§ 3312.21. Landscaping and screening.

Landscaping and screening may be combined with storm water control measures as approved by the Director of Public Utilities, providing the requirements of this section are fulfilled. The applicant should consider the use of low-impact development strategies for managing storm water runoff and alternative pavements for reducing glare and mitigating the heat island effect from parking lot surfaces. Appropriate native plant species are recommended for landscaping and screening requirements.

A.

Interior landscaping. The interior of any parking lot containing ten parking spaces or more shall be landscaped. Interior landscaping shall be provided at a minimum ratio of one shade tree for every ten parking spaces or fraction thereof. Interior shade trees shall conform to the following standards:

1.

Trees shall be a minimum of two inches in caliper at the time of planting;

2.

Trees shall be planted in landscaped islands or peninsulas containing a minimum soil area of 145 square feet per tree, allowing for flexible arrangement but designed in such a way that each tree is surrounded by a minimum radius of four feet of soil area. All trees shall be planted in a suitable soil volume, in a normal surface planting environment free from construction debris, with average soil depths greater than or equal to three feet. Islands and peninsulas shall be curbed and covered with live vegetation, decorative gravel, or mulch. Curbs on landscaped islands or peninsulas may contain openings to receive storm water runoff if islands or peninsulas are part of bioretention or other storm water control measure approved by the Director of Public Utilities.

3.

Space devoted to interior landscaping shall be in addition to any required front, side or rear yard or any required screening area. Landscaped islands and peninsulas do not need to be uniformly spaced, but shall be contained within and dispersed throughout the interior of the parking lot;

4.

Planting beds for parking lot shade trees shall be arranged and constructed with suitable curbing materials so as to minimize damage to tree trunks and roots from vehicles, pedestrians and parking lot maintenance;

B.

Parking setback and perimeter landscaping. Landscaping in the parking setback area shall be required to buffer automobile and pedestrian areas and uses; to provide headlight screen; to provide adequate visibility and safety; and to avoid the illegal use of said area for parking. Landscaping in the perimeter shall be required to visually buffer residentially-zoned property from parking lots.

1.

The lot area between the right-of-way and the parking setback line shall be landscaped with plant material and shall not be paved except for approved walkways, bikeways, driveways, graphics, and other approved amenities and site elements. Vision clearance at driveways shall be maintained.

2.

Plant species shall be installed and maintained per the following standards: Shade trees shall be a minimum of two inches in caliper at the time of planting, ornamental trees shall be a minimum of one and one-half inches in caliper at the time of planting, shrubs shall be a minimum of 24 inches in height at the time of planting.

3.

Perimeter parking lot screening required. Any portion of a parking lot located within 80 feet of residentially zoned property shall be screened, as hereinafter set forth, on the perimeter affecting same. For purposes of this section, "affected residential owner" shall mean any owner of residentially zoned property whose boundary lies within 80 feet of the perimeter of a parking lot; and "parking lot" shall include any parking driveway thereto. Screening is not required for those portions of parking lots abutting public alleys used for vehicular access and required vision clearance.

4.

In addition, any portion of a parking lot abutting any public street shall be screened for headlights on the perimeter adjacent to the public street.

C.

Screening indicated on site plan. Setback and perimeter screening required by this section shall be indicated on the original site plan filed to obtain a certificate of zoning clearance for any parking lot. Parking lot screening shall be provided to reduce headlight glare and to visually screen a parking lot from residentially zoned property within 80 feet thereof. Such parking lot screening shall be installed in accordance with the site plan and this section.

D.

Parking lot screening shall conform to the following standards:

1.

For headlight screening, screening shall be provided in a landscaped area at least four feet in width and shall consist of a fence (except a chain link fence), landscaped earth mound of 3:1 (horizontal: vertical) slope, wall, planting or combination thereof installed, repaired, replaced and maintained to a total height of no less than three feet above the parking lot grade and to an opacity of not less than 75 percent. For screening with plantings, the opacity shall be determined when plants are in leaf. For buffering residentially zoned property, screening shall be provided in a landscaped area at least four feet in width and shall consist of a fence (except a chain link fence), landscaped earth mound of 3:1 (horizontal: vertical) slope, wall, planting or combination thereof installed, repaired, replaced and maintained to a total height of no less than five feet above the parking lot grade and to a year-round opacity of not less than 75 percent.

2.

Screening shall be installed and maintained in a neat and orderly manner.

3.

Screening shall be reasonably uniform in height and opacity along its entire length, provided, however, that screening is not required within one foot of the ground.

4.

The percentage of opacity shall be determined by measurement of any square foot of the vertical surface of the screening from a point perpendicular thereto. Permissibly open area shall not be included in the opacity determination.

5.

When screening consisting of live plants is installed, alone or in combination with other materials, the plants shall:

a.

Be selected for dense branching or foliage adequate to shade residences and adjacent rights-of-way from headlight glare;

b.

Be selected to achieve the height and density specified in D(1) above within three years of installation;

c.

Be matured to a minimum height of two feet at the time of installation; and

d.

Be maintained in a healthy, live state and replaced as needed to comply with the original site plan and the specifications and standards herein set forth.

e.

Exemptions. No screening shall be required for a parking lot effectively screened to this section's standards and specifications by a densely planted planting strip of at least 75 percent opacity; or existing natural or artificial barriers; providing the existing barrier has opacity of not less than 75 percent, as measured above. A parking lot need not be screened from the use it serves.

E.

All plants shall be maintained in a healthy, live state and replaced as needed to comply with the original site plan and the specifications and standards herein set forth. Dead plants shall be replaced within the next growing season.

(Ord. No. 1537-2009, § 8, 5-3-2010)