§ 20.24.160. Environmental planting screens.

A.

An environmental planting screen shall be provided on the rear of any double frontage lot and on any side yard abutting a public right-of-way. The planting screen shall consist of a minimum area of at least twenty feet wide along that portion of any rear yard abutting rights-of-way sixty feet in width or greater, and of a minimum area of at least fifteen feet wide along that portion of any rear abutting rights-of-way of less than sixty feet in width. The planting screen along any side yard shall consist of a minimum area equal to eighty percent of the required side yard for corner lots in the zoning district in which the property is located. No right of access shall be permitted across any required environmental planting screen, except as provided and approved by the Department of Planning and Zoning.

B.

Any required environmental planting screen shall be designed, planted and maintained in accordance with a landscaping plan approved by the Director of Planning and Zoning. The landscaping plan shall satisfy the following standards:

1.

The planting screen shall buffer effectively occupants of the lot from possible adverse effects of the adjoining roadway and its users;

2.

The planting screen visually shall screen users of any structure on the lot from the adjoining roadway;

3.

The planting screen may be comprised of previously existing vegetation, new plantings, or any combination of existing vegetation and new plantings; provided that, when complete, the screen shall provide a dense year-round screen satisfying the standards set out in this section;

4.

The planting screen may consist of a mixture of deciduous and evergreen trees and/or shrubs or a planting of evergreen trees and/or shrubs;

5.

The planting screen shall be subject to on-site inspection by the Department of Planning and Zoning which, if necessary, may prescribe that additional plantings be made to satisfy the standards listed in this subsection.

C.

The developer shall grant an easement for required environmental planting screens to the City and all property owners in the subdivision. The easement shall require the owner of a lot to maintain the environmental planting screen in accordance with the approved landscaping plan and any instructions for additional plantings required by the Department of Planning and Zoning .

(Ord. O-26-03 § 1 (part): prior code § 13-15.1)

(Ord. No. O-12-16 Amended, § I, 5-23-2016)