(1)

Purpose. This section is designed to:

(a.)

Promote the city as an attractive living environment, and trade and service center;

(b.)

Promote the general welfare, safety, and aesthetic quality of Florence;

(c.)

Improve appearance of commercial parking areas and property abutting public rights-of-way;

(d.)

Provide relief from traffic, noise, heat, glare, dust, and debris;

(e.)

Provide transition between land uses and preserve the appearance, character, and value of surrounding properties;

(f.)

Protect streams and watercourse from excessive runoff and erosion, and replenish underground water reservoirs by using natural drainage and infiltration systems.

(2)

Scope of application. The provisions of this section apply to all developments within the corporate limits of the City of Florence and to the extraterritorial zoning jurisdiction of the city. However, where this section may conflict with design elements required for a conditional overlay district or a planned unit development district, the more strict provisions shall apply.

(a)

General requirements and landscape plans. A minimum of six (6) percent of the total site area shall be landscaped in accordance with criteria outlined in this chapter.

The following landscaping criteria shall be adhered to:

Interior landscaping—A minimum of six (6) percent of the total land area shall be landscaped as outlined in Section (4)(d) and shall include requirements for frontage and perimeter landscaping. All interior landscaping shall be between the right-of-way and the primary structure, but not including plantings against the structure wall. When there are more than one hundred (100) parking spaces, a minimum of three (3) percent of the total parking area must be landscaped between the frontage landscaping and any landscaping abutting the primary structure.

Frontage landscaping—Frontage landscaping shall be required for all developments providing areas for parking or vehicular movement. Developments supporting up to fifty (50) parking spaces shall require frontage and interior landscaping only. Frontage landscaping requirements are outlined in Section (4)(b).

Perimeter landscaping—In addition to frontage and interior landscaping, perimeter landscaping shall be required for developments containing fifty-one (51) or more parking spaces. Perimeter landscaping requirements for developments containing fifty-one (51) to ninety-nine (99) spaces are outlined in Section (4)(c)1. Perimeter landscaping requirements for developments containing one hundred (100) or more spaces are outlined in Section (4)(c)2. Should the development abut an R-1, R-2, R-3, R-B or SD zoning district, the criteria outlined in Section (4)(c) 4 shall pertain.

Note—It is recommended that large shade trees be planted wherever feasible in or near off-street parking areas.

(b)

Existing off-street parking areas. An off-street parking area which is in existence and does not conform to the provisions of this section may continue until such time as it is altered by more than fifty (50) percent of its existing parking capacity, at which time a landscaping plan must be submitted to the office of the building official for approval.

(c)

Parking decks. Only perimeter landscaping will be required for parking decks.

(d)

Minimum compliance. The requirements of this section are minimum standards.

(e)

Exceptions. Single-family dwellings shall be exempt from the provisions of this section. I-1 and I-2 districts shall require frontage landscaping only, provided the building site does not abut an R-1, R-2, R-3, R-B, H-1 or SD zone in which case Section (4)(c)4 will apply.

(3)

Definitions.

Approving authority (for landscape plans). The building department of the City of Florence.

Berm. A planted or landscaped elevated ground area between two (2) other areas, generally designed to restrict view and to deflect or absorb noise. Berms with ground cover that necessitate mowing shall have a slope not greater than one (1) foot of rise per three (3) feet of run.

Caliper. Trunk diameter of a tree used in landscaping, measured six (6) inches above ground for trees up to four-inch caliper and twelve (12) inches above ground for larger trees.

Crown. The branches and leaves of a tree or shrub, with the associated upper trunk.

Deciduous plants. Those that shed their leaves during their dormant season and produce new leaves the following growing season.

Evergreen plants. Those that retain their leaves during their dormant season.

Frontage landscaping. Treatment of grade, ground cover, vegetation and ornamentation between an off-street parking or maneuvering area and adjacent rights-of-way.

Ground cover. Plants, mulch, gravel and other landscape elements used to prevent soil erosion, compaction, etc.

Interior landscaping. Treatment of grade, ground cover, vegetation and ornamentation within an off-street parking or maneuvering area between the right-of-way and the primary structures not including the plantings against the structure wall.

