A.

Landscape materials shall measure the minimum sizes at the time of planting as described below.

1.

Trees: [Amended Ord. 08/03/04].

A.

Deciduous trees: Two-inch caliper measured at six inches above ground level. [Added Ord. 08/03/04].

B.

Evergreen trees: Shall measure a minimum of five to six feet in height. [Added Ord. 08/03/04].

2.

Shrubs: 12 inches tall from ground level to the top of the shrub, except that shrubs used for screening shall be at least 2.5 feet tall at planting and shall reach a mature height of five feet.

B.

Minimum landscape area. All development subject to this ordinance shall provide required screening, foundation landscaping, parking lot landscaping, bufferyards and street trees. The total landscape area shall not be less than 15 percent of the project area of multi-family residential, commercial and industrial development areas. [Amended Ord. 10/04/05]

C.

Minimum planting requirements. The minimum number of plants shall comply with the standards in Table 4-2. (see appendix A-2, Carroll County Required Tree and Shrub List; other trees and shrubs may be substituted based upon the approval of the director or the director's designee. [Amended Ord. 08/03/04].

Table 4-2: Required Plantings

^* A large tree includes any tree that typically reaches 30 feet or more in height at maturity. All other trees are considered small or medium sized trees.

D.

New plant materials. All new living plant materials shall satisfy the requirements of No. 1 or better as defined in the most current edition of Grades and Standards for Nursery Plants. All separate landscaped areas shall have a minimum variety of two living plant materials. Paving and artificial plants shall not be counted towards required landscape area.

E.

Lawn grass and ground covers: Grass shall be sodded, plugged, sprigged, or seeded except that yards fronting the transportation corridors shall be sodded only. In addition sod shall be used in swales or other areas subject to erosion. In areas where plant material other than solid sod or grass is used, a fast-growing grass seed shall be sown for immediate effect and protection until coverage is otherwise achieved. Grass shall be clean and reasonably free of weeds and noxious pests or disease. The director may at his/her discretion determine whether a yard is a front, side or rear yard [Amended Ord. 10/04/05]

Table 4.3 [Deleted Ord. 08/03/04]

F.

Existing plant material. Existing vegetation shall be preserved to the extent feasible. The area encompassed by the canopy of any existing trees retained shall be credited towards the total landscape area requirement.

G.

Soils. The planting beds for all landscaping materials shall be free of weeds, debris, and noxious material and shall consist of a healthy plant growth medium. The planting bed soils shall provide adequate support, drainage, and nutrients for the plants and thus may require the incorporation of sand, peat, and/or topsoil into the soil. Such soils shall be placed throughout the planting hole for each plant, and this hole shall be at least twice as wide as the width of the plant ball and 1.5 times as deep as the depth of the plant ball.

H.

Planting areas. A minimum planting area of 100 square feet shall be provided for every tree. These planting areas shall be no less than ten (10) feet wide for a large tree and no less than five feet wide for other landscape materials.

I.

Streetscape. Applicants shall provide a minimum ten-foot wide landscaped strip between all road rights-of-way and the back-of-curb of abutting off-street paved parking lots. At least one tree shall be planted every 100 linear feet along the street.

J.

Parking lots. For any off-street parking lot containing over ten spaces, or for any combination of parking areas on a single lot providing more than ten spaces, compliance with minimum landscaping shall be required.

1.

At least 30 percent of the landscaping requirement for non-residential development shall be provided within or abutting parking areas.

2.

Parking lot shade trees may be located at the end of parking bays, between parking bays, and along the perimeters of parking lots, provided that no parking space shall be farther than 100 feet from the trunk of a tree.

3.

Vehicle overhang into planting strips is allowable with a minimum separation of three feet between the curb and any tree or shrub. Wheel stops will be used where curbing does not provide the minimum vehicle/tree separation.