Warsaw City Zoning Code
§ 405.120
Landscaping and Screening.
[Ord. No. 211 § 2, 12-21-2015; Ord. No. 527, 12-26-2023]
A.
Landscaping.
1.
Purpose. The purpose of the landscaping standards is to ensure that landscaping in Warsaw:
a.
Integrates building sites with both natural topography and existing vegetation;
b.
Minimizes disturbed and impervious areas;
c.
Respects the limitations and best uses of water resources;
d.
Reduces the amount of reflected glare and heat absorbed in and around developments;
e.
Breaks up large expanses of parking lots; and
f.
Preserves residential neighborhoods by lessening the impacts of potentially incompatible uses.
2.
Applicability. This landscaping section shall apply to all new development and redevelopment as provided in Section 405.120(A)(3). Applicability of the provisions of this Section shall be as indicated in Table 405.120-1, below.
Table 405.120-1 Applicability of Landscaping Standard by Development Type | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Standard | Section | Single-Family/ Duplex | Multifamily | Mixed Use | Commercial | Industrial |
Landscaped area | 405.120(A)(3)(a) | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ |
Landscape buffer | 405.120(A)(3)(b) | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | |
Parking lot landscaping | 405.120(A)(3)(d) | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | |
3.
Required landscaping.
a.
Landscaped areas. All exposed ground areas surrounding or within a principal or accessory use, including adjacent, unpaved street rights-of-way, that are not devoted to drives, parking lots, sidewalks, patios or similar uses shall be landscaped.
(1)
All residential lots shall have a minimum of one (1) tree planted between the sidewalk and the front of each house at the time the house is constructed.
(2)
All multifamily and commercial uses shall provide at least four (4) feet in depth of site perimeter landscaping along all public streets, planted at a minimum of thirty hundredths (0.30) landscape unit per linear feet, fifteen percent (15%) of which shall be trees.
b.
Landscape buffer. The following regulations apply to properties where a multifamily, mixed-use or nonresidential district or use abuts a single-family residential district or use.
(1)
Buffer required.
(a)
A minimum fifteen-foot wide buffer space shall be provided.
(b)
The buffer shall be landscaped with sixty hundredths (0.60) landscape unit per linear foot, twenty-five percent (25%) of which shall be trees.
(c)
New trees and shrubs shall be evenly spaced at planting.
(d)
A solid masonry wall, a minimum of six (6) feet in height, may be substituted for required shrubs.
(e)
Where a natural buffer exists, as determined by the Director, it shall remain undisturbed.
(f)
If used in addition to a landscape screen, fences shall have additional evergreen shrubs planted on the residential side of the fence.
(g)
Green stormwater infrastructure (GSI)/stormwater best management practices (BMPs) are encouraged in landscape buffers to meet both landscaping requirements and stormwater retention requirements per the City’s stormwater management design criteria.
(2)
Uses and easements.
(a)
Mechanical equipment and permanent detention facilities are prohibited in the buffer area. This restriction does not apply to GSI/stormwater BMPs with native vegetation.
(b)
Utility easements may cross but not be placed in the long dimension of a buffer yard except for drainage easements when GSI/stormwater BMPs are implemented within the landscape buffer.
(c)
Wherever practical, pedestrian access shall be placed through the buffer yard.
c.
