The proper management of trees, plants, and vegetation is essential to the health, safety, and welfare of the City, and to the quality of Ferndale’s natural environment. Standards for the development, installation, and maintenance of landscaping are to accomplish the following:

A. Preserve existing trees and vegetation.

B. Conserve energy, provide adequate light and air, prevent the overcrowding of land, reduce impervious surfaces, and efficiently manage stormwater runoff.

C. Incorporate native plant materials and a diversity of species in plantings.

D. Provide visual buffers and enhance the beautification and character of Ferndale.

E. Safeguard and enhance property values and protect public and private investment.

F. Promote a high-quality standard of life for all residents.

A. These provisions apply to any lot that is subject to site plan approval under Article 9: Site Plans.

B. Each requirement must be met independently; landscaping provided to comply with one requirement does not count towards meeting other requirements. Existing, healthy trees of non-invasive species may count towards the requirements.

C. All landscaping must be located on site. A Tree Permit must be obtained from the Department of Public Works (DPW) to plant in the public right-of-way. A tree permit must be obtained from the DPW to remove any tree, in compliance with Section 20-11 of the Vegetation Ordinance.

A. Landscape Area Materials. The entire landscaped area (including lawn areas and landscape islands) must be planted with grass, groundcover, shrubbery, or other suitable plant material (excluding areas used as paved patios, terraces, sidewalks, and similar site features). Landscaping areas cannot consist of loose dirt or gravel.

B. Maintenance of Existing Landscaping. All existing landscaping must be maintained in good condition to present a healthy, neat, and orderly appearance, free from refuse and debris. All unhealthy and dead materials must be replaced within 45 days of notice from the City (or within the next planting period, whichever comes next). Landscape inspections may be conducted by the City on a regular basis to ensure long-term compliance.

C. Preservation of Existing Vegetation. Existing healthy vegetation must be protected during construction with temporary fencing around the drip line. To promote the preservation of natural features, sites should be designed to preserve existing woodlands and wetlands to the greatest extent possible.

D. Planting Setbacks. The trunks of trees cannot be planted closer than 4-feet to a property line where possible. Trees must be located in a manner that avoids future conflicts between roots and paved areas or building foundations; this distance will vary based on the species of tree, the spread of the roots, and its planting location.

E. Plant Minimum Requirements. Trees must conform to the list of recommended species of trees for community planting, as amended, published by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) Forest Resources Division.

F. Mulch. Planting beds must present a finished appearance, with shredded hardwood bark mulch or a similar natural material at a minimum depth of 3-inches. All mulched areas must be refreshed seasonally.

G. Lawn Area and Groundcover. Where present, lawns must be planted with species of grass normally grown as permanent lawns in southeast Michigan. Grass may be sodded or seeded and mulched. Sod or seed must be clean, free of weeds and noxious pests or disease. The property owner is responsible for soil erosion protection prior to the installation and for maintaining the approved grade before and after lawn installation. Lawns may be substituted for alternative forms of groundcover, such as myrtle, wildflowers, garden beds, or clover in whole or in part.

H. Irrigation. Where irrigated, sprinklers may only operate between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m. Where possible, water-conserving landscaping is highly encouraged.

I. Species Variety. A landscape plan cannot contain more than 33% of any single plant species. Landscape plans with less than 3 required plants are exempt from this requirement.

J. Minimum Planting Size. All plantings must meet the following:

K. Prohibited Species. All invasive plant species, not suitable for community planting according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources is prohibited. The City may prohibit other species not listed. If damaged, diseased, removed during construction, or otherwise destroyed, a prohibited plant cannot be replanted or encouraged to continue.

L. Native Species. Native plants are plants that existed in Southeast Michigan before Europeans settled in Michigan in the 1700s. Native plant species are more likely to thrive without extra maintenance and should be integrated into all landscape plans.

