HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-06-30-161_Landscape and Open Space Requirements1
CHAPTER 161
LANDSCAPE AND OPEN SPACE REQUIREMENTS
161.01 Purpose and Scope 161.05 Off-Street Parking Areas
161.02 Landscaping Regulations 161.06 Buffers and Screening Requirements
161.03 Minimum Open Space Required 161.07 Reduction in Required Buffer
161.04 Minimum Planting Requirements
161.01 PURPOSE AND SCOPE. The purpose of this chapter is to establish minimum
standards for the preservation, installation, and maintenance of landscape plantings and
landscaped open space in residential, commercial, and industrial districts, to utilize
landscaping and landscaping open space as an effective means of energy conservation, to
preserve open space, to improve property values, and to maintain the aesthetic quality of the
City, thereby promoting the health and general welfare of the City.
161.02 LANDSCAPING REGULATIONS. All of the following standards shall apply to
all required landscape plantings:
1.Interference with Site Drainage. Landscape plantings shall not be placed
where they interfere with site drainage.
2.Plantings Shown on Approved Site Plan. Landscape plantings shall not be
placed in any public utility easement unless specifically permitted on the approved
site plan.
3.Interference with Public Utilities. Plantings shall not be placed where they
may interfere with maintenance of sanitary and storm structures, fire hydrants, or
water valves, or any other public utility.
4.Approved Plantings. Landscape plantings shall not be placed in any public
street right-of-way unless previously approved by the City Council and shall not be
counted toward fulfillment of the minimum site requirements set forth below.
5.Vision Clearance Triangle. Vision clearance triangle shall be maintained at
all times.
6.Restoration with Sod. All disturbed land shall be restored with sod, unless
specifically approved otherwise. In residential districts or uses, the entire front yard,
side yard, and rear yard to the building setback line shall be sodded. In all cases, the
adjacent right-of-way shall be sodded.
7.Survey of Larger Trees. A survey of trees larger than six-inch caliper in
diameter is required for sites with such existing trees. The tree inventory shall include
species, size, and a location map. Such plan shall be included in the initial
development submittal.
8.Existing Landscaping Identified and Protected. All existing landscaping that
is not to be removed pursuant to the grading, landscape or site plan, shall be clearly
identified and, prior to issuance of a permit, shall be protected by fencing located
around the drip line of the tree, maximizing the protection of the root zone area. The
administrative official may waive this requirement if the landscaping to be saved is
not located in the immediate area where construction is to occur.
2
9.Preservation of Existing Landscaping. Whenever practical, existing
landscaping shall be preserved and incorporated into the overall design and layout of
the site.
10.Quantity of Trees Required. In sites where landscaping existed and was
retained during development, the minimum quantity of trees required may be reduced
by the total amount of caliper saved in the case of a deciduous tree or the total height
in the case of an evergreen tree. No more than 50 percent of required plants may be
waived in this manner.
11.Plantings Prohibited. Plant species to be used for landscaping shall be
acceptable to the City if they are not considered a nuisance or undesirable species
such as trees with thorns, cottonwood or cotton bearing poplars, elm trees prone to
Dutch Elm Disease and box elder.
161.03 MINIMUM OPEN SPACE REQUIRED. It is recognized that the extensive use
and excessive congestion of land may become hazardous to the general health and welfare of
the community. Therefore, the intent of this chapter shall be to require not less than that open
space that is necessary to preserve the basic qualities and beauty of nature. Open space shall
be provided for each site in each district in accordance with the table below. Values are in
percentage of total site unless specified herein:
R-3 R-3A R-6 C-1 C-1A C-1B C-2 C-4 M-1 M-1A M-2
20 20 250 square
feet per lot
devoted to
recreational
area
20 20 20 None 25 15 15 10
The calculation of required open space shall not include sidewalks in the minimum required
open space.
161.04 MINIMUM PLANTING REQUIREMENTS. The provisions below represent the
minimum standards required for compliance of this chapter. These regulations are not
intended to suppress creative design concepts or the use of variety in the landscape plan.
1.Minimum Size. The minimum size for required plantings, other than those in
required buffers, shall be as follows:
A.Deciduous overstory trees shall be a minimum of 8 feet in height.
B.Evergreen overstory trees shall be a minimum of 6 feet in height.
C.Deciduous ornamental trees shall be a minimum of 6 feet in height.
2.Minimum Quantity. The minimum number of plantings per site shall be as
follows:
A.A minimum of 50 percent of all required trees shall be overstory
shade trees.
B.For all uses except single-family attached and detached residential
dwellings, a minimum of 25 percent of all required trees shall be evergreen
trees.
3
3.Minimum Planting Quantities:
R-1, R-2, R-4, R-6 R-3, R-3A, Commercial, Industrial
2 trees per dwelling unit 1 tree per 1,000 square feet of required open space;
1 shrub per 1,000 square feet of required open space
4.Values expressed in the table above are in addition to plantings required in
buffers and screening.
161.05 OFF-STREET PARKING AREAS. All of the following requirements shall apply
to off-street parking areas except for single-family attached and detached parking in driveways
as follows:
1.All rows of parking spaces shall be provided a terminal landscaped island,
with a minimum width of ten feet and a minimum length of 17 feet for single parking
rows and 34 feet for dual parking rows, to protect parked vehicles, provide visibility,
confine moving traffic to driveways, and provide space for landscaping.
