§ 8-1005. Landscaping zones.

A.

The landscaping zones which may apply to any lot or parcel being developed are the frontage zone, buffer zone, parking zone, foundation zone, and screening zone, except that in the case of single-family residential lot development, the whole site is treated as a single zone and regulated by subsection 8-1005.D.

B.

In the case of overlapping zones, the following hierarchy of application shall apply:

1.

Frontage zone;

2.

Buffer zone;

3.

Parking zone;

4.

Foundation zone;

5.

Screening zone.

C.

In the event that any two (2) zones sit immediately adjacent to each other the adjacent sections may be reduced by fifty percent (50%).

D.

Single-family residential.

1.

Single-family residential lots shall be treated as a single zone meeting the requirements of this section and shall not be required to meet the individual frontage, buffer, parking, foundation, and screening zone regulations unless specifically required by an adopted master plan.

2.

Single-family residential lots shall install, at a minimum, the landscaping points as required by section 8-1006.

3.

Required landscaping points shall be installed before issuance of a certificate of occupancy.

E.

Village centers.

1.

Properties located within a designated village center shall only be required to apply the frontage zone, parking zone, and screening zone, when development or redevelopment occurs.

2.

The frontage zone shall be reduced by thirty percent (30%) within the village center.

F.

Zone requirements.

1.

Frontage zone. .....The frontage zone is a landscaping area located along the entire frontage of the parcel with a width equal to the width of the required front setback or visual buffer for the parcel, as defined by the zoning district or appropriate overlay district.

a.

There are two (2) frontage zone classifications.

i.

Rural frontage zone applies to all properties which are outside of the designated development service districts and village centers of the county comprehensive plan.

(A)

In the rural frontage zone, properties can, regardless of the required setback, provide one (1) of the following:

(1)

Return the zone to native vegetation and leave the zone untouched. Native vegetation shall be defined as a minimum of one and one-quarter (1.25) points of landscaping per linear foot of lot frontage using species native to southeastern Virginia.

(2)

If the existing vegetation within the zone is deemed adequate to meet the required landscaping points, as determined by the zoning administrator or his designee, the existing vegetation may be maintained, leaving the zone area untouched.

(B)

In the rural frontage zone, sixty percent (60%) of landscaping points are required to be non-ornamental species of trees. No more than fifty percent (50%) of trees may be evergreen species. Native species are required.

ii.

Development frontage zone applies to all properties which are within the designated development service districts of the county comprehensive plan.

(A)

In the development frontage zone, properties are required to install a minimum of one and one-quarter (1.25) points of landscaping per linear foot of lot frontage.

(B)

In the development frontage zone a uniform aesthetic is desired across all developments. If a nearby property has already developed the new development shall use the same plant materials, to the extent possible, to create a uniform look.

2.

Buffer zone. .....The buffer zone is a continuous landscaping screen, ten (10) feet wide, required along all side and rear yards. Required landscaping points are based on the parcel use type, as identified in article III of this ordinance, as detailed below.

a.

Existing vegetation may be maintained in lieu of creating a buffer zone as defined by this section, if deemed adequate to meet the required landscaping points by the zoning administrator or his designee, to serve the screening purpose.

b.

One (1) pedestrian break of at least six (6) feet in width is required for every fifty (50) linear feet in the buffer zone, except that breaks which are used for placement of a surfaced walkway, pathway, or trail are required to be the width of the trail plus an additional two (2) feet on either side of the walkway, pathway, or trail.

c.

Installation of all required points must be disbursed in a generally even pattern throughout the buffer zone area, except in cases of concentrated nuisance, such as light or noise, which require heavier screening in a particular location.

d.

For development on property zoned Rural Agricultural Conservation (RAC) the buffer zone may be reduced by fifty percent (50%) if the development is not immediately adjacent to an existing residential structure or if deemed appropriate by the zoning administrator or his designee.

e.

Required buffer zone by use type.

i.

Agricultural use types.

(A)

Agricultural use types are not required to install buffer zone landscaping.

ii.

Residential use types.

(A)

Residential use types are not required to install buffer zone landscaping, unless otherwise specified in this ordinance. Single-family residential uses are required to install parcel or lot landscaping in accordance with subsection 8-1005.F.

iii.

Civic use types.

(A)

Civic use types are required to install a minimum of forty-five (45) points of landscaping per five hundred (500) square feet of buffer zone.

iv.

Office and commercial use types.

(A)

Office and commercial use types are required to install a minimum of sixty (60) points of landscaping per five hundred (500) square feet of buffer zone.

(B)

In the case of a master-planned commercial, office park, or mixed-use development the required buffer zone points shall be reduced by fifty percent (50%) for interior lot lines which are platted as part of the overall park/development. No reduction shall be allowed along sections of lot lines which are adjacent to properties not part of the master-planned park or in buffer zones adjacent to the exterior borders of the park, except as noted below.

(1)

In the case of a master-planned commercial or office park which has installed buffer zone landscaping around the park as a whole, in accordance with section 4-17005, the required buffer zone points per lot shall be zero (0) along sections of lot line which contain existing buffer zone landscaping in accordance with section 4-17005.

(C)

In the case of a commercial or office use type which is immediately adjacent to another commercial or office use type, the minimum required buffer zone points per lot shall be reduced by fifty percent (50%) along any shared sections of the lot lines.

v.

Industrial use types.

(A)

Industrial use types are required to install a minimum of one hundred twenty (120) points of landscaping per five hundred (500) square feet of buffer zone.

(B)

In the case of a master-planned industrial or commerce park, the required buffer zone points per lot shall be reduced by fifty percent (50%) for interior lot lines which are platted as part of the overall park. No reduction shall be allowed along sections of lot lines which are adjacent to properties not part of the master-planned park or in buffer zones adjacent to the exterior borders of the park except as noted below.