Island. An interior landscaping feature defined by a curb and surrounded by paving on all sides.

Landscape element. A plant material (living or non-living) or an ornamental material (river rock, brick, tile, statuary, etc.) differentiated from surrounding off-street parking area surfacing materials.

Mulch. A material (pinestraw, bark chips, wood chips, etc.) placed on the ground to stabilize soil, protect roots, limit weed growth and otherwise promote tree and shrub growth by simulating the role of natural forest leaf-litter.

Mulch bed. An area, generally bordered by a retaining device, with a covering of mulch over the soil.

Off-street parking area. An area, other than on public right-of-way, designated for the parking and movement of vehicles.

Organic landscaping materials. Plants or nonliving materials made from plants (pinestraw, bark chips, etc.).

Parking deck. A structure used for parking of vehicles and having one (1) or more parking levels above the grade of the surrounding land.

Parking space. An area marked for the parking of one (1) vehicle.

Peninsula. An interior landscaping feature defined by a curb and surrounded by paving on three (3) sides.

Perimeter landscaping. Treatment of grade, ground cover, vegetation and ornamentation between an off-street parking area and adjoining properties and/or rights-of-way, but excluding landscaping between an off-street parking area and buildings on the same property.

Shrub. A woody plant, generally multi-stemmed, of smaller stature than a tree.

Stem. See trunk.

Tree. A woody plant, generally with no more than one (1) or two (2) principal stems.

Trunk. A principal upright supporting structure of a tree or shrub.

Visibility triangle. An area of critical visibility between the heights of two and one-half (2.5) feet and eight (8) feet above the street grade at an intersection in which landscaping is restricted in the interest of vehicular traffic safety. The visibility triangle will be determined by points twenty-five (25) feet from intersecting right-of-way lines with a straight line connecting such points.

(4)

General off-street parking area landscaping requirements. Landscaping of off-street parking areas shall be of three (3) types as described below, frontage landscaping, perimeter landscaping and interior landscaping, and shall conform to landscape plans submitted and approved in accordance with the requirements of this section.

(a)

Landscape plan requirements. A master site plan in sufficient detail to indicate the number of parking spaces, the overall amount of off-street parking area, frontage landscaping, perimeter landscaping and interior landscaping, shall be submitted and approved by the building department before issuance of a building permit.

Landscape plans submitted under this section shall include information as listed below:

• Date, north arrow, and scale of one (1) to no more than fifty (50) feet.

• Title, name of owner, and phone number of person or firm responsible for landscape plan.

• Boundary lines and lot dimensions

• Location of all proposed structures and storage areas.

• Parking lot layout including parking stalls, bays, and driving lanes.

• Landscaping details including the locations, caliper, species (common name) and intended treatment (move, remove or save) of existing trees; locations, dimensions, and treatments of all perimeter and interior landscaping areas (islands and peninsulas).

• Schedule of all new and existing plants, including size (caliper and height, container size, etc., condition (bare-root, balled and burlapped, container-grown or pre-existing), common names and botanical names (genus, species and variety) of tree, shrubs, and ground cover, and the type and amount of turf grasses.

• Existing and proposed utility lines and easements.

• All paved surfaces and curbs.

• Existing trees or natural areas to be retained.

(b)

Frontage landscaping requirements. Frontage and interior landscaping shall be required for all developments providing areas for parking or vehicular movement. Where a building site in a subdivision fronts on a right-of-way developed with required street trees, the required frontage planting scheme may be adjusted by the building official in order to achieve adequate visibility for a proposed development.

1.

Planting areas existing in a public right-of-way shall not count toward the required frontage landscaping strip.

2.

The amount of Interior landscaping required shall include the required frontage landscaping.

3.

Frontage landscaping shall require a landscaped strip five (5) feet in depth between the street right-of-way and the parking area, or vehicular maneuvering area. This depth shall be increased to eight (8) feet where parking bays are located at the frontage strip.

4.