2.There shall be provided within each row of parking spaces, landscaped
islands, with a minimum width of 6 feet and a minimum length of 17 feet for single
parking rows and 34 feet for dual parking rows, located so as to prevent more than 15
vehicles from being parked side by side in an abutting configuration.
3.All landscaped islands required in subsections 1 and 2 of this section shall be
planted with at least one ornamental or one deciduous overstory tree. A minimum of
50 percent of the landscaped islands shall be provided with a deciduous overstory tree.
The entire landscaped island area shall be covered with plant materials, lawn, or
mulches.
4.The setback between the parking area and the public right-of-way shall be
landscaped with a minimum of one overstory deciduous tree per 40 linear feet of
frontage. The frontage calculation shall be exclusive of the driveways. The plantings
may be planted individually or in clusters. This requirement shall be included in the
minimum number of trees required for the site and is not in addition to.
5.To encourage the use of alternative design practices and green infrastructure,
the City Council upon a recommendation of the Planning and Zoning Commission,
may accept alternative landscape covers and/or designs for parking lot islands, if
designed appropriately and in concert with surrounding development.
161.06 BUFFERS AND SCREENING REQUIREMENTS. It is recognized that the
transition from one district to another district of contrasting and conflicting uses is across a
line in theory, not in existence. Therefore, it is the intent of this chapter to require the actual
provision of a physical barrier so as to reduce possible harmful or detrimental influence one
zoning district’s use may have to an abutting and contrasting or conflicting zoning district’s
use. The following are conditions for requiring a buffer:
1.Any lot for residential use, having both its front and rear lot lines abutting a
public thoroughfare (a double frontage lot) shall require 25 feet adjoining the
thoroughfare from which no access is planned or permitted.
4
2.Buffers shall be provided in accordance with the following table. Values are
in feet:
AR, R-1,
R-2
R-3, R-3A,
R-6
R-4 Commercial
Except for
C-2
Industrial
AR, R-1,
R-2
-- 25 25 30 40
R-3, R-3A,
R-6
25 -- 25 30 40
R-4 25 25 -- 30 40
Commercial,
except for
C-2
30 30 30 -- 40
Industrial 40 40 40 40 --
3.The more intense use shall provide the buffer required above. In an instance
where adjacent property is down zoned, thereby requiring additional buffer, the newly
zoned property shall provide the additional required buffer.
4.The following shall be the minimum requirement. All buffers shall provide
the plantings as prescribed below.
Buffer Material Requirements (Per 50 Linear Feet of Buffer)
25 feet 1 overstory 2 evergreen 2 ornamental
30 feet 2 overstory 3 evergreen 2 ornamental
40 feet 2 overstory 4 evergreen 3 ornamental
5.Whenever practical, existing trees and shrubs should be preserved and
incorporated into the overall design of the buffer and can be included to meet the total
number of required trees. A continuous earthen berm, minimum of three feet in
height, shall be provided in addition to the required plantings.
6.Whenever practical, existing trees and shrubs should be preserved and
incorporated into the overall design of the buffer and can be included to meet the total
number of required trees. A continuous earthen berm, minimum of three feet in
height, shall be provided in addition to the required plantings.
7.In addition to the required permanent landscape buffer, the City Council may
require a fence or a heavily landscaped earth berm to provide additional screening.
Such fence shall be constructed of substantial support elements, including, but not
limited to, brick, poured concrete, and stone. Steel posts shall not be considered
appropriate.
8.Required yards shall be measured from the lot lines as prescribed in this
chapter. Buffer may be included in yards required by this chapter. No building,
5
parking, or structures shall be permitted within any buffer, unless authorized by the
City Council.
9.In a residential subdivision, the developer of the subdivision shall be required
to install the buffer improvements as required by this section. The owner of the
adjacent private property shall maintain the buffer in perpetuity.
10.In a situation that has landscape requirements other than those stated in the
buffering requirements, the buffer requirements shall be in addition to any other
required landscaping.
11.The need to establish the buffer as an easement shall be reviewed and
identified during the development review process. Easements shall generally be
required between different zoning districts and for buffering requirements of
residential districts. It shall be assumed that the buffer will be established by an
easement unless noted otherwise during the development review process and
approved by the City Council. Buffer easements shall be recorded with the County at
the time of establishment, prior to, or concurrent with the recording of a final plat or
the final approval of a site plan.
12.For single-family residential subdivisions, the landscape buffer shall be
submitted for review and approval as a public improvement, at the same time as the
preliminary plat. For any type of development that requires a site plan review, the
buffer plans shall be submitted as a part of the site plan submittal.
161.07 REDUCTION IN REQUIRED BUFFER. The City Council may, at its
discretion, reduce the required buffer under the following conditions:
1.In those areas where the boundary line abuts permanent natural features that
function as a buffer, including, but not limited to, ponds, severe grades, or mature
woodlands, requirements for a buffer area for that portion of the boundary may be
reduced by the City Council in the proportions that the permanent natural features
fulfill the buffer requirements.
2.In those areas where the property abuts an undeveloped property that is shown
on the adopted land use plan as the same or a more intensive use.
3.The abutting property has provided a portion or the entire required buffer.
4.On lots that can present evidence that the above buffer provisions would
render the property unbuildable, the City Council may grant a waiver of the buffer
requirements and permit a fence of not less than six feet in height. Provisions for
landscaping to soften the visual appearance of the fence and provide additional
buffering may be required and will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
5.In those areas that abut a public park, the buffer area for that portion of the
boundary may be reduced to 50 percent of the requirement.
(repeal Chapter 304, replace in entirety) July 15, 2019 – Ordinance 2932