(a) Ground mounted heating and cooling units and above ground fuel tanks must be screened from the view from public streets and adjacent properties.

(b) All trash dumpsters, trash pads, loading areas, loading docks, building service areas, and outside storage areas shall be screened from the view from residentially zoned property or uses and shall be screened from the view from a public street. Such screening may be achieved by using a minimum six-foot high opaque screen consisting of material similar to the principal building.

(c) Vision clearance triangles shall be kept clear of landscaped materials greater than two (2) feet in height.

(d) All trees and scrubs must be planted a minimum of five (5) feet behind the right-of-way.

(e) Landscaping and screening.

(a) A landscape plan is required for each lot within a proposed development. It is recommended that the landscape plan be prepared by a landscape architect, nurseryman, or other professional experienced in landscape design and the installation and care of plant materials.

(b) All landscape plans submitted for approval as a component of a required development plan shall show the entire zoning lot to scale on twenty-four (24) inch × thirty-six (36) inch sheets unless the Town Manager allows otherwise and shall contain the following information:

(c) No construction activity of any kind shall take place within the area defined by the drip-line of any vegetation that is to be retained and counted as fulfilling these requirements. In the event that said retained vegetation ceases to be living, it shall be replaced with plantings that conform to the American Standard for Nursery Stock, (ANSI Z60.1-2004), published May 12, 2004 by the American Nursery and Landscape Association, 1000 Vermont Avenue, NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20005 incorporated herein by reference, as amended and supplemented. Plantings shall also conform to hardiness zone 5 standards of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Miscellaneous Publication No. 1475, issued January 1990, incorporated herein by reference, as amended and supplemented. The map is available through the USDA and other cooperative extensions. A web-based interactive Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2001 U.S. National Arboretum "Web Version" of the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map) can be found in the United States National Arboretum website at http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/ushzmap.html.

(d) All new trees required to be planted by this article shall be measured as follows:

(e) Earth mounds and berms shall be physical barriers that block or screen the view similar to a hedge, fence or wall. Mounds shall be constructed with proper and adequate plant material to prevent erosion. A difference in elevation between areas requiring screening does not constitute an existing earth mound and shall not be considered as fulfilling any screening requirement. Where mounds are to be moved, the maximum permitted slope is 3:1 (run:rise).

(f) Grass shall be planted in species normally grown as permanent lawns in northern Indiana. In swales or other areas subject to erosion, solid sod, an erosion reducing net or suitable mulch shall be used.

(a) Generally. All purposed landscape materials should complement the form of existing trees and plantings. Light, water, soil conditions, and on-going maintenance requirements should be considered in selecting plant materials. Generally, design standards shall assure that the layout of the development harmonizes with existing plans affecting the development and its surrounding area and shall be in conformity with the comprehensive plan for the development of the entire area.

(b) Vehicle overhang. Parked vehicles may hang over the landscaped area up to two and one-half (2½) feet. In no instance shall this overhang be counted as part of the required parking space area.

(c) Groundcover. All areas not landscaped with hedges, walls, or trees shall be provided with grass or other acceptable vegetative ground cover. In no case shall any required landscaping area be covered with rock, mulch, or other non-living material. However, this provision shall not be interpreted to prohibit the placement of mulch around plantings.

(d) Street trees. Shade trees shall be planted along all streets within the rights-of-way, parallel to the street. Species, size, and installation shall be per the standards of the Town. Allowable species are listed in Appendix I, Tree Planting Species.

(e) Bicycle and pedestrian access. The development plan shall include specific provisions for incorporating pedestrian and bicycle access, circulation and amenities into the development. Such bicycle and pedestrian access considerations shall include linking pedestrian and bicycle facilities to adjacent development, the overall U.S. 41 corridor, and, the Town's overall system of bicycle and pedestrian trails and routes.

(f) Protection of existing tree. Sites with existing trees or stands of trees should make reasonable efforts to protect and incorporate them into the overall site design. The landscape plan must preserve not less than seventy (70) percent of all trees that are:

(g) Public art. Public art that is included as part of a development plan shall be displayed in a location that is visually accessible to the public and visible from public right-of-way.

(a) The requirements of this article shall be applicable to buffer yards required elsewhere in town ordinances, as well as parking lots. Bufferyards that are intended to physically separate and visually screen adjacent land uses that are not fully compatible must be a solid, opaque screen of at least six (6) feet in height. Plants used exclusively for screening must reach a minimum height of forty-eight (48) inches within three (3) years of installation, and be at least twenty-four (24) inches tall when planted.