For developments of five (5) or more acres with frontage of two hundred fifty (250) feet or more, the frontage strip shall be thirty (30) feet in width and bermed in order to minimize the visual impact of the off-street parking area, unless the building official determines that the natural topography does not require site to be bermed. The berm shall not have a slope of greater than one (1) foot of rise per three (3) feet of run, and shall not be less than four (4) feet in height at its apex. Landscaping of bermed perimeter strips shall be in accordance with all requirements as outlined in this section.

5.

Frontage landscaping shall include a minimum of one (1) tree and six (6) shrubs per full forty (40) linear feet of the frontage strip not including points of ingress/egress. Fractions of trees and shrubs shall be rounded to the nearest whole number. Trees and shrubs shall be well distributed, though not necessarily evenly spaced. Shrubs are optional in areas where a berm at least four (4) feet in height is used. The minimum spacing between trees is fifteen (15) feet, measured trunk to trunk. The maximum spacing is forty (40) feet, measured trunk to trunk. Where overhead utility lines exist, or are proposed, trees will be a species of a small mature height (less than twenty-five (25) feet).

6.

Selection of trees for frontage strips shall be medium trees (mature height between twenty-five (25) and forty (40) feet) and large trees (mature height more than forty (40) feet). Small trees (mature height of less than twenty-five (25) feet) may be used in the following situations:

• Where overhead power lines are proposed or in existence.

• In islands or peninsulas.

• When the required number of medium to large trees has first been met.

7.

Frontage landscaping, at driveways and street intersections, shall have an area of visibility between the heights of two and one-half (2.5) feet and eight (8) feet above the street grade to afford a clear line of sight in the interest of vehicular traffic safety. This area at street intersections is a visibility triangle as defined in Section (3) Definitions.

8.

Should the development abut an R-1, R-2, R-3 R-B, H-1 or SD district, the criteria outlined in Section (4)(c)4 shall pertain with the exception that a solid, unbroken visual screen will not be required.

Frontage landscaping required under these provisions shall be planted in accordance with Section (4)(b)5.

(c)

Perimeter landscaping requirements. In addition to frontage and interior landscaping, perimeter landscaping shall be required for developments with fifty-one (51) or more parking spaces, or where parking or maneuvering areas abut R-1, R-2, R-3, R-B, or SD districts. Landscaping shall be provided within the property lines between the development and adjoining properties. Planting areas existing on adjoining property shall not count toward the required perimeter landscaping strip.

1.

Perimeter landscaping for developments containing fifty-one (51) to ninety-nine (99) spaces shall be at least five (5) feet in depth, excluding walkways, measured perpendicularly from the adjacent property to the back of curb.

2.

Perimeter landscaping for developments containing one hundred (100) or more spaces shall be at least ten (10) feet in depth, excluding walkways, measured perpendicularly from the adjacent property to the back of curb.

3.

Perimeter landscaping shall be planted in accordance with requirements for Frontage landscaping as outlined in Section (C)(4)(b)5.

Note: Where a development is proposed adjacent to an existing commercial development, the respective property owners may make application to the building official for common access through the required perimeter strip. This application must be in writing from all property owners involved and be accompanied by a revised landscaping plan illustrating the proposed strip modifications.

4.

A development adjacent to a residential district shall have a twenty-foot landscaped buffer for developments requiring perimeter landscaping. All other developments adjacent to a residential district shall have a ten-foot landscaped buffer area. All landscaped buffer areas required under this section shall consist of a solid unbroken visual screen, eight (8) feet high within two (2) years of planting, and in sufficient density to afford protection to the residential districts from the glare of lights, from blowing paper, dust and debris, from visual encroachment and to effectively reduce the transmission of noise. A perimeter buffer area shall be maintained in a clean and neat condition.

5.

Permitted screening plants. The following screen plants shall be installed at a minimum height of five (5) to six (6) feet and be at least eight (8) feet high within two (2) years. They shall have a minimum expected mature spread of eight (8) feet.

Table 1. Permitted Screening Plants/Min. 5 — 6 feet at Installation

The following screen plants shall be installed at a minimum size of three (3) gallons and have an expected height of at least eight (8) feet within two (2) years, and a mature spread of at least five (5) feet.