Landscaping units. Required landscaping is calculated in landscaping units. Table 405.120-3 indicates the landscape units awarded for various preserved or planted landscape materials:
Table 405.120-3 Landscape Units Awarded | ||
|---|---|---|
Landscape Material | Landscape Units Awarded | |
Newly Installed | Existing Retained | |
Evergreen tree, more than 10 feet high | 8 | 14 |
Evergreen tree, more than 8 feet to 10 feet high | 8 | 11 |
Evergreen tree 6 feet to 8 feet high | 6 | 9 |
Deciduous tree, more than 8 inches in caliper | n/a | 14 |
Deciduous tree, more than 4 inches to 8 inches in caliper | n/a | 11 |
Deciduous tree, more than 2.5 inches to 4 inches in caliper | 7 | 9 |
Deciduous tree, 1.5 inches to 2.5 inches in caliper or multistem | 4 | 4 |
Shrubs, 36 inches high | 1 | 1.2 |
Shrubs, 24 inches high | 0.8 | 0.9 |
Shrubs, 18 inches high | 0.5 | 0.6 |
Perennials/ground cover | 1 per 400 square feet | |
Annual flower bed | 1 per 400 square feet | |
Lawn grass | 1 per 800 square feet | |
Flower basket support | 0.2 per basket | |
Earthen berm, minimum 18 inches high | 0.05 per linear foot | |
Hardscape Material | Units Awarded |
|---|---|
Split rail fence | 0.20 per linear foot |
Screening (opaque) fence | 0.40 per linear foot |
Shredded bark or 3 inches plus rock mulch, such as river rock | 1 per 500 square feet |
Ornamental pavers | 1 per 250 square feet |
Landscape boulders, 3 feet or greater in height | 1 per boulder |
Seating | 0.40 per linear foot |
Landscape lighting, sculpture, art, water feature, and/or sheltering structure/landmark | As determined by Director |
Retained Existing Vegetation Mass1 | Bonus Landscaping Units Awarded |
|---|---|
300 or more square feet with a minimum of 3 deciduous trees (4 inches in caliper or greater), 3 evergreen trees (minimum 6 feet high) or any combination thereof | 15% |
500 or more square feet with a minimum of 5 deciduous trees (4 inches in caliper or greater), 5 evergreen trees (minimum 6 feet high) or any combination thereof | 20% |
800 or more square feet with a minimum of 8 deciduous trees (4 inches in caliper or greater), 8 evergreen trees (minimum 6 feet high) or any combination thereof | 25% |
NOTES: | |
1 | Points awarded for retained vegetation in perimeter buffers may only be applied in the buffer area along the same lot line or street frontage where the vegetation is found. |
Fig. 405.120-A: Parking Lot Landscaping Elements
d.
Parking lot landscaping. The following landscaping requirements shall be met for all off-street surface parking lots. Figure 405.120-A identifies the three (3) required types of parking lot landscaping.
(1)
Parking lot perimeter landscaping is required around the entire perimeter of a parking lot as follows:
(a)
Perimeter parking lot landscaping of a minimum width of ten (10) feet shall be required for all parking lots having more than three (3) spaces where the parking lot is adjacent to a public street or a nonretail or industrial use such as a residential area, institutional use (e.g., hospital) or office.
(b)
The parking lot perimeter landscaping shall achieve a minimum of one and two-tenths (1.2) landscape units per linear foot.
(c)
Where lots are being developed in a mixed-use district, the parking lot perimeter landscaping requirement may be reduced along an interior lot line, at the discretion of the Director, provided that interior parking lot landscaping applies to both parking lots.
(2)
Internal landscaping shall be provided as follows:
(a)
Landscape strips shall be installed between the parking rows of every other double row of parking when parking rows exceed fifty (50) parking spaces. Landscape strips shall be designed as follows:
i.
Be a minimum of twelve (12) feet in width and shall extend the length of the parking row.
ii.
Include a five-foot wide sidewalk and a seven-foot wide planting strip.
iii.
Meet planting requirements for interior landscape islands, as outlined below.
(b)
Landscape islands shall be installed for every ten (10) parking spaces contained in a parking row, either within the parking row or at the end of the parking row and shall be designed as follows:
i.
Be a minimum of six (6) feet in width and at least two hundred (200) square feet in total area.
ii.
Be sunken below the level of the parking lot surface to allow for runoff capture.
iii.
Have a minimum of four (4) five-gallon deciduous shrubs and one (1) deciduous tree, a minimum of two and one-half inches in caliper, per two hundred (200) square feet.
iv.
Incorporate perennials and grasses for seasonal color.
v.
Contain a minimum of fifty percent (50%) living landscaping material, with a maximum of fifty percent (50%) nonliving landscaping material. Approved sidewalks are not counted toward the nonliving landscape material percentage.
