Willow Park City Zoning Code
ARTICLE 14
09 SCREENING, FENCING AND LANDSCAPE REGULATIONS
§ 14.09.001 Screening fence requirements.
(a)
A permanent screening fence not less than six (6) feet in height shall be erected prior to the issuance of a certificate of occupancy on properties zoned "R-3", "R-4", "O", "LR", or "C", and which abuts on properties zoned "R-1" and "R-2". No fence shall be required for schools, churches, and public buildings. Such screening fence shall be erected along the entire length of the common line between such property, on the property required to erect screening, and it shall be permanently and adequately maintained by the owner of the property on which the screening is required to be erected.
(b)
A permanent screening fence not less than six (6) feet in height shall be erected on "O", "LR", or "C" zoned property which abuts on property "R-1", "R-2", or "R-3", "R-4", or which is separated from such property only by a public or private street thirty (30) feet or less in width. Such fence shall be erected along the entire length of the common line between such properties, or if there is an intervening street, along the nonresidential property line closest to the street separating it from the residentially zoned property. Breaks for vehicular and pedestrian access shall be permitted, as well as for preservation of visibility triangles.
(c)
Where subdivisions are platted so that the rear yards of "R-1", "R-2", "R-3" or "R-4" zoned lots are adjacent to a dedicated street right-of-way or separated from a street by an alley or service road, the developer shall provide, at his sole expense, a screening fence wall with a minimum height of six (6) feet located on the street right-of-way line or a wooden screening fence with a minimum height of six (6) feet with masonry columns located on a maximum spacing of fifty (50) feet on centers which should be typically taller than the rest of the wall.
(d)
When a masonry fence is erected adjacent to a dedicated roadway the color of the wall shall be uniform and/or compatible on both sides of a thoroughfare between two intersecting streets. When walls are built in sections, the color shall be as closely similar as possible, but shall in no case be incompatible.
(e)
The exterior of all sides of each wall of screening fence shall be finished with the same material and shall be similar in appearance to the screening fence located on adjacent properties. Developers are encouraged to create offsets in the masonry fence to provide visual variety and locations for permitted landscaping.
(f)
In other than residential zoned district fences may be constructed to a maximum height of ten (10) feet above grade. In residentially zoned districts fences shall not be erected to exceed eight feet above grade when located behind the front building line nor four and one-half (4.5) feet in height above grade when located within the required front yard or side yard on a corner lot adjacent to a side street.
(g)
No fence will be permitted where it will create a visual or a safety hazard.
(h)
No fence shall be located within any easement except by prior written approval of those agencies having interest in such easement.
(Ordinance 414-97, ex. F, sec. 12.801, adopted 12/16/1997)
§ 14.09.002 Landscaping requirements.
(a)
Purpose.
It is the purpose of this section to establish certain regulations pertaining to landscaping in the City of Willow Park. These regulations provide standards and criteria for new and replacement landscaping which is intended to improve the value of the property and improve the physical appearance of the city.
(b)
Scope.
The standards and criteria contained within this section are deemed to be minimum standards and shall apply to all new construction occurring within the city, except that single-family detached dwellings be exempt.
(c)
Enforcement.
The provisions of this section shall be administered and enforced by the city manager, or designee. If, at any time after the issuance of a certificate of occupancy, the approved landscaping is found to be in noncompliance to the standards and criteria of this section, the city manager shall issue notice to the owner, citing the violation and describing what action is required to comply with this section. The owner, tenant or agent shall have thirty (30) days from the date of said notice to restore the landscaping as required. If the landscaping is not restored within the allotted time, such person shall be in violation of this article.
(d)
Certificate of occupancy.
Prior to the issuance of a certificate of occupancy for any building or structure, all screening and landscaping shall be in place in accordance with the landscape plan required in subsection (e) of this section.
(1)
In the event that the approved proposed development requires an approved subdivision plat, site plan, or master development plan, no such final approval shall be granted unless a landscape plan is submitted and approved.
