Landscaping shall be provided as part of site plan and subdivision design. It shall be conceived in a total pattern throughout the site, integrating the various elements of site design, preserving and enhancing the particular identity of the site and creating a pleasing site character.

Landscaping may include plant materials such as trees, shrubs, ground cover, perennial, and annuals and other materials such as rocks, water, sculpture, art, walls, fences, and building and paving materials.

Topsoil Preservation. Topsoil moved during the course of construction shall be redistributed on all regraded surfaces. At least four (4") inches of even cover shall be provided to all disturbed areas of the development and shall be stabilized by seeding or planting. If excess topsoil remains, the thickness shall be increased. If additional is required, the developer shall provide it. Removal of excess topsoil shall only be permitted in accordance with a plan approved by the Municipal Agency.

Removal of Debris. All stumps and other tree parts, litter, brush, weeds, excess or scrap building materials, or other debris shall be removed from the site and disposed of in accordance with the law. No tree stumps, portions of tree trunks or limbs shall be buried anywhere in the development. All dead or dying trees, standing or fallen, shall be removed from the site. If trees and limbs are reduced to chips, they may, subject to approval of the Municipal Engineer, be used as mulch in landscaped areas. A developer shall be exempt from these provisions, however, and shall be permitted to dispose of site-generated new construction wastes on site as long as the conditions set forth in N.J.A.C. 7:26-1.7 are met.

Protection of Existing Plantings. Maximum effort should be made to save specimen trees (because of size or relative rarity). The Municipal Agency may require submittal of a plan for the conservation of existing trees and shrubs. Such plans shall indicate which trees and shrubs are to be cleared and which shall be retained. Consistent with reasonable development of any site, all trees designated for protection by subsection 16-2.4b, 1 and 2 of the Borough Code shall be retained and protected as specifically required by the Municipal Agency or as required by subsection 16-1.8 of the Borough Code. Protective barriers or tree wells shall be installed around all vegetation to be protected. Unless a higher standard of protection is required by subsection 16-1.8 of the Borough Code, such barriers shall be placed four (4') feet from protected shrubs or ornamental trees and ten (10') feet from protected trees and wooded areas. Barriers shall not be supported by the plants they are protecting, but shall be self-supporting. They shall be a minimum of four (4') feet high and constructed of a durable material that will last until construction is completed. Snow fences and silt fences are examples of acceptable barriers.

On major applications, a Tree Save Plan shall be submitted for approval by the Municipal Agency. The plan shall include the location of existing vegetation designated for protection in Chapter 16, Environmental Protection, Section 1, Tree Protection, of the Borough Code and specifically identified in subsections 16-1.4b, 1 and 2.

Slope Plantings. Landscaping of the area of all cuts and fills and/or terraces shall be sufficient to prevent erosion, and all roadway slopes steeper than one (1') foot vertically to three (3') feet horizontally shall be planted with ground covers appropriate for the purpose and soil conditions, water availability, and environment.

Additional Landscaping. In residential developments, besides the screening and street trees required, additional plantings or landscaping elements shall be required throughout the subdivision where necessary for climate control, privacy, or for aesthetic reasons in accordance with a planting plan approved by the Municipal Agency. In nonresidential developments, all areas of the site not occupied by building and required improvements shall be landscaped by the planting of grass or other ground cover, shrubs, and trees as part of a site plan approved by the Planning Board.

At a minimum, the equivalent of at least two shrubs and one shade or ornamental tree of two and one-half (2 1/2") inch caliper diameter breast height (DBH) or greater shall be provided for each 1,500 square feet of area of a residential development not covered by buildings or improvements and for each 1,000 square feet of nonresidential development. Existing healthy specimen trees may be included in satisfying these requirements. These plantings shall be in addition to any other landscaping requirements, including landscaping of off-street parking areas and buffer areas.

Planting Specifications. Deciduous trees shall have at least a two and one-half (2 1/2") inch caliper DBH at planting. Size of evergreens and shrubs shall be allowed to vary depending on setting and type of shrub. Only nursery-grown plant materials shall be acceptable; and all trees, shrubs, and ground covers shall be planted according to accepted horticultural standards. Dead or dying plants shall be replaced by the developer during the following planting season.

Plant Species. The plant species selected should be hardy for the particular climatic zone in which the development is located and appropriate in terms of function and size. Plant species shall not include invasive plants such as invasive bamboo and other species regulated by the State of New Jersey.

Location. Street trees shall be installed on both sides of all streets in accordance with the approved landscape plan. Trees shall either be massed at critical points or spaced evenly along the street, or both.

