This article establishes minimum site development and landscaping regulations for all regulated development, defined as commercial, office, and manufacturing uses and multiple-family residential uses of six dwelling units or greater. The regulations set standards for screening and protecting adjacent properties from more intensive uses, on-site landscaping and the maintenance thereof. The provisions of this article shall not supersede screening or landscaping provisions of chapter 98 - Subdivisions or other sections of the City Code, but shall be deemed as supplemental to other standards.

(Ord. No. 20-47, § 3(Exh. A), 11-10-2020)

Prior to the issuance of any building permit for regulated development, the developer shall submit to the city a screening and landscaping plan evidencing compliance with the terms and conditions of this chapter. Such plan must be approved by the zoning administrator and, where applicable, the planning and zoning commission.

(Ord. No. 20-47, § 3(Exh. A), 11-10-2020)

(a)

Any regulated development adjacent to areas zoned for residential shall install and maintain a 100 percent screen along all lot lines adjacent to such residential use. Except as otherwise provided, it shall have a total height of not less than six feet at time of installation. Where there is a difference in elevation on opposite sides of the screen, the height shall be measured from the highest elevation. A screen shall consist of one or more of the following types or as otherwise approved by the zoning administrator:

(1)

Berms: A berm may be banked on both sides or with one side banked toward the lot line with the retaining wall. A berm shall not be less than ten feet wide at the base and shall be constructed of earthen materials and shall be landscaped.

(2)

Plants: Plant materials, when used as a screen, shall consist of dense evergreen plants, deciduous plants and, if part of a special use or planned development, any mixture as the planning and zoning commission recommends to the city council. Plant materials will not be limited to a maximum height. The zoning administrator may require that additional plantings be installed if, two years after installation, plant materials have not formed a 100 percent screen, or such a screen is not maintained.

(3)

Fencing: Fencing type and location shall be as allowed by this ordinance, or in the case of a special use or planned development, as recommended to the city council by the planning and zoning Commission.

(Ord. No. 20-47, § 3(Exh. A), 11-10-2020)

(1)

Applicability: Screening requirements of shall apply to land use as follows:

a.

For all multi-family uses, screening shall be provided for common trash receptacle per section 122-564(2) below.

b.

For all commercial uses, screening shall be provided for:

i.

Common trash receptacle per section 122-564(2) below

ii.

Ground mounted mechanical equipment per section 122-564(3) below

iii.

Roof mounted mechanical equipment per section 122-564(4) below

iv.

Loading docks, service yards, and exterior work or storage areas section 122-564(5) below:

v.

Outdoor storage per section 122-73 Walls, Fences and Screens: General Regulations and as otherwise regulated by this chapter.

c.

For all industrial uses, screening shall be provided where the regulated accessory function listed here is visible from a public right-of-way or residential property:

i.

Common trash receptacle per section 122-564(2) below

ii.

Ground mounted mechanical equipment per section 122-564(3) below

iii.

Roof mounted mechanical equipment per section 122-564(4) below

iv.

Loading docks, service yards, and exterior work or storage areas section 122-564(5) below:

d.

For all industrial uses, all outdoor storage shall be screened per section 122-573 Walls, Fences and Screens: General Regulations and as otherwise regulated by this chapter.

(2)

Screening of common trash and recycling receptacles:

a.

Shall consist of solid material screening on three sides to a height that screens the containers, having a minimum height of at least six feet.

b.

Materials used for screening shall complement the materials used in the architecture of the principal building when visible from any street. Solid board on board wood or composite fences may be used when not visible from any street The use of material that is not solid, such as slats in chain-link, shall not be used to meet this requirement.

c.

Materials and elevations for enclosures that are attached to buildings shall be designed to be compatible with the main structure. If enclosures are to be attached to buildings, they shall comply with applicable fire and building regulations of the City Code.

d.

Enclosure openings directly visible from a public right-of-way and/or adjoining residential areas shall have a solid material gate.

(3)

Screening of ground mounted mechanical equipment:

a.

All ground mounted mechanical equipment shall be screened by fencing, berms, plantings or any combination of these, to sufficiently obscure such equipment from view from all adjacent streets and adjacent lots used for residential purposes.

b.

All fences installed to satisfy the screening requirement set forth in this article IX shall be approved by the zoning administrator based on whether views of said equipment from the public right-of-way or adjacent lots have been mitigated.

(4)

Screening of roof mounted mechanical equipment:

a.

All roof-mounted mechanical equipment that may be visible from adjacent public thoroughfares shall be screened by the use of an opaque screening material compatible with the architecture of the building or architecturally designed screening such as a parapet wall. The screening of the roof-mounted units shall be designed to blend with the building and roof materials. A determination as to whether the roof mounted equipment is adequately and appropriately screened shall be made by the zoning administrator based on visibility of said equipment from adjacent roadways.

(5)

Screening of loading docks, service yards, and exterior work or storage areas

a.

Loading docks, service yards, and exterior work or storage areas shall be screened from view from public rights-of-way and adjacent lots.

b.

The screening shall consist of solid material screening or full screening landscaping, having a minimum height of at least six feet.

c.

When solid material screening is provided, intermittent or foundation landscaping shall be provided, as approved by the zoning administrator to mitigate visual impacts of the solid material screen.

(Ord. No. 20-47, § 3(Exh. A), 11-10-2020)

(a)

General site landscaping: Landscaping consisting of standard, city-approved evergreen and deciduous trees and shrubs in combination with vines, ground cover and grass shall be installed and maintained according to the following standards.

(1)

All earthen areas outside of prescribed planting areas shall be covered with sod or other approved live ground cover. Stone and gravel are not approved surfaces except as may be approved by the zoning administrator in planting beds where it is determined that planted material is unlikely to survive or cannot be adequately maintained. Areas within prescribed planting areas shall be spade edged and mulched or regularly spaded to eliminate weeds.

(2)

Public right-of-way parkway landscaping for newly constructed buildings or developments is required for a minimum depth of ten feet from the right-of-way line along all adjacent streets or rights-of-way except for the openings and the areas within ten feet on either side of street openings. Within this landscaping area, there shall be the equivalent of at least one standard tree (minimum six feet in height at planting) and eight standard shrubs (minimum three feet in height at planting) for each 40 feet of street frontage planted in a pleasing and practical arrangement along the frontage and as approved by the zoning administrator. To the extent practicable, these shall complement any existing standard trees or shrubs within the public right-of-way parkway landscaping area.

(3)

Within parking lots and drive areas, additional landscaped areas equal to at least five percent of the total area of the property is required. Within this area, the equivalent of at least one standard tree and one standard shrub is required for each 500 square feet or fraction thereof of an area to be landscaped.

(4)

Existing topographic patterns shall be preserved except where modification will specifically contribute to increased utility of the site and/or enhancement of the site and will not cause undue hardship on drainage/storm water detention to adjacent properties.

(5)

Alternative compliance: Where it has been determined by the zoning administrator that site constraints related to site size, impacts from adjacent properties, visibility required for businesses, or safe operations exist that may limit the ability of a particular site to conform to requirements herein, the zoning administrator may evaluate the proposal and make a determination for alternative compliance. Allowed alternatives shall be found by the zoning administrator to be of equal or greater design quality as what would have otherwise been installed per the requirements of this chapter.

(6)

Exceptions: These landscaping regulations shall not apply to Single-family land uses.

(Ord. No. 20-47, § 3(Exh. A), 11-10-2020)

All landscape or other screening elements located on any lot as defined within this chapter shall be regularly cared for and maintained free from any physical deterioration so as to maintain the originally intended design character and quality, and to not become a nuisance or hazard to any person, personal property, or public or private utility, infrastructure, or improvement.

(Ord. No. 20-47, § 3(Exh. A), 11-10-2020)

Best Management Practices (BMPs) are encouraged in developments through appropriate application of landscape design, site construction and landscape maintenance practices. Use of BMPs may be used to off-set a portion of stormwater management requirements if, at the sole discretion of the zoning administrator, the applicant provides evidence by a licensed engineer that such offsets are feasible and the applicant provides a plan for ongoing maintenance and sufficiency of such facilities. Should the applicant or subsequent owners fail to maintain BMPs as effective stormwater management elements, the zoning administrator, at their sole discretion, may require repair of such BMPs or replacement with conventional stormwater management systems as may be needed to meet the intent and standards of the City Code.

BMP practices may include but are not limited to:

(a)

Permeable pavement and pavers. Permeable pavement and pavers are an alternative method of hard surface that allows stormwater runoff to filter through voids material. The use of this porous material can help promote the natural cleaning and infiltration of water, instead of allowing it to wash into streets and down storm drains. Use of this material is allowed in designated drive or path areas and is subject to approval the zoning administrator.

(b)

Bioswales or retention ponds: Bioswales and retention ponds are vegetated landscaped depressions that capture, treat, and slow down stormwater runoff. They provide a more aesthetically pleasing environment than the typical required concrete stormwater fixtures.

(c)

Parking lot drainage: Stormwater drainage is an integral component in the design of parking lots. Stormwater may be infiltrated into the parking lot planting areas and then drained to a specified area. This approach can clean, detail, and direct stormwater.

(Ord. No. 20-47, § 3(Exh. A), 11-10-2020; Ord. No. 23-20, § 2(Exh. A), 4-25-2023)