Certain terms used in this section are defined as follows:

10.01.01 Frontage Landscaping. Treatment of grade, ground cover, vegetation and ornamentation between any off-street parking area and adjoining rights-of-way. See Figure 10-1.

10.01.02 Interior Landscaping. Treatment of grade, ground cover, vegetation and ornamentation within an off-street parking area. See Figure 10-1.

10.01.03 Perimeter Landscaping. Treatment of grade, ground cover, vegetation and ornamentation between an off-street parking area and adjoining properties. See Figure 10-1.

10.01.04 Vehicular Area. Any area used for the circulation or parking of automobiles, including but not limited to, parking lots, driveways, fuel island aprons and drive-through facilities. Does not include vehicle sales display areas or fully screened storage areas for vehicles.

Figure 10-1 Landscape Areas

Screening provides visual separation of certain site elements from public areas and adjoining properties.

10.02.01 Applicability. For all multifamily, nonresidential and mixed-use developments, the following must be screened from public view and view from adjoining properties, excluding properties in an M-1 or M-2 District:

A.

Waste collection, recycling and refuse handling areas;

B.

Maintenance areas or utility structures associated with a building or development;

C.

Outside runs for veterinarians, pet grooming, animal shelters, and kennels;

D.

Mechanical units;

E.

Outdoor storage of materials, stock, equipment, and vehicles (such as those stored for repair), not including retail display;

F.

Any other uses for which screening may be required by the approving authority.

The Zoning Official may reduce screening requirements between similar site elements on adjoining properties provided the site elements are adequately screened from public view.

10.02.02 Design Requirements. Screening must comply with the following and as required by the approving authority:

A.

Location of the site element should be the first consideration in providing required screening. The approving authority may reduce requirements when the location of the element obscures it from public view and from neighboring properties.

B.

Screening may not impede any drainage way or block access to any above-ground, pad-mounted transformer. The utility company may require a minimum clear distance.

C.

The method of screening, including height and materials, must sufficiently screen the site element from view. Screening may be provided through evergreen plantings, an enclosure meeting the requirements of Section 10.05 or a combination of these. The minimum height needed is preferred.

D.

Multiple elements may be screened together.

E.

In addition to screening elements that produce objectionable noise or odors may be required to be located to minimize any nuisance to the public and abutting properties.

F.

Shrubs, if used as the primary screening material, must be evergreen and spaced so that, at maturity, they create a solid, opaque screen. If used in combination with a fence, shrubs may be deciduous and must be spaced no more than eight feet on center.

10.02.03 Requirements for Specific Uses.

A.

Refuse and recycling containers may not be located forward of the front building line or in required buffers. These containers must be placed on a concrete pad and screened on three sides with an opaque access gate that is normally kept closed. The fence must be at least two feet taller than the container. The enclosure must be of wood or masonry construction or a combination of these. Waste containers of 20 gallons or less do not require screening unless more than two such containers are kept together.

B.

Outdoor storage must be screened to at least the height of the material or equipment to be screened.

C.

Outdoor service areas, work yards, and similar uses should be located to minimize their visibility to the public and to any abutting properties to which such functions would be objectionable. Where location on site is insufficient to screen the element, required screening must be at least six feet in height.

10.03.01 Applicability. Buffers must be provided as specified in Table 10-1 and as described in this Section. Buffers are the responsibility of the developing land use. Buffer requirements are based on the developing land use and the existing, adjoining use. Required yards, when corresponding with the buffer area, may overlap and may be counted toward buffer width requirements. A Landscaping Plan must be approved prior to issuance of a Building Permit.

10.03.02 Modifications. Buffer requirements may be modified by the approving authority as follows:

A.

When the proposed use will adjoin an existing, nonconforming use on a property that is designated for another use in the Comprehensive Plan and is zoned accordingly, the buffer requirement may be modified to be consistent with the use of the neighboring property projected by the Comprehensive Plan.

B.

If the land use relationship between two adjoining lots changes so that a lesser buffer would be required, the previously provided buffer may be reduced.

C.

Whenever the proposed use adjoins vacant land, buffer requirements are based on the zoning of the adjoining property or the use projected by the Comprehensive Plan, whichever requires a lesser buffer.

D.

Buffers may not be used for parking, recreational use or any other purpose, except as follows:

(1)

The approving authority may permit a walkway through a buffer.

(2)

Public utilities and storm drainage facilities may be constructed in a buffer, if the buffer otherwise complies with this Section.

Table 10-1 Buffer Requirements By Use

10.03.03 Design Standards.

A.

Shrubs and trees used to meet buffer requirements must be evergreen but may be supplemented with deciduous plants.

B.

Prior to occupancy of the premises, buffer plantings must be of a size and spacing to provide a visual barrier from the ground to at least four feet above grade throughout the length of the buffer. Plantings must be spaced as closely as possible while accommodating healthy growth.

C.

