The landscaping, screening and buffer regulations, adopted and prescribed in this Ordinance, are found by the Board of Commissioners to be necessary and appropriate to:

(A)

Encourage a high-quality appearance for development, thoroughfares and streets.

(B)

Reduce soil erosion and increase infiltration in permeable land areas essential to storm water management and aquifer recharge.

(C)

Preserve existing native vegetation as an integral part of the wildlife habitats and incorporate native plants into the landscape design.

(D)

Screen unsightly equipment or materials from the view of persons on public streets or adjoining properties and buffering from uncomplimentary land uses.

(E)

Preserve and improve the visual quality, the sense of privacy and values of property.

(F)

Encourage the creation of attractive and harmonious communities by establishing minimum standards as a guideline for enforcing and achieving the above.

(A)

Exemptions. These requirements shall not apply to:

(1)

Single family detached dwellings or two-family dwellings on their own lots.

(2)

Multi-family developments containing four (4) or fewer dwelling units in a single zone (building) lot.

(B)

Application. These requirements shall apply to the following:

(1)

New Principal Building or Use: Principal buildings or open uses of land constructed or established after the adoption of this Ordinance.

(2)

Expansions or Reconstruction: Expansions which will result in a parking or building square footage increases of more than three thousand (3,000) square feet for developments existing on the effective date of this Ordinance. In such cases the landscaping requirements shall apply only to the expansion.

(A)

Planting and Maintenance. Landscaping, trees, and plant material shall be planted in a growing condition according to accepted horticultural practices and they shall be maintained in a healthy growing condition. Any landscaping, trees, and plant material in a condition that does not fulfill the intent of these regulations shall be replaced by the property owner during the next planting season.

(B)

Screening Fences and Walls. A screening fence or wall area shall be maintained by the property owner, in good condition, throughout the period of the use of the lot.

(C)

Protection of Existing Vegetation. To the extent possible, existing trees, vegetation, and unique site features shall be retained and protected. Existing healthy, mature trees, if properly located, shall be fully credited against the requirements of these regulations.

(D)

Size and Spacing of Landscape Materials.

(1)

Trees shall be a minimum of six (6) to eight (8) feet in height, with a minimum caliper of one and one half (1½) inches, immediately after planting. Trees shall reach an expected height of 25 to 35 feet at maturity.

(2)

Spacing of Trees. Trees shall be planted 25 to 35 feet on center depending on species.

(3)

Evergreen trees shall be a minimum of six (6) feet immediately after planting.

(4)

Shrubs and hedges shall be a minimum of two (2) feet in height immediately after planting.

(5)

Ground cover may include any plant material that reaches an average height of not more than 12 inches. Alternative materials may be used in lieu of grass provided they present a finished appearance and provide reasonably complete coverage at the time of planting.

(6)

Plants that restrict sight visibility at intersections of streets or driveways, such as tall shrubs or low branching trees, shall be avoided.

(E)

Alternate Methods of Compliance. Where lot size, shape, topography or existing structures make it not feasible to comply with the provisions of this Ordinance, the Zoning Administrator may modify these provisions provided the alternate proposal will afford a degree of landscaping screening and buffering equivalent to or exceeding the requirements of these regulations.

A front landscaped area shall be required for all multi-family developments with more than four (4) units and all non-residential uses. The required landscaped area shall be contiguous to the front lot line of the property and have an average minimum width of ten (10) feet. The area shall be covered with grass or other ground cover and shall include appropriate trees and shrubs. At a minimum, one (1) tree and ten (10) shrubs shall be planted within the front landscaped area for each 50 feet or fraction thereof of lot frontage. The purpose of the landscaping is to enhance the appearance of the use of the lot but not to negate access or screen the use from view.

A buffer area shall be required to separate and screen incompatible land uses from each other. A buffer area shall be required along all boundaries of a two-family, multi-family, or a nonresidential lot abutting a less intensive use. Such buffer shall comply with the following minimum standards.

(A)

A buffer area shall be located within the boundaries of the subject property. The buffer may be located on abutting property, provided the owners of all abutting properties agree in writing to the proposal. Said agreement must be recorded and run with the land and provide stipulations for maintenance and upkeep, as deemed necessary.

(B)

The minimum width (in linear feet) of the buffer area shall be following the buffer matrix below:

PROPOSED USE

ADJACENT USE

(C)

The buffer area shall consist of trees and shrubs of such a type, height, spacing and arrangement to effectively buffer the activity on the lot from the neighboring area. At a minimum, the planting shall consist of five (5) trees and ten (10) shrubs per 100 linear feet for five (5) to ten (10) foot buffers, ten (10) trees and 15 shrubs per 100 linear feet for 15-20 foot buffers, and 20 trees and 20 shrubs per 100 linear feet for 25 foot buffers.

(D)

An earthen berm, fence, or wall of a location, height, design, and material approved by the Zoning Administrator may be substituted for any portion of the required planting and/or buffer area. Fences and walls, if substituted, shall be constructed of materials congruous with the materials of the main building. Trees and shrubs shall supplement earthen berms, fences, or wall areas.

Parking areas shall comply with the following minimum standards:

(A)

All uses required to have 20 or more off-street parking spaces shall have at least ten (10) square feet of interior landscaping, within the paved portion of the parking area, for each parking space and at least one (1) tree for every ten (10) parking spaces or fraction thereof.

(B)

Each interior landscaped area shall contain a minimum of 200 square feet and shall be planted with shrubs and trees.

(C)

A landscaped area shall be provided along the perimeter of any parking area. The required landscaped area shall have a minimum width of five (5) feet and shall be planted with two (2) trees and ten (10) shrubs per 100 linear feet of perimeter area.

(D)

Interior landscaped areas shall be spaced throughout the lot to reduce the visual impact of long rows of parked cars. At a minimum, landscaped areas shall be distributed approximately once every ten (10) spaces for residential and once every 15 spaces for other developments.

(E)

Landscaped areas shall be provided at the ends of parking aisles and shall be planted with shrubs and/or trees.

(F)

The required number of parking spaces may be reduced by one (1) parking space for each 150 square feet of interior planting area, not exceeding ten percent (10%).

Outdoor storage areas shall be screened from view of adjacent streets, and from all residentially zoned land by a double row of evergreen shrubs or trees planted to form a continuous hedge of at least six (6) feet in height within two (2) years of installation.

All non-residential uses shall screen from view from public places and neighboring properties all mechanical equipment, such as but not limited to, ground or roof mounted air conditioning, air conditioners, or pumps, through the use of features such as berms, fences, false facades or dense landscaping compatible with the site.

All new buildings and uses, except for single-family and two-family dwellings, shall provide facilities for the central storage of solid waste within the lot. Where such facilities are provided outside of a building they shall be screened from adjacent property by an enclosure constructed of materials congruous with the materials on the exterior wall of the main buildings.

All areas of a developed lot not occupied by buildings, structures, pedestrian and vehicle circulation ways, off-street parking and outside storage shall be appropriately improved with ground cover, trees, shrubbery or mulch. No exposed soils shall be permitted after issuance of the Certificate of Occupancy, except for agricultural activities or extraction of earth products.

The following trees and shrubs by way of example but not by way of limitation are suitable for use in the Dobson area: