§ 32. Landscaping and screening requirements.

A.

Purpose. To promote safety, to protect the character and stability of residential, commercial, institutional, and industrial areas, to conserve the value of land and buildings of surrounding properties and neighborhoods, and to enhance the aesthetic and visual image of the community, the following standards shall be observed:

B.

Location of required landscaping and screening.

1.

When a non-residential use is established on a lot of premises located adjacent to any residential zoning district, or when any townhome or multiple family dwellings are established on a lot or premises adjacent to any property located in a "SF-1," "SF-2," or "D" district, a ten-foot in width landscaped open space buffer strip shall be installed and maintained by the owner, developer or operator of the non-residential or multiple family use property between such use and the adjacent residentially zoned property. Not less than one tree shall be planted and maintained for each 25 linear feet or portion thereof of said open space buffer strip. Each tree used in landscaped open space buffer strip shall be of not less than six feet in height upon planting and shall have a caliper of not less than two inches measured 18 inches from the ground. The provisions of this paragraph shall not apply where districts are separated by a public street, railroad right-of-way, drainage ditch, or canal with a minimum easement of 30 feet.

2.

In addition, an opaque fence or wall a minimum of six feet and a maximum of eight feet shall be erected by the owner, builder, or developer along the property line between the abutting districts to provide visual screening, and/or where an "MF-1" or "MF-2" district abuts any non-residential district that has previously been developed. The owner of the property will be responsible for maintenance of the fence or wall. The provisions of this paragraph shall not apply where districts are separated by a public street, railroad right-of-way, drainage ditch, or canal with a minimum easement of 30 feet.

3.

The owner, tenant, and/or agent of an off-street parking area for any use which accommodates more than 20 automobiles or vehicles shall be required to install and maintain a minimum total landscaped open space area equal to not less than five percent of the total area of all parking spaces, aisles and drives in the parking area. A minimum of one tree shall be planted and maintained for each 250 square feet or portion thereof of landscaped open space area. A minimum of one tree shall be planted and maintained for each 250 square feet or portion thereof of landscaped open space area.

4.

Except for one- and two-family dwellings, garbage storage areas shall be visually screened by a six-foot high solid fence on all sides except when one side is adjacent to an alley or easement used for garbage pickup services, no screening fence shall be required on that side.

5.

All wrecking yards (junk and salvage) and salvage yards with open storage or wrecked or salvaged automobiles, machinery, appliances or other used commodities and equipment shall surround such open storage with a wall or solid fence not less than eight feet in height.

C.

Standards for landscaping and screening. Each tree used in landscaped open space buffer strip shall be not less than six feet in height upon planting and shall have a caliper of not less than two inches measured 18 inches from the ground.

D.

Landscaping bonus provisions.

1.

The required minimum front yard for development in non-residential districts located across the street from residential districts and multi-family housing, said front yard may be reduced by 15 feet when a landscaped open space strip is provided on both the first ten feet of the required front yard and the property located between the paved or curbed portion or sidewalk of the adjacent street right-of-way and the front property line.

In the area between pavement or curb and property line, no growth can exceed 18 inches in height. The landscaping strip shall not be used for parking but can be crossed with driveways providing direct ingress and egress to the development that have been approved by the city manager, or his designee. Driveways shall not be included in the calculation of landscaped area.

2.

A density bonus in excess of the maximum permitted density shall be permitted in the "MF-1" and "MF-2" districts when a 20-foot landscaped open space buffer strip is provided between multi-family development and all adjacent "SF-1", "SF-2", and "D" zoned property. The density bonus shall be calculated as follows:

a.

The "MF-1" districts, an additional one dwelling unit per acre shall be permitted for each 100 linear feet or fraction in excess of 50 linear feet of qualifying landscaped buffer strip.

b.

The "MF-2" districts, an additional two dwelling units per acre shall be permitted for each 100 linear feet or fraction in excess of 50 linear feet of qualifying landscaped buffer strip.

E.

Installation and maintenance. The owner and/or agent, if any, shall be jointly and severally responsible for installing and maintaining all screening and/or landscaping in a healthy, neat, orderly and live-growing condition, and replacing it when necessary.

F.

Curbing. Curbing or other protective devices or barriers shall be installed to protect landscaped open space buffer strips, fences and walls from vehicular encroachment. No automobile or other type of vehicle shall be driven on any landscaped open space buffer strip required by the section.

(Ord. No. O-2015-007-15, § 1, 6-8-15)