The following standards are intended to implement the City's
long-term planning goals by assuring an acceptable degree of buffering
between land uses, particularly between residential and nonresidential
uses, providing a balance between developed uses and open space, enhancing
the visual and aesthetic appearance of the community and encouraging
preservation of existing natural features. Specifically, these regulations
are intended to:
A.
Provide natural visual screening of parking areas and along property
boundaries to protect the existing visual quality of adjacent lands.
B.
Reduce surface runoff and minimize soil erosion through the natural
filtering capability of landscaped areas.
C.
Provide natural buffers that reduce glare and noise, provide wildlife
corridors and protect wildlife habitats, wetlands, stream corridors
and other significant environmental features.
D.
Moderate the microclimate of parking areas by providing shade, absorbing
reflected heat from paved surfaces and creating natural wind breaks.
E.
Enhance the overall visual quality of the community by surrounding
developed areas with a variety of plant materials that are consistent
and compatible with the existing natural vegetation of the area.
F.
Provide sidewalks and multi-use paths to be included with parking
areas.
These landscaping regulations shall apply to all uses in all
districts. More specifically, requirements and procedures shall be
as follows:
A.
Building permits for construction of new single-family or two-family
dwelling major subdivisions shall require preservation of existing
vegetation or plantings to provide two shade trees of a minimum two-inch
caliper, measured in accordance with American Standards for Nursery
Stock (ANSI), for each dwelling. Such tree(s) shall be located outside
the public right-of-way in the front yard.
B.
Major residential subdivisions shall be required to submit landscaping plans in accordance with § 285-80 of this article indicating appropriate landscaping of entrances, common open spaces and recreation areas and perimeter buffer areas.
C.
Development activities requiring site plan approval shall submit, as part of such approval, a landscaping plan in accordance with § 285-80 of this article. Whenever possible, landscaped areas in a site plan, including parking lots, shall be lowered and incorporate curb cuts or other diversion devices to divert stormwater to the landscaped areas as part of a stormwater management plan.
A.
Existing site vegetation and unique site features, such as stone
walls, shall be incorporated into landscaping plans to the maximum
extent feasible. Existing healthy trees which are retained shall be
credited against the requirements of these regulations in accordance
with their size and location.
B.
Issuance of a certificate of occupancy shall require completion of
lot grading, seeding and required landscaping or posting of a performance
guaranty acceptable to the Zoning Officer if the applicant cannot
perform the work due to seasonal impracticalities.
C.
All required landscaping shall be of healthy stock, planted according
to accepted horticultural practices. Landscaping plans shall clearly
indicate who is responsible for plant maintenance during the first
12 months after planting, and a performance guaranty shall be posted
for assuring replacement in kind of plants which die or become diseased
within that time.
D.
All required landscaping shall be maintained in healthy condition.
Failure to maintain such landscaping or to replace dead or diseased
landscaping required by this article shall constitute a violation
of these regulations.
E.
All plant material adjacent to parking areas, loading areas and driveways
shall be protected by barriers, curbs or other means by damage from
vehicles or from stormwater runoff.
F.
Where existing conditions make compliance with these regulations
not feasible, the Planning Board, at its discretion, may approve planters,
plant boxes or pots containing trees, shrubs and/or flowers to comply
with the intent of these regulations.
G.
In cases where the edge of pavement within a public right-of-way
does not coincide with the front lot line, the property owner shall
landscape the area between the front lot line and the edge of the
street pavement.
H.
Trees for screening shall be of species and stock that will provide
a visual screen from the ground up, at least five feet in height.
A.
Based on the scale and location of the project, the Planning Board
shall determine whether the landscaping plan must be prepared by a
licensed landscape architect, landscape designer or other professional.
All landscaping plans shall contain the following information:
(1)
A title block with the name of the project, the name of the person
preparing the plan, a scale, North arrow and date.
(2)
All existing significant plant materials on the site.
(3)
Existing and proposed structures.
(4)
Topographical contours at two-foot intervals.
(5)
Parking areas.
(6)
Access aisles.
(7)
Drainage patterns.
(8)
Location, size and description of all landscape materials existing
and proposed, including all trees and shrubs, and shall identify those
existing plant materials that are to be removed.
(9)
Other information as may be required by the Zoning Officer and/or
the Planning Board.
B.
Alternative landscaping plans may be submitted, provided that they
meet the purpose and intent of these regulations.
C.
The Planning Board may determine that streetscape improvements or
other street beautification treatments shall be required in areas
less suited for traditional landscaping.
A.
Off-street parking areas of more than 20 spaces shall include one
tree for every 1,200 square feet of impervious parking area. Sufficient
permeable or infiltration areas shall be provided around the expected
radius of the tree once it has matured to provide infiltration for
the tree drip area.
B.
Trees shall be selected based on best landscape practices, including
observed local healthy tree stands in similar applications, existing
and anticipated soil compaction, existing pH, planned water availability,
adjacent road maintenance (salt, sand, etc.), presence of overhead
utilities, availability of sunlight, percolation rate, soil's
ability to circulate air, and soil type. Trees shall be native and
have proven observed salt tolerance if applicable.
C.
Existing mature trees shall not be included in the calculation for
minimum trees except for areas where the existing tree canopy extends
over impervious surfaces.
D.
Such parking areas shall also include, at a minimum, a four-foot-wide
landscaping island after each two rows of parking. These islands shall
include curb cuts/wheel stops to allow entry of stormwater for treatment/infiltration
and shall utilize tree plantings, native vegetation, dry swales, stormwater
planters, tree pits, or bioretention. All stormwater management features
must be designed in accordance with the latest version of the New
York State Stormwater Management Design Manual.
E.
Off-street parking areas larger than 1,200 square feet, located on
soils of Hydrologic Soil Group A, B, or C, as defined by Part 630
of the United States Department of Agriculture National Engineering
Handbook, excluding the area reserved for vegetation and stormwater
management, are required to be constructed of impervious paving material
over a minimum of 20% of the parking lot area.
F.
Off-street parking areas larger than 1,200 square feet, located on
soils of Hydrologic Soil Group D, as defined by Part 630 of the United
States Department of Agriculture National Engineering Handbook, excluding
the area reserved for vegetation and stormwater management are required
to be constructed of impervious paving material over a minimum of
10% of the off-street parking area.
