Where a site plan proposes a nonresidential use adjacent to residential uses or districts, the Planning Board shall require an appropriately designed and engineered buffer area 20 feet in depth meeting the criteria of § 158-68.

At its discretion, the Planning Board may also require a buffer area meeting these requirements between multifamily uses and single-family uses or between any uses deemed incompatible by the Planning Board.

The Planning Board, in assessing the degree and necessity of requiring a buffer area greater than and/or different from the foregoing criteria, shall consider such aspects as the proposed development's effect on the adjacent neighboring residential community, noise levels, traffic inflow and outflow, environmental and pollutant effects.

Buffer areas shall be planted with a variety of evergreen and deciduous vegetation consisting of trees and upright shrubs, forming a dense screen at the time of planting. Vegetation shall be complementary in scale and massing to the adjacent development both at the time of installation and at maturity.

Buffer zone plant materials shall apply toward planting unit requirements as determined by § 158-70.

The use of undulating earthen berms and mounds is permitted to improve the aesthetics of the buffer zone while also enhancing the effectiveness of the screen. Slopes shall not exceed a grade of 33% and shall be vegetated and regularly maintained by the owner.

The height of said berm measured at the property boundary may be included in the calculation of the height of the opaque screen.

The minimum height at the time of installation of any opaque screen shall be six feet, inclusive of berming, vegetation and fencing. A lesser height may be permitted at the discretion of the Planning Board upon the determination that such installation shall meet the screening needs of adjacent lots or public rights-of-way.

Plant materials shall be nursery grown and selected for their hardiness for conditions in Jefferson County, New York.

Plantings shall be limited to species that are native, hardy, salt-tolerant and known to be noninvasive to the area and deer-resistant.

Areas that will receive continued pedestrian movement shall be paved with concrete, solid stone, brick or concrete paving stones.

Landscape plans shall be designed by an appropriate licensed professional who shall certify as to plant hardiness.

All shrub and perennial plantings, regardless of location, shall be contained within a defined and edged planting bed containing mulch no less than three inches in depth.

All plant material shall be of the following minimum size at installation:

One planting unit equals:

Traditional mown lawn areas, low-mow grasses, seeded old field or wildflower areas do not apply toward planting unit requirements.

Planting unit requirements shall be calculated in 0.5 increments, and rounded up to the nearest whole number or 0.5 increment, but in no case shall be less than one.

At the discretion of the Planning Board, the retention of healthy existing vegetation within the limits of disturbance may be utilized to satisfy up to 50% of required planting units.

Within the limits of disturbance, each existing mature shade tree with a trunk diameter of six inches or more when measured at breast height (dbh) may satisfy the requirement for up to two planting units.

Other existing trees within the limits of disturbance with a diameter between two inches and six inches dbh may satisfy requirements for up to 0.5 planting unit.

All individual specimens to be retained under § 158-71 shall be photo documented at the time of site plan review, and their location, height, diameter and botanical name shall be included on the final site and/or landscaping plans.

Existing vegetation must be adequately protected during and after construction and must survive a minimum of two years beyond the completion of construction activities to qualify as required planting units.

Consideration shall be given during species selection to the mature form, habit, and size of vegetation to ensure plantings do not create safety hazards.

The use of decorative planters, the materials of which are complementary to the primary building, may be utilized to contain no more than 20% of required landscaping.

Entry drives and areas adjacent to freestanding signage shall receive a minimum of 10% of required planting units pursuant to § 158-68.

All parking lot medians, end islands and perimeters shall be attractively landscaped, and such landscaping shall count towards satisfying the planting unit requirements of § 158-70.

Major and/or minor deciduous trees, the quantity of which is determined utilizing § 158-70, shall be utilized in all end islands, medians and parking lot perimeters. Each forty-foot island shall be planted with two trees 20 feet on center. Each twenty-foot island shall be planted with one tree on center.

The Planning Board may require additional major and/or minor tree plantings within parking areas beyond amounts determined in § 158-70 to ensure adequate landscaping is provided.

Where appropriate, the use of green infrastructure within parking lots for the infiltration of stormwater shall be encouraged pursuant to the most current versions of the NYS DEC Stormwater Design Manual.

The use of parking lot islands and medians for the storage and retention of stormwater is not an encouraged stormwater management technique and shall be avoided to the extent possible.

All nonpaved areas along the building foundation shall be adequately landscaped with deciduous and coniferous shrubs, perennials and grasses in a defined and mulched planting bed equal to or greater than three feet in width from the foundation.

Foundation plantings shall not interfere with or block visual access to windows and doors and shall be maintained to a height above grade equal to or less than four feet.

Adequate lighting shall be provided on a site to ensure safe movement of persons and vehicles and for security purposes. Lighting standards shall be of a type approved by the Planning Board.

All lighting shall be designed and arranged so as to minimize glare and reflection on adjacent properties and shall be consistent with the Illumination Engineering Society Lighting Handbook.

Lighting shall be designed such that poles, fixtures, ornamentation and materials are uniform throughout, of a pedestrian scale and height, and provide for a safe pedestrian experience.

Fixtures shall be "dark sky" compliant. Light trespass into adjacent noncommercial areas shall not exceed 0.1 footcandle in intensity.

Freestanding lights shall be located and protected to avoid being easily damaged by vehicles.

Lighting shall be located along streets, parking areas, at intersections and where various types of circulation systems merge, intersect or split.

Pathways, sidewalks, stairways, sloping or rising paths, building entrances and trails shall be lit for safety.

Fixture mounting height, direction and intensity shall be determined based on the minimum requirements necessary to efficiently and safely illuminate the area and shall comply with the following lighting intensity standards:

Building-mounted lighting shall be of a style complementary to the architectural character of the building and surroundings.

Building-mounted lighting shall not solely be utilized as area lighting in place of pole-mounted lighting along public and private rights-of-way, sidewalk and pedestrian zones, and parking areas.

The cone of illumination for all lights shall be shielded to restrict the maximum apex angle to 150°.

Lighting fixtures located within canopy or awning structures, such as those utilized in drive-throughs and refueling stations, shall be recessed and shielded to prevent excessive illumination spillover.

Pole-mounted lighting fixtures shall be mounted no higher than the height of the principal structure.