M. Installation. All landscaping must be installed in a manner consistent with generally accepted and published nursery and landscape standards, the approved landscape plan, and the following:

1. All trees must be balled and burlapped at the time of planting.

2. Plant material must be freshly dug, nursery grown, and of sound health, vigorous and uniform in appearance with a well-developed root system and free from disease, insects, pests, eggs, or larvae.

3. Trees must have straight trunks with leaders intact, undamaged, and uncut.

4. A minimum of 4-inches of topsoil must be provided for all lawn areas, groundcovers, berms, and planting beds.

5. All tags must be left on planted materials and may only be removed after the site passes the landscape inspection.

N. Payment In-Lieu of Tree Planting. The Approving Body may allow for a payment in-lieu of tree planting, in an amount to be established by resolution of the City Council, on a case-by-case basis, to be used for tree planting elsewhere in the City. The payment in-lieu must be a 1:1 caliper match to the required trees that are not planted on-site.

A. Site Trees. One deciduous tree or evergreen tree per 1,000 square feet of nonpaved surface must be provided.'

B. Street Frontage Landscaping. Where a lot fronts on the street right-of-way, frontage landscaping must be provided adjacent to the right-of-way or within the right-of-way, as calculated in the table below. For the purposes of computing the length of the street frontage, openings for driveways and sidewalks are counted towards the total linear frontage. Vegetation may be planted at uniform intervals, at random, or in groupings as approved by the Approving Body. (10,000 – 7,500) / 1,000 = 2.5 = 3 Trees

C. Parking Lot Landscaping. To improve the safety of pedestrian and vehicular traffic, guide traffic movement, and improve the appearance of parking lots, surface parking lots with 20 or more parking spaces must dedicate at least 5% of the total parking lot area to interior landscape islands:

1. Each island must be a minimum size of 150 square feet.

2. Each island must contain at least 1 deciduous tree, 2 shrubs, and covered with grasses or alternative groundcover.

3. Landscaped islands may be located below grade if serving as a swale or other form of bio-retention. If used for bio-retention adjacent to a parking lot or right-of-way, salt and sediment-tolerant plants must be selected.

D. Parking Lot Screening. Screening adjacent to a parking lot is not required if the parking lot is completely screened from the right-of-way by an intervening structure. Parking lot screening is required in any area located adjacent to the right-of-way consisting of at least one of the following:

1. Vegetative Buffer. A minimum 5-foot-wide greenbelt with an evergreen or deciduous hedge row, at least 3-feet in height. No plant material may be located within 2-feet from the front of a parking space curb (to account for vehicle overhang).

2. Screen Wall / Fence. A decorative masonry wall or black aluminum fencing, at least 3-feet in height, but limited by the standards of Section 3.08: Fences. Walls must contain a stone or masonry cap and fences must incorporate stone or masonry piers at regular intervals. Masonry walls may be constructed with openings which do not in any square section (height and width) exceed 20% of the surface. Where included, the openings must be so spaced as to maintain the obscuring character required and cannot be used to reduce the minimum height requirement.

E. Screening from Residential Uses. All non-residential uses that abut an R-1 or R-2 Residential District, including those separated by a right-of-way, must provide screening by one or a combination of the following:

1. Screen Wall. A reinforced, decorative masonry wall, 6-feet in height above grade. Required walls must be located on the lot line except where underground utilities interfere and except in instances where this Code requires conformance with front yard setback lines in adjacent residential districts. Required walls may, upon approval of the Approving Body, be located on the opposite side of an alley right-of-way from a non-residential zone that abuts a residential zone when mutually agreeable to affected property owners. Masonry walls may be constructed with openings which do not in any square section (height and width) exceed 20% of the surface. Where included, the openings must be so spaced as to maintain the obscuring character required and cannot be used to reduce the minimum height requirement.

2. Vegetated Buffer. A minimum 10-foot-wide greenbelt with evergreen trees forming a continuous screen (trees planted 10-15 feet apart (on center) in two staggered rows).

