South River City Zoning Code
§ 350-28
Landscaping and buffering.
[Amended 10-23-2017 by Ord. No. 2017-21; 12-6-2021 by Ord. No. 2021-22; 4-10-2023 by Ord. No. 2023-15; 6-10-2024 by Ord. No. 2024-22]
A.
Purpose. The intention of these requirements is to enhance the aesthetic and environmental appeal and character of buildings and sites being developed within the municipality by ensuring the compatibility of uses, thereby maintaining the health, safety and general welfare of the community while preserving property values.
B.
General regulations for all zones.
(1)
Landscaped areas. All areas in a development not used for construction of buildings, roads, accessways, parking or sidewalks shall be fully landscaped in accordance with these regulations.
(2)
Site considerations. Natural site features, such as existing trees, streams, rock outcroppings, etc., shall be preserved wherever possible. Whenever such natural features are absent or insufficient or have been destroyed during the development of the site, additional new plantings of a sufficient size as determined by the municipal agency shall be established to provide environmental protection to beautify the buildings and grounds and to provide privacy, shade and the screening out of objectionable features created on the site.
(3)
Design. Landscape plans shall be required, except for existing single- and two-family homes, where no plan is required. A foundation planting on three sides of the dwelling shall be required for all new construction.
(4)
Labeling. All landscape plans shall have a schedule of the Latin and common name, the quantity, the size, spacing and method of planting of each plant material.
C.
Buffer regulations for non-single-family zones.
(1)
A minimum landscaped area of five feet in width shall be provided along all property lines, unless otherwise restricted.
(2)
All buffers and landscaped areas shall be protected from adjacent parking areas by curbs or concrete, metal or wood bumpers at least six inches in height and securely anchored into the ground.
(3)
Retaining walls shall not be permitted within buffer areas unless approved as part of the site plan approval.
(4)
In all zones where non-single-family zone lines abut an R-75 or R-100 single-family residential zone or use, a buffer shall be established in the above non-single-family zone as follows:
Zoning District | Buffer Zone (feet) | |
|---|---|---|
B-1 | 10 | |
B-2 | 10 | |
O-P | 10 | |
E-I | 10 | |
L-I | 25 | |
MSR | 10 | |
W-R | 25 | |
CEM | 25 | |
PR | 25 |
(5)
In all zones where a multifamily use abuts an existing commercial zone or use, a twenty-five-foot buffer must be established and maintained by the multifamily developer, unless such buffer is already established along the common boundary of that zone or use.
(6)
In all zones where a commercial zone line abuts a multifamily residential use, a twenty-five-foot buffer must be established and maintained unless such buffer is already established and maintained along the common boundary of that use.
(7)
In all zones where a multifamily use abuts an office or industrial zone or use, a fifteen-foot buffer shall be established and maintained unless a greater buffer is already established and maintained along the common boundary of that zone or use.
D.
Landscape coverage. Minimum landscape coverage limits for structures shall be as follows:
Zoning District | Minimum Landscape Coverage Limit | |
|---|---|---|
R-100 and R-75 | 50% | |
O-P | 20% | |
B | 20% | |
MSR | 0% | |
W-R | 30% | |
L-I | 30% | |
CEM and PR | 80% | |
E-I | 50% |
E.
Street and parking lot shade trees.
(1)
In addition to the trees required to be replaced by this chapter, street trees shall be required for all streets and there shall be planted one shade tree for every 50 feet of frontage on proposed right-of-way. All street trees and on-site deciduous shade trees shall not be less than 2 1/2 inches in diameter, measured one foot above the root crown and planted in accordance with the Tree Removal and Woodlands Management Ordinance.[1]
(2)
The types and locations of shade trees to be planted shall be shown in the plans submitted to the approving board in conjunction with the application for development.
F.
Parking lot landscaping.
(1)
For parking lots with 10 spaces or more, parking lot landscaping shall be provided and consist of:
(a)
A solid row of minimum thirty-six-inch-high evergreen shrub species surrounding all exposed sides of the parking lot.
(b)
Shade trees, provided on fifty-foot centers around the perimeter of the parking lot, planted in accordance with the specifications above and the Tree Removal and Woodlands Management Ordinance.
(c)
Interior parking lot shade trees, planted within landscape islands and providing one shade tree per 10 spaces.
G.
Tree removal and woodlands management.
(2)
The following tree replacement formula shall apply:
(a)
For trees with a dbh equal to or greater than four inches and less than 16 inches, replacement shall be based upon the total number of caliper inches removed. Tree replacement for said trees shall be one-inch caliper replacement for every one-inch caliper removed.
(b)
For trees with a dbh equal to or greater than 16 inches, the removed tree shall be replaced based upon the following schedule:
Size of Existing Tree (inches) | Number of Replacement Trees | |
|---|---|---|
18 or less | 3 | |
21 or less | 4 | |
24 or less | 5 | |
27 or less | 6 | |
29 or less | 7 | |
31 or less | 8 | |
33 or less | 9 | |
35 or less | 10 | |
37 or less | 11 | |
39 or less | 12 |
(3)
The species or type of replacement tree and the mix of replacement tree types (deciduous, coniferous) shall be selected from the species removed from the tract under consideration or from the recommended tree species list. Deciduous trees shall be a minimum of 2.5 inches caliper dbh at the time of planting. Evergreen trees shall be a minimum of six feet to eight feet high at the time of planting. If Arborvitae species are proposed, minimum tree height shall be 10 feet at the time of planting.
(4)
On parcels to be developed where less than 10% of the site is wooded area, in addition to any trees that must be replaced or provided under this chapter, there shall be required the addition of one tree for every 1,000 square feet of new or reconstructed impervious coverage. Trees incorporated in a landscaping plan or required for rights-of-way may not be credited toward this requirement.
(5)
Options for tree replacement.
(a)
If there are 10 trees or less replacement trees required by the tree replacement formula in Subsection G(2), the applicant may:
(b)
If there are more than 10 trees but less than or equal to 20 replacement trees required by the tree replacement formula in Subsection G(2), then the applicant may:
H.
Utility equipment, dumpster, collection bin screening and landscaping. Ground level utilities, HVAC equipment, transformers, dumpster enclosures, donation bin enclosures and similar utilitarian compounds shall be screened with a minimum six-foot-high solid fence and shall be surrounded with a five-foot-deep landscape buffer area. Such area shall be heavily planted with a mix of all-season screening plantings, minimum four feet high.