§ 52-204. Buffer yards.

(a)

Required. Buffer yards shall be required in accordance with this section to separate different land uses from each other to eliminate or minimize potential nuisances such as dirt, litter, noise, glare of lights, signs, and unsightly buildings or parking areas, or to provide spacing to reduce adverse impacts of noise, odor or danger from fire or explosions. Both the amount of land and the type and amount of planting and specified structures for each buffer yard are designed to lessen nuisances between adjacent land uses or between a land use and a public road.

(b)

Location. Buffer yards shall be located within and along the outer perimeter of a lot or boundary line. Buffer yards may overlap drainage or utility easements; however, plantings should not impede the flow of water within a drainage easement. Buffer yards shall not be located on any portion of an existing or dedicated public street or right-of-way.

(c)

Buffer yard requirements. Tables 10-1 and 10-2 determine the type of buffer yard required between two adjacent parcels or a parcel and a roadway. The letter designations contained in the tables refer to the different buffer yards described in figure 10-1, illustration of buffer yards in this section. The following is a summary of the buffer yards:

		Plantings per 100 feet
Buffer yard	Width (feet)	Canopy Trees	Accent Trees	Shrubs	Fence Requirements
A	5	1	2	8	none
B	10	2	3	10	none
C	10	3	4	12	none
D	10	4	5	18	none
E	10	1	2	8	Berm-B1
F1	10	3	6	8	Fence-F1
F2	10	4	8	12	Fence-F2

 

Plant material shall be credited to meet only one buffer yard (i.e., plants on corners do not satisfy two buffer yards.)

(d)

Existing plant credits. Existing trees which are within 50 feet of the property line and have a minimum of 50 percent of the drip line within a landscaped area shall be granted credits toward reducing the required plantings as follows:

Size of Tree Saved	Canopy Tree	Understory Tree
6 to 12 caliper	2	3
12 caliper or greater	3	4

 

Table 10-1

BUFFER YARDS ADJACENT TO OTHER LAND USES

Zoning of Developing Tract	Zoning of Adjacent Tract
	SF-LL, SF-1, SF-1A, SF2	2F, MF	LR, GB	LI	MH
SF-OT		F1	F1	F2	F1
SF-LL, SF-1, SF-1A, SF-2
2F, MF	F1	A	A		A
LR, GB	F1	F1	A		F1
LI	F2	F1	F1	A	F1
MH	F1	D	A

 

Table 10-2

BUFFER YARDS REQUIRED ADJACENT TO STREETS

Zoning of Developing Tract	Frontage On State Highway	Frontage on Thoroughfares Collectors		Frontage on Residential Street
		Across From Commercial/Industrial	Across From Residential
SF-LL, SF-1, SF-1A, SF-2	B
SF-OT	B
2F, MF	C	A	A	A
LR, GB	E	E	E	E
LI	D	E	E	E
MH	C	B	C	D

 

Existing trees between 1½ caliper and six caliper that are within the buffer yard may be granted credits on a one for one basis.

(e)

Requirements for plant materials. Plant materials shall conform to section 52-210. All buffer yards, unless lawn grass or ground cover is already established, shall be seeded with lawn grass or planted with ground cover so as to ensure coverage within three years.

(1)

Buffer yard A.

a.

Minimum width is five feet.

b.

A minimum width of ten feet may be used in combination with a 20 percent reduction in planting density.

c.

Required plants per 100 linear feet.

Canopy trees	1
Understory trees	2
Shrubs	8

 

(2)

Buffer yard B.

a.

Minimum width is ten feet.

b.

A minimum width of 20 feet may be used in combination with a 20 percent reduction in planting density.

c.

Required plants per 100 linear feet.

Canopy trees	2
Understory trees	3
Shrubs	10

 

(3)

Buffer yard C.

a.

Minimum width is ten feet.

b.

A minimum width of 20 feet may be used in combination with a 20 percent reduction in planting density.

c.

Required plants per 100 linear feet.

Canopy trees	3
Understory trees	4
Shrubs	12

 

(4)

Buffer yard D.

a.

Minimum width is ten feet.

b.

A minimum width of 20 feet may be used in combination with a 20 percent reduction in planting density.

c.

Required plants per 100 linear feet.

Canopy trees	4
Understory trees	5
Shrubs	18

 

Figure 10-1

(5)

Buffer yard E.

a.

Minimum width is ten feet.

b.

A minimum width of 20 feet may be used in combination with a 20 percent reduction in planting density.

c.

Required plants per 100 linear feet.

Canopy trees	1
Understory trees	2
Shrubs	8

 

(6)

Buffer yard F1.

a.

Minimum width is ten feet.

b.

A minimum width of 20 feet may be used in combination with a 20 percent reduction in planting density.

c.

Required plants per 100 linear feet.

Canopy trees	3
Understory trees	6
Shrubs	8

 

(7)

Buffer yard F2.

a.

Minimum width is ten feet.

b.

A minimum width of 20 feet may be used in combination with a 20 percent reduction in planting density.

c.

Required plants per 100 linear feet.

Canopy trees	4
Understory trees	8
Shrubs	12

 

(Code 1994, § 12.1050(C)(1), (2); Ord. No. 246-A, 3-24-1997; Ord. No. 338, § 1, 1-14-2002)