§ 656.1214. Vehicular use area interior landscaping.

(a)

Vehicular use areas open to the public: Except for those uses described in Sections 656.604(e)(1) and 656.604(f)(1), ten percent of vehicular use areas (VUA's) used for off-street parking, employee parking, auto service stations, outdoor retail display and sale of motor vehicles, service drives, and access drives within property located in multifamily, residential, commercial, industrial, and public facilities use zoning districts shall be landscaped. For those uses described in Sections 656.604(e)(1) and 656.604(f)(1), all vehicle use area landscaping shall satisfy the requirements set forth in the Parking Lot Landscaping Matrix, Figure B, set forth in Section 656.607(j). In the event the landscaping required under this section exceeds the requirements set forth in the Parking Lot Landscaping Matrix, Figure B of Section 656.607(j), the requirements of this section shall be relaxed to the extent necessary to comply with the Parking Lot Landscaping Matrix.

(b)

Specialized vehicular use areas closed to the public: Five percent of VUA's used for storage areas for new, used or rental vehicles and boats, bus terminals, motor vehicle service facilities, motor freight terminals, and other transportation, warehousing and truck operations not generally open to the public shall be landscaped.

(c)

Criteria for distribution: Landscape areas shall be distributed throughout the VUA in such a manner as to provide visual and climatic relief from broad expanses of pavement and at strategic points to channelize and define vehicular and pedestrian circulation. Landscape areas shall contain the following:

(1)

At least 25 percent of the landscape areas shall be covered with shrubs; the remainder in shrubs, groundcover, mulch or grass, except that mulch shall cover no more than 25 percent of the landscape areas. Plants shall be spaced so as to achieve 90 percent coverage of the landscape areas within two years. Preserved existing understory vegetation may be used to fulfill the landscape area requirement so long as the vegetation meets the height and coverage requirement of the required landscaping;

(2)

Not less than one tree for every 4,000 square feet, or fraction thereof, of the VUA. At least 50 percent of the trees shall be shade trees. Trees shall be distributed so that all portions of the VUA are within a 55-foot radius of any tree.

(d)

Each row of parking spaces shall be terminated by a landscape island with inside dimensions of not less than five feet wide and 17 feet long, or 35 feet long if a double row of parking. Each terminal island shall contain one tree. Each side of the terminal island adjacent to a travel lane shall have a continuous six inch high curb of concrete or other appropriate permanent material. Terminal islands will be credited toward the satisfaction of the landscape area requirements of this Section;

(e)

If it can be shown to the satisfaction of the Chief that the strict application of this Section will seriously limit the function of the property, he may approve the location of the required interior landscape area near the perimeter of the VUA or adjacent to a building on the property, so long as the landscape area is within 20 feet of the perimeter of the VUA.

(Ord. 91-59-148, § 1; Ord. 93-718-395, § 1; Ord. 2009-907-E, § 4; Ord. 2010-449-E, § 3)