Landscaping shall be provided as part of site plan and subdivision design. It shall be conceived in a total pattern throughout the site, integrating the various elements of site design, preserving and enhancing the particular identity of the site and creating a pleasing site character.

Landscaping may include plant materials such as trees, shrubs, ground cover, perennial, and annuals and other materials such as rocks, water, sculpture, art, walls, fences, and building and paving materials.

Topsoil Preservation. Topsoil moved during the course of construction shall be redistributed on all regraded surfaces. At least four inches of even cover to all disturbed areas of the development and shall be stabilized by seeding or planting.

Removal of Debris. All stumps and other tree parts, litter, brush, weeds, excess or scrap building materials, or other debris shall be removed from the site and disposed of in accordance with the law. No tree stumps, portions of tree trunks or limbs shall be buried anywhere in the development. All dead or dying trees, standing or fallen, shall be removed from the site. If trees and limbs are reduced to chips, they may, subject to approval of the Municipal Engineer, be used as mulch in landscaped areas. A developer shall be exempt from these provisions, however, and shall be permitted to dispose of site-generated new construction wastes on-site as long as the conditions set forth in N.J.A.C. 7:26-1.7 are met.

Protection of Existing Plantings. Maximum effort should be made to save fine specimens (because of size or relative rarity). No material or temporary soil deposits shall be placed within four feet of shrubs or 10 feet of trees designated to be retained on the preliminary and/or final plat. Protective barriers or tree wells shall be installed around each plant and/or group of plants that are to remain on the site. Barriers shall not be supported by the plants they are protecting, but shall be self-supporting. They shall be a minimum of four feet high and constructed of a durable material that will last until construction is completed. Snow fences and silt fences are examples of acceptable barriers.

Slope Plantings. Landscaping of the area of all cuts and fills and/or terraces shall be sufficient to prevent erosion, and all roadway slopes steeper than one foot vertically to three feet horizontally shall be planted with ground covers appropriate for the purpose and soil conditions, water availability, and environment.

Additional Landscaping. In residential developments, besides the screening and street trees required, additional plantings or landscaping elements shall be required throughout the subdivision where necessary for climate control, privacy, or for aesthetic reasons in accordance with a planting plan approved by the Municipal Agency. In nonresidential developments, all areas of the site not occupied by building and required improvements shall be landscaped by the planting of grass or other ground cover, shrubs, and trees as part of a site plan approved by the Planning Board.

At a minimum, the equivalent of at least two shrubs and one shade or ornamental tree of 2 1/2 inch caliper or greater shall be provided for each 1,500 square feet of area of a residential development not covered by buildings or improvements and for each 1,000 square feet of nonresidential development. Existing healthy specimen trees may be included in satisfying these requirements. These plantings shall be in addition to any other landscaping requirements including landscaping of off-street parking areas and buffer areas.

Planting Specifications. Deciduous trees shall have at least a two-inch caliper at planting. Size of evergreens and shrubs shall be allowed to vary depending on setting and type of shrub. Only nursery-grown plant materials shall be acceptable; and all trees, shrubs, and ground covers shall be planted according to accepted horticultural standards. Dead or dying plants shall be replaced by the developer during the following planting season.

Plant Species. The plant species selected should be hardy for the particular climatic zone in which the development is located and appropriate in terms of function and size.

Location. Street trees shall be installed on both sides of all streets in accordance with the approved landscape plan. Trees shall either be massed at critical points or spaced evenly along the street, or both.

Tree Type. Tree type may vary depending on overall effect desired, but as a general rule, all trees shall be the same kind on a street except to achieve special effects. Selection of tree type shall be approved by the Planning Board.

Planting Specifications. All trees shall have a caliper of two inches and they shall be nursery grown, of substantially uniform size and shape, and have straight trunks. Trees shall be properly planted and staked and provision made by the applicant for regular watering and maintenance until they are established. Dead or dying trees shall be replaced by the applicant during the next planting season.

Function and Materials. Buffering shall provide a year-round visual screen in order to minimize adverse impacts from a site on an adjacent property or from adjacent areas. It may consist of fencing, evergreens, berms, rocks, boulders, mounds, or combinations to achieve the stated objectives.

When Required. Buffering shall be required when topographical or other barriers do not provide reasonable screening and when the Municipal Agency determines that there is a need to shield the site from adjacent properties and to minimize adverse impacts such as incompatible land uses, noise, glaring light, and traffic. In small-lot developments, when building design and siding do not provide privacy, the Planning Board may require landscaping, fences, or walls to ensure privacy and screen dwelling units.

Where required, buffers shall be measured from side and rear property lines, excluding access driveways.

Design. Arrangement of planting in buffers shall provide maximum protection to adjacent properties and avoid damage to existing plant material. Possible arrangements include planting in parallel, serpentine, or broken rows. If planted berms are used, the minimum top width shall be four feet, and the maximum side slope shall be two to one.

Planting Specifications. Plant materials shall be sufficiently large and planted in such a fashion that a screen at least eight feet in height shall be produced within three growing seasons. All plantings shall be installed according to accepted horticultural standards.

Maintenance. Plantings shall be watered regularly and in a manner appropriate for the specific plant species through the first growing season, and dead or dying plants shall be replaced by the applicant during the next planting season. No buildings, structures, storage of materials, or parking shall be permitted within the buffer area; buffer areas shall be maintained and kept free of all debris, rubbish, weeds, and tall grass.

Amount Required. In parking lots, at least 5% of the interior parking area shall be landscaped with plantings, and one tree for each 10 spaces shall be installed. Parking lot street frontage screening and perimeter screening shall be a minimum of five feet wide. Planting required within the parking lot is exclusive of other planting requirements, such as for street trees.

Location. The landscaping should be located in protected areas, such as along walkways, in center islands, at the end of bays, or in diamonds between parking stalls. All landscaping in parking areas and on the street parking lot is exclusive of other planting requirements, such as for street trees.

Plant Type. A mixture of hardy flowering and/or decorative evergreen and deciduous trees may be planted; the area between trees shall be planted with shrubs or ground cover or covered with mulch.

Paving Materials. Design and choice of paving materials used in pedestrian areas shall consider the following factors; cost, maintenance, use, climate, characteristics of users, appearance, availability with surroundings, decorative quality, and aesthetic appeal. Acceptable materials shall include, but are not limited to, concrete, brick, cement pavers, asphalt and stone.

Walls and fences shall be erected where required for privacy, screening, separation, security, or to serve other necessary functions.

Street furniture such as, but not limited to, trash receptacles, benches, phone booths, etc., shall be located and sized in accordance with their functional needs.

Street furniture elements shall be compatible in form, material, and finish. Style shall be coordinated with that of the existing or proposed site architecture.

Selection of street furniture shall consider durability, maintenance, and long-term cost.