§ 158-30. Parking lot requirements.

The owner of any surface parking lot that is being built and/or resurfaced, and that will have a total of 30 or more parking spaces, whether primary or accessory in use, and whether commercial or noncommercial, must present a plan to the city arborist for approval, indicating that the parking lot will meet the minimum barrier curb and landscaping requirements as follows:

(1)

Barrier curbs shall be installed around the perimeter of the parking lot and around landscaped areas that are required in this article, except where the perimeter abuts an adjacent building or structure and at points of ingress and egress into the facility, so as to prevent encroachment of vehicles onto adjacent property, rights-of-way and landscaped areas.

(2)

Barrier curbs shall be a minimum of six inches in height and a minimum of eight inches in width and permanent in nature. Barrier curbs shall be concrete or stone. Such curbs shall be securely installed and maintained in good condition.

(3)

Where the end of a parking space abuts a landscaped area, barrier curbs may be placed in the parking space at a maximum of two feet from the end of the parking space. This two-foot wide area may have the pavement removed and be developed as part of the required landscaped area.

(4)

Surface parking lots shall have a minimum landscaped area equal to at least ten percent of the paved area within such lot. In no case shall a parking lot owner be required to provide landscaped areas that exceeds ten percent of the paved area. The director of the bureau of buildings, in consultation with the city arborist, shall have the authority to grant a variance from the requirements of this subsection if: the parking lot existed prior to 1977; and the director of the bureau of buildings finds that the applicant's circumstances meet the requirements set forth in subsection 158-30(15); and the director of the bureau of buildings finds that it is impossible to achieve the minimum landscaping requirement. For surface parking lots with fewer than 30 spaces, this variance may reduce or completely eliminate the amount of landscaped area required. For surface parking lots with 30 or greater spaces, this variance may reduce the landscaping requirement, but in no event shall the parking lot be permitted to have landscaped area that is less than ten percent of the paved area.

(5)

A minimum of one tree per eight parking spaces shall be included in the required landscaped areas. For the purpose of satisfying this requirement, existing trees that are two and one-half inches or more in caliper as measured at a height of 36 inches above ground level shall be considered to be equivalent to one or more newly planted trees on the basis of one tree for each two and one-half inches of caliper.

(6)

In addition to trees, ground cover shall also be provided in order to protect tree roots and to prevent erosion. Ground cover shall consist of shrubs, liriope, pine bark mulch and other similar landscaping materials.

(7)

Shrubs shall be maintained at a maximum height of two and one-half feet, except where such shrubs are screening the parking surface from an adjacent residential use.

(8)

If landscaped areas are in the interior of a parking lot they shall be a minimum of six feet in width and six feet in length with a minimum area of 36 square feet.

(9)

Continuous landscaped buffer strips shall be constructed along sidewalks and public rights-of-way where surface parking lots are adjacent to such sidewalks or public rights-of-way except at points of ingress and egress into the facility. Such landscaped buffer strips shall be a minimum of five feet in width and shall contain, in addition to ground cover, trees planted a maximum of 42½ feet on center along the entire length.

(10)

Newly planted trees shall be a minimum of two and one-half inches in caliper as measured at a height six inches above ground level, shall be a minimum of ten feet in height, shall have a 40-foot minimum mature height and shall be drought-tolerant. Trees shall be planted at a minimum of 30 inches from any barrier curb so as to prevent injury to trees from vehicle bumpers.

(11)

Where landscaped area is located adjacent to vehicle overhangs, the trees shall be planted in line with the side stripes between parking spaces in order to avoid injury to trees by vehicle bumpers.

(12)

All landscaped areas, including trees located in the public right-of-way that are counted in the fulfillment of this requirement, shall be properly maintained in accordance with approved landscape plans. If a tree or any plant material dies, it shall be replaced within six months so as to meet all requirements of this section and to allow for planting in the appropriate planting season.

(13)

If it is determined by the city arborist that implementation of these regulations will result in the loss of parking spaces in existing lots, the director of the bureau of traffic and transportation may increase the allowable percentage of compact car spaces from 25 percent up to 35 percent so as to minimize the loss of parking spaces, but only with the approval of the city arborist.

(14)

Notwithstanding subsection (13) of this section, existing parking lots shall not be required to reduce the number of parking spaces by more than three percent as a result of implementing these landscaping regulations.

(15)

Upon written application by any person subject to the provisions of this section, the director of the bureau of buildings is hereby authorized to grant administrative variances to the requirements of this section only upon making all of the following findings:

a.

There are extraordinary and exceptional conditions pertaining to the particular piece of property in question because of its size, shape, topography, subsurface conditions, overhead structures or the existence of sufficient trees in the public right-of-way within ten feet of the property line.

b.

Such conditions are peculiar to the particular piece of property involved; and

c.

Relief, if granted, would not cause substantial detriment to the public good or impair the purposes and intent of this article and of part 16 of this Code.

(Code 1977, § 10-2038; Ord. No. 2001-102, § 2, 12-11-01; Ord. No. 2003-03, §§ 1, 2, 1-13-03; Ord. No. 2007-32(07-O-0362), § 2, 6-12-07)