In order to enhance the general appearance and design of developments which are of prime importance to the City of Franklin and its citizens, it is necessary to set forth standards for overall landscape design, preservation of existing vegetation and installation of new landscaping. It is purpose of this article:

Application: The requirements of this article shall apply to all real property, public and private, located in the City of Franklin for which site plan approval is required pursuant to article XXIV of this ordinance except the following:

Ten copies of landscaping plans shall be submitted for approval to the zoning administrator in conjunction with the submission of site plans pursuant to article XXIV of this ordinance. These plans may be developed by the applicant, a landscape architect, a civil engineer, a landscaping company or a landscape designer, and must meet the requirements of this article.

All existing uses adjacent to the site (but excluding properties across public streets) including the locations and sizes of street yards, buffer yards, vehicular use areas, display areas, service areas, loading areas and any residential densities shall be clearly indicated on the landscaping plan.

For vacant properties adjacent to the site, the highest classification of permitted use as set forth in § 25.8 hereinbelow and allowed in the zoning district in which it is located shall be used to determine buffer widths and heights.

Existing natural healthy trees, which are to be preserved and used for credit toward satisfaction of the requirements of this Article, shall be clearly labeled on the landscaping plans and their species, height, and caliper at one foot above grade shall be indicated on the plans. All trees that are to be used for credit to meet the requirements of this article shall be at least 1 3/4 quarters to two inches in caliper at the stated height. Methods for protecting existing trees from damage during construction shall be shown on the landscaping plans.

It is the responsibility of the owner to maintain existing trees used for credit as set forth above and approved new plant materials alive and in good health. All newly installed plant materials shall conform to the latest edition of ANSI Z60.1-1996, American Standard for Nursery Stock, and any subsequent editions as may be adopted from time to time. Any dead or missing plant materials, which are part of the required landscaping for a site must be replaced within six months or, for good cause shown, such extended time as permitted by the zoning administrator, or his or her designee. Newly installed plant material shall be of locally adapted species and conform to the planting standards established herein.

Easements. Nothing except turf shall be planted on grade where there is an underground or overhead utility easement or drainage easement without the written consent of the City of Franklin or other easement holder at the time of site plan approval.

Site distance triangles. Notwithstanding the requirements of this division set forth above with respect to plantings, no plantings shall be installed that will impair the vision of motor vehicle operators at points where access driveways intersect public rights-of-way in keeping with the provisions for street intersections set forth in § 2.8 of this ordinance.

Pruning of trees. Care should be taken that trees not be topped or excessively pruned. In the event that excessive pruning results in a tree or trees deviating from it or their natural pattern of growth, as determined by the zoning administrator, the owner has a duty to replace such tree(s).

Allowing natural vegetation to remain;

Removing dead, diseased or unsightly vegetation; and/or

Installing supplemental plantings.

Buffer widths shall be based on the land use classifications of proposed and adjacent uses. Such classifications are set forth in § 25.8.

New developments shall provide buffer areas to separate the proposed use from adjacent uses(s) of the width and with the type of planting set forth Table 1 below,[1] whether by preservation of existing vegetation, installation of new plantings or a combination thereof.

If the proposed development is adjacent to improved property then the entire buffer requirements shall be met.

If the proposed development is adjacent to unimproved property then one-half of the buffer requirements shall be met.

Class 1:

Low density residential use equal to or less than four units per acre, public parks, resource conservation areas, greenways, recorded permanent open space, farms and similar low density uses as determined by the zoning administrator in his discretion.

Class 2:

Medium density residential use of five to 12 units per acre.

Professional and other business offices, studios, agencies, and laboratories (with no drive-in services or automated teller machines).

Civic clubs, housing for fraternal organizations.

Bed and breakfast establishments and rooming houses.

Funeral homes, cemeteries, grave sites.

Telegraph, CATV, radio, and television broadcasting and transmission facilities.

Fire stations and facilities housing emergency service vehicles, police precinct, and support training facilities.

Churches, synagogues, convents, monasteries.

Public and private schools, secondary and elementary schools but not stadiums.

Golf courses other than driving ranges and miniature golf.

Day care facilities, adult care day care facilities, assisted living/care facilities, and convalescent care facilities.

Beauty salons and barber shops.

Tanning salons.

Similar medium density uses as determined by the zoning administrator in his discretion.

All accessory uses serving the uses listed in this section.

Class 3:

High density residential use of more than 12 units per acre including multi-family apartments and townhouses.

Retail sales and services, commercial uses, sales and service of equipment.

Eating establishments, food stores, uses with any drive-in service, automated teller machines or both.

Hotels, motels, and campgrounds.

Colleges, universities, technical and specialty schools, vocational schools, instructional facilities, libraries, galleries, and museums.

Hospitals and asylums.

Outdoor stadiums, theaters, racetracks, coliseums or civic centers of less than 250 seats, indoor movie theaters.

Plant nurseries.

Similar high density uses as determined by the zoning administrator in his discretion.

All accessory uses serving the uses listed in this section.

Class 4:

Industrial and manufacturing uses including processing of materials, bulk products, fabricating, manufacturing, mixing, printing, assembly, cutting or repairing of articles, and products for handling or the distribution of materials, articles, or products.

Mini warehouse storage facilities, warehousing and distribution centers, or storing indoors or outdoors as a primary use, wholesaling, outdoor storage of contractors equipment, coal or lumber yard, and scrap yard.

Storage in bulk quantities, above or below ground, of flammable or combustible liquids and hazardous chemicals, but not storage at gasoline service stations in quantities for retail sales to the general public nor storage for consumption on the premise.

