§ 8.0. Buffers and landscaping.
8.1. Impervious surfaces. Impervious surfaces such as roofs and pavement shall not cover more than eighty (80) percent of a lot or parcel, except in the Mixed Use District. (Ord. No. 04-2013, § 8, 4-5-04)
8.2. Buffers.
A.
Applicability. Buffer regulations are set forth in each of the zoning district sections of Article VI. If proposed development activity requires a buffer, a tree conservation plan including supplemental information required in this section, shall be submitted pursuant to the requirements of Article XIII.
B.
Standards. In order to decrease incompatibility between neighboring land uses, the following standards shall apply to all required buffers.
1.
When a required buffer adjoins property that is zoned for detached, single-family dwellings, an undisturbed buffer that is at least fifty (50) percent of the width of the required buffer shall be provided adjacent to said property, with the balance of the required buffer being a planted buffer. If the undisturbed portion of the buffer does not provide a visually impervious barrier, supplemental plantings may be required. All other buffers required by this ordinance may be planted buffers. Planted buffers shall provide a visually impervious barrier, uniformly dense at all heights from the ground, and a minimum of four (4) feet above grade throughout the entire length and width of the planting. The buffer shall only be planted with plant materials listed in the Tree Selection and Cover Guide that are noted with (# and ^), and at least one (1) tree that qualifies for tree canopy credit in the Tree Selection and Cover Guide, for each thirty (30) linear feet of buffer. Within one (1) year after installation, that portion of the buffer planted as prescribed above shall be at least six (6) feet above grade throughout the entire length and width of the planting. (Ord. No. 06-2128, § 2, 8-7-06)
2.
Where topography provides a more effective buffer than the above described buffer, or where topography renders the above described buffer ineffective, the city may:
a.
Reduce the width of the required buffer by not more than fifty (50) percent,
b.
Reduce the width or waive the required undisturbed buffer,
c.
Allow reforestation with native vegetation in lieu of all or a portion of the required planted buffer,
d.
Any combination of the above stated measures.
(Ord. No. 03-1982, § 4, 9-15-03; Ord. No. 06-2128, § 2, 8-7-06)
3.
Privacy walls or fences, if incorporated in the buffer, shall be visually impervious, at least six (6) feet high, and shall be used in conjunction with landscaping materials which compliment the purpose of the required buffer, as determined by the city's landscape architect. Chain link fence shall not be used as a privacy fence. The location of the fence or wall within the buffer shall be approved by the city.
4.
All walls and fences located within buffer areas shall be finished on the exterior viewed from adjacent properties in the same type finish as the interior portion. All walls and fences shall be maintained in perpetuity by the owner.
5.
Electrical, telephone, gas, water, sanitary sewers, storm drainage and other utility facilities may be constructed in the required buffer under the following conditions:
a.
The developer shall submit adequate data such as an existing tree survey and photographs to verify pre-development conditions in the affected buffer area.
b.
The administrator shall condition the land disturbance and building permits upon restoration of the area in compliance with.
c.
The approved tree conservation plan within four (4) months after utility construction is complete.
d.
The developer shall be required to restore the buffer in compliance with the approved tree conservation plan.
e.
If construction of utilities will result in the disturbance of more than fifty (50) continuous feet of the required buffer, the administrator may require additional planting to satisfy the buffer standards.
6.
When easements or rights-of-way that prevent planting of the required vegetation are located within a buffer, the width of the easement or right-of-way shall not be included when calculating the width of the buffer, except as follows:
a.
Where twenty-five (25) and thirty-five (35) foot wide buffers are required, the width of the buffer may be reduced by one (1) foot for every five (5) feet of easement or right-of-way located on the subject property, provided that the planted buffer shall not be less than twenty (20) feet in width.
b.
Where a fifty (50) foot wide buffer is required, the width of the buffer may be reduced by two (2) feet for every five (5) feet of easement or right-of-way located on the subject property, provided that the planted buffer shall not be less than thirty-five (35) feet in width.
c.