(3)
Curbs. Landscaped areas within parking lots or the along perimeter of the property must be protected from vehicular traffic through the use of continuous concrete curbs, unless GSI/stormwater BMPs are used. At least one (1) break per ten (10) linear feet of curb is required to allow for runoff inflows into the landscaped areas. If GSI/stormwater BMPs are implemented within the landscape area alternative edging may be used to allow for sheet flow of stormwater runoff into the facilities.
e.
Site distance triangle. A site distance triangle within the off-street parking area must be established at street intersections by maintaining a maximum height for shrubs and ground cover of thirty (30) inches. No obstructions are permitted in the site distance triangle, including tree branches that must be trimmed within eight (8) feet of the ground. All applicable sight distance requirements must be met for parking lot internal circulation and access points to the public right-of-way.
4.
Landscaping standards. All landscaping elements, including but not limited to planters, retaining walls and berms, must be specifically approved and shall conform to the following standards:
a.
Preservation of existing vegetation. Landscaping plans should be designed to preserve and protect existing native vegetation and mature trees. Bonus landscape credit shall be awarded for preserved vegetation as indicated in Table 405.120-3, Landscape Units Awarded, above, where the Director accepts the existing vegetation as being in good health and meets the intent of the landscaping requirements of this Chapter.
b.
Allowed plant materials. Proposed materials must be specified on development plans. For a list of permissible plant species, refer to the resources found within the stormwater management design criteria. Materials not on the list may be approved if the Director determines that they are equally or more suitable for local soil conditions and local climate requirements, and that the requested materials would provide the same or better level of visual benefits and have desired growth habits. No noxious weeds, as defined by the State, are permitted for use in the City.
c.
Revegetation.
(1)
All disturbed areas must be adequately reseeded and restored on all projects. A revegetation bond, satisfactory to the Director, must be furnished as a condition of certificate of occupancy and shall remain in full force and effect until the landscaping plan is completed, vegetation is sufficiently established, and temporary erosion and sediment control, such as silt fence and straw bales, are removed from the site.
(2)
In all disturbed areas, soil must be prepared with tilling and the addition of decomposed organic matter, such as, but not limited to, compost, composted horse manure, or composted chopped straw or hay. Straw tackifier or matting on steep slopes is required to prevent soil erosion. The addition of decomposed organic matter is also required prior to turf installation.
d.
Retaining walls.
(1)
Where retaining walls are used, they shall not exceed six (6) feet in height and shall either incorporate the use of native materials or be earth tone colors to match the native soils and rocks. In instances where the topographic conditions justify additional retaining walls, there shall be a minimum planting area of five (5) feet between the walls.
(2)
In cases where the wall is split into multiple sections, a minimum of five (5) five-gallon shrubs for each twenty (20) feet of linear planting area shall be planted in the area between the walls and at the base of the lowest wall.
e.
Stormwater management. The requirements of Section 405.070, Stormwater Management and Natural Area Protection Standards, should be considered when designing landscaping. Opportunities to meet both the requirements of this Section and Section 405.070 with vegetated GSI/stormwater BMPs are encouraged.
B.
Screening.
1.
Single-family residential screening. To the maximum extent practicable, utility equipment on residential lots shall be located behind the front building line of the house and screened from public view by an opaque wall, fence or landscaping screen. Alternative locations may be approved by the Director to allow for the retention of existing trees on wooded sites. Roof-mounted mechanical equipment, except solar energy collection systems, is prohibited on single-family residential dwellings.
2.
Multifamily, mixed-use and commercial screening. For all developments other than single-family residential, the following mechanical equipment screening standard shall apply to the maximum extent practicable.
Fig. 405.120-B: Roof parapet wall screen
a.
Roof-mounted mechanical equipment. Roof-mounted mechanical equipment shall be screened by a parapet wall or similar feature that is an integral part of the building's architectural design. The parapet wall or similar feature shall be of a height equal to or greater than the height of the mechanical equipment being screened. See Figure 405.120-B.
b.