Table 2. Permitted Screening Plants/Min. 3 Gallons at Installation

6.

At the option of the developer, application may be made to the building official for the following reductions of the required landscaped buffer adjoining R-1, R-2, R-3, R-B, H-1 and SD districts:

a.

Developments of up to fifty (50) parking spaces: If a solid wooden, vinyl, or masonry wall fence eight (8) feet high is constructed at the property line to obstruct view from adjoining properties, the required buffer may be reduced to five (5) feet. The strip area between the fence and the parking or maneuvering area shall be planted in accordance with Section (4)(b)5.

b.

Developments of fifty-one (51) or more parking spaces: If a masonry wall eight (8) feet high is constructed at the property line to obstruct view from adjoining properties, the required buffer may be reduced to eight (8) feet. The strip area between the wall and the parking or maneuvering area shall be planted in accordance with Section (4)(b)5.

(d)

Interior landscaping requirements. Planting islands and/or peninsulas shall be provided for all parking areas subject to these regulations with percentages, dimensions and arrangement as given below:

1.

The required amount of interior landscaping shall be a minimum of six (6) percent of the total land area. All interior landscaping shall be between the right-of-way and the primary structure but not including plantings against the structure wall.

2.

Each island or peninsula, to count toward the total interior landscape requirements, shall be at least one hundred (100) feet in area. However, the maximum contribution of any individual island or peninsula to the total interior landscaping requirement shall be five hundred (500) square feet.

3.

Required islands and peninsulas must be at least six (6) feet in their least dimension, measured from back of curb to back of curb.

4.

Required islands and peninsulas in off-street parking areas shall be as uniformly distributed as practicable to subdivide large expanses of parking areas, to regulate traffic flow, to protect pedestrians, and to permit access by emergency vehicles. When practicable, islands and/or peninsulas shall be placed at the ends of rows of parking spaces or between the circulation drives and parking rows to channel traffic safely around the parking areas and to demarcate parking rows.

5.

The required interior landscaped area shall contain at least an average of one (1) tree and four (4) shrubs per one hundred (100) square feet of landscaped area. Each island or peninsula shall contain at least one (1) tree.

6.

Required interior landscaping shall not include the area of any plantings against the primary structure.

(e)

Plant materials and installation requirements.

1.

Required shrubs shall be planted at a minimum height of fifteen (15) inches or a minimum spread of fifteen (15).

2.

All required trees planted, shall be of the following classes: small, medium, and large. See Section (4)(f) regarding credit for existing plant materials. The developer should consider a diversity of species for the site.

Any deviation from the following lists of trees must be indicated on the landscape plan and approved by the building department.

Small trees: Mature height less than twenty-five (25) feet

All small trees shall be installed at a minimum height of six (6) feet and at a minimum caliper of one and one-half (1½) inches, measured at a point of six and one-half (6½) inches above grade. See Section (4)(b)(6) regarding placement of small trees.

Table 3. Permitted Small Trees

Medium trees: Mature height between twenty-five (25) feet and forty (40) feet.

All medium trees shall be installed at a minimum height of eight (8) feet and at a minimum caliper of one and one-half (1½) inches, measured at a point of six and one-half (6½) inches above grade.

Table 4. Permitted Medium Trees

Large trees: Mature height greater than forty (40) feet.

All large trees shall be installed at a minimum height of twelve (12) feet and at a minimum caliper of two (2) inches, measured at a point of six and one-half (6½) inches above grade.

Table 5. Permitted Large Trees

3.

Where existing or proposed overhead utility lines exist, trees will be a species of a small mature height (less than twenty-five (25) feet).

4.

Required landscaped areas must be protected by a curb or barrier to prevent damage from vehicles.

5.

Grass or other permanent ground cover shall be installed and maintained on all parts of each landscaped area.

a.

Effective measures shall be taken to control erosion and stormwater runoff through the use of mulches, ground cover plants, erosion-control netting, etc.

b.