Where a one hundred (100) foot wide buffer is required, the width of the buffer may be reduced by two (2) feet for every five (5) feet of easement or right-of-way located on the subject property, provided that the planted buffer shall not be less than eighty (80) feet in width. (Ord. No. 03-1982, § 4, 9-15-03)
7.
Buffers which are approved as undisturbed buffers shall not require irrigation. All planted buffers shall be irrigated in compliance with the requirements of this section. (Ord. No. 03-1982, § 4, 9-15-03)
8.
The owner shall be responsible for the maintenance, repair and replacement of all landscaping materials, barriers and irrigation systems required by this section. All plant material shall be tended and maintained in a healthy growing condition, replaced when dead and kept free of weeds, refuse and debris. (Ord. No. 03-1982, § 4, 9-15-03)
8.3. Landscaping for parking and vehicle areas. Landscape plans for developments that have one hundred (100) or more off-street parking spaces shall be prepared by a registered landscape architect or a licensed landscape designer. All submitted plans shall bear the architect's/designer's seal, signature and State of Alabama registration number.
A.
Applicability. These regulations apply to all areas, (hereinafter referred to as parking areas), which are open to the general public or visible from public property, and used for off-street parking and loading, vehicular storage, display, maneuvering, vehicle washing, and the dispensing of motor fuels. Multi-level parking structures are exempt from the interior planting requirements.
This subsection shall apply to new parking areas or enlargement of existing parking areas by ten (10) percent or more, for all conditional uses and for permitted uses in the R-4, R-T-4, C-P, C-1, C-2, C-3, C-4 and I-1 Districts. The enlargement of any existing parking area by ten (10) percent or more shall require that the existing and new parking areas conform the requirements of this article. If proposed development activity requires the installation of landscaping in parking areas, a tree conservation plan, including supplemental information required in this subsection, shall be submitted pursuant to the requirements of Article XIII.
B.
Design standards. Only large trees may be planted to comply with the requirements of this section, except when site visibility at intersections or when overhead utilities prevent the use of large trees, in which case medium or small trees may be used. Interior landscaped islands and perimeter planting areas shall be planted with trees equal to or greater than one tree for each nine hundred (900) square feet of impervious parking area. Only trees listed in the tree selection guide in Article XIII, and noted with (*) may be planted within or on the perimeter of a parking area.
Large parking areas shall be designed as a series of smaller lots that provide space for not more than one hundred (100) cars. The smaller lots shall be separated by internal planting areas that form a perimeter which is at least nine (9) feet wide, planted with large trees and shrubs. These planted areas shall be counted as part of the ten (10) percent internal planting requirement for parking areas.
1.
Landscaping near parking areas shall not obstruct the driver's view of the right-of-way at driveways and intersections, where plant height shall be limited to thirty (30) inches to provide vision clearance triangles.
2.
Vision clearance triangle setbacks shall be ten (10) feet in parking areas, thirty (30) feet at intersections and as required by the Alabama Department of Transportation. Trees are permitted but branches shall be trimmed and maintained to a minimum height of eight (8) feet above finished grade.
3.
Perimeter planting. The width of required perimeter planting areas, which are located within required buffer areas, may be included as part of the minimum buffer width, provided that the plant materials meet the minimum standards for a buffer.
a.
Parking areas shall be separated from the Highway 280 right-of-way by a fifteen-foot wide perimeter planting area. The perimeter planting area shall contain a double staggered row of evergreen shrubs which are at least eighteen (18) inches in height at the time of planting and which shall be maintained at a height of thirty-six (36) inches at maturity, and deciduous trees equal in number to one tree per twenty-five (25) feet of Highway 280 frontage. Large trees shall be planted on thirty-five-foot centers and small and medium size trees shall be planted on twenty-five-foot centers.
b.
Parking areas shall be separated from other public road rights-of-way by a ten-foot wide perimeter planting area. The perimeter planting area shall contain a double staggered row of evergreen shrubs which are at least eighteen (18) inches in height at the time of planting and which shall be maintained at a height of thirty-six (36) inches at maturity, and deciduous trees equal in number to one (1) tree per twenty-five (25) feet of public street frontage. Large trees shall be planted on thirty-five-foot centers and small and medium size trees shall be planted on twenty-five-foot centers.
c.
