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Landscape Ordinance Overview of Elements
May 2015
Applicability
Residential– Structure that contains three or more dwelling units
– Developing a parking lot of 6 or more spaces
Non-residential– Structure of greater than one thousand gross square
feet
– Converting a residential structure to non-residential
use
– Developing a parking lot of 6 or more spaces
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Applicability, continued
Expansions / Renovations– Multi-family expansion of 10% of the number of units
or 10 units, whichever is less
– Cumulative non-residential expansion of a building by
more than 2,500 square feet or 40% of the original
building's square footage, whichever is less
– Reconstruction after any voluntary demolition where
the value of the new improvements is greater than
50% of the assessed value of the building on the
property existing improvement
– Parking lot expansion (excluding re-striping and re-
surfacing) of six spaces or more
Percentage of Landscape
Area
At least ten percent of a lot, exclusive of
parking areas, driveways and sidewalks,
shall be landscape area
For purposes of this chapter, landscape
area shall include required and optional
plant materials as well as open areas
covered with grass and/or ground cover
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1. Buffers between adjacent properties
2. Street yards
3. Parking lot landscaping
Elements
1. Buffers between adjacent properties
2. Street yards
3. Parking lot landscaping
Elements
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Purpose of buffers
Required between properties to:
mitigate incompatible adjacent uses
interrupt sight lines from adjacent uses
Buffers between adjacent
properties
L1: General landscaping – for open areas. Used when distance is the
principal means of separating uses.
L2: 3-foot screen – uses a combination of distance and low level screening
to separate uses. A 3-foot-high masonry wall or a berm may be substituted for
the required shrubs, but the trees and ground cover plants are still required.
L3: 6-foot screen – uses screening to provide the physical and visual
separation between uses or development. It is used in those instances where
visual separation is required. A 6-foot-high masonry wall may be substituted for
the shrubs, but the trees and ground cover plants are still required.
L4: 6-foot wall – for special instances where extensive screening of both
visual and noise impacts is needed to protect abutting sensitive uses in areas and
where there is little space for separation. Requires a 6 foot high masonry wall
along the interior side of the landscaped area.
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Buffer Table - TBD
L1: General landscaping
For open areas. Used when distance is
the principal means of separating uses.Greater than 30’ deep, one class A per 40’ or one
class B per 20’ and ground cover
Width indicated in matrix
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L1: General landscaping
For open areas. Used when distance is
the principal means of separating uses.When 30’ or less deep – one class A per 40’ or
one class B per 20’, shrubs and ground cover
Width indicated in matrix
L2: 3-foot screenUses a combination of distance and
low level screening to separate usesOne class A per 40’ or one class B per 20’ and
ground cover
3 ft high screen (continuous shrubs, wall, fence or berm)
Width indicated in matrix
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L3: 6-foot screen – provides
physical and visual separation
between uses or development. Used
when visual separation is required. One
class A per 40’ or one class B per 20’
and ground cover
Width indicated in matrix
6 ft high screen (continuous shrubs, wall, fence or berm)
L4: 6-foot – provides physical
and visual separation. Used when visual
and noise impact reduction is required.One class A per 40’, one class B per 20’ or one
class C per 15, shrubs and ground cover
Width indicated in matrix
6 ft high wall
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1. Buffers between adjacent properties
2. Street yards
3. Parking lot landscaping
Elements
Street Yard Landscaping Rural Character Area: Not required
Suburban Character Area:
Landscape strip required along public street
frontage between street and sidewalk 10’ or 10% of lot depth, whichever is less
One Class A tree per 40 linear feet (may be grouped)
Ground cover
Sidewalk is required
When parking lot is adjacent to street yard, 3-foot screen
of shrubs, wall or berm is required
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Street Yard Landscaping Suburban Character Area Option 1Trees on private property
Street Yard Landscaping Suburban Character Area Option 2
Trees within ROW
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Street Yard Landscaping Suburban Character Area
Option 1 – trees on private property
Street Yard Landscaping Suburban Character Area
Option 2 – trees within ROW
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Suburban Street Yard
Street Yard Landscaping Walkable and Urban Character Area:
Street trees required along street frontage 10’ or 10% of lot depth, whichever is less
One Class A tree per 40 linear feet or one class B per 20
linear feet (may be grouped)
Sidewalk is required
When parking lot is adjacent to street yard, 3-foot screen
of shrubs, wall or berm is required
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1. Buffers between adjacent properties
2. Street yards
3. Parking lot landscaping
Elements
Parking Lot Landscaping Rural and Suburban Character Areas
Parking lot planting materials:
No parking space located more than 100 feet
from the trunk of a class A tree
Trees located in area of 120 sf or more
Islands without trees shall have ground cover
Trees located in buffers may be counted
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Interior IslandsRural and Suburban Character Areas
Interior Islands:
Located every 10 parking spaces
Distributed throughout the parking lot
Island shall be 200 sf
May be consolidated to preserve trees
Use of bioswales encouraged
Parking Lot Landscaping Rural and Suburban Character Areas
Terminal Islands
Rows terminated in curbed landscape island
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Parking Lot Landscaping Rural and Suburban Character Areas
Median Islands
Provided between every six single parking rows
and primary and external access drives
May also serve as location for a sidewalk
connecting the use and the street.
Use of bioswales encouraged
Parking lot trees
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Street Yard and Parking Lot
Landscaping
Class A Recommended Trees –Canopy Trees
Any self-supporting woody plant of a
species that normally grows to an overall
height of at least 50 feet, usually with 1 main
stem or trunk and many branches. All single trunk trees shall have a minimum 2‐inch caliper
and measure a minimum of 8 feet tall at time of planting.
Multi‐trunk trees shall have main stems with a minimum
1½‐inch caliper per trunk, a minimum of three main stems,
and measure a minimum of 10 feet tall at time of planting.
Recommended Street Tree
Species
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Acer rubrum (Red Maple)
Encouraged
in the
current
ordinance
Nyssa sylvatica
(Swamp Tupelo/Black Gum)Encouraged
in the
current
ordinance
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Class B Recommended TreesUnderstory Trees
Any self-supporting woody plant that normally
grows to an overall height of at least 25 feet,
with either one main stem or trunk with many
branches, or several stems or trunks. All single trunk trees shall have a minimum 1½‐inch caliper
and measure a minimum of eight feet tall at time of planting.
Multi‐trunk trees shall have main stems with a minimum
one‐inch caliper per trunk, a minimum of three main stems,
and measure a minimum of eight feet tall at time of planting.
Recommended Street Tree
Species
Sassafras albidum (Sassafras)
Encouraged in the
current ordinance
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Class C Recommended Trees
All other trees
Any self-supporting woody plant of a species
that normally grows to an overall height of at
least 15 feet, with either one main stem or trunk
with many branches, or several stems or trunks.
Recommended Street Tree
Species
Morella cerifera (Waxmyrtle)
Encouraged in the
current ordinance
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Property owners are responsible
for maintain and replacing all
required landscaping
Property owners are responsible
for maintain landscaping within the
adjacent right-of-way
Maintenance
Tree credits:1. Credits applied to applicable areas
2. Add Qualifying Tree Species in Appendix
3. Tree preservation plan required
4. Protection of trees during construction
Tree and Urban Forest
Preservation Standards