall. Earthen berms shall be a minimum of three (3) feet in height.

b.

Screening shall be required in the following instances, unless the applicant submits information satisfactory to the zoning administrator indicating that screening is not necessary.

1.

Commercial and industrial uses and manufactured home parks shall be screened from adjacent residential and rural area districts;

2.

Parking lots consisting of five (5) spaces or more shall be screened from adjacent residential and rural area districts;

3.

Objectionable features including, but not limited to, the following uses shall be screened from adjacent residential and rural area districts and public streets:

i.

Loading areas;

ii.

Refuse areas;

iii.

Storage yards;

iv.

Retention ponds; and

v.

Recreation facilities determined to be of objectionable character.

4.

The zoning administrator and commission may require screening of any use, or portion thereof, upon determination that the use would otherwise have a negative visual impact on a property listed on the historic landmarks register.

(Ord. of 6-18-02, § VII; Ord. No. 2013-0013, § 1, 10-15-13)

If ten (10) percent of a business's tree canopy exists on a site prior to development, the business may either (i) preserve and maintain the existing canopy and have that credited towards meeting the requirements of this article XVI, or (ii) modify or eliminate the canopy and thereafter comply fully with the requirements of this article.

If ten (10) percent of a business's tree canopy does not exist on a site prior to development, the business shall comply with all applicable provisions of this article XVI.

(Ord. of 6-18-02, § VIII; Ord. No. 2013-0013, § 1, 10-15-13)

The applicant may propose an increase in landscaping and site beautification.

(Ord. of 6-18-02, § IX; Ord. No. 2013-0013, § 1, 10-15-13)

a.

Street and shade trees: Green Ash, Red Oak, Willow Oak, Japanese Pagoda Tree, Littleleaf Linden, Silver Linden, Zelkova, Yellowwood, Sycamore, London Planetree, Fastigiata European Hornbeam, Princeton Sentry Ginkgo (non-fruiting), Littleleaf Linden, Bald Cypress.

b.

Ornamental or flowering trees: Amur maple, American or Chinese Dogwood, American Plum, Serviceberry, Redbud, Deciduous Magnolia, Fringe Tree, Japanese Maple.

c.

Evergreen or flowering shrubs: English Yew, Japanese Yew, Azalea, Chinese Holly, Rhododendron, Obelia, Cotoneaster, Forsythia, Viburnum, Winged Euonymus, Flowering Quince, Gray Owl Juniper.

d.

Screening: Cedar, Austrian Pine, Norway Spruce, American Holly, Arborvitae, Foster Holly, Leyland Cyprus, Japanese Cryptomeria.

e.

Flowers shall be drought tolerant and deer resistant and may include the following: Daylily, Daffodil, Sedums, Echinacea.

f.

Other alternative species as approved by the county.

(Ord. of 6-18-02, § X; Ord. No. 2013-0013, § 1, 10-15-13)