The purpose of these landscape requirements is to promote, protect and preserve the general health and safety of the people of the community and, as part of the general welfare, ensure aesthetic compatibility among land uses within the community. These regulations are intended to minimize the harmful or nuisance effects resulting from noise, dust, debris, motor headlight glare, artificial light intrusions, objectionable sights or activities, or similar incompatible impacts conducted or created by adjoining or nearby land use.

It is also the purpose of these regulations to safeguard the environmental quality and aesthetic character of the community by limiting the removal and ensuring replacement of trees upon private property within the Village. These regulations are intended to preserve insofar as practical, existing vegetation and topographical features by limiting unnecessary clearing and modification of land, encouraging the retention of existing mature trees, requiring the replacement of indigenous trees with approved species, and encouraging the energy efficient operation of land uses in the public interest. Landscaping required by this chapter shall be a condition to the issuance of a certificate of occupancy for any improvements built on the subject property. (Ord. 6286, 12-6-2016)

A landscape plan shall be required and approved by the director of community development for the following:

   A.   Any nonresidential development of any parcel of land involving the construction of any new building(s), structure(s) or parking facilities, or

   B.   Any multi-family residential development and/or residential PUD, or

   C.   Any development involving expansion by more than twenty five percent (25%) of an existing structure's building footprint, excluding single-family residences, if constructed after the effective date hereof.

The plan shall be completed by a landscape architect or a person capable of fulfilling all requirements set forth in this chapter. Requests for relief or revisions to these requirements of this chapter may be submitted to the village manager for his consideration. (Ord. 6286, 12-6-2016)

   A.   Landscape Plan Content Requirements: Locations of existing and proposed improvements, as detailed below, shall be indicated on the landscape plan. Additional information, including technical information, samples, details and/or photographs of materials to be used, may be requested by the director of community development.

      1.   Principal and accessory structures, including fencing and screening walls, and freestanding signs.

      2.   Paved surfaces, including sidewalks, plazas, and parking lots. Parking lot areas shall have parking spaces and curbs delineated. Garbage and recycling areas (trash enclosures) shall be noted on the plan.

      3.   Existing plant material to remain, including identification of trees, shrubs and ground cover.

      4.   Proposed location of all new plant materials as identified according to the planting schedule.

      5.   Proposed treatment of all ground surfaces (ground covers, sod, seed and/or plantings).

      6.   Location of public right of way, lot lines, easements and utility appurtenances.

      7.   Location of exterior lighting, including parking lot lighting.

      8.   Methods to be used to protect plants and planted areas (curbs, ties, walls, etc.).

      9.   Irrigation plan, required for commercial, industrial and multi-family residential projects.

      10.   Grading and drainage plan, showing spot elevations and/or cross sections.

      11.   Proposals to protect and preserve existing trees during and after construction.

   B.   Planting Schedule: The following shall be included in the planting schedule and submitted with any landscape plan:

      1.   Plant material schedule, listing: botanical names; common names; caliper or height; and quantity.

      2.   Plant material schedule of all trees (4 inch caliper and above) to be removed, listing: botanical names; common names; caliper or height; and quantity.

      3.   Planting data box which shall include the required and proposed calculations for the following:

         a.   Length (in feet) for each lot line:

            (1)   Adjacent to public right of way.

            (2)   Adjacent to nonresidentially zoned property.

            (3)   Adjacent to residential property.

         b.   The total number of trees required and proposed.

         c.   The total number of shrubs required and proposed.

   C.   Title Block:

      1.   Name and address of property owner.

      2.   Name of landscape architect.

      3.   Firm name and address.

      4.   Scale data.

      5.   North arrow.

      6.   Date. (Ord. 6286, 12-6-2016)

   A.   Scale And Nature Of Landscape Material: The scale and nature of landscape material shall be appropriate to the site and structures.

