Long Hill Township City Zoning Code
§ LU-153.1
Landscape Design.
[Ord. No. 245-09 § 4]
a.
Landscaping is to be provided as part of all development applications and is to be integrated into building arrangements, topography, parking, buffering and other site features. Landscaping may include trees, shrubs, ground cover, berms, flowers, sculpture, art and similar materials, and shall be designed to provide aesthetic, buffering, climatological, environmental, ornamental, and other related functions. All landscaping plans shall be prepared by a New Jersey registered landscape architect, or other individual deemed suitably qualified by the approving authority.
b.
Shade trees shall be planted on all sites at a rate of not less than 10 trees per acre, inclusive of all trees to be required along any street line. Said trees shall be selected from the following groups, with at least 20% of the trees to be from Group A and at least 30% to be selected from each of Group B and Group C:
c.
Shade trees shall meet all of the following requirements:
1.
All trees shall provide a three to 3 1/2 inch caliper as measured six inches above the ground. Where applicable, Group A trees shall be planted at thirty foot intervals; Group B trees shall be planted at forty foot intervals; and Group C trees shall be planted at fifty foot intervals.
2.
All trees must have straight trunks and be properly staked.
3.
All trees shall be balled and burlapped, well-branched and with a good root system. Backfill shall consist of 50% humus for each tree, and each tree, shall be thoroughly watered and properly pruned at the time of planting.
4.
Trees to be planted in any street right-of-way shall be subject to the approval of the Township Engineer.
5.
Where, due to the presence of sidewalks, critical areas or other physical or environmental features, the placement of required street trees within a street right-of-way is impossible or impractical, the approving authority may require the creation of a ten-foot wide street tree easement to be located adjacent to the right-of-way.
d.
The approving authority may allow a credit for existing trees against the shade tree planting requirement of this Ordinance, and shall be permitted to waive the parking requirements of Subsection 151.1c if any parking shortfall is necessitated by an attempt to save existing trees. If, in the opinion of the Shade Tree Committee, a site contains trees of such a type, size, location, or other quality that warrants that such trees be retained after site development, the approving authority may require that such trees be saved by the developer. In no case shall a "Big Tree," as identified in the Master Plan, be removed as part of any development application.
e.
The approving authority may in appropriate instances, require the transplanting of existing trees on a site for re-use on the subject property or for use elsewhere in the Township provided, in the latter instance, that such off-site usage be limited to public property only.
f.
The planting of shrubbery, bushes, flowers and similar plantings shall be designed to serve decorative and ornamental functions as well as screening and buffering. Junipers, yews and similar evergreen plants shall be used largely for screening and buffering, while hollies, rhododendron, azaleas, barberries and similar plants shall be used at highly visible locations such as front yards, building entrances and adjacent to ground signs. The use of flower beds and planters shall be strongly encouraged in all nonresidential zones.
g.
All parking areas containing at least 10 parking stalls shall provide the following landscaping features:
1.
5% of the interior portion of said parking areas, excluding all perimeter landscaping and required buffer areas, shall be landscaped, and no more than 15 parking stalls shall exist in a continuous row without a landscaping break.
2.
In addition to the shade tree requirements of Subsection 153.1b, parking lots shall provide one shade tree for each 10 parking stalls.
3.
The ends of all parking rows shall be separated from access aisles by a landscaped island at least six feet in width.
4.
The use of tree diamonds shall be prohibited.
5.
Evergreen plantings shall be required to screen parking areas from public rights-of-way and all residential property.
6.
Parking area designs shall be encouraged to sacrifice parking stalls in favor of saving existing trees and other significant vegetation.
h.
Sidewalk widths shall be at least four feet; wider widths may be necessary near pedestrian generators and employment centers. Where sidewalks abut the curb and cars overhang the sidewalk, widths shall be at least six feet. In high-density residential areas when sidewalks abut the curb, a sidewalk/graded area of at least six feet in width shall be required. Residentially zoned properties containing sidewalks in excess of the width set forth herein are encouraged to remove the excess sidewalk and replace same with landscaping designed in accordance with the provisions of this subsection.
i.
All loading areas shall be landscaped in a manner that sufficiently screens the view of the loading area and vehicles from any public right-of-way and residential property. Landscaping in this instance may include berms, fencing, walls or a combination thereof.
j.
All landscape plans shall provide a two year replacement guarantee for all new plantings and all existing trees and other vegetation to be retained after construction.
k.
All landscape plans shall be subject to a post-development inspection by the Township Planner and/or Engineer and a representative of the approving authority.
l.
The approving authority shall reserve the right to impose additional landscaping requirements after due consideration of the size and type of proposed development; the extent of existing vegetation to be removed during construction; and the nature of surrounding land uses.