Wall-mounted mechanical equipment. Wall-mounted mechanical equipment, except air-conditioning equipment (e.g., window air-conditioning units), that protrudes more than six (6) inches from the outer building wall shall be screened from view by structural features that are compatible with the architecture and color of the subject building. Wall-mounted mechanical equipment that protrudes six (6) inches or less from the outer building wall shall be designed to blend with the color and architectural design of the subject building.
c.
Ground-mounted mechanical equipment. Ground-mounted mechanical equipment shall be screened from view by landscaping or by a decorative wall that is compatible with the architecture and landscaping of the development site. The wall shall be of a height equal to or greater than the height of the mechanical equipment being screened.
d.
Utilities.
(1)
Utility poles (other than wooden poles erected by a public utility company) and supports shall be painted or be of materials neutral in color.
(2)
All transformers and other facilities and equipment, including telecommunications equipment, shall either be screened through the use of architectural materials compatible with the architectural materials present on the site or, alternatively, through landscape screening.
(3)
Such screening shall be adequate to completely screen such facilities from all rights-of-way.
e.
Alternate screening. Mechanical equipment that is not screened in full compliance with the screening standards of this Section shall be reviewed in accordance with the procedures of Section 405.030(H), Alternative Compliance. Alternate screening methods may include, but shall not be limited to, increased setbacks, increased landscaping, grouping the equipment on specific portions of a site and painting or otherwise camouflaging the equipment.
3.
Screening of service, loading and storage areas.
a.
Applicability. These screening requirements are applicable to all service, loading and storage areas. Owners are encouraged to locate the types of features listed in this Subsection where they are not visible from off-site or from public areas of a site, so that screening is unnecessary.
b.
Placement.
Fig. 405.120-C: Service and loading area placement and screening
(1)
All service areas shall be placed at the rear, on the side of, or inside buildings. See Figure 405.120-C.
(2)
No service area shall be visible from a public right-of-way or from adjacent residential areas.
(3)
Service areas and access drives shall be located so they do not interfere with the normal activities of building occupants or visitors on driveways, walkways, in parking areas or at entries.
c.
Outside storage areas and loading docks.
(1)
All storage areas, service areas and loading docks not screened by an intervening building shall be screened from view from any public street right-of-way. In addition, storage and loading areas must be screened from view from any adjoining property when that property requires a buffer. On property zoned or used industrial, all outside storage areas that are adjacent to nonindustrial zoned property must also be screened from view.
(2)
An opaque screen consisting of one (1) or a combination of the following shall be used:
(a)
Freestanding walls, wing walls or fences;
(b)
Earthen berms in conjunction with trees and other landscaping; or
(c)
Landscaping, that must be opaque and eight (8) feet in height within eighteen (18) months of planting.
(3)
Screening shall be a minimum height of eight (8) feet to screen truck berths, loading docks, areas designated for permanent parking or storage of heavy vehicles and equipment or materials.
(4)
Screening shall be long enough to screen the maximum size trailer that can be accommodated on site. Sites that can accommodate a full-size tractor-trailer shall provide a forty-eight-foot wing wall, where wing walls are used.
d.
Shopping cart storage. All shopping carts shall be stored inside the building they serve. Shopping cart corrals shall be made of a material suitable for withstanding weathering and rusting. Plastic corrals are prohibited.
e.
Refuse facility screened. All refuse facilities, including new refuse facilities placed on an existing development, shall be large enough to accommodate a trash dumpster and shall be completely screened from view of public streets and adjoining nonindustrial zoned properties by:
Fig. 405.120-D: Refuse facility screening
(1)
Meeting the requirements of the other sections of this Section; or
(2)
Screening on three (3) sides by a minimum six-foot wall surrounded by evergreen landscaping. See Figure 405.120-D. An opening shall be situated so that the container is not visible from adjacent properties or public streets and the opening shall be a wood or metal clad opaque gate. Chain-link gates are not permitted. Gates must have tie backs to secure in the open position.
f.
Design of screening. All screening shall be complementary to the building served in landscaping approach and through the use of similar colors and material palette.