A planted area not less than 20% of the total lot area of a lot is required.

The retention of existing vegetation rather than the provision of new plantings is encouraged where this is determined by the Land Use Board to be visually appropriate.

The planted area required above is in addition to any required buffer area or of any required parking areas.

Buffer area required by ordinance shall not be included in determining the amount of area to be devoted to meeting the planted area requirements set forth above, but the total lot area without reduction for buffer area shall be used to determine the minimum 20% of the total lot area required for planted area.

A planted area that is in or to be placed in any required open space area such as side yard, front yard and rear yard shall not be deemed a violation of the minimum requirements for open space for such yards.

On any lot that requires a planted buffer area, the total of the required planted buffer area and the required planted area shall be 25%. The total, however, shall not be less than 30% if any part of the planted buffer areas is in any residential zone (R-150, R-100, R-75, R-50 and R-2F) or any residential zone of any other municipality.

In the HCC, HCC-2, NB and LB Zones that borders, is contiguous to, or across the street from and within 100 feet of, any residential zone in this or any other municipality.

Planted buffer areas for non-residential uses in residential zones.

Where a new street abuts an adjacent residential developed parcel (i.e. single family house), the minimum buffer shall be 50 feet between such parcel and the proposed new street.

The criteria to be considered in determining the location, shape and content of any required planted area and the creation of any required buffer area shall include the following:

In connection with Land Use Board consideration for site plan approval, the Land Use Board shall have the right to determine the proper areas for the required planted area, taking into consideration the criteria set forth above.

Detention basins, subject to a finding by the Land Use Board that adequate visual screening is still provided.

Below-grade, underground parking facilities may be erected underneath any required planted area or planted buffer area, provided that the surface of the lot in the area of the planted buffer area and the planted area has at least four feet of soil and is properly drained so that the same is sufficient to support the growth of plants, ground cover, shrubs and trees.

On Land Use Board site plan approval, the Land Use Board shall, however, allow paved ingress and egress from the site to a public street or highway through a planted buffer area where there are no possible safe exits or entrances to a road or highway that is zoned across the street from the site within the HCC, HCC-2, NB or LB Zones. The area to be so paved shall not be included as part of the area making up the required planted buffer area.

The required planted area (other than planted buffer areas) need not be all in one area of the lot.

Planted areas that are less than 200 square feet shall not be included in any computation of the required area.

The planted buffer area shall be located along the entire front, side or sides of the lot or rear of the lot that abuts or is contiguous to or is across the street, but within 100 feet from any property in the R-150, R-100, R-75, R-50 and R-2F Zones and any property zoned for residential use in any adjacent municipality.

The Land Use Board may, at the request of any applicant for site plan approval, consider any portion of the planted area to be provided by the applicant on any other lot or lots for purposes of determining the required 20% planted area requirement (not including planted buffer area) if, in the opinion of the Land Use Board:

The planted area and required planted buffer area shall be so designed to provide proper drainage of the soil.

The planted area or required planted buffer area shall be protected by continuous Portland cement concrete or Belgian block curbing on all sides except on the planted buffer area; curbing is required only on the inside perimeter of the planted buffer area.

The planted area or required planted buffer area shall be planted with approved plant material with sufficient organic sanitary material, topsoil, peat moss and the like, so that the same shall be likely to thrive. Minimum depth of topsoil in all turf areas shall be four inches. All topsoil shall conform to specifications approved by the Board of Shade Tree and Parks Commissioners.

No owner, developer or occupant of a lot of which all or a portion is undeveloped shall remove any trees in excess of six inches in diameter as measured one foot above the base from any required planted area or any required planted buffer area or from the lot except by express direction or approval contained in a subdivision approval, soil permit or site plan approval by the Land Use Board of the Borough of Paramus.

Existing healthy trees in excess of six inches in diameter one foot from ground level that are located in any approved planted buffer area or approved planted area shall be preserved unless otherwise ordered by the Land Use Board in connection with site plan approval.

The planted area shall be designed to provide for the planting of plant material that is hardy and of a variety which requires a minimum amount of maintenance.

The Land Use Board may require a planted buffer area pursuant to site plan approval, where changes in topography or elevation of the planted buffer areas would better serve the criteria set forth in § 429-179.

In connection with any site plan approval granted, the developer of the property shall protect against damage to trees that are located in the approved planted area and approved planted buffer area and shall also protect these areas by temporary fencing until the certificate of occupancy has been issued and all outside construction has been completed.

The following types of evergreen plants (hereinafter denominated "Group A") in the upright varieties are recommended for buffer areas to establish screening of nonresidential use and residential use:

The trees denominated "Group B-1" in the accompanying tabulation and the shrubs denominated "Group B-2" in the accompanying tabulation are recommended for use as a formal clipped hedge for screen and buffer planting.

The plants denominated "Group C" in the accompanying tabulations are recommended for informal flowering or fruiting or evergreen hedge for buffer and screen planting.

The plants denominated "Group D" in the accompanying tabulations are recommended for ground covers for greenery planting and the planted area that are at the end of aisles of parking or very close to entrances and exits to other property or streets or highways. The plants in Group D shall be utilized so as to not obstruct proper sight lines for vehicular and pedestrian safety. The maximum height shall not exceed 30 inches at maturity.

The plant species in "Group E" (shade trees) and "Group F" (ornamental trees) are recommended and approved species for planted areas and planted buffer areas. Group E (shade trees) when planted shall have a minimum size of two-and-one-half- inches caliper and a minimum branch height of seven feet. If shade trees in Group E are planted in any area on the lot where they will be close to automobiles or at the end of any parking aisle or near the corner of any intersection of any aisle and any other driveway or aisle or in any other location in parking aisles, the trees shall be pruned to remove all limbs at the trunk if at that point the limbs are lower than ten feet from the ground. All new trees in Group E and F must be staked in accordance with the American Nurserymen's Standards.

All landscaping is to be completed in a good and workmanlike manner and all planted areas and planted buffer areas are subject to the inspection and approval of the Board of Shade Tree and Parks Commissioners prior to the issuance of any permanent certificate of occupancy.

The developer must notify the Board of Shade Tree and Parks Commissioners at least 48 hours prior to the installation of any planted material. On the advice of the Board of Shade Tree and Parks Commissioners, the Land Use Board may adopt resolutions at public meetings creating standard specifications for planted material and planting which, if adopted, shall be adhered to by all persons installing such material.

Substitutions of plants within the same grouping from those shown in plans submitted are allowed, subject to Board of Shade Tree and Parks Commissioners' approval, where the originally designated plants are not available.

The Plant Table reflecting the group set forth above is annexed to this Chapter as 429 Attachment 3.

All applicants for site plan approval.

All applicants for subdivision approval where any of the lots to be created would require a planted buffer area or a planted area.

All applicants for subdivisions requiring planting of public dedicated land.

The landscape plan shall be prepared at a scale shown on the plan by a landscape architect, architect or professional engineer. The name of the preparer of the plan, his address, telephone number and license number shall be indicated on the plan. The scale of the plan shall also be indicated. The name of the applicant and any authorized agents shall also appear on the plan.

The plans shall specify all planted areas and planted buffer areas, if required, and the dimensions of each of said areas. The plan shall specify the total number of square feet of any planted area (not including buffer area), the total number of square feet of any required planted buffer area, the combined total area in square feet, if applicable, and the percentage figures of planted areas and buffer areas of the sum of the two and of the total site area.