Section 20-75 Requirements for off-street parking and other vehicle use areas.

Prior to the adoption of 20-72-6(a) on 02/24/2003, Section 20-75 read as follows.

    Off-street parking facilities and other vehicle use areas, excepting permitted accessways, shall  meet the following requirements:

    (1)    Perimeter requirements:

        a.    Front perimeter  landscape areas. A ten-foot wide strip of land located between the front  property line and the vehicular use area shall be landscaped. Width of sidewalks shall not be included within the ten-foot wide front setback perimeter landscape area. This shall also apply to any other property line which abuts a street right-of-way.

        b.    Side and rear perimeter landscape areas. A six-foot wide strip of land located between  the side and rear property lines and the vehicular use area shall be landscaped, except that where  the strip of land to be landscaped is between a side or rear property line and a vehicular use area used as an accessway, a four-foot wide strip of land shall be landscaped.

    (2)    Material requirements in perimeter area:

        a.    Tree count.  The total tree requirement within the perimeter landscape areas shall be determined by using a ratio of one (1) tree for each twenty-five (25) linear feet of required  landscape perimeter area, or major portion thereof, with no less than seventy-five (75) percent of said trees being shade trees. All trees shall be provided at least one hundred (100) square feet of planting area each. This provision is not intended to require trees to be equally spaced twenty-five (25) feet apart. Creative design and spacing is encouraged.

        b.    Ground cover. Grass or other ground cover shall be placed on all areas within the front,  side and rear setback perimeter landscape areas not occupied by other landscape material, or permitted accessways. A listing of plant material shall be maintained by the chief building official  and zoning administrator.

    (3)    Visual screen in perimeter area:

        a.    Perimeter  setback landscape areas. A visual screen shall be placed within the perimeter  setback landscape areas and shall run the entire length of such abutting property line, except at  permitted accessways.

        b.    Light penetration  and height. A visual screen shall be installed not lower than thirty (30) inches, except at permitted accessways.

    (4)    Use of perimeter landscape areas. Overhanging areas: Vehicles may overhang no more than two (2) feet into perimeter landscape areas.

    (5)    Cross-visibility standards for setback areas. A sight triangle shall be provided at those points where an accessway intersects a public right-of-way. The area within the sight triangle shall be provided at those points where an accessway intersects a public right-of-way. The area within the sight triangle shall be maintained in accordance with this section.

        a.    Cross-visibility level. An unobstructed cross-visibility between two (2) and ten (10) feet  above the level of the centerline of the public right-of-way shall be maintained within the sight  triangle.

        b.    Trees. Trees having limbs and foliage trimmed so that the cross-visibility is not obscured shall be allowed to overhang within the sight triangle, provided the location of the tree itself does  not create a traffic hazard.

    (6)    Interior planting areas:

        a.    Size. In vehicular use areas within the interior of a site, a planting area shall be required  which will be equal to eight (8) percent of the paved area and at least three (3) two-inch, or two (2) three-inch, caliper shade trees together with other landscape material shall be planted within each  such planting area. Interior planting areas shall be located to most effectively relieve the monotony of large expanses of paving and contribute to orderly circulation of vehicular and pedestrian traffic, and shall be no less than twelve (12) feet in width, exclusive of curbing. Whenever linear medians at fifty (50) feet long having shade trees spaced no greater than fifteen (15) feet on center are used, the minimum width may be reduced to eight (8) feet exclusive of curbing. All developments having  paved areas of five thousand (5,000) square feet or less shall be exempt from the interior planting requirements.

        b.    Overhang.  Vehicles shall not overhang more than two (2) feet into any interior planting area.

        c.    Interior landscaping functional waiver. In vehicular use areas, when the city has  determined that the strict application of this section will interfere with the function of the vehicle use area, the required interior landscaping may be located near the perimeter of the paved area, including such perimeters which may be adjacent to a building on a site.

    (7)    Plant material standards:

        a.    Trees shall  be subject to the following:

            1.    Height.  Trees shall have a minimum height of eight (8) feet and a minimum caliper of two (2) inches at the time of planting.

            2.    Crown  spread. Species of trees which will meet the twenty-foot mature height  requirement but will have an average mature crown of less than twenty (20) feet may be substituted by grouping such trees so as to create the equivalent of a crown spread of twenty (20) feet.

            3.    Planting area. The planting area for each tree shall be a minimum of one hundred (100) square feet around the trunk of the tree and shall be maintained in either vegetative landscape material or pervious surface cover.

        b.    Shrubs and hedges shall be subject to the following:

            1.    Minimum  height. There shall be a minimum height of eighteen (18) inches and have a  spread of fifteen (15) inches at the time of planting.

            2.    Prohibited species. No species of deciduous shrub shall be credited on the visual screening requirements of this section.

            3.    Placement. The placement of shrubs used to fulfill the visual screening requirements shall not exceed five (5) feet on center.

        c.    Vines, ground cover, lawn grasses, synthetic plant material and architectural planters shall be subject to the following:

            1.    Vines. Vines shall be thirty (30) inches in length within one (1) calendar year from the time of planting.

            2.    Ground covers other than lawn grasses. Ground covers other than lawn grasses shall  be planted so as to provide seventy-five (75) percent coverage within one (1) calendar year from the time of planting.

            3.    Lawn grasses. Lawn grasses shall be subject to the following:

                A.    Lawn grasses planted for credit on the landscaping requirements shall be perennial  species capable of thriving in the city. A list of suggested grasses shall be maintained by the chief building official and zoning administrator of the city.

                B.    Lawn grasses shall be planted so as to achieve complete coverage within two (2)  calendar years from the time of planting.

                C.    Grasses  may be sodded, sprigged, plugged or seeded except that solid sod shall be used in swales or other areas subject to erosion.

            4.    Synthetic  plant material. No credit shall be granted for use of artificial plant material.

            5.    Architectural  planters. Credit shall be given for use of architectural planters which meet the following criteria:

                A.    Architectural  planters for shrubs shall have a planting area of not less than ten (10)  square feet and a depth of not less than eighteen (18) inches.

                B.    Architectural  planters for trees shall have a planting area of not less than twelve  (12) square feet and a depth of not less than four (4) feet.

(Code 1958,  13A-4; Ord. of 11-28-94,   II--IV)