The purpose of this chapter is to establish minimum requirements for landscaping to promote safety, to provide screening between incompatible land uses, to mitigate the adverse effects of development on the environment, and to improve the visual environment for resident and nonresident alike.

(Ord. 541 § 1 (part), 1999)

In the various zone districts of the town of Darrington, landscaping in the front, rear and side yards shall be provided as established by the various use district chapters of this title. Minimum required front yard landscaped areas in the R-MD zone may have up to twenty percent of their required landscape area developed for pedestrian and transit facilities upon approval by the board of architectural review.

(Ord. 541 § 1 (part), 1999)

The required landscape areas shall be increased by a minimum of twenty-five percent or fifty percent or by construction of a decorative fence or solid planting screen, to be approved by the town planner, along the applicable front, side and/or rear property line(s) in the following circumstances:

A.

Twenty-five percent increase with a minimum of five feet when:

1.

Office use district occurs across the street from a single-family use district,

2.

Commercial use district occurs across the street from a single-family use district,

3.

Industrial use district occurs adjacent to a commercial use district;

B.

Fifty percent increase with a minimum of five feet when industrial use district occurs across the street from a single-family or multiple-family use district;

C.

Installation of a solid planting screen within a ten-foot wide landscape strip with a height of five to eight feet or the construction of a decorative fence, to be approved by the planning department when:

1.

Commercial use district occurs adjacent to a single-family use district,

2.

Industrial use district occurs adjacent to a single-family or multiple-family use district;

D.

Fifteen feet of landscaping shall be provided when a nonresidential development in a light industrial district abuts or is across the street from residential uses. This landscaping shall be outside of any fence used to prevent access to the development in a light industrial district.

(Ord. 541 § 1 (part), 1999)

A.

Landscape Architect Required. For all residential projects of eight units or more and/or any commercial project, a Washington State licensed landscape architect shall prepare and stamp the landscape plans in accordance with the standards herein.

B.

Coverage Standards. All landscaped areas (including shrub beds) shall achieve ninety percent live ground coverage in three years and all areas not occupied by a building (including surface parking areas) shall achieve forty percent horizontal tree coverage in ten years.

C.

Visibility. The landscaping shall not obstruct view from or into the driveway, sidewalk or street.

D.

Outside Storage Areas. Outdoor storage shall be screened from abutting public streets and from adjacent properties. Such screens shall be a minimum of eight feet high and not less than sixty percent of the height of the material stored. Said screens shall be specified on the plot plan and approved by the town planner. Except in the R-MD zone, where outdoor storage shall be fully screened from all public roadways and adjacent parcels with a sight obscuring structure equal in height to the stored objects and with exterior landscaping. A top screen cover may be exempted if the item(s) has a finished top and an equivalent design quality is maintained. The screening structure shall reflect building architecture as determined by the BAR to be appropriate.

E.

Parking Area Perimeter. In the R-MD zone, all parking areas shall have a perimeter landscape strip. This strip shall be a minimum of two feet wide and have an average five-foot width. Additional requirements may exist for parking areas in the commercial district.

F.

Interior landscaping for each distinctly separates the parking area. In the R-MD zone, landscaping within parking areas shall be provided as shown below:

1.

For areas with up to twenty parking stalls, no interior landscaping is required.

2.

For areas with twenty-one through forty parking stalls, the required amount of interior landscape area is seven square feet for each parking stall.

3.

For areas with more than forty parking stalls per parking area, the required amount of interior landscape area is twelve square feet for each parking stall.

4.

Planting Standards.

a.

Interior planting areas to be distributed to break up expanses of paving;

b.

Minimum size of interior parking lot planting islands is one hundred square feet;

c.

Planters to be a minimum of six feet in any direction and generally the length of the adjacent parking space;

d.

A landscaped area shall be placed at the end of each interior row in the parking area with no more than ten stalls or ninety feet between the landscape areas;

e.

Minimum of one evergreen or deciduous tree per planting area.

G.

Automatic Irrigation. In all zones, the landscape areas shall be served by an automatic irrigation system. Moisture sensors such as in-ground sensors and rain check sensors shall be installed. All piping shall be installed or insulated to accommodate the expected variations in weather conditions.

H.

Utility Easements. Utility easements and other similar areas between property lines and curbing shall be landscaped and/or treated with dust and erosion control planting or surfacing such as evergreens, groundcover, shrubs, trees, sod or a combination of similar materials. In areas of overhead transmission lines, no shrubs or trees over twenty feet at maturity will be allowed.