   B.   Selection Of Plant Material:

      1.   Trees to be installed shall meet the minimum criteria:

         a.   Evergreen trees shall be a minimum of six feet (6') in height.

         b.   Ornamental trees shall be a minimum of two inch (2") caliper or five feet (5') clump form.

         c.   Shade trees a minimum of two and one-half inch (21/2") caliper.

      2.   Shrubs to be installed shall meet the minimum criteria at time of installation:

         a.   Fifty percent (50%) of shrubs shall be deciduous and fifty percent (50%) evergreen.

         b.   For shrubs that mature at less than five feet (5') in height, minimum installation size shall be two feet (2').

         c.   For shrubs that mature taller than five feet (5') in height, minimum installation size shall be three feet (3').

   C.   Installation Of Plant Materials:

      1.   Plant materials of all types and species shall be installed in accordance with the minimum technical specifications of the Village's "Arboricultural Standards Manual" (see section 9.705 of this code), including the guarantee and replacement sections.

      2.   A schedule of prohibited and permissible plant materials is provided in section 14.2309 of this article.

      3.   Where overhead power lines exist, only trees that have a mature height of twenty feet (20') or less should be planted underneath.

      4.   Except areas occupied by planting beds, all landscaping areas located in the front or exterior side yards shall be sodded.

      5.   Except areas occupied by planting beds, all landscaping areas located in the interior side or rear yards shall be sodded or seeded.

      6.   Plant materials installed along the perimeters of parking areas and rights of way shall be salt hardy.

   D.   Maintenance Of Plant Materials: The owner of the premises shall be responsible for the maintenance, repair and replacement of all landscaping plant materials and related structures, including, but not limited to, refuse disposal areas, walls, and fences as may be required by the Village. When any existing landscaping materials are removed from a nonsingle-family residential property, the removed and replacement materials shall be approved by the director of community development. A means of irrigating plant material shall be provided.

   E.   Planting Beds: Outside of existing plantings, the remaining planting beds shall be mulched in their entirety with ground cover, shredded bark or other similar material.

   F.   Detention/Retention Basins And Ponds: Areas surrounding detention/retention basins and ponds shall be planted above the high water line. Such plantings shall include shade and ornamental trees, evergreens, shrubbery, hedges and/or other live planting materials along the perimeter of the basin or pond. The bottom of the basin/pond shall be planted with sod or hydroseed. Plants must be able to tolerate wet conditions if planted within the basin.

   G.   Areas Where Plant Material Will Not Prosper: In areas where general planting will not prosper, other materials (such as fences, walls and pavings of wood, brick, stone, and cobbles) may be used when demonstrated to the director of community development that the area will not support live plant materials. Carefully selected plant material shall be combined with such materials where possible. (Ord. 6286, 12-6-2016)

Where a parcel abuts a dedicated public right of way, parkway trees shall be provided in accordance with subsection 15.502E and sections 15.808 and 16.902 of this code.

   A.   Graded And Sodded: All unpaved areas within the right of way shall be graded and sodded in accordance with section 16.904 of this code. (Ord. 6286, 12-6-2016)

   A.   Parking Lot Landscape Islands: All parking lots designed for four (4) or more required parking spaces shall be planted in accordance with the provisions of this article.

      1.   Landscape Island Planting Areas: A planting island of at least one hundred twenty (120) square feet in area, and at least seven feet (7') in width, as measured back of curb to back of curb shall be provided for every seventeen (17) parking spaces in a parking row. A planting island shall be required at the end of each row of parking stalls regardless of the number of parking stalls in the row.

      2.   Landscape Island Planting Materials: One shade tree shall be provided for every one hundred twenty (120) square feet of area in a landscape planting island. There shall be at least fifty percent (50%) live coverage. Live coverage shall consist of a mixture of planting material, including evergreens, shrubs and perennials.

   B.   Perimeter Landscaping: The regulations of this subsection shall apply to the area defined along an adjacent lot line, extending to any or all of the following: exterior curblines of a parking lot; drive aisles or loading docks; and any building. Foundation landscaping regulations shall apply as indicated in section 14.2307 of this article.

