Lancaster Township City Zoning Code
ARTICLE XIV
Landscaping and Screening Regulations
§ 280-1400 Applicability.
The requirements and provisions of this Article XIV shall apply to all landscaping and screening treatments in all zoning districts unless application to specific zoning districts is expressly stated.
§ 280-1401 Planting strip.
A.
Planting strip required. All multifamily dwelling, commercial, industrial, and other nonresidential uses shall be separated from all side and rear lot lines and all street right-of-way lines by a planting strip having a minimum width of 10 feet measured from the lot line.
(1)
Said planting strip shall be planted in grass, shrubbery, trees or other plant material, but in no case shall these areas be paved or covered by an impervious surface.
(3)
Accessory structures shall be permitted, provided they conform with the specific pertinent zoning district requirements of this chapter.
§ 280-1402 Screening and landscaping of parking compounds.
A.
Screening along street right-of-way. All parking compounds with more than 10 spaces shall be screened from any street right-of-way by a landscape screen to be installed within a ten-foot-wide planting strip measured from the right-of-way line.
(1)
The landscape screen shall be composed of a combination of shrubs, deciduous trees and earthen berms.
(a)
Shrubs shall have a minimum height of two feet, measured from ground level, at the time of planting.
(b)
Deciduous trees shall have a minimum height of 10 feet above finished ground level and a trunk caliper of at least 1 1/2 inches taken six inches above finished ground level.
(c)
Earthen berms shall have a minimum height of one foot.
(2)
The plants selected for use in the landscape screen shall be suited for such plantings and be arranged in such manner as to provide an effective visual barrier within two years of planting. The Township encourages naturalistic planting designs, which enhance the visual effect of the landscape along public streets.
(3)
The landscape screen shall be broken only at points of vehicular or pedestrian access.
(4)
In order for the Zoning Officer to determine compliance with the requirements of this section, a plan shall be submitted showing the proposed design of the landscape screen. Said plan shall include a plant schedule and sufficient information as required for the installation of the screen. The plan shall be sealed by a landscape architect licensed to practice in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
B.
Screening of residential parking compounds from adjoining residential uses. All residential parking compounds with more than four spaces shall be screened from adjoining residential uses by a landscape screen.
(1)
The landscape screen shall be composed of shrubs that have a minimum height of at least four feet, measured from ground level at the time of planting. The plants shall be arranged in such manner as to provide an effective visual barrier.
(2)
The Zoning Officer may require the submittal of such information necessary to determine compliance with the requirements of this section.
C.
Parking compound interior landscaping. All parking compounds with 20 or more spaces shall be provided with interior landscaped areas equal to 10 square feet for each parking space, excluding those spaces located directly along the perimeter for which landscape screens have been provided. The intent of this section is to require landscaping within parking compounds; therefore, landscaping screens, planting strips and landscaping surrounding buildings shall not be considered as interior landscaping.
(1)
The interior landscaping shall be provided within curbed island planters having a minimum area of 50 square feet. The interior parking compound landscaping shall be placed so as to delineate driving lanes, define rows of parking compound and generally to mitigate the visual impact of parking compounds.
(2)
The interior parking compound landscaping shall be composed of a combination of shrubs and trees. At least one shade or ornamental tree shall be required for each 20 parking spaces.
(3)
In order for the Zoning Officer to determine compliance with the requirements of this section, a plan shall be submitted showing the proposed design of the interior landscaping. Said plan shall include a plant schedule and sufficient information as required for the installation of the landscaping. The plan shall be sealed by a landscape architect licensed to practice in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
§ 280-1403 Screening of nonresidential uses and other specific facilities.
A.
All commercial, industrial, and nonresidential uses shall be screened from adjoining residential uses and residential zoning districts by a landscape screen to be installed within the required planting strip as required in § 280-1401A of this chapter. The landscape screen shall be composed of a combination of trees and shrubs.
B.
Additional screening for outdoor storage. All nonresidential uses with outdoor storage shall be screened from adjoining residential uses and residential zoning districts, commercial zoning districts, or to a public right-of-way by a landscape screen or other visual barrier with plantings. The landscape screen shall be composed of evergreen plants and trees arranged to form both a low-level and a high-level screen.
(1)
The high-level screen shall consist of evergreen trees planted at an initial height of not less than four feet and planted at intervals of not more than 10 feet.
(2)
The low-level screen shall consist of two rows of evergreen shrubs or hedges planted at an initial height of not less than two feet and spaced at intervals of not more than five feet. The low-level screen plantings shall be placed in an alternating or staggered pattern to produce a more-effective visual barrier.
(3)
An alternative visual barrier shall be a six-foot-high opaque fence or wall with plantings of trees, shrubs and/or vines along the outside surfaces of the fence or wall.
C.
Dumpsters and waste receptacles for nonresidential uses and multifamily dwelling uses shall be completely enclosed and shall be screened from any adjoining public rights-of-way and/or properties by a fence, wall or plant screen at least as high as the container.
D.
The plants selected for use in any required landscape screen shall be suited for such plantings and be arranged in such manner as to provide an effective visual barrier within two years of planting.
E.
In order for the Zoning Officer to determine compliance with the requirements of this section, a plan shall be submitted showing the proposed design of the plating strip and landscape screen. Said plan shall include a plant schedule and include sufficient information as required for the installation of the plating strip and screen. The plan shall be sealed by a landscape architect licensed to practice in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
§ 280-1404 Landscaping.
Any part or portion of the site that is not used for buildings, other structures, driveways, access drives, loading or parking spaces, aisles, sidewalks and designated storage areas shall be provided with an all-season natural vegetative ground cover and ornamental plantings. All existing vegetation on and around the site shall be preserved to the greatest extent possible.