(Ord. 541 § 1 (part), 1999)

Detailed plans for landscaping and screening shall be submitted with plans for building and site improvements. Included in the plans shall be type and location of plants and materials and location of irrigation systems. All irrigation systems shall be designed to accommodate freezing conditions. Installation of the landscaping and screening shall be completed prior to issuance of the certificate of occupancy or within a reasonable period of time determined by the town planner and stated on the building permit.

(Ord. 541 § 1 (part), 1999)

In all R-SF and R-MD zoning districts, any proposed multiple-family structure, complex or development shall provide on the premises and for the use of the occupants a minimum amount of recreation space according to the following provisions:

A.

Required Area.

1.

For each proposed dwelling unit in the single-family, duplex or zero lot line development through subdivision, a project must provide a minimum of three hundred fifty square feet of recreation space.

2.

For each proposed dwelling unit in the multiple-family or condominium development, a minimum of four hundred square feet of recreation space shall be provided. Any multiple-family structure, complex or development shall provide a minimum of one thousand square feet of total recreation space.

3.

The front, side and rear yard setback areas required by the applicable zoning district shall not qualify as recreation space.

B.

Indoor or Covered Space.

1.

No more than fifty percent of the required recreation space may be indoor or covered space.

2.

The board of architectural review may grant a maximum of two square feet of recreation space for each one square foot of extensively improved indoor recreation space provided. Interior facility improvements would include a full range of weight machines, sauna, hot tub, large screen television and the like.

C.

Uncovered Space.

1.

A minimum of fifty percent of the total required recreation space shall be open or uncovered, up to one hundred percent of the total requirement may be in open or uncovered recreation space.

2.

Recreation space shall not exceed a four percent slope in any direction unless it is determined that the proposed space design clearly facilitates and encourages the anticipated use as endorsed by the town planner.

3.

The board of architectural review may grant a maximum credit of two square feet of recreation space for each one square foot of outdoor pool and surrounding deck areas.

D.

General Requirements.

1.

Multiple-family complexes, which provide dwelling units with two or more bedrooms, shall provide adequate recreation space for children with at least one space for the five-to-twelve-year old group. Such space shall be at least twenty-five percent but not more than fifty percent of the total recreation space required under subsection A of this section, and shall be designated, located and maintained in a safe condition.

2.

Adequate fencing, plant screening or other buffer shall separate the recreation space from parking areas, driveways or public streets.

3.

The anticipated use of all required recreation areas shall be specified and designed to clearly accommodate that use. All recreation facilities shall be ADA accessible.

E.

All planned or cluster developments may have additional landscape/recreation/open space requirement to set the impacts of additional density.

(Ord. 541 § 1 (part), 1999)

In the R-MD zone, porches, alcoves and pedestrian circulation walkways shall be provided with low level safety lighting.

(Ord. 541 § 1 (part), 1999)

Apartment and condominium developments over six units shall provide one and one-half square feet of recycling storage space per dwelling unit and located in collection points as follows:

A.

No dwelling unit within the development shall be more than two hundred feet from a collection point;

B.

Collection points shall be located so that hauling trucks do not obstruct pedestrian or vehicle traffic on-site, or project into any public right-of-way;

C.

Collection points shall not be located in any required setback or landscape area.

(Ord. 541 § 1 (part), 1999)

A.

Recycling storage space for nonresidential uses shall be provided at the rate of at lease:

1.

Two square feet per every one thousand square feet of building gross floor area in office, medical, professional, public facility, school and institutional developments;

2.

Three square feet per every one thousand square feet of building gross floor area in manufacturing, industrial and other nonresidential uses not specifically mentioned in these requirements;

3.

Five square feet per every 1,000 square feet of building gross floor area in retail developments.

B.

Outdoor collection points shall not be located in any required setback or landscape area.

C.

Collection points shall be located in a manner so that hauling trucks do not obstruct pedestrian or vehicle traffic on-site, or project into any public right-of-way.

(Ord. 541 § 1 (part), 1999)

Residential and nonresidential collection points shall be designed as follows:

A.

An opaque wall or fence of sufficient size and height to provide complete screening shall enclose any outside collection point. Architectural design shall be consistent with the design of the primary structure(s) on the site.

B.

Collection points shall be identified by signs not to exceed two square feet.

C.

Weather protection of recyclables and garbage shall be ensured by using weatherproof containers or by providing a roof over the storage area.

D.

The public works director shall approve all trash collection designs.

(Ord. 541 § 1 (part), 1999)