Parking areas shall be separated from other private property by an eight-foot wide perimeter planting area. The perimeter planting area shall contain a double staggered row of evergreen shrubs which are at least eighteen (18) inches in height at the time of planting and which shall be maintained at a height of thirty-six (36) inches at maturity, and deciduous trees equal in number to one (1) tree per fifty (50) feet of abutting property line. Large trees shall be planted on thirty-five (35) foot centers and small and medium size trees shall be planted on twenty-five-foot centers.
4.
Interior planting. Whenever the impervious surface of a parking area exceeds eight thousand (8,000) square feet, an area equal to ten (10) percent of the impervious surface area shall be provided for landscaping islands in the interior of the parking area. Plant material located within six (6) feet of a building shall not be included as part of the minimum interior planting requirement. The interior parking area planting requirement is in addition to the required perimeter planting. Gasoline service stations and automobile sales lots are exempt from the interior planting requirements.
The interior islands shall be at least nine (9) feet by twenty (20) feet, planted with a combination of large trees and evergreen shrubs. One (1) landscaped island shall be required for each row of twelve (12) contiguous parking spaces. Each landscaped island have contain at least one (1) large tree which meets the minimum requirements of this subsection.
C.
The owner shall be responsible for the maintenance, repair and replacement of all landscaping materials, barriers and irrigation systems required by this section. All plant material shall be tended and maintained in a healthy growing condition, replaced when dead and kept free of weeds, refuse and debris.
D.
All required landscaping shall be irrigated in compliance with the automatic irrigation system regulations of subsection 8.5; except required landscaping within an existing parking area which is being landscaped to comply with the requirements of this section.
8.4. Plant materials standards. All plant material shall conform to the American Standard for nursery stock, latest addition, published by the American Joint Committee on Horticultural Nomenclature. Only trees and shrubs that are listed in Article XIII, Tree Selection and Cover Guide may be planted in required landscaping and buffer areas. (Ord. No. 03-1982, § 4, 9-15-03)
8.5. Automatic irrigation system regulations.
A.
Complete irrigation plans which comply with the plumbing code of the city, shall be submitted as part of every tree conservation plan. Irrigation plans shall be drawn at the same scale as the tree conservation plan and shall cover the entire area where irrigation is required.
B.
A fully automated irrigation system shall be constructed where irrigation is required. Automatic controllers shall be screened from view, locked and not easily accessible to pedestrian traffic.
C.
Required back flow prevention devices connected to the public water system shall be screened from view and shall not be set in lawn areas.
D.
Shrub and lawn sprinkler heads adjacent to pedestrian walks, parking spaces, driveways and structures shall be high pop-ups installed one-half inch from the edge of curbs and walks and six (6) inches from architectural structures.
E.
The owner shall keep the irrigation systems in proper working condition as part of a regular maintenance program.
F.
Workmanship and materials shall conform to the plumbing code of the city.
G.
At the conclusion of the work, the contractor shall submit three (3) copies of the as-built plans to the city.
8.6. Enforcement.
A.
Permitted and conditional uses in the R-T-4, R-4, CP, C-1, C-2, C-3, C-4, and I-1 Districts and conditional uses in the A-1, RE, E-1, E-2, R-1, R-2, R-3 and PRD Districts:
1.
No tree conservation plan required by this section shall be approved by the administrator until a financial guarantee of performance is submitted, in an amount determined by the administrator to be not less than one hundred ten (110) percent of the cost of implementing the tree conservation plan. The guarantee shall be in the form of a bond, irrevocable letter of credit or certificate of deposit made payable to the city.
2.
Prior to release of the financial guarantee and prior to issuance of a certificate of occupancy for the premises, the administrator shall determine that the tree conservation plan has been implemented.
B.
Permitted uses in the A-1, RE, E-1, E-2, R-1, R-2, R-3 and PRD Districts. A certificate of occupancy shall not be issued for any dwelling until the lot on which the dwelling is located complies with the tree conservation plan approved for the lot or subdivision.
(Ord. No 99-1719, § 1, 2-7-00)