Sec. 30-710.13. - Perimeter buffers; landscaping requirements.
Except as provided in Subsection (3) of this section, parking areas and parking lots containing five or more parking spaces shall be improved and maintained with landscaping in accordance with the requirements of this section as follows:
(1) Treatment of required landscaped buffers. Treatment of required landscaped buffers shall be in accordance with the following:
a. Required landscaped buffers shall be provided with vegetative ground cover, trees, shrubs, other plant material, or any combination thereof, except where more specific requirements are set forth in Subsection (2) of this section. Mulch ground cover may be provided as a border or supplement to other vegetation in a required landscaped buffer. Pedestrian walkways incidental to landscaped buffers may be incorporated within such buffers when the other requirements of this subsection are met.
b. All required landscaped buffers shall be protected from encroachment by motor vehicles by installation of curbs, wheel stops or other features which separate the landscaped buffer from areas improved for vehicle parking or circulation.
(2) Landscaped buffers along streets. Landscaped buffers as set forth in Subsections (2)a through d of this section shall be installed and maintained between all areas devoted to parking and all adjacent street lines, provided that approved driveways enabling access to abutting streets may extend through such buffers.
a. Zoning districts and permitted buffer alternatives. The following table specifies the buffer and buffer alternatives that satisfy the landscaped buffer requirement in each zoning district. Where more than one buffer alternative is listed for a zoning district, any of the listed alternatives may be provided to satisfy the buffer requirement in that district:
Zoning Districts | Buffer Alternatives
R, RO, HO, I | A, B, C, D
UB | F, G, H
B-1 | E
UB-2, B-2, B-3 | F, G, H
B-4, B-5, B-6, B-7 | F, G, H
RF-1, RF-2 | F, G, H
TOD-1 | H, I
CM, DCC | F, G, H
OS | F
RP | F, G, H
M-1, M-2 | F, G, H
b. Description of buffer alternatives. The depth of and improvements required within each buffer alternative are as follows. In all cases, buffer alternatives are minimum requirements, and greater buffer depth, additional landscaping or additional fence or wall improvements may be provided:
1. Buffer "A," as shown below, shall have a depth of not less than the minimum yard requirement applicable along each street frontage of the property, but in no case less than five feet, and shall include an evergreen vegetative screen not less than 3½ feet in height at the time of installation placed along the setback line of the parking area. Evergreen vegetative material intended to satisfy this requirement shall be planted at such intervals that will result in a continuous visual screen within one year of planting.
[image omitted; see the official code]
Buffer area depth dependent on yard requirement in district, but in no case less than five feet.
2. Buffer "B," as shown below, shall have a depth of not less than the minimum yard requirement applicable along each street frontage of the property, but in no case less than five feet, and shall include an opaque structural fence or wall not less than four feet in height placed along the setback line of the parking area and shall include shrubs located adjacent to such fence at a rate of not less than ten for each 50 linear feet or major fraction thereof of buffer along each street frontage.
[image omitted; see the official code]
Buffer area depth dependent on yard requirement in district, but in no case less than five feet.
3. Buffer "C," as shown below, shall have a depth of not less than the minimum yard requirement applicable along each street frontage of the property, but in no case less than five feet, and shall include a decorative fence or wall not less than 3½ feet in height placed along the setback line of the parking area and shall include trees and shrubs located adjacent to such fence at a rate of not less than one tree and four shrubs for each 50 linear feet or major fraction thereof of buffer along each street frontage.
[image omitted; see the official code]
Buffer area depth dependent on yard requirement in district, but in no case less than five feet.
4. Buffer "D," as shown below, shall have a depth of not less than 25 feet and shall consist of an earthen berm not less than three feet in height with slopes not greater than three feet horizontal for each one foot vertical and shall include trees and shrubs located on the top or street side of such berm at a rate of not less than one tree and four shrubs for each 50 linear feet or major fraction thereof of buffer along each street frontage.
[image omitted; see the official code]
5. Buffer "E," as shown below, shall have a depth of not less than the minimum yard requirement applicable along each street frontage of the property and shall include trees and shrubs at a rate of not less than one tree and four shrubs for each 40 linear feet or major fraction thereof of buffer along each street frontage. In any case where the applicable yard requirement along a street is five feet or less, the trees and shrubs required for buffer "E" may be substituted with the improvements specified for buffer "H" provided that the applicable yard requirement is met.
[image omitted; see the official code]
Buffer area depth dependent on yard requirement in district, but in no case less than five feet. Where yard requirement is five feet or less, trees and shrubs may be substituted as specified for buffer "H."
6. Buffer "F," as shown below, shall have a depth of not less than 15 feet and shall include trees and shrubs at a rate of not less than one tree and four shrubs for each 50 linear feet or major fraction thereof of buffer along each street frontage.