Ground cover may include shrubs and low-growing plants such as Liriope, English Ivy (Hedera helix), Periwinkle (Vinca minor), and similar materials.

Ground cover may also include non-living organic materials such as bark or pinestraw and inorganic materials such as pebbles, crushed rock, brick, tile and decorative blocks; however, inorganic materials shall not make up more than ten (10) percent of the landscaped area.

6.

Installation requirements:

a.

Required landscaped areas adjacent to parking areas shall be protected by fixed vertical curbing along all sides exposed to parked or moving vehicles.

b.

When possible, trees should be located on extensions of parking stall lines to minimize bumper, exhaust and engine heat damage to trees.

c.

The maximum recommended distance from any part of a required landscaped area to the nearest hose bib or other irrigation water supply fixture shall be one hundred fifty (150) feet, except where built-in irrigation systems are provided.

d.

Synthetic or artificial material in imitation of trees, shrubs, turf, ground covers, vines or other plants shall not be used in lieu of plant requirements in this ordinance.

e.

Hedges, walls and berms are encouraged to help minimize the visual impact of off-street parking areas. Berms with ground cover that necessitate mowing shall have a slope not greater than one (1) foot of rise per three (3) feet of run.

f.

The use of permanent broad-area mulch beds is encouraged to increase absorption of surface water, to retard erosion, runoff and stream siltation, to protect tree roots and stems, and to foster tree health.

g.

Landscaping must be designed to be compatible with existing and planned overhead and underground electrical, communications, television cables, conduits, public water supply lines, and storm and sanitary sewer lines.

(f)

Credit for existing plant materials. Each existing tree meeting the following criteria may count, at the option of the owner, for two (2) of the trees in its class (interior of perimeters) required in this section if other landscaping requirements are met, and if it:

1.

Has a minimum caliper of three (3) inches;

2.

Is at least four (4) feet from the nearest planned curb and is within a planned planting of at least one hundred (100) square feet;

3.

Has a live crown at least thirty (30) percent of the total tree height and is free from serious root, trunk and crown injury;

4.

Is indicated on the landscaping plan as a tree "to be saved";

5.

Is situated so that it can be incorporated into a planned perimeter landscaping area, island or peninsula with minimal grade cut or fill and is protected during all pre-landscaping phases of construction by a durable physical barrier excluding all vehicles, equipment, materials and activities from the area that is to become a part of this landscaped area; and

6.

Is not one (1) of the following species in Table 6 hereby determined to be unacceptable for parking lot landscaping.

Table 6. Unacceptable For Parking Lot Landscaping

(g)

Required maintenance. The owner, lessee, or his agents shall be responsible for providing, maintaining and protecting all landscaping in a healthy and growing condition and for keeping it free from refuse and debris. All unhealthy and dead materials shall be replaced during the next appropriate planting period.

(h)

Notice of installation. Upon the beginning of installation of plant materials required by this section, the property owner or developer shall notify the building department. The building department will require correction of conditions contrary to the requirements of this section and replacement of plant materials that are dead, diseased, damaged or planted so as to kill or injure the plants.

(i)

Guarantees of performance. No certificate of occupancy shall be issued until the provisions of this section have been met or a performance bond, an irrevocable letter of credit or a certified check has been posted, When circumstances preclude immediate planting, a certificate of occupancy may be granted after (1) the owner or developer has completed all curbing, irrigation systems and other construction preliminary to planting and (2) the property owner or developer posts a performance bond, an irrevocable letter of credit or a certified check with the building department in an amount equal to one hundred (100) percent of the cost of the total required planting, including labor. Selected surety shall be made payable to the City of Florence. Landscaping must be completed and approved within six (6) months (one hundred eighty (180) calendar days) after a certificate of occupancy is issued in order to redeem the bond.

(j)

Annual inspection. The City of Florence Building Department or the city's designated agent shall visit the development once a year to ensure the required landscaping is in accordance with the approved plan. Failure of the developer or owner to comply with the approved landscaping plan and/or failure to provide necessary maintenance of such shall be deemed a violation of this ordinance and be subject to penalties as outlined in Section XVII(A)(4).