§ 38-1355. Landscaping standards for nonresidential development.

(a)

Landscaping; general.

(1)

Landscaping consisting of trees, shrubs, bushes, vines, ground cover or any combination thereof, shall be planted. Regarding the planting of trees, attention shall be given to the type and location of trees in order to provide for relief from the exposure to the sun of both buildings and paved areas. Attention shall also be given to the location and type of planting of trees, shrubs and bushes in and around parking areas, around refuse storage areas and in building setback and separation areas to achieve proper screening of those areas from occupied buildings and exterior roadways.

(2)

Furthermore, attention shall be given to the preservation of existing trees over the strict interpretation of the minimum standards set forth herein, provided the proposed design will produce a unique or aesthetically pleasing design.

(3)

All landscaped areas shall be irrigated by a permanent sprinkler system in order to provide for the continued life of the landscaping and to ensure it will serve its intended purpose. Where practical, water efficient landscaping as defined in section 24-6 of this Code shall be utilized.

(4)

Any area not covered by buildings, paving or landscaping shall be sodded and irrigated.

(5)

The design choice and placement of landscape materials shall not obstruct the cross-visibility of street traffic, on-site traffic, or pedestrian areas. The cross-visibility area is that area created by measuring from the intersecting point of any two (2) travelways a distance of twenty-five (25) feet along the right-of-way and the driveway with a connecting point between the terminal points, thereby creating a triangular shaped cross-visibility area. The landscape material shall not obstruct the visibility in the area between three (3) feet and eight (8) feet from the ground.

(6)

The submission of construction plans shall include a landscape plan identifying:

a.

Existing and/or proposed structures;

b.

Paved area;

c.

Other features relating to the development of the site;

d.

Landscaped areas;

e.

Location, name, site, quantity and spacing of all plant materials;

f.

Existing trees with eight (8) inches diameter breast height (DBH) or more;

g.

Existing trees proposed for removal;

h.

Irrigation system.

(b)

Perimeter landscaping.

(1)

Perimeter landscaping shall be provided adjacent to the rights-of-way as shown on the applicable CVC streetscape master plan. Additional landscaping within the utility easement required under section 38-1352 shall be designed to complement the design of the applicable CVC streetscape master plan. At a minimum, perimeter landscaping adjacent to roads within the CVC streetscape master plan shall include a continuous hedge, wall, berm or combination screen when adjacent to a parking bay. The screen shall be at least four (4) feet in height one (1) year after installation. Perimeter landscaping adjacent to roads within the CVC streetscape master plan shall include a shade tree averaging fifty (50) feet on center, provided not more than one hundred (100) continuous linear feet along the perimeter of a property line shall be void of shade trees. Small trees shall be incorporated within the perimeter landscaping at a rate averaging three (3) trees per two hundred (200) linear feet or fraction thereof. Frontage perimeter shade trees shall be a minimum four (4) inches caliper and fifteen (15) feet in height.

(2)

Shade trees shall be provided along side and rear lot lines not abutting rights-of-way, at a ratio of one (1) tree for each fifty (50) linear feet or fraction thereof. (Existing trees may be counted toward meeting this requirement.) Trees shall be placed within the buffer yard areas with at least fifty (50) percent of the required trees located within fifteen (15) feet of the property line. Fifty (50) percent of such trees shall be three-inch caliper minimum and fifty (50) percent shall be two-inch caliper minimum.

(3)

The application of the perimeter landscaping criteria shall be flexible. Preference shall be given to aesthetically pleasing landscape design over a rigid interpretation of the tree spacing standard. However no more than seventy-five (75) linear feet along the perimeter of a property line shall be void of trees.

(c)

Screens, hedges, berms.

(1)

All paved areas shall be screened from rights-of-way or adjacent residential property by a continuous hedge, wall, berm, or combination thereof.

(2)

A berm may be utilized to provide screening of paved areas or stormwater retention facilities, provided it is a minimum of two (2) feet in height, a maximum of five (5) feet in height, with a maximum side slope of four (4) to one (1). A berm less than three (3) feet in height shall be supplemented with landscaping in order to provide a minimum three-foot high screen.

(3)

A berm constructed adjacent to a right-of-way shall not exceed seventy-five (75) feet in length without a landscape break. Overlapping berms may be utilized in lieu of a landscape break.

