Promote the implementation of the Master Plan and promote values of a Tree City USA community;

Define, articulate, and integrate outdoor spaces, architectural elements, and various site elements;

Improve the appearance of off-street parking areas, vehicular use areas, and property abutting public rights-of-way;

Protect and preserve the appearance, character, and value of the residential uses that abut nonresidential areas, parking areas, and other intensive use areas, thereby protecting the public health, safety, and welfare, by requiring complementary landscaping treatments and providing transitional areas adjacent to natural areas;

Reduce soil erosion and depletion by utilizing vegetative root systems to stabilize soils and foliage to reduce the effects of erosive winds and water;

Increase stormwater retention and slow the movement of water, thereby helping to prevent flooding;

Provide reasonable standards to bring developed sites, which existed prior to the adoption of these standards, into compliance with the requirements contained herein;

Recognize and preserve natural areas such as woodlands, wetlands, and floodplains within and adjacent to a development site;

Encourage the preservation of larger, native trees that, once destroyed, can only be replaced after generations; and

Support wildlife and natural systems through the planting of native vegetation.

A scale drawing of the site and proposed development thereon, including the date, name and address of the preparer, parcel lines, parcel area and North arrow.

The minimum scale of the drawing shall be one inch equals 30 feet.

Contour lines at minimum two foot intervals shall be shown.

Proposed and existing man-made features, including buildings, structures, and parking areas.

Setback lines and their dimensions.

Location of existing and proposed driveways and curb cuts, if any.

Location of existing public and private rights-of-way and easements contiguous to and on the property.

Natural features, including trees with a diameter at breast height of three inches or more, water bodies and wetlands, high-risk erosion areas, slopes in excess of 25%, drainage and similar features; and an indication of which features would be preserved.

Proposed location of plantings, spacing between plantings, height and size at time of planting, type of plantings (common and botanical names), and other elements to illustrate compliance with the standards of this article.

Description of the types of equipment and methods to be used to irrigate the required landscape areas, if any.

A landscape maintenance program, including a statement that all diseased, damaged or dead materials shall be replaced in accordance with the standards of this section and identifying the individual(s) or business(s) who will be responsible for continued maintenance of the landscaping.

A detailed description of either written or graphic form, indicating the applicant's plans to protect the existing trees to be preserved from damage during site development and construction such as dripline fencing, tree wells and culverts.

Location, height, elevation/section and material of proposed screening walls, fencing, retaining walls, and berming. Berms are to be delineated by one-foot contours.

Where berms are used, the plan shall depict a typical cross section, including the slope, height, and width of the berm and the type of ground cover. Where a wall is used, the landscape plan shall depict typical cross sections of the wall construction and footings.

Calculation verifying minimum landscape requirements such as quantities/areas of plantings for parking areas, screening areas, or greenbelts.

Any other information as may be required by the Zoning Administrator to aid in the review of the site plan.

The Zoning Administrator may permit less information to be shown on the landscape plan based on the scope and scale of the project.

Occupancy certificates. All required, screens, buffer areas, and landscaping plantings shall be planted in accordance with the approved landscape plan, and a certificate of occupancy shall not be issued until the screen, buffer area, and landscape planting has been completed in accordance with the approved plan. If a use is ready for occupancy between November 1 and March 31, a temporary certificate of occupancy may be issued, provided a performance guarantee, as regulated in § 390-153, has been provided in an amount equal to the estimated cost of the landscape improvements. In any case, all required landscaping must be complete by June 1 following issuance of the temporary certificate of occupancy.

Disturbed ground areas. All disturbed ground areas shall be stabilized with dense vegetative materials, including grass, shrubs, and ground covers consistent with these provisions. Native, low maintenance ground cover is encouraged.

Density of trees. Trees shall be planted on nonresidential parcels at a rate of at least one tree per 1,000 square feet of any unpaved open area for which specific landscaping requirements do not apply.

Street trees. Where a parkway exists or is proposed, street trees shall be planted within the parkway along public and private streets in all developments requiring site plan approval.

Irrigation. Methods of temporary and permanent irrigation for trees and all landscape areas must be specified. Landscape areas larger than 1,000 square feet in area and landscape areas within parking lots shall be provided with an underground irrigation system. To encourage sustainable landscape practices and the use of natural water sources, the Planning Commission may approve an acceptable alternative water supply if the applicant/owner can demonstrate the use of drought-tolerant varieties and other natural sources of irrigation such as swales and rain gardens. If the alternative irrigation fails to maintain the landscaping in a healthy state, the property owner shall be required to install traditional methods of irrigation sufficient to maintain the plants. All irrigation shall utilize sustainable practices to the greatest extent practicable.

Fractional plant requirements. Where this article requires landscaping for any distance along a property or other line, and an applicant's property is a fraction of the given measurement, then the property's measurement shall be rounded to the next highest number to comply with the minimum standards herein. Driveways and other paved points of access shall not be included in frontage calculations.