Within one year after installation, the buffer must provide an opaque visual barrier from the ground to at least six feet above grade throughout its length. When a fence is provided that is at least six feet tall and meets the requirements of Section 10.05, buffer plantings need not be taller than four feet above grade and the buffer width may be reduced as provided in Table 10-1.

10.04.01 Purpose. These regulations are intended to: protect the appearance and value of surrounding properties, and thereby promote the general health, safety and welfare; insulate public rights-of-way and adjoining residential properties from noise, glare, overall visual impact and other distractions from off-street parking areas; provide shade in off-street parking areas; and promote stormwater management by incorporating landscape areas in impervious parking lots.

10.04.02 Applicability

A.

These regulations apply to vehicular areas in nonresidential, multifamily and mixed-use developments used for off-street parking and loading; vehicular storage, display, maneuvering and washing; and the dispensing of motor fuels as specified in Table 10-2.

B.

Single-family dwellings are exempt from these regulations; however, these regulations apply to parking areas for swimming pools and other common areas in single family residential development maintained by a private homeowners' association or any public entity.

C.

Existing vehicular areas: If the size of an existing vehicular area is increased by more than 20% or by ten or more spaces, the new vehicular area must comply with this Section. If the existing vehicular area is increased by more than 40% or by 25 or more spaces, the entire off-street parking area must be brought into conformity with these regulations.

Table 10-2 General Requirements

10.04.03 Frontage landscaping

A.

A landscaped strip with a minimum ten-foot depth must be provided along all adjoining public rights-of-way, which must include a minimum of one tree and six shrubs per full 50 ft of lot frontage.

B.

When a fence or wall meeting the standards in Section 10.05 is provided as part of frontage landscaping, the landscaping strip may be reduced to six feet in depth and the number of shrubs required reduced by 50%.

10.04.04 Perimeter landscaping

A.

A landscaped strip at least ten-foot deep must be provided between off-street parking areas and adjoining properties. When a fence or wall meeting the standards in Section 10.05 is provided, the landscaping strip may be reduced to six feet deep. If a wall or fence is provided on the adjoining lot, the approving authority may permit a perimeter landscaping strip of lesser depth without the need for a wall or fence to be provided on the site. Landscaping within rights-of-way or on adjoining property do not count toward required perimeter landscaping.

B.

Perimeter landscaping strips must be planted with evergreen shrubs at an average spacing of four feet and one tree per 50 ft. Where this overlaps or conflicts with other landscaping requirements, the greater requirement governs. Driveway connections to adjoining properties are encouraged and are subtracted from perimeter landscaping requirements.

C.

Where the vehicular area is located more than 20 ft from a side or rear lot line, shrub spacing may be increased to six feet.

10.04.05 Interior landscaping

A.

Each vehicular area must have interior landscaping covering at least five percent of the total vehicular area.

B.

To be counted toward these requirements, islands and peninsulas must be at least 100 ft in area, at least six feet in their least dimension exclusive of curbs, and must contain at least one tree.

10.04.06 Landscaping must be as uniformly distributed as practicable. When practicable, islands and/or peninsulas must be placed at the ends of parking aisles or between any circulation drives and parking aisles.

Fences used to meet the landscaping requirements of this Article are subject to the following:

10.05.01 Fences must be vinyl, masonry, durable wood, cementitious wood or a combination thereof. Untreated wood, chain-link, plastic or wire fencing cannot be used to meet landscaping requirements.

10.05.02 For frontage and perimeter landscaping, no more than 25% of the fence surface may be left open. Fences used as part of frontage or perimeter landscaping must be at least three feet tall.

10.05.03 The finished side of the fence must face abutting property or public views.

10.05.04 Shrubs and trees required for buffers, screening or landscaping must be planted on the exterior side of the fence.

10.05.05 If a fence extends more than 100 ft in one direction, it must have columns, which project outward from the fence surface and are spaced no more than 50 ft on center.

Planting requirements may be modified in the following circumstances, as determined by the approving authority:

10.06.01 Where existing trees and other vegetation fulfill in part or in whole the purposes for which landscaping is required.

10.06.02 Where impending development of adjoining property would make these standards unreasonable or impractical.

10.06.03 Where views from adjoining properties is blocked by a change in grade or other natural or man-made features.

10.06.04 Where planting will not thrive due to poor soil conditions, intense shade or similar conditions that cannot be reasonably overcome

10.06.05 Where use of alternative landscaping methods would enable preservation of unique natural or historic features or views of such features

10.07.01 The owner and lessee are each responsible for providing, maintaining and protecting all landscaping in a healthy and growing condition. All unhealthy and dead materials must be replaced during the next appropriate planting period.

10.07.02 All fencing used to meet landscaping standards must be maintained in good condition and replaced or repaired as needed.

10.07.03 At no time may required landscaping be reduced to less than that required by this article or the originally approved landscape plan.