(b) Residential buffer. A fifteen-foot landscaped and maintained front yard area, composed of trees not less than two and one-half (2½) inches diameter and spaced fifty (50) feet on center, shall be provided next to existing residences or platted residential subdivisions unless otherwise determined by the Town Manager or unless otherwise approved by the Board of Zoning Appeals.

(c) Side and rear landscaped yards. A landscaped and maintained yard area shall be provided, including a solid visual buffer or screen of at least five (5) feet in height. The width shall be as follows:

Landscaping shall be required on each lot based on the use of that lot as provided in subsection (4).

(a) Landscaping shall be designed in accordance with the adopted landscaping style and species palette established for the Town center by the Plan Commission.

(b) The front yard setback will be landscaped with shade trees, low shrubs, planting beds and grass or ground cover, as approved by the Town.

(c) Alternatively, up to fifty (50) percent of the front yard setback may be paved with decorative pavers to allow seating areas or outdoor tables, which areas shall be surrounded by low shrubs or planting beds.

(d) On-site parking lots or structured parking adjacent to a public street must be separated from the street right-of-way with a minimum six (6) feet landscaped strip containing shade trees and shrubs or low fences/walls up to four (4) feet high.

(a) The front yard setback will be landscaped with shade trees, low shrubs, planting beds and/or grass or ground cover as approved by the Town.

(b) Fences are not allowed in the front setback area.

(a) Greenbelt.

(b) Planting strip.

(c) Planting adjacent to buildings along U.S. 41 Highway.

(d) Planting within parking lots. A minimum of one shade tree and five (5) shrubs shall be planted within each parking lot for every nine (9) spaces provided, or not less than eighteen (18) trees per acre of parking. See section 24-521(4) for minimum planting area requirements.

(e) Side yard and rear yard landscaping. Planting shall be provided on a minimum of 15% of side yard and rear yard.

(f) Greenbelt buffers. Greenbelt buffers shall be established within required side and rear yards pursuant to section 24-519.

(g) Total landscaping required. Inclusive of the greenbelt, the planting adjacent to the buildings, the greenbelt buffers, planting strip, and the planting within parking lots, a minimum of fifteen (15) percent of the project area shall be landscaped.

(a) Parking lot perimeter. All parking lots, including parking spaces, interior drives, and loading/unloading areas, shall be separated from all thoroughfare plan recommended street rights-of-way by a landscaping area that is a minimum of ten (10) feet in width. The landscape area shall be planted either of the following options or a combination of both:

(b) Parking lot interior requirements. To help reduce excessive heat buildup and emissions from large areas of hard surfacing, landscape areas must be provided within parking lots as follows:

(a) Generally. Trees, vegetation, irrigation systems, fences, walls, and other landscape elements are considered elements of a project in the same manner as parking and other site details. The owner of the property shall be responsible for the continuous proper maintenance of all landscaping materials, and shall keep them free from refuse and in good repair at all times. The owner of the property shall either remove all debris prior to mowing of the landscaped areas or shall bag as the mowing activity occurs so as to not discharge debris onto the neighboring properties.

(b) Installation. All required landscaping shall be installed prior to the issuance of a certificate of occupancy by the Town. If it is not possible to install the required landscaping because of weather conditions, the property owner shall post a bond for an amount equal to the total cost of the required landscaping prior to the issuance of the temporary certificate of occupancy. The temporary certificate of occupancy shall expire within six (6) months and shall not be renewed unless the property owner demonstrates to the Town Manager that failure to comply was due to unique circumstances.

(c) Maintenance. It shall be the responsibility of the owners to insure proper maintenance of the landscaping in accordance with the standards set by this article, including, but is not limited to, providing appropriate irrigation systems, replacing dead plantings with identical varieties or a suitable substitute approved by the Town, and keeping the area free of refuse and debris.

(d) Replacement of landscaping materials. All unhealthy or dead plant material shall be replaced by the next planting season. Other required landscape material that becomes defective shall be replaced or repaired within three (3) months of the occurrence of the defect.

(e) Trimming plant material. Landscape materials are intended to grow, spread, and mature over time. Landscape materials used to fulfill requirements of this chapter may not be pruned or otherwise treated so as to reduce overall height or level of opacity below the minimum requirements. Pruning, limbing-up, topping, and other inhibiting measures including removal may only be practiced to insure the public safety, to maintain a neat and attractive appearance, and to preserve the relative health of the material involved.

(f) Changes after approval. No landscaping which has been approved by the Plan Commission may later be altered, eliminated, or sacrificed without first obtaining further Plan Commission approval.

(g) Inspection. The Town by its duly authorized representatives shall have the authority to visit any lot to verify compliance with the landscaping requirements.