The intention of these requirements is to enhance the aesthetic and environmental appeal and character of buildings and sites being developed within the Municipality by insuring the compatibility of uses, thereby maintaining the health, safety, and general welfare of the community while preserving property values.

All areas in a development not used for construction of buildings, roads, accessways, parking or sidewalks shall be fully landscaped in accordance with these regulations.

Natural site features such as: existing trees, streams, rock outcropping, etc., shall be preserved wherever possible. Whenever such natural features are absent or insufficient or have been destroyed during the development of the site, additional new plantings of a sufficient size as determined by the Planning Board shall be established to provide environmental protection to beautify the buildings and grounds; and to provide privacy, shade and the screening out of objectionable features created on the site.

All landscape plans shall be drawn and signed by a Landscape Architect, except for single and two family homes.

All landscape plans shall have a schedule of the Latin and common name, the quantity, the size, spacing, and method of planting of each plant material.

A minimum landscaped area five feet wide shall be provided along all property lines including public streets.

All buffers and landscaped areas shall be protected from adjacent parking areas by curbs, or concrete, metal or wood bumpers at least six inches in height and securely anchored into the ground

Service areas, parking areas, transformer compounds, and other strictly utilitarian improvements, shall be screened as fully as practicable. In general, it is intended that possible objectionable or unsightly features within a given development shall be screened from passing traffic or abutting residential properties.

In the case of a repetition of building designs, as in apartment house development, care shall be exercised to avoid monotony in the planting design by introducing sufficient variety in the planting layout to lend interest and aesthetic appeal. By the same token, excessive variety shall be avoided, and all shall be represented as a balance design with proper accent in the right places.

All street trees and on-site deciduous shade trees shall be not less than two-inch caliper, measured one foot above the root crown. A reasonable and satisfactory number of trees, as determined by the Municipality, with a caliper of not less than six inches, measured one foot above the root crown, shall be included on site, where existing trees are not present or have not been preserved.

A satisfactory amount of evergreen plant material shall be included in the planting, this to be judged on an individual basis by the Municipality. Evergreen trees shall not be less than six feet in height.

Areas required for buffers shall not be cleared or graded prior to development approval as outlined in the Land Use Procedures, Chapter 20

Retaining walls shall not be permitted within buffer areas unless approved as part of site plan approval.

In all zones where a multi-family, or commercial zone line abuts a single-family residential zone, a fifty-foot buffer shall be established and maintained.

In all zones where a multi-family development zone line abuts an existing commercial zone, a fifty-foot buffer must be established and maintained by the multi-family developer, unless such a buffer is already established along the common boundary of that zone.

In all zones where a commercial zone line abuts a multi-family residential zone, a twenty-foot buffer must be established and maintained unless such a buffer is already established and maintained along the common boundary of that zone.

Off-street parking or loading shall not be permitted in any buffer area.

In calculating landscaped areas, the areas of plazas, open or enclosed pedestrian shopping malls, sitting areas, pools and fountains shall be included. Landscaped areas within and between parking areas shall also be included.

In all zones, a minimum of 20% of the site shall be devoted to landscaped areas in addition to all required buffers.