Visual clearance. Landscaping shall be installed such that, when mature, it does not obstruct or obscure traffic signs, fire hydrants, lighting, drainage patterns on the site or adjacent properties, or obstruct vision for safety of ingress and egress, and is subject to the clear vision corner requirements of this chapter, as regulated in § 390-11A(2).

Credit for existing vegetation. Existing healthy, well-formed trees, shrubs, and herbaceous perennials may be credited towards the requirements of this article provided the vegetation is identified on the landscape plan, protected from harm during construction, located in an appropriate place, and maintained in a healthy growing condition.

Tree preservation. Existing healthy trees located within required setbacks and areas not required for development shall be preserved, and may be counted toward the number of trees required.

Tree removal and replacement. All reasonable attempts to conserve established, high-quality canopy trees shall be made. Trees specified for removal measuring 12 diameter breast height (DBH) inches or more shall be subject to the following tree replacement standards.

Maintenance and replacement of plant material. Landscaping shall be installed and maintained in a healthy, neat, and orderly appearance, free from refuse, debris, and weeds. Plant materials, including lawn, shall be maintained in a substantially weed free, healthy growing condition, neat and orderly in appearance in accordance with the approved Site Plan and detailed planting plan. Plants shall be controlled by pruning, trimming, or other suitable methods so that they do not interfere with public utilities, restrict pedestrian or vehicular access, or constitute a traffic hazard. All unhealthy and dead plant material shall be replaced within one year or in the next appropriate planting period, whichever comes first. A description of the proposed maintenance program shall be submitted with the detailed planting plan, including a statement that all diseased, damaged, or dead materials will be replaced in accord with the chapter.

Revised site plan. No landscaped area may be abandoned, paved, or otherwise employed without submission and approval of a revised site plan, in accordance with Article XVII.

Performance guarantee. The Zoning Administrator or Planning Commission may require a performance guarantee per § 390-153 of this chapter to ensure proper installation and maintenance of all required landscaping.

The Planning Commission and Village Council may lessen the requirements of this section if site conditions make the strict application of these regulations unreasonable, assuming the applicant could provide for sufficient buffering between dissimilar uses and between expanses of parking and rights-of-way or if existing landscaping meets the intent of this article. Additional requirements on landscaping may be imposed if such modification would further the intent of this article.

The Planning Commission and Village Council may retain the services of a landscape architect or other similarly qualified professional to review a landscape plan to ensure compliance with this article.

Landscaping in the MFR District.

Landscaping in nonresidential districts.

Parking areas. In addition to the site landscaping required in Subsections A and B above, any off-street parking area containing 10 or more parking spaces shall be landscaped according to the following requirements:

Storage and dumpsters. Exposed storage areas, trash receptacles and dumpsters, machinery installations, service areas, loading docks, utility buildings and utility structures such as electrical transformers, air conditioners, and similar features shall be screened from view from adjoining streets and properties by a screen of sufficient height to obscure the view of the equipment. Dumpster enclosures shall comply with the following requirements.

Where screening is required, the screen shall consist of one of the following (Figure 390-94A):

When a greenbelt is required, it shall comply with the following landscape requirements (Figure 390-94B):

The following chart defines site landscaping for front, side and rear yards for each zoning district, in addition to other landscaping standards contained in this chapter.

All plant material shall be hardy to Ottawa County, be free of disease and insects, and conform to the American Standard for Nursery Stock of the American Association of Nurserymen.

Diversity. The overall landscape plan shall not contain more than 25% of any one species.

Native vegetation. At least 70% of new plantings shall be species native to West Michigan.

Deciduous canopy trees shall have a minimum caliper of 2 1/2 inches at time of planting, measured at four feet from grade.

Deciduous ornamental trees shall have a minimum caliper of two inches at time of planting, measured at four feet from grade.

Evergreen trees shall be a minimum of six feet in height at the time of planting. Evergreen trees may be planted in staggered rows to provide space for spreading and growth.

Shrubs shall be at least 30 inches in height at time of planting with a minimum spread of 24 inches.

Spreading shrubs shall have a minimum height of 24 inches at time of planting with a minimum width of 30 inches.

Ornamental grasses and perennials shall be a minimum pot size of two gallons when planted.

The following are suggested native plant species, and the use of native species is encouraged.

The following trees are not permitted in an effort to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the Village. Some of the plant species listed below are prone to splitting; having wood that is brittle and breaks easily; roots which clog drains and sewers; and or may be unusually susceptible to disease or insect pests. Existing trees of these species may not be counted toward the required number of trees for the development and need not be preserved on the development site. The plants included in this list denoted with an asterisk, have native varieties which are species permitted in naturalized locations where limited contact with people, vehicles, and structures can be obtained.