(4)

A paved area adjacent to side or rear property lines shall be screened from abutting properties by hedging or berms equaling seventy-five (75) percent of the paved frontage. No more than fifty (50) continuous linear feet along the property line shall be void of screening. Additional landscaping shall be provided to screen any on-site uses having a negative impact on adjacent property, including complying with the landscaping and buffering requirements of sections 24-4 and 24-5 of this Code.

(d)

Interior landscaping.

(1)

Landscaping shall be provided in scattered locations throughout the parking areas in an amount equal to at least ten (10) percent of the total paved area. Except as provided in subsection 38-1350(h) for cutouts, each landscaped area shall be a minimum of one hundred (100) square feet and shall contain at least one (1) shade tree. A landscape starter shall be provided at the end of each parking area adjacent to the travel lane serving the parking isle. A minimum of fifty (50) percent of the required landscaped area shall be landscaped with plant materials other than ground cover.

(2)

Any such landscaped area shall be protected from vehicle encroachment by curbing or wheel stops.

(3)

A minimum of fifty (50) percent of the required trees provided within the interior landscaped area shall be of a large shade tree variety.

(e)

Building landscaping.

(1)

A landscaped area shall be provided between the base of any building and any adjacent right-of-way, parking area or residential development.

(2)

Any such landscaped area shall be equal to fifty (50) percent of the linear length of the building base oriented toward the right-of-way, parking area, or residential development, and shall have a minimum width of four (4) feet.

(3)

At least half of any such landscaped area shall contain landscape material other than ground cover, with trees provided at a ratio of one (1) tree per two hundred (200) square feet of required landscaped area or fraction thereof. Fifty (50) percent of such trees shall be three-inch caliper minimum and fifty (50) percent shall be two-inch caliper minimum.

(4)

Any such landscaped area may include plazas and hardscapes as defined in subsection 38-1353(5)e. as an alternative to the required landscaped area on the side of the main ingress/egress of the building. This plaza or landscape area shall consist of a minimum ten-foot wide sidewalk with pedestrian street lighting, street furniture every one hundred (100) linear feet, and shade trees every fifty (50) linear feet.

(5)

The front and side facades of office building shall meet the landscaping standards for the sides of commercial buildings.

(f)

Plant material specifications. The following specifications shall be utilized for all landscape materials chosen for the project site:

(1)

The quality of plant materials used shall meet or exceed "Grade 1," as established in "Grades and Standards for Nursery Plants," Part I, 1963, State of Florida, and amendments thereto.

(2)

All plant materials shall be suitable to Central Florida climate and soil conditions.

(3)

Shade trees. A shade tree shall mean a woody species which is capable of growing to a minimum height of fifteen (15) feet with an average mature crown spread greater than fifteen (15) feet and a clear trunk of seven (7) feet from the ground. No more than twenty-five (25) percent of the required trees may be palms. When planted, any required shade tree shall be at least ten (10) feet tall with a minimum trunk diameter of two (2) inches. At least fifty (50) percent of the required shade trees shall be selected from the following list:

Botanical Name	Common Name
Magnolia grandiflora	Magnolia
Platanus occidentalis	Sycamore
Quercus laurifolia	Laurel Oak
Quercus virginiana	Live Oak
Ulmus parvifolia	Chinese Elm
Ulmus parviflora"drake"	Drake Elm

 

(4)

Small trees. The incorporation of small trees in the landscape is expressly encouraged. Small trees should be used as accents through color, texture, or flowers. At least fifty (50) percent of small trees should be selected from the following list:

Botanical Name	Common Name
Tabebuia spp.	Trumpet tree
Tipuana tipo	Tipuana
Lagerstroemia indica	Crepe myrtle
Ilex spp.	Holly
Ligustrum spp.	Ligustrum
Koelreuteria formosa	Golden rain tree

 

(5)

Hedges. Plant materials utilized to provide a continuous screen shall be a minimum of thirty (30) inches in height upon planting, with a maximum spacing of two-and-one-half (2½) feet on center. All plant materials shall be capable of attaining at least seventy-five (75) percent opacity within twelve (12) months after planning.

(Ord. No. 96-33, § 1, 10-29-96)