3. Berm. A 6-foot in height berm, with a slope (measured on the cross-section) no greater than 1:3 and at least a 2-foot-wide landscaped planting area at its crest. The faces of the berm may be constructed as an earthen slope, or retained by means of a decorative wall. No fence may be located on a berm.

F. Landscaping Adjacent to Buildings. All building façades visible from a right-of-way or publicly accessible area must have a 3-foot-wide landscape area adjacent to them for at least 25% of their total building length width. This area may include inground landscaping, raised landscape beds, decorative landscape pots or containers, or a combination thereof. If the building is located at the 0-foot setback, this standard does not apply, and buildings less than 3-feet shall comply with the standard as much as possible.

G. Dumpster / Refuse Containers. Dumpsters must be screened by a decorative masonry or composite wall at least 6-feet in height above grade, or 1-foot above the object which it is screening, whichever is greater, with posts or bumpers installed at the opening doorway to the screening walls. A solid gate constructed from metal, wood, or composite material is required; chain link fencing with obscuring fabric or slats is prohibited. The enclosure must be situated on a reinforced concrete pad at least 6-inches thick, and the concrete pad must extend at least 6-feet beyond the opening of the enclosure. The name, address and telephone number of the owner and lessee must be clearly marked on each dumpster.

H. Outdoor Storage. Outdoor storage areas must be screened from all adjacent rights-of-way with an obscuring wall or fence, no less than 4-feet, 6-inches in height or the height of the materials being screened, whichever is greater.

I. Mechanical and Utility Equipment Screening. Transformers, wireless communication facilities, climate control and mechanical equipment, and other above ground utility cabinets must be screened with evergreen plantings or a decorative opaque fence at least 1-foot taller than the height of the cabinet / equipment. Mechanical equipment attached to the building shall be painted to match or complement the building and shall be placed in an area not adjacent to the right-of-way if possible. This does not apply to equipment serving one-, two-, three, four-unit dwellings or accessory dwellings.

A. Retention and detention ponds are permitted stormwater management purposes and must meet all federal, state, county, and City requirements. The property owner must maintain the pond(s) and the filter system, including, but not limited to the cleaning of the pond(s), the maintenance of grass, and the elimination of any nuisances created by standing water or a water body. All detention system owners must provide Long- Term Storm Water Maintenance Agreement (LTSWMA) which requires cleaning and maintenance of the above or below ground detention / retention system. The LTSWMA must be recorded at the Oakland County Register of Deeds prior to the final certificate of occupancy.

B. Ponds must incorporate water tolerant grasses and seed mixes at the bottom and appropriate trees, shrubs, and grasses along the banks based on the environment to improve views, filter runoff, and enhance wildlife habitat. This includes Michigan native grasses, shrubs, and trees to create a suitable appearance compatible with development on the property. Landscaping is required on all areas disturbed by grading to establish retention / detention ponds.

C. One Michigan native deciduous or evergreen tree and 10 shrubs or groupings of native grasses must be planted in a random pattern or in groupings for every 50 lineal feet of pond perimeter, measured along the top of the bank elevation. Required landscaping is not limited to the top of the pond bank, if the plant species is adapted to saturated soil conditions. Plantings within rain gardens, bio-retention swales or irrigation trench planters may be credited towards meeting these requirements.

D. Where possible, ponds or basins must be "free form" following the natural shape of the land to the greatest practical extent. Side slopes cannot exceed 1-foot vertical for every 6-feet of horizontal distance.

A. The City may determine that existing landscaping or screening is adequate or that dimensional conditions unique to the lot would prevent development of required landscaping. If such a determination is made, the Approving Body may waive, in whole or in part, the landscaping provisions of this Article.

B. Criteria which must be used when considering a waiver includes, but is not limited to:

1. Existing natural vegetation.

2. Topography.

3. Existing and proposed building placement.

4. Building heights.

5. Adjacent land uses and the distances between them.

6. Dimensional conditions unique to the lot.

7. Traffic sight distances (safety considerations).

8. Other similar considerations.

Reserved for future Tree Protection Ordinance reference.