§ 34-161. Required landscaping.

(a)

General standards.

(1)

All exterior areas of any site not required for parking, accessory structures or utility structures shall be landscaped.

(2)

The minimum requirements for landscaping and buffering are intended to be cumulative, such that the total requirement for landscaping shall be the aggregate of the requirements for the individual areas separately, with the following exceptions:

a.

Where adjoining uses each have an individual requirement for provision of a buffer between them, only one buffer shall actually be required. The standards for such buffer shall be the higher of the standards for the individual buffers.

b.

Where a buffer is required in addition to perimeter landscaping, such as around a parking lot, only one landscaped area shall be required and shall meet the higher of the two applicable standards.

(3)

Where buffering or landscaping is required, all appropriate efforts shall be made to utilize existing areas of native vegetation to satisfy the requirement. Where such areas are used, they should be left undisturbed to the maximum extent possible. Where additional opacity is required to reduce visual penetration, walls or fences of a compatible material and color should be used to supplement the natural vegetation, and should be located and installed in such a manner as to minimize damage to the existing native vegetation.

(4)

Existing mature native trees should be used wherever possible in lieu of planting new trees. Where a mature tree is used, it may be counted as two trees for the purpose of establishing the total tree requirement within the landscaped areas, provided that all of the location requirements for trees are met and the total number of required trees may not be reduced by more than 20 percent.

(5)

Landscaping may extend into rights-of-way and/or easements, subject to permission of the agency or other entity holding title to the rights-of-way or easements. Such landscaping shall not be used to meet the minimum requirements under this article unless approved by the village council.

(b)

Tree planting and preservation. The following tree planting and preservation standards shall apply to all developments:

(1)

Residential land use. One tree shall be planted or preserved for every 1,500 square feet, or fraction thereof, of a parcel used for residential purposes, excluding only areas of vegetation required to be preserved by law and preservation areas.

(2)

Nonresidential land use. One tree shall be planted or preserved for every 2,500 square feet, or fraction thereof, of a parcel used for nonresidential purposes, excluding only areas of vegetation required to be preserved by law and preservation areas.

(c)

Vehicular use areas. The following landscape standards shall apply to vehicular use areas:

(1)

Off-street parking areas shall include 20 square feet of landscaping for each parking space. Such landscaping shall consist of terminal islands at the end of each row of parking, interior islands within each row of parking and landscaped divider strips, and:

a.

Each terminal island shall include at least one tree, shall measure not less than five feet in width and shall be at least as long as the single or double row of parking spaces terminated by the island.

b.

Interior islands shall be provided to break up rows of parking spaces so that no continuous uninterrupted row of spaces may exceed 12 spaces without the provision of an intervening interior island. Interior islands shall be at least five feet in width and shall have the same depth as the abutting parking spaces. At least one tree shall be provided in each interior island.

c.

Contiguous rows of parking spaces may be separated by a divider median. Where such a median is used, it shall be at least five feet in width. One tree shall be planted within each divider median and one additional tree shall be planted for each 40 feet of length. Where divider medians are used, the abutting parking spaces may be reduced by not more than two feet in depth, provided that adequate protection is included to prevent damage to trees and landscaped areas from automobiles and pedestrians.

d.

Terminal islands, interior islands and divider medians shall be surrounded with a continuous raised curb. Landscaped area dimensions shall be measured from the inside of the curb.

e.

Landscaping shall be provided around the perimeter of a parking area so as to create a buffer from adjoining land uses, streets and properties. Where such buffer cannot be accomplished by retention of thickly vegetated areas of existing vegetation, a hedge not less than four, nor more than 20 feet in height shall be provided along the perimeter.

(2)

Vehicular use areas, other than parking areas, shall be provided with landscaped areas equal to ten percent of the total paved surface, and:

a.

Landscaped areas shall be arranged and designed to provide adequate buffering of vehicular use areas from other portions of the site and from adjacent streets and properties. Where such buffer cannot be accomplished by retention of thickly vegetated areas of existing vegetation, a hedge not less than four, nor more than 20 feet in height shall be provided along the perimeter.

b.

At least one tree shall be provided for each 200 square feet of landscaped area and/or for each 40 linear feet of landscaped area.

(d)

Nonvehicular use areas. Other areas adjacent to public streets or other properties shall be landscaped in addition to the specific requirements for vehicular use areas. A perimeter landscaping area at least 25 feet in width shall be provided along any boundary, other than along a public alley. Such area shall include existing vegetation to the maximum extent feasible, and shall contain at least one tree for each 25 linear feet of outside perimeter. Where a buffer area is required by section 34-162, such buffer area may be substituted for the perimeter landscaped area.

(Code 1994, § 30-106)