§ 108-68. Landscape strips and buffers.

(a)

Required landscape strips. No lot shall hereafter be developed with less than the minimum required landscape strip for the specific use as shown in table IV, when abutting a public or private street.

TABLE IV. REQUIRED LANDSCAPE STRIPS AND BUFFERS

Use	Minimum Required Front Landscape Strip (feet)	Minimum Required Buffer when Abutting Property Containing a Single-Family Dwelling or Manufactured Home
		Side (feet)	Rear (feet)
Dwelling, single-family detached, including manufactured home	None	None	None
Active agricultural operation involving chickens or hogs	None	100	100
Guest houses, detached carports, and other accessory residential uses	None	None	None
Church, temple, synagogue, or place of worship	10	15	30
School; daycare center; other institution	10	15	30
Duplex	None	None	None
Multiple-family residence	10	10	25
Institutional residential living facility (nursing, personal care, etc.)	10	10	25
Office, conference center, special event facility, etc.	10	15	30
Retail commercial or commercial recreation facility enclosed; restaurant; service	10	25	40
Retail commercial or commercial recreation facility, unenclosed; contractor's establishment; open air business use	20	25	40
Industrial or manufacturing establishment, factory or plant; warehouse or wholesale establishment	30	40	50
Explosives storage; petroleum bulk storage sites; solid waste facilities (landfills, incinerators, etc.); extraction industries	30	100	100

 

(b)

Landscape strip design standards. Landscape strips shall be planted with trees, shrubs, grass, or groundcover, except for those areas that are mulched. Landscaping shall be planted throughout and shall not appear as a single row of plantings. Landscape strips shall not contain structures, accessory uses, parking of any kind, stormwater detention facilities, fences of any kind, patios, or displays of commercial stock. Berms and retaining walls as part of an overall landscaping plan, signs as permitted in this article, driveways required to access the property, pedestrian-oriented facilities, and underground utilities are permitted within the landscape strip.

(c)

Waiver of landscape strip requirements. The front landscape strips required by this section may be waived for lots which abut one or more developed properties on the same side of the street and which contain a structure that is setback less than ten feet from the right-of-way.

(d)

Required buffers. No lot shall hereafter be developed with less than the minimum required buffer along a side or rear property line when abutting property containing a single-family dwelling or manufactured home, for the specific use as shown in table IV.

(e)

Buffer specifications. Any buffer required by this section shall be natural vegetation, undisturbed except for approved access and utility crossings, and replanted where sparsely vegetated, with evergreen trees and/or shrubs to form an opaque screen that will provide a visual buffer throughout all seasons. Buffers shall be designed to provide privacy and security and to give adequate protection to adjacent neighbors from lights, sounds, and other potential nuisances. Buffers shall be planted with landscaping throughout and shall not appear as a single row of plantings. The length of any required buffers shall not extend closer than 15 feet to any public right-of-way in order to preserve vision clearance.

(f)

Structural buffer design standards. When commercial construction abuts residential property, a minimum six-foot tall wooden slat fence must be installed. Fences and walls shall present a finished and decorative appearance to the abutting property and shall be located in such a manner to preserve existing vegetation.

(g)

Reduction of buffer. A required buffer may be reduced by as much as 30 percent through the site plan review process for multifamily, institutional residential living facilities, places of worship, schools, daycare centers, and other institutional uses if screening is provided by installing a minimum six-foot high solid wooden fence or masonry wall within the required buffer.

(Code 2004, § 152.057; Ord. No. 381, 4-10-2006; Am. Ord. No. 475, 12-22-2014)