(2)
In any case in which an occupancy certificate is sought at a season of the year in which the city manager determines that it would be impractical to plant trees, shrubs or grass, or to lay turf, a temporary certificate of occupancy may be issued.
(e)
Landscape plans.
The city manager, or designee, shall review such plans and shall approve it if plans are in accordance with the criteria of these regulations. If the plans are not in accord, they shall be disapproved and shall be accompanied by a written statement setting forth the changes necessary for compliance. Landscape plans shall contain the following information:
(1)
Minimum scale of one inch equals fifty (50) feet;
(2)
Location of all trees to be preserved;
(3)
Location of all plants and landscaping materials to be used including paving, benches, screens, fountains, statues, or other landscape features;
(4)
Species of all plants;
(5)
Size of all plants;
(6)
Spacing of plants;
(7)
Types and description of landscape materials to be used;
(8)
Layout and description of irrigation, sprinkler or water systems including placement of water sources;
(9)
Description of maintenance provisions for the landscape plan;
(10)
Persons responsible for the preparation of the landscape plan.
(f)
Maintenance.
The owner, tenant and their agent, if any, shall be jointly and severally responsible for the maintenance in a neat and orderly manner at all times. This shall include mowing, pruning, fertilizing, watering, weeding, and other such activities common to the maintenance of landscaping.
(g)
General standards.
The following criteria and standards shall apply to landscape materials and installation:
(1)
Quality.
Plant materials used shall conform to the standards of the American Standard for Nursery Stock, or equal thereto. Grass seed, sod and other material shall be clean and reasonably free of weeds and noxious pests and insects.
(2)
Trees.
Trees referred to in this section shall be of species common to this area of Texas and shall have an average spread of crown of greater than fifteen (15) feet at maturity. Trees having a lesser average mature crown than fifteen (15) feet may be substituted by grouping the same so as to create the equivalent of a fifteen (15) feet crown of spread. Trees shall be a minimum of two and one-half (2.5) caliper inches at the base at the time of planting. Fifty percent (50%) of required trees to be planted shall be of the strong hardwood varieties, such as, but not limited to, varieties of oak, pecan, ash, and walnut.
(3)
Shrubs and hedges.
Shrubs shall be a minimum of one (1) foot in height when measured immediately after planting. Hedges, where installed shall be planted and maintained, and will grow to a minimum of thirty (30) inches at maturity.
(4)
Vines.
Vines shall be a minimum of two (2) feet in height immediately after planting and may be used in conjunction with fences, screens, or walls to meet screening requirements as specified.
(5)
Ground cover.
Ground covers used in lieu of grass in whole and in part shall be planted in such manner as to give a finished appearance and reasonably complete coverage within one year of planting.
(6)
Lawn grass.
Grass areas may be sodded, plugged, sprigged or seeded except that solid sod shall be used in swales, berms or other areas subject to erosion.
(7)
Other appropriate material.
Includes but is not limited to lava rock, wood barks and chips, and other non-living landscape material.
(8)
Credit for existing trees.
Any trees preserved on a site meeting the herein specifications shall be credited toward meeting the tree requirement of any landscaping provision of this section. Trees of exceptional quality due to size, large canopy cover, trunk diameter, rareness, age or species, may at the discretion of the city manager or designee, be credited as two trees for the herein minimum requirements.
(h)
Minimum requirements for off-street parking and vehicular use area.
Parking areas and vehicular use areas are to be landscaped to improve the value of the property and improve the physical appearance of the city. The interior perimeter of such areas shall be landscaped in accordance to the following criteria:
(1)
Interior landscaping.
A minimum of ten percent (10%) of the gross parking areas shall be devoted to living landscaping which includes grass, ground cover, plants, shrubs and trees. Gross parking area is to be measured from the edge of the parking and/or driveway paving and sidewalks. The following additional criteria shall apply to the interior of parking lots.
