Chapter 499, Trees.

Article III, Major Subdivision Procedure, § 460-15A(13), Revegetation plans.

Article V, Site Plan Approval, § 460-37A(16), Revegetation plans.

Article VII, Design Standards, § 460-72, Street shade trees; existing trees.

Article VII, Design Standards, § 460-73, Buffers.

All land areas not covered with buildings, parking, or other impervious surfaces shall be landscaped with suitable materials. Landscaping shall consist of trees, shrubs, ground cover, perennials, and annuals singly or in common as well as other inanimate materials such as rocks, water, sculpture, art, walls, fences, and paving materials.

A landscape design shall be provided as part of site plan and subdivision submissions in accordance with Chapter 460. Every applicant for subdivision or site plan approval shall comply with the minimum standards as set forth in this section.

The Land Use Planning Board may require additional landscaping to create an appropriate landscaping scheme for the site given the nature of the site and the proposed development.

Where subdivisions only are applied for, the minimum standards shall apply only to street trees and to common open space and areas proposed to be dedicated to the public.

All landscape plants shall be typical in size and weight for their species and shall conform to the standards of the American Association of Nurserymen for quality and installation.

Plants with pervasive root systems shall not be located where they may cause damage to drainage pipes or other underground utilities and stormwater management facilities and should generally be no closer than 10 feet measured horizontally.

All plants shall be tolerant of specific site conditions. The use of indigenous species is strongly encouraged. Exotic, non-native invasive plant species shall not be permitted.

Visual screening is required to buffer all trash enclosures, aboveground propane tanks and other similar structures.

Landscaping shall be conceived holistically and be designed to achieve a thorough integration of the various elements of site design, including building and parking placement, the natural features of the site and the preservation of pleasing or aesthetic views. Landscaping shall be used to accent and complement the form and type of building proposed.

In the landscape design of sites, areas shall be designated for retaining existing trees and the replacement of trees cleared from the site in accordance with Chapters 460 and 499.

Landscaping shall be located to provide effective climatic control. The east and west walls of a building should be the most heavily vegetated to shade for summer sun and the north to northwest area for winter prevailing winds. The southerly facing side of a building should be shaded from summer sun but open for solar gain during the winter.

Plant's susceptibility to disease, their colors, textures, shapes, blossoms, and foliage characteristics shall be considered in the overall design of a landscape plan.

Local soil conditions and water availability shall be considered in the choice of landscaping.

In the design process, the eventual maturity of the plant shall be considered for its effect on circulation patterns, solar access, site lighting, drainage, emergency access and relationship to buildings and the streetscape.

Native species of landscape plants shall be used to the maximum extent possible.

Street and shade trees. The following trees are recommended for street tree purposes and may be used for site development purposes:

Additional recommended trees. The following trees are recommended for site development purposes:

Recommended shrubs. The following shrubs are recommended for site development purposes:

Street trees. Street trees shall be planted along the entire length of the street frontage(s) of the property, all in accordance with an approved landscape plan. A minimum of one tree for every 50 linear feet of street frontage(s) shall be required. Trees shall be planted at regular intervals, but the spacing may be adjusted due to the location of utility poles and/or driveways as approved by the municipal agency's engineer. The street trees shall be planted within the right-of-way on Township roads and behind the right-of-way line on county roads and state highways. If a street tree cannot be placed at the 50-foot spacing due to site limitations, the equivalent number of street trees is still required to be planted on the site.

Front yard. A landscaped planting area of 25 feet in depth shall be provided along the street line. The planting area shall be landscaped in an informal manner, utilizing a mix of evergreen and deciduous plant material. The plant material should include evergreen and ornamental trees, as well as a variety of shrubs and ground covers that provide a variety of height, color and texture. The use of berms is encouraged for added visual interest. Parking may be provided between the required landscape area and the building line. Pedestrian/bicycle paths may be placed within the landscape area and through the buffer if so permitted by the approving authority.

Side and rear yards. Along each side property line, a landscape area of at least 15 feet in width or 5% of the average lot width, whichever is larger, up to a maximum of 25 feet shall be provided. Along each rear property line, a landscaped buffer of at least 20 feet in depth shall be provided.

All land not covered with buildings, parking or other impervious surfaces shall be landscaped with suitable materials for landscape purposes.

Stormwater management basins shall not be permitted between any required landscape area and the street line.

General requirements.

Plant density requirements. The density of plantings shall comply with the following requirements:

Existing vegetation may substitute for all or part of the required buffer plantings and may be accepted in lieu of new plantings at the discretion of the Land Use Planning Board.

Lots for apartment and nonresidential uses shall balance the functional requirements of parking with the provision of pedestrian amenities. Transition areas between parking and civic, nonresidential, or residential uses shall be designed with textured paving, landscaping, and street furniture approved by the Land Use Planning Board.

