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Washington Township
City Zoning Code

ARTICLE XXXI

Landscape Buffers 1

§ 285-200 Buffer requirements.

[Amended 12-12-2012 by Ord. No. 14-2012]
A. 
A planted, landscaped buffer shall be provided and maintained by the owner or lessee of a nonresidential property with a contiguous residentially used or zoned property. In addition, a buffer shall also be created within a multifamily property along contiguous property used residentially or zoned residential.
B. 
This landscaped buffer shall be developed in accordance with all of the requirements of the Washington Township Landscape Ordinance.
C. 
Buffers shall consist of evergreen and deciduous plant material, earthen berms, or a combination of the same and shall provide a year-round visual screen. Such plantings shall provide a thick, dense visual buffer from the ground to a height of eight feet at the time of planting or construction.

§ 285-201 Buffer width; fences and walls.

[Amended 12-12-2012 by Ord. No. 14-2012]
A. 
Minimum buffer widths; storm drainage facilities.
(1) 
The width of all landscaped buffers shall not be less than the following:
(a) 
Between industrial or warehouse use and any residential use or zone the buffer shall be 100 feet.
(b) 
Between commercial use and any residential use or zone the buffer shall be 50 feet.
(c) 
Between office use and any residential use or zone the buffer shall be 30 feet.
(d) 
Between multifamily use and any residential use or zone the buffer shall be 25 feet.
(e) 
Where a buffer is not specified for a particular use, the minimum buffer of any residential use or zone shall be 50 feet.
(2) 
No portion of storm drainage facilities, such as detention basins, retention basin or septic fields, shall be permitted within the buffer area. Specifically, although such basins and septic fields may be grass covered or landscaped, no portion of said basins or septic fields may be included within the calculation of the required landscaped buffer, nor shall any required plantings of trees or other plant material be included within the calculation of the tree planting requirements of the landscaped buffer.
B. 
At the discretion of the approving authority, the use of a suitable fence or wall, for small lots, with possible reduction of width requirements may be approved in lieu of the required landscape buffer. The approving authority may also reduce the required buffer where natural or physical barriers exist.