(1)

In the case of a master-planned industrial or commerce park which has installed buffer zone landscaping around the park as a whole, in accordance with section 4-19005, the required buffer zone points per lot shall be zero (0) along sections of lot lines which contain existing buffer zone landscaping in accordance with section 4-19005.

vi.

Miscellaneous use types.

(A)

Miscellaneous use types are required to install a minimum of one hundred twenty (120) points of landscaping per five hundred (500) square feet of buffer zone.

(B)

The zoning administrator may administratively waive up to thirty (30) points of landscaping per five hundred (500) square feet for the buffer zone of less intense miscellaneous uses, with a written request, including justification, from the applicant.

(1)

Waiver requests greater than thirty (30) point per five hundred (500) square feet shall be considered by the board of supervisors following a recommendation by the planning commission.

3.

Parking zone. .....The parking zone is a continuous perimeter buffer, ten (10) feet in width, surrounding the entire parking area, which includes parking spaces and any directly adjacent sidewalks, loading zones, drive aisles, and ingress/egress driveways.

a.

Parking zones shall install a minimum of sixty (60) points of landscaping per five hundred (500) square feet of total parking zone area.

i.

All landscaping points must be installed within the boundaries of the parking zone, except that as close to twenty percent (20%) of points as possible shall be distributed on interior landscaping islands and medians, if applicable.

ii.

A minimum of twenty percent (20%) of points shall be shrubs.

iii.

Shrubs shall be a minimum of twenty-four (24) inches in height at the time of installation.

iv.

Parking zone landscaping shall be distributed across the parking area so that the cumulative effect shall be to provide a minimum of thirty percent (30%) canopy coverage or shading of the parking zone within fifteen (15) years.

b.

Included within the total required points for the parking zone shall be one (1) large deciduous tree per two thousand (2,000) square feet of impervious area within the parking zone. The parking zone area calculation shall include parking spaces and any directly adjacent sidewalks, loading zones, drive aisles, and ingress/egress driveways.

c.

Each parking space above the minimum parking space requirements of this ordinance shall require an additional ten (10) landscaping points per space, to be installed in the parking zone.

i.

Each space above the minimum requirements of this ordinance shall be surfaced in permeable materials and shall not be impervious materials as defined in section 2-1002.

ii.

Landscaping credits, as specified in section 8-1007, shall not be applicable to any landscaping points accumulated for parking spaces above the minimum parking space requirement of this ordinance.

d.

Landscaping islands a minimum of nine (9) feet wide and eighteen and one-half (18.5) feet long are required at the end of each parking row. Islands at the end of a double row of parking are required to be a minimum of nine (9) feet wide by thirty-seven (37) feet long.

i.

Additional landscaping islands, a minimum of nine (9) feet wide by eighteen and one-half (18.5) feet long, are required every eight (8) linear spaces to break up long rows of parking. Islands inserted into a double row of parking are required to be a minimum of nine (9) feet wide by thirty-seven (37) feet long.

e.

Parking lots shall include no more than four (4) consecutive rows of parking (no more than two (2) double rows of parking) without at least one (1) landscaping median, a minimum of five (5) feet wide, connecting landscaping islands to break up large parking areas.

f.

Large parking lots shall be divided into smaller parking fields of no more than one hundred (100) spaces using landscaping medians which are a minimum of fifteen (15) feet wide and including a pedestrian walkway which is at least five (5) feet wide.

g.

Where a parking area is altered or expanded to increase the size to twenty (20) or more vehicle parking spaces and is used regularly for at least five (5) days a week, landscaping for the entire parking area shall be provided, not only for the extent of the alteration or expansion.

4.

Foundation zone. .....The foundation zone is a continuous area six (6) feet in width around the entire perimeter of the building.

a.

Foundation zones shall install a minimum of thirty (30) points of landscaping per one hundred fifty (150) square feet of total foundation zone area.

b.

Landscaping shall be installed as a continuous bed around all sides of the structure, except that required perpendicular access breaks shall be allowed.

c.

Landscaping points may be reduced by fifty percent (50%) on any side of a structure which is not visible from an existing or proposed public right-of-way.

5.

Screening zone. .....The screening zone is a continuous planting area required around all service structures, equipment, and/or outdoor storage yards for the purpose of reducing the impact of the structure or use visually and acoustically.

a.

Screening zones shall install a minimum of eight (8) points of landscaping per ten (10) linear feet of perimeter length.

b.

In the screening zone, solid and semisolid perimeter features such as fences, berms, walls, or other nonorganic elements shall not be included in the calculation of landscaping points.

c.

The perimeter area of service structures, equipment, and/or outdoor storage yards shall be determined by measurement of the complete outside perimeter of the structure or equipment, including any fencing, and including the distance across access points or entryways.

d.

Landscaping shall be installed as a continuous screen around all sides of service structures, equipment, and/or outdoor storage yards, except that required access and entry breaks shall be allowed, provided that the points associated with the perimeter area of such breaks are incorporated into the rest of the screening zone.

e.

Plants must be installed no more than ten (10) feet from the base of service structures, equipment, and/or outdoor storage yards. If service structures, equipment, and/or outdoor storage yards are enclosed by a fence, wall, berm, or other perimeter feature, the required screening points shall be installed within ten (10) feet of the base of such perimeter feature.

f.

At the time of installation, plant height shall be a minimum of fifty percent (50%) of the total height of the structure or equipment being screened. (7-7-05; Ord. No. 2011-21-C, 11-17-11; Ord. No. 2013-7-C, 5-16-13; 3-20-14; 12-18-14; 4-21-16; 7-19-18.)