Township of Easttown, PA Article X Landscaped Buffers

§ 274-33 Applicability.

[Amended 12-15-2014 by Ord. No. 424-14]

Landscaped buffers shall be provided along the perimeter lot boundaries of all proposed subdivisions and land developments. Buffer plantings are in addition to other required plantings, such as street trees, parking lot and replacement plantings, except as noted herein, although these other plantings may lie within yard areas.

§ 274-34 Buffer types.

A. The intensity level of buffering shall be determined by adjacent land use, or zoning classification in the case where the adjacent land is vacant.

(1) Screen buffers. The purpose of screen buffers is to minimize adverse views between incompatible land uses.

(2) Perimeter buffers. The purpose of perimeter buffers is to filter views between complementary land uses.

(3) Screen ("S") and perimeter ("P") buffers shall be provided between proposed (PROP) and abutting land uses in accordance with the following chart. Buffer planting shall be provided in accordance with § 274-37.

	Figure 2: Buffer Intensity Chart
	Existing Abutting Land Use/Zoning District
	Proposed Use		SFR	MFR	MH	INS	COM	IND	AG/R	ROW
	SFD		P	P	P	P	P	P	P	P
	MFD		S	P	P	P	P	P	S	P
	MH		S	S	P	S	P	P	S	S
	INS		S	S	S	P	P	P	S	P
	COM		S	S	S	S	P	P	S	P
	IND		S	S	S	S	S	P	S	S
	REC		P	P	P	P	P	P	P	P

B. Key to land uses:

	"SFR" indicates any type of existing single-family residential land use.
	"MFR" indicates any type of existing multifamily residential land use.
	"SFD" indicates proposed single-family residential developments of greater than or equal to five dwelling units.
	"MFD" indicates proposed multifamily residential developments of greater than or equal to five dwelling units.
	"MH" indicates mobile home land use.
	"INS" indicates any type of institutional land use.
	"COM" indicates commercial and office land uses outside of the Village of Berwyn.
	"IND" indicates industrial land uses.
	"AG/R" indicates agriculture, conservation or recreational land uses.
	"ROW" indicates buffering required against all existing street lines or cartways.
	"REC" indicates recreational land uses.

§ 274-35 General buffer requirements.

A. Buffers may occur within any yard area, including the front yard, when applicable. Buffers shall be comprised of a variety of plant material, in accordance with § 274-41. Earthen berms shall also be included, where topographically feasible and where such berms will not increase runoff or cause water to flow onto an adjacent landowner's property.

B. If a reduction in buffer width is granted pursuant to an application before the Zoning Hearing Board, the proposed buffer shall meet the functional requirements of this article. This may necessitate the provision of additional screening elements, such as fences or evergreen shrubs.