[image omitted; see the official code]
7. Buffer "G," as shown below, shall have a depth of not less than ten feet and shall include trees and shrubs at a rate of not less than one tree and four shrubs for each 40 linear feet or major fraction thereof of buffer along each street frontage.
[image omitted; see the official code]
8. Buffer "H," as shown below, shall have a depth of not less than five feet and shall include a decorative fence or wall not less than 3½ feet in height and shrubs at a rate of not less than four shrubs for each 50 linear feet or major fraction thereof of buffer along each street frontage.
[image omitted; see the official code]
9. Buffer "I," as shown below, shall have a depth of not less than five feet and shall include either trees classified as medium or large in the Tree Canopy Chart dated November, 2002, adopted by the Planning Commission at a rate of one tree for every 30 linear feet or trees classified as compact or small trees in Tree Canopy Chart dated November, 2002, adopted by the Planning Commission at a rate of one tree for every 20 linear feet; as well as groundcover or shrubs covering at least 50 percent of the area of the buffer along each street frontage.
Buffer I, Medium or Large
Trees Illustration
[image omitted; see the official code]
Buffer I, Small or Compact
Trees Illustration
[image omitted; see the official code]
c. Tree and shrub standards. Standards for trees and shrubs shall be as follows:
1. Trees to be credited toward buffer requirements shall be deciduous trees having a caliper of not less than 2½ inches at the time of installation measured six inches above the ground or evergreen trees having a height of not less than six feet at the time of installation. Healthy existing trees to be retained within a buffer area may be credited toward buffer requirements when such trees are shown on approved plans and are adequately protected during construction.
2. Trees to be credited toward buffer requirements shall be distributed as equally as practical throughout the length of the buffer, with consideration for the species of trees, topography, location of driveways and utilities and other physical conditions.
3. Shrubs to be credited toward buffer requirements shall be evergreen shrubs not less than two feet in height at the time of installation. Shrubs may be grouped in a manner appropriate to the species and need not be distributed equally throughout the length of the buffer.
d. Fences or walls. Fences or walls to be credited toward buffer requirements shall comply with fence and wall design guidelines adopted by resolution of the Planning Commission or their equivalent as determined by the Zoning Administrator. In no case shall chain link, chain link with slats or similar fencing be considered to meet the requirements of the fence and wall design guidelines.
1. A fence or wall disapproved by the Director of Planning and Development Review shall, at the request of the applicant, be submitted to the Planning Commission for its review. The request for such review shall be made in writing to the Secretary of the Commission, who shall place the request on the Planning Commission's agenda for consideration at its first regularly scheduled meeting following the receipt of such request, provided that the request is received not less than ten days prior to such meeting.
2. After reviewing the decision of the Director of Planning and Development Review, the Planning Commission may affirm the decision or, upon finding that the proposed fence or wall satisfies the fence and wall design guidelines, may instruct the Director of Planning and Development Review to approve the fence or wall. The Planning Commission may attach such conditions as it deems necessary to ensure conformance with the intent and purpose of the fence and wall design guidelines.
e. Buffer I. Trees classified as medium or large in the Tree Canopy Chart dated November, 2002, adopted by the Planning Commission shall have a caliper of not less than 2½ inches at the time of installation measured six inches above the ground or evergreen trees having a height of not less than six feet at the time of installation. Trees classified as small or compact in the Tree Canopy Chart dated November, 2002, adopted by the Planning Commission shall have a caliper of not less than 1½ inches at the time of installation measured six inches above the ground or evergreen trees having a height of note less than five feet at the time of installation. Shrubs and groundcover credited towards the 50 percent coverage requirement may be evergreen or deciduous. All shrubs, groundcover, and trees may be grouped in a manner appropriate to the species with consideration for the topography, location of driveways and utilities, and other physical conditions and need not be distributed equally throughout the length of the buffer.
(3) Landscaped buffers along interior lot lines. In addition to the screening requirements set forth in Section 30-710.12, parking areas and parking lots containing 30 or more parking spaces and parking areas containing five or more parking spaces serving uses with drive-up facilities or facilities for dispensing motor fuels shall be provided with landscaped buffers of not less than five feet in depth installed and maintained between all areas devoted to parking and all lot lines other than street lines, provided that approved driveways connecting properties or enabling access to abutting alleys may extend through such buffers.
(Code 1993, § 32-710.13; Code 2004, § 114-710.13; Code 2015, § 30-710.13; Code 2020, § 30-710.13; Ord. No. 2004-180-167, § 1, 6-28-2004; Ord. No. 2006-168-189, § 2, 7-10-2006; Ord. No. 2008-2-55, § 2, 3-24-2008; Ord. No. 2009-221-2010-9, § 1, 1-25-2010; Ord. No. 2010-19-31, § 3, 2-22-2010; Ord. No. 2015-151-164, § 1, 9-14-2015; Ord. No. 2017-150, § 6, 9-25-2017)