      1.   Perimeters Abutting/Adjacent To Single-Family Residential Uses: The following landscaping is required along lot lines that are adjacent or abutting a single-family residential use.

         a.   Front And Exterior Side Yards:

            (1)   Where located across a street from a residential use, continuous landscaping shall be provided along the frontage to a height of three feet (3').

            (2)   Shade trees shall be provided at the equivalent of fifty feet (50') apart along the abutting lot line.

         b.   Rear And Interior Side Yards:

            (1)   A screen/buffer shall be provided at a minimum of six feet (6') in height.

            (2)   Shade trees shall be provided at the equivalent of fifty feet (50') apart along the abutting lot line.

            (3)   Other planting material, including ornamental trees, evergreens, shrubbery, hedges, and/or other live planting materials shall be provided at intermittent locations, covering at least seventy five percent (75%) of the linear frontage.

      2.   Perimeters Abutting/Adjacent To Nonsingle-Family Residential Uses:

         a.   Landscaping shall be provided across fifty percent (50%) of the abutting lot line to a minimum height of three feet (3'). For lot lines greater than one hundred feet (100') in length, plantings shall be placed in clusters, containing a minimum of seven (7) shrubs per cluster, spaced at intervals of approximately thirty five feet (35') along the lot line.

         b.   Shade trees shall be provided at the equivalent of seventy five feet (75') apart along the abutting lot line.

      3.   Exemptions: Landscaping requirements may be waived by the community development director for instances where no or little setback is required or provided, resulting in an area where plant material will not prosper. (Ord. 6286, 12-6-2016)

   A.   Setback: A landscaping area a minimum of four feet (4') in width shall be located around the front and exterior side facade of all buildings; decorative, year round planter boxes and pots may be an acceptable alternative subject to approval of the community development director.

   B.   Coverage: Required foundation landscaping areas shall remain open and free of all paving except where walks to buildings and other similar paving is required.

   C.   Landscaping Materials: Such landscaping shall consist of ornamental trees, evergreens, shrubbery, hedges, and/or other live planting materials. Particular attention shall be paid toward screening mechanical equipment and loading docks; softening large expanses of building walls; and accenting entrances and architectural features. (Ord. 6286, 12-6-2016)

This section provides standards for protection of trees on private property. Chapter 9, article VII of this code provides standards for protection of trees on public property.

   A.   Tree Removal Procedure:

      1.   No more than five (5) trees on any property, nor a tree having a caliper of four inches (4") or greater on any proposed development site, shall be removed without a permit meeting the requirements of this section. This section does not apply if the tree removal is requested by the Village or if the tree is located on public property. Chapter 9 of this code provides standards for removal of public property trees.

      2.   The application for a tree removal permit shall be accompanied by:

         a.   A written statement indicating the reason for removal of the tree(s).

         b.   A general description of the tree(s) to be removed.

         c.   A tree survey of the general area (as determined by the department of community development) surrounding the tree(s) to be removed. The tree survey shall consist of trees four inch (4") caliper and above and include a listing of species.

         d.   Arguments for removal under subsections A3c and A3d of this section shall be accompanied by a report from a certified arborist if requested by the department of community development.

      3.   The Village shall approve an application for a tree removal permit if one or more of the following conditions are present:

         a.   It is necessary to remove a tree which poses a safety hazard to pedestrian or vehicular traffic or threatens to cause disruption of public safety.

         b.   It is necessary to remove a tree which poses a safety hazard to structures.

         c.   It is necessary to remove a tree which is diseased or has been weakened by age, storm, fire or other injury.

         d.   It is necessary to observe good forestry practice, i.e., the number of healthy trees a given parcel of land will support.

      4.   When a tree removal is occasioned by any development or land use requiring the submission of a site plan, or subdivision plan, the said plan shall, upon approval by the Village, constitute a tree removal permit.