(A)
Interior landscape areas shall be protected from vehicular encroachment of overhang through appropriate wheel stops or curbs.
(B)
Interior areas of parking lots shall contain planting islands located throughout so as to best relieve the expanse of paving. Planter islands must be located at the terminus of all rows of parking. Such islands shall contain at least one (1) tree. The remainder shall be landscaped with shrubs, lawn, ground cover and other appropriate material. Light standards shall be considered islands for this purpose. Interior planter islands shall have a minimum size of one-half (1/2) parking space width times length of parking space. Landscaping will not create a visual or safety hazard.
(2)
Perimeter landscaping.
All parking lots and vehicular use areas shall be buffered from all abutting properties and/or public rights-of-way with a wall, fence, hedge, berm, trees, or other durable landscape. Plants used in buffer areas shall conform to standards as stated in subsection (g).
(A)
Whenever an off-street parking or vehicular use area abuts a public right-of-way, a perimeter landscape area of at least fifteen (15) feet in depth shall be maintained between the abutting right-of-way and the off-street parking or vehicular use area.
(B)
Whenever an off-street parking or vehicular use area abuts an adjacent property line, a perimeter landscape area of at least ten (10) feet in width shall be maintained between the edge of the parking area and the adjacent property line. Whenever such property is zoned or used for residential purposes, the landscape buffer shall include a wall, hedge, or berm not greater than eight (8) feet nor less than three (3) feet in height.
(C)
Necessary accessways from the public right-of-way shall be permitted through all landscaping. The maximum width for accessways shall be:
(i)
Requirements for non-vehicular open space.
In addition to the landscaping of off-street parking and vehicular areas, all remaining open spaces shall be treated so as to enhance the appearance, and to screen any distracting or unsightly structure (i.e. dumpster bin, etc.).
(1)
Grass, ground cover, shrubs, and other landscape materials shall be used to cover all open ground within twenty (20) feet of any building or paving or other use such as storage.
(2)
In all nonresidential zoning districts, a minimum of fifteen (15) percent of the total site area shall be devoted to feature landscaping with not less than fifty (50) percent of the landscaping being located in the front yard.
(3)
Trees shall be planted in nonvehicular open space to meet the following requirements:
(A)
If less than thirty percent (30%) of the site is nonvehicular open space then one (1) tree shall be planted per 2,500 square feet of open space;
(B)
If thirty to forty-nine percent (30 - 49%) of the site is nonvehicular open space, then one (1) tree shall be planted per 3,000 square feet of open space;
(C)
If fifty percent (50%) or more of the site is nonvehicular open space, then one (1) tree shall be planted per 4,000 square feet of open space.
(j)
Requirements for visibility.
(1)
Rigid compliance with these landscaping requirements shall not be such as to cause visibility obstructions of any traffic-control devices and/or blind corners at intersections. Whenever an accessway intersects a public right-of-way, or when the subject property abuts the intersection of two or more public rights-of-way, a triangular visibility area shall be designed to provide unobstructed cross-visibility at a level between three (3) feet and six (6) feet.
(2)
The triangular areas are:
(A)
The areas of property on both sides of the intersection of an accessway and a public right-of-way shall have a triangular visibility area with two (2) sides of each triangle being ten (10) feet in length from the point of the intersection and the third side being a line connecting the ends of the other two sides.
(B)
The areas of property located at a corner formed by the intersection of two or more public rights-of-way shall have a triangular visibility area with two (2) sides of each triangle being twenty (20) feet in length from the point of the intersection and the third side being a line connecting the ends of the other two sides.
(3)
Landscaping, except required grass and low ground cover, shall not be located closer than three (3) feet from the edge of any accessway pavement.
(4)
In the event other visibility obstructions are apparent in the proposed landscape plan, as determined by the city manager or designee, the requirements set forth herein may be reduced to the extent to remove the conflict.
(Ordinance 414-97, ex. F, sec. 12.802, adopted 12/16/1997)