The purpose of this Section is to establish minimum landscaping and screening requirements that provide: (i) a visual buffer between parking and loading areas and public roads, (ii) a visual buffer between parking and loading areas and adjoining residential land uses, (iii) screening of solid waste collection dumpsters, and (iv) screening between certain incompatible land uses.

11-3.1.

Parking and Loading Area Landscaping.

(A)

Roadside Buffer Yard Requirements.

(1)

All parking lots containing ten or more parking spaces, except for parking facilities used on an irregular basis for churches, private clubs or other similar nonprofit organizations, and parking areas located within a LI, GI or PI Zoning district that does not abut a residential zone, shall include a minimum 10-foot perpetually maintained natural or planted buffer yard to screen the parking lot from all adjoining public road rights-of-way (where such parking lot is not screened visually by an intervening building).

(2)

The required roadside buffer yard shall contain at least one canopy tree for each sixty linear feet of road frontage and each tree shall be a minimum of 8 feet in height and shall have a minimum caliper of 2 inches (measured six inches above grade) at the time of planting. Each tree shall be a species which can be expected to attain a minimum height of 40 feet and have a crown width of 30 feet or greater at maturity.

(3)

The required buffer yard shall also contain evergreen shrubs, planted four feet on center, which are of a species which can be expected to reach a minimum height of 36 inches and a minimum spread of 30 inches within 3 years of planting.

(4)

All portions of the roadside buffer yard not planted with trees or shrubs or covered by a wall or other barrier shall be planted with grass, ground cover, or natural mulch of a minimum depth of 3 inches.

(B)

Property Line Buffer Yard Requirements. Any parking lot and loading area: (i) which contains ten or more parking spaces, (ii) which is located on a commercially-, industrially-, or institutionally-used lot, and (iii) which abuts a residentially zoned lot shall include a minimum 10-foot perpetually maintained natural or planted buffer yard along all adjoining property lines that do not coincide with road rights-of-way.

The required property line buffer yard shall comply with the planting standards set out in subsection (A) for roadside buffer yards except that there shall be one canopy tree for each 60 LF of property line adjoining a residentially zoned lot rather than for each 60 LF of road frontage.

11-3.2.

Screening of Dumpsters. Solid waste collection dumpsters which are (i) located on sites used for multi-family residential, commercial, institutional, or industrial purposes and (ii) abutting a residence, residentially zoned lot, or road right-of-way shall be screened from the view of adjoining residences, residentially zoned lots, or road rights-of-way. Such screening may consist of natural vegetation, fences, walls, or berms and shall be installed, located, or constructed so as to create an effective screen.

11-3.3.

Screening of Adjoining Incompatible Land Uses.

(A)

Multi-family Residential Uses. Whenever 8 or more multi-family residential dwelling units are proposed to be located directly abutting property which is used for single-family residential purposes or which is zoned for single-family residential use, the multi-family use shall provide screening in accordance with the following standards:

(1)

A minimum 15-foot perpetually maintained natural or planted buffer yard shall be provided along all property lines directly abutting a single-family used or zoned lot.

(2)

The buffer yard shall contain 2 canopy trees and 3 understory trees per 100 linear feet of buffer yard. Canopy trees shall be a minimum of 8 feet in height and 2 inches in caliper (measured 6 inches above grade) when planted. When mature, a canopy tree should be at least 40 feet high and have a crown width of 30 feet or greater. Understory trees shall be a minimum of 4 feet high and 1 inch in caliper (measured 6 inches above grade) when planted.

(3)

The buffer yard shall also contain 17 shrubs per 100 linear feet of buffer yard. All shrubs shall be of a species which can be expected to reach a minimum height of 36 inches and a minimum spread of 30 inches within 3 years of planting.

(4)

All portions of the buffer yard not planted with trees or shrubs or covered by a wall or other barrier shall be planted with grass, ground cover, or natural mulch of a minimum depth of 3 inches.

(B)

Industrial and Commercial Uses. Whenever an industrial or commercial use is proposed to be located so that the principal building, accessory building(s), outdoor use areas, or parking and loading areas are within 100 feet of a lot which is used for residential purposes or which is zoned for residential use, the industrial or commercial use shall provide screening in accordance with the following standards:

(1)

A minimum 25-foot perpetually maintained natural or planted buffer yard shall be provided along all property lines directly abutting a residentially used or zoned lot.