      5.   When removing trees, trees shall be removed in their entirety, including trunks, stumps and associated debris. Areas where trees were removed shall be restored to its natural condition. Restoration to natural condition includes, but is not limited to, deposit of topsoil and grass seed or sod.

   B.   Protection Of Existing Trees: The following materials are required for all development activity requiring site plan review:

      1.   A tree survey indicating the location, size, and species of all trees located on the parcel with a caliper of four inches (4") or greater.

      2.   Every reasonable effort shall be made to retain existing trees on the aforementioned tree survey through the integration of those trees surveyed into the site and landscaping plans for a proposed development.

      3.   A tree preservation plan indicating, at a minimum, the location of those trees to be preserved and the methods which are to be used to preserve such trees. This tree preservation plan shall specify the following:

         a.   The following preservation techniques shall be employed:

            (1)   All grading and construction equipment shall be forbidden from encroaching within the drip line of a tree.

            (2)   Crushed limestone, hydrocarbons and other materials detrimental to trees shall not be dumped within the drip line of any tree nor at any higher location where drainage toward the tree could conceivably affect the health of the tree.

            (3)   Snow fencing shall be temporarily installed at the periphery of the tree's drip line.

            (4)   No grade changes shall be allowed under drip line of any trees located on the tree survey.

         b.   The methods which are to be used to preserve those trees shall be clearly specified. If, in the opinion of the Village, the necessary precautions as specified in the tree preservation plan were not undertaken before or maintained during construction, the land development permit for the parcel shall not be issued or, if previously issued, shall be revoked until such time as these precautions have been complied with.

      4.   In the event that a tree designated for preservation is destroyed or razed during the construction process, during regular maintenance activities, or has been removed without prior approval of the community development director:

         a.   Such trees shall be replaced with new trees in accordance with the following:

 

 

For the above, in the event of a fraction of an inch, if a fraction is less than one-half inch (1/2"), the lower full number listed above shall be used. If a fraction is one-half inch (1/2") or greater, the higher number shall be used.

         b.   A fee in lieu of installing a replacement tree shall also be acceptable if providing the number of replacement trees is not feasible on a specific property. The applicant shall submit a written statement indicating the reasons for the inability to provide the number of replacement trees. The written statement shall be accompanied by a report from a certified arborist if requested by the department of community development. The director of community development shall review and decide if replacement trees, a fee in lieu, or combination thereof is appropriate. A fee in lieu shall be as set forth in appendix A, division II of this code.

      5.   All replacement trees shall have a minimum caliper of four inches (4").

      6.   Replacement trees shall be of like kind of trees removed and are limited to one of the species listed in the schedule of permissible plant materials maintained by the director.

      7.   Removal of trees designated for preservation shall be allowed only by amending the landscape plan. The amended landscape plan shall indicate the location, species, and size of all replacement trees. (Ord. 6286, 12-6-2016)

   A.   Prohibited Tree List:

 

   B.   Recommended Plant List: Use of plants not included on the recommended plant list may be permitted with the approval of the director.

   C.   Shade Trees (Minimum Size At Installation - Two And One- Half Inch Caliper):

 

   D.   Evergreen Trees (Minimum Height At Installation - Six Feet):

 

   E.   Ornamental Trees (Minimum Size At Installation - Two Inch Caliper Or Be A Clump Form At A Minimum Height Of Five Feet):

 

   F.   Large Deciduous Shrubs (Minimum Height At Installation - Three Feet):

 

   G.   Large Evergreen Shrubs (Minimum Height At Installation - Five Feet):

 

 

   H.   Small Deciduous Shrubs (Minimum Height At Installation - Twenty Four Inches):

 

   I.   Small Evergreen Shrubs (Minimum Height At Installation - Twenty Four Inches):

 

   J.   Ornamental Grasses:

 

 

   K.   Perennial Plants:

 

   L.   Ground Cover Plants:

 

(Ord. 6286, 12-6-2016)