Transportation facilities, terminals, depots, storage of trains, trucks, buses and other vehicles.

Airfields, landing strips, heliports, railroad freight and passenger stations.

Utility power, treatment, or gas plants, incinerators, storage terminals, water towers and tanks not located on a roof, and accessory uses and parking.

The temporary or permanent outdoor storage of vehicles, including wrecked, dismantled or partially dismantled vehicles, manufactured homes, boats, aircraft, farm machinery, taxis, automobiles, buses, trucks and motorcycles as the primary use (such as parking garages, dealers, parking rental lots, and park 'n' ride lots); or vehicles in excess of eight used in the operation of a business or service (such as motor pool and fleet vehicles).

The raising of, the processing of, or the slaughtering of animals and insects, but not pasture lands.

Landfills, indoor or outdoor reclamation facility, storage of recyclable materials, and unlicensed, uninspected, wrecked, crushed, dismantled or partially dismantled vehicles.

Quarry and mining operations.

Outdoor stadiums, race tracks, theaters and coliseums or civic centers of 250 or more seats, and outdoor movie theaters.

Penal and correctional institutions.

Recreational outdoor use — commercial, (excluding golf courses), including membership and non-membership facilities, but not including recreational use related to residential development, or recreational use restricted to membership — not for profit in a residential district.

Public utilities substations.

Shopping centers, shopping areas, and automotive service and repair facilities.

Outdoor storage for the operation of any of the uses listed in this part.

Outdoor rifle ranges.

Kennels.

All accessory uses serving the uses listed in this section.

The following buffer plantings are required for every 100 lineal feet of buffer length:

For a 15-foot wide buffer: 25 shrubs.

For a 25-foot wide buffer: 40 shrubs.

For a 30-foot wide buffer: 55 shrubs.

Additional buffer planting shall be required on a prorated basis for every additional 20 lineal feet of buffer length.

Design standards for parking lots are as follows:

Design standards for loading and service areas are as follows:

All loading and service areas, including trash collection areas or dumpster refuse containers, when not screened by an intervening building or other structure, shall be screened from adjacent properties and streets by evergreen plant materials which can be expected to reach a height of six feet or greater within three years of installation or by opaque fences or walls at least six feet in height and architecturally compatible with the principal on-site building in construction and color.

Designs standards for utility service areas and utility devices are as follows:

Any utility service area or utility device located within 20 feet of a public right-of-way and more than 36 inches in height shall be screened from the public right-of-way, which screening may not intrude into the public right-of-way. Screening shall be by evergreen plantings a minimum of 18 inches in height when installed and expected to reach a mature height and width equal to, or greater than, the utility service area or utility device, including, but not limited to, electrical substations, electrical transformers and pumping stations to be screened. Screening shall be accomplished in such a manner as to allow safe operation and access to the utility service area or utility device.

Design standards for parking structures are as follows:

When parking is provided in above or below ground structures, the above requirements for parking lots shall not apply. However, if the parking structure is visible from a street right-of-way or adjacent property, one deciduous or evergreen canopy tree at least eight feet in height and 1 3/4 to two inches in caliper measured one foot above grade when planted with an expected mature height of 35 feet or more or two deciduous or evergreen substitute trees for every 25 linear feet of the structure shall be planted between the structure and the adjacent property or right-of-way.

Design standards for vehicle display lots are as follows:

Where vehicle display lots are located within 20 feet of a street right-of-way, one canopy tree as defined in § 25.16(d) or two small trees per 50 linear feet and one evergreen shrub for every six lineal feet of street frontage shall be installed. Trees and shrubs may be grouped together to enhance design elements.

Generally. Street yards shall be landscaped with live vegetation and maintained by the property owner. Such landscaping may be used to help satisfy the requirements for buffer areas (division 2) and vehicular use area landscaping (division 3).

Impervious surfaces. Access driveways shall cross the street yard as near to a 90-degree angle as is practical given the shape and topography of the property. No other impervious surfaces may be used in calculating the street yard area requirements.

Tree quantity. Street yards shall contain at least one canopy tree for every 50 linear feet of street yard, or fraction thereof, for the entire frontage of the site. Trees may be grouped together to enhance the appearance of the site and enhance the design of the landscaping, but no trees shall be installed closer than ten feet on center. No more than 25 percent of the required trees shall be evergreen.

Tree size. Trees shall be a minimum of 1 3/4 to two inches in caliper measured one foot above grade and a minimum of eight feet in height at installation and shall be expected to achieve a minimum height of 35 feet at maturity unless the canopy of such a tree will be impaired by utility lines, in which case two small trees may be substituted therefor.

Existing trees. Existing trees may be used to satisfy the requirements for street yard planting, provided that these trees meet the size requirements of subsection (d) above and are maintained in a healthy growing condition before, during and after development of the site.

Street yard width and area requirements. All new developments shall provide a street yard that averages at least ten feet in width and is no less than six feet in width at any point along its street frontage as measured perpendicularly to the public street right-of-way. The minimum area of the street yard in square feet shall be equal to the length of the property along the right-of-way in linear feet times ten. Street yard widths in excess of 20 feet shall not be calculated in determining the minimum area. Access drives are excluded in calculating the length of the street yard.

The site is exceptionally narrow or shallow, has an odd size, shape or topography or is otherwise unusual in physical dimension.

There exists a unique relationship to adjacent properties or properties in the general vicinity.

The transfer of right-of-way to the city for proposed or future street widening severely limits the size and use of the property.