(2)

The buffer yard shall contain 3 canopy trees and 5 understory trees per 100 linear feet of buffer yard. Canopy trees shall be a minimum of 8 feet in height and 2 inches in caliper (measured 6 inches above grade) when planted. When mature, a canopy tree should be at least 40 feet high and have a crown width of 30 feet or greater. Understory trees shall be a minimum of 4 feet high and 1 inch in caliper (measured 6 inches above grade) when planted.

(3)

The buffer yard shall also contain 25 shrubs per 100 linear feet of buffer yard. All shrubs shall be of a species which can be expected to reach a minimum height of 36 inches and a minimum spread of 30 inches within 3 years of planting.

(4)

All portions of the buffer yard not planted with trees or shrubs or covered by a wall or other barrier shall be planted with grass, groundcover, or natural mulch of a minimum depth of 3 inches.

11-3.4.

Alternative Screening Methods.

(A)

Under certain circumstances the application of the standards delineated in Section 11-3.1 through 11-3.3 is either inappropriate or ineffective in achieving the purposes of this Ordinance. When screening is required by this Section or by other provisions of this Ordinance and the site design, topography, unique relationships to other properties, lot configuration, spatial separation, natural vegetation, or other special considerations exist relative to the proposed development, the developer may submit a specific plan for screening to the Zoning Administrator. This plan must demonstrate how the purposes and standards of this Ordinance will be met by measures other than those listed in Sections 11-3.1 through 11-3.3. If approved by the Zoning Administrator, the alternative screening plan may be utilized to meet the requirements of this Ordinance.

(B)

A combination of natural vegetation, fences, walls and berms may be utilized to achieve the screening requirements of Sections 11-3.1 through 11-3.3 provided that the following standards are met:

(1)

Walls (a minimum of 5 feet in height and constructed of masonry, stone or pressure treated lumber) or an opaque fence (a minimum of 5 feet in height) may be used to reduce the widths of the buffer yards required in Sections 11-3.3(A)(1) and (B)(1) by 10 feet.

(2)

Understory tress may be substituted for canopy trees if, in the opinion of the Zoning Administrator upon conferring with the electrical utility provider, a conflict exists with overhead utility lines.

(3)

Wall planters shall be constructed of masonry, stone or pressure treated lumber and shall have a minimum height of 30 inches. The minimum height of shrubs in wall planters shall be 6 inches. The effective planting area of the wall planter shall be 4 feet in width (7 feet if the wall planter contains trees).

(4)

Any berm utilized for screening purposes shall have a minimum height of 3 feet, a minimum crown width of 3 feet, and a side slope no greater than 3:1.

11-3.5.

Maintenance. In order for any screening to fulfill the purpose for which it was established, it must be properly maintained. The owner of the property and any tenant on the property where screening is required will be jointly and severally responsible for the maintenance of all required screening materials. Maintenance includes actions necessary to keep screening materials healthy, neat and orderly in appearance and free of litter and debris. Any live screening materials such as shrubs and trees which may die must be replaced in compliance with the minimum standards of this Ordinance. All screening and landscaping areas must be protected from damage by motor vehicles or pedestrians which could reduce the effectiveness of the screening.

11-3.6.

Use of Existing Screening. When a lot is to be developed so that screening is required and that lot abuts an existing hedge, fence or other screening material on the adjoining lot, then that existing screen may be used to satisfy the requirements of this Ordinance. The existing screen must meet the minimum standards for screening established by this Ordinance and it must be protected from damage by pedestrians or motor vehicles. However, the burden to provide the necessary screening remains with the use to be screened and is a continuing obligation that runs with the land so long as the original use continues in operation. Consequently, should the screening on the adjoining lot be removed, the use required to be screened shall, at that time, provide screening in accordance with the requirements of this Ordinance.

11-3.7.

Obstructions Prohibited. Landscaping and screening materials shall not obstruct the view of motorists using any road, driveway, or parking aisle.

11-3.8.

Guarantee in Lieu of Immediate Installation of Landscaping and Screening Materials. It is recognized that land development occurs continuously and that vegetation used in landscaping or screening should be planted at certain times of the year to ensure the best chance of survival. In order to ensure compliance with this Ordinance and reduce the potential expense of replacing landscaping or screening materials which were installed in an untimely or improper fashion, the developer may provide, in accordance with the provisions of Section 4-8, an adequately secured performance bond or other security to ensure that all of the requirements of Section 11-3 will be fulfilled.