Parking lot layout, landscaping, buffering, and screening shall be provided to minimize direct views of parked vehicles from streets and sidewalks, avoid spillover light, glare, noise, or exhaust fumes onto adjacent properties, in particular residential properties, and provide the parking area with a reasonable measure of shade when trees reach maturity. In order to achieve these objectives, parking lots exposed to the public view shall be surrounded by a minimum of a three-foot-high, year-round visually impervious screen, hedge, or wall. However, where these buffers are used to screen driveways or approach sidewalks or walkways, the walls will be located in a manner to provide adequate visibility of pedestrians from motor vehicles and shall not interfere with clear sight triangle requirements.

The interior of all parking lots shall be landscaped to provide shade and visual relief. This is best achieved by protected planting islands or peninsulas within the perimeter of the parking lot. Parking lots with 10 or less spaces may not require interior landscaping if the approving authority determines that there is adequate perimeter landscaping. In parking lots with 11 or more spaces, a maximum of one deciduous shade tree shall be required to be planted in the parking lot for every five parking spaces. A 100-square-foot planting area, or equivalent planter, is required per tree. Shade trees shall be planted no more than 50 feet on center within landscape islands and around the perimeter of the parking lot. Choice of plant materials, buffer width, type of screening, location, and frequency of tree planting shall be flexible, provided these objectives are designed to the satisfaction of the Land Use Planning Board.

Parking lot layout shall take into consideration pedestrian circulation. Pedestrian crosswalks shall be provided, where necessary and appropriate, shall be distinguished by textured paving, and shall be integrated into the wider network of pedestrian walkways. Pavement textures shall be required on pedestrian access-ways and strongly encouraged elsewhere in the parking lot as surfacing materials or when used as accents and as approved by the Land Use Planning Board.

Sufficient lighting shall be provided on each site or along roadways to ensure the security of property and to protect the safety of persons between the hours of sunset and sunrise when the establishment or facility is in use.

Lighting shall be so designed to avoid the creation of hazards to motorists and pedestrians or nuisance to adjoining property owners or residents. Lighting directed towards the sky shall be designed to prevent interference with commercial aviation routes.

Lighting levels, lamp color, and fixture type shall be consistent throughout the parcel in question and shall complement building architecture and landscaping. Lighting shall be designed to minimize energy and maintenance requirements and shall comply with the U.S. Energy Policy Act of 1992[1] as it may be amended or superseded.

Exterior lighting not building mounted shall be supplied by electricity from underground cabling.

Design criteria. The design of street lighting shall take into consideration:

Lighting standard placement. Excepting rural roads and lanes, lighting standards shall be located at the following places:

Light standards shall be staggered on both sides of the roadway.

Fixture type. In general, any street lamp type installed by the electric service provider shall be permitted, provided that the lamp is high pressure sodium and the illumination provided is greater than or equal to the following:

Rural streets shall not be illuminated except as may be required by the Land Use Planning Board for public safety purposes and is primarily expected at intersections with arterial and collector roads.

Lighting shall be provided by fixtures with a mounting height not more than 25 feet or the height of the building, whichever is less, measured from the ground level to the centerline of the light source.

Any other outdoor lighting such as building and sidewalk illumination, driveways with no adjacent parking, the lighting of signs and ornamental lighting, shall be shown on the lighting plan in sufficient detail to allow a determination of the effects upon adjacent properties, traffic safety and overhead sky glow. The objectives of these specifications are to minimize undesirable off-premises effects. No light shall shine into building windows, or onto streets and driveways so as to interfere with or distract driver vision. To achieve these requirements, the intensity of such light sources, the light shielding and similar characteristics shall be subject to site plan approval. Wall-mounted fixtures are only permitted if directed into a site and not positioned towards neighboring properties or public streets.

Maximum lighting controls. The ratio of average illumination, measured in footcandles, to minimum illumination, as required in the table above shall not exceed 4 to 1. The maximum illumination provided on any site shall not exceed the minimum illumination by more than a ratio of 10 to 1.

Chapter 264, Fire Lanes.

Chapter 275, Flood Damage Prevention.

Chapter 343, Noise.

Chapter 347, Nuisances, Public Health.

Chapter 386, Property, Vacant and Abandoned.

Chapter 415, Sewers and Sewage Disposal.

Chapter 432, Soil Erosion and Sediment Control.

Chapter 436, Soil Removal.

Chapter 450, Stormwater Management.

Chapter 456, Streets and Sidewalks.

Chapter 460, Subdivision of Land and Site Plan Review.

Chapter 499, Trees.

Any state statute regulating the design of subdivisions and site plans.