If a street canopy effect is desired, trees may be planted closer together, following the recommendations of a certified landscape architect. The trees shall be planted so as not to interfere with utilities, roadways, sidewalks, sight easements, or streetlights. Tree location, landscaping design, and spacing plan shall be approved by the Planning Board or Zoning Board of Adjustment as part of the landscape plan.

Tree Type. Tree type may vary depending on overall effect desired, but as a general rule, all trees shall be the same kind on a street except to achieve special effects. Selection of tree type shall be approved by the Shade Tree Commission.

Planting Specifications. All trees shall have a caliper of two and one-half (2 1/2") inches and they shall be nursery grown, of substantially uniform size and shape, and have straight trunks. Trees shall be properly planted and staked and provision made by the applicant for regular watering and maintenance until they are established. Dead or dying trees shall be replaced by the applicant during the next planting season.

Restrictions. Assess area to be planted both above- and below-ground. In areas where there are overhead power lines, select a tree of small stature that matures at a height less than 25 feet. Do not plant within the ten-foot vegetation-free clearance area around the base of transmission poles. Do not plant within six feet from the curbline or edge of sidewalk closest to structure. Do not plant within six feet from the vertical line of an overhead power line.

Prohibited Street Trees. The Pyrus calleryana, or the Callery pear tree, known for its cultivar, a Bradford pear, is prohibited as a street tree in the Borough of Rumson.

Function and Materials. Buffering shall provide a year-round visual screen in order to minimize adverse impacts from a site on an adjacent property or from adjacent areas. It may consist of fencing, evergreens, berms, rocks, boulders, mounds, or combinations to achieve the stated objectives.

When Required. All uses, other than single family detached and two family detached dwellings and their accessory uses, shall provide buffers along side and rear property lines which abut areas zoned residentially or used for residential purposes. Buffering shall also be required when topographical or other barriers do not provide reasonable screening and when the Municipal Agency determines that there is a need to shield the site from adjacent properties and to minimize adverse impacts such as incompatible land uses, noise, glaring light, and traffic. In dense developments, when building design and siting do not provide privacy, the Municipal Agency may require landscaping, fences, or walls to ensure privacy and screen dwelling units.

Where required, buffers shall be measured from property lines.

Design. Arrangement of planting in buffers shall provide maximum protection to adjacent properties and avoid damage to existing plant material. Possible arrangements include planting in parallel, serpentine, or broken rows. If planted berms are used, the minimum top width shall be four (4') feet, and the maximum side slope shall be 2:1.

Planting Specifications. Plant materials shall be sufficiently large and planted in such a fashion that a screen at least eight (8') feet high, occupying 50% of the width of the buffer strip, shall be produced within three growing seasons. All plantings shall be installed according to accepted horticultural standards.

Maintenance. Plantings shall be watered regularly and in a manner appropriate for the specific plant species through the first growing season, and dead or dying plants shall be replaced by the applicant during the next planting season. No buildings, structures, storage of materials, or parking shall be permitted within the buffer area; buffer areas shall be maintained and kept free of all debris, rubbish, weeds, and tall grass.

Amount Required. In parking lots, at least 5% of the interior parking area shall be landscaped with plantings, and one tree for each 10 spaces shall be installed. Parking lot street frontage screening and perimeter screening shall be a minimum of five (5') feet wide. Planting required within the parking lot is exclusive of other planting requirements, such as for street trees.

Location. The landscaping should be located in protected areas, such as along walkways, in center islands, at the end of bays, or in diamonds between parking stalls. All landscaping in parking areas and on the street parking lot is exclusive of other planting requirements, such as for street trees.

Plant Type. A mixture of hardy flowering and/or decorative evergreen and deciduous trees may be planted; the area between trees shall be planted with shrubs or ground cover or covered with mulch.

Paving Materials. Design and choice of paving materials used in pedestrian areas shall consider the following factors; cost, maintenance, use, climate, characteristics of users, appearance, availability with surroundings, decorative quality, and aesthetic appeal. Acceptable materials shall include, but are not limited to, concrete, brick, cement pavers, asphalt and stone.

Walls and fences shall be erected where required for privacy, screening, separation, security, or to serve other necessary functions.

Street furniture such as, but not limited to, trash receptacles, benches, phone booths, etc., shall be located and sized in accordance with their functional needs.

Street furniture elements shall be compatible in form, material, and finish. Style shall be coordinated with that of the existing or proposed site architecture.

Selection of street furniture shall consider durability, maintenance, and long-term cost.