Chapter 17.131
AESTHETICS, BUFFERS, COMPATIBILITY AND LANDSCAPING STANDARDS
Sections:
17.131.010 Purpose and intent.
17.131.020 Outdoor storage screening and other standards.
17.131.030 Location and screening of loading bays and loading berths.
17.131.040 Screening of mechanical equipment.
17.131.050 Landscape strips required.
17.131.060 Buffers required.
17.131.070 Landscape maintenance.
17.131.080 Buffer standards.
17.131.090 Off-site noise impacts.
17.131.100 Off-site glare impacts.
17.131.110 Off-site vibration impacts.
17.131.120 Off-site odor impacts.
17.131.130 Measurement of off-site impacts.
17.131.010 Purpose and intent.
The city council finds that orderliness, beauty, architectural harmony and design with nature in mind bear a substantial relationship to community welfare. The regulations in this chapter promote the maintenance of existing natural areas and the re-establishment of vegetation for aesthetic and health reasons, establish a pleasant visual character by softening the effects of built and paved areas, promote compatibility between land uses by reducing impacts of development on abutting uses, and enhance the livability of residential lands. The city council intends to upgrade the aesthetic character, and ensure the compatibility of, institutional, multiple-family residential, commercial, industrial and other developments through the application of screening requirements for outdoor storage uses, maintenance and replanting of natural buffers between incompatible uses, the reservation of sufficient open space, and the installation of landscape strips along street rights-of-way, within parking lots and alongside property lines, as more fully set forth in this chapter and other chapters of this title. (Ord. 99-004 § 7 (part), 1999: Ord. 95-769 § 5 (part), 1995)
17.131.020 Outdoor storage screening and other standards.
A. Outdoor storage areas shall meet the following requirements:
1. Outdoor storage must be screened from view of public rights-of-way, private streets and residential uses on abutting lots, by a B3 buffer or equivalent as provided for in BGMC 17.131.080. Gates for vehicle access shall also provide screening.
2. Outdoor vehicle storage areas containing three or more spaces shall be located on paved surfaces only. Nonvehicular outdoor storage may be on a paved or graveled surface. All outdoor storage areas shall be maintained in an orderly manner at all times.
3. Storage shall not be permitted in yards abutting a residential district.
4. No outdoor storage materials may be piled higher than the top of the fence or screening materials. (Ord. 04-024 § 26, 2004: Ord. 99-004 § 7 (part), 1999: Ord. 95-769 § 5 (part), 1995)
17.131.030 Location and screening of loading bays and loading berths.
Any loading bays or berths required by this title or provided to serve development shall not face public streets and shall be located to the rear of buildings. A B3 buffer or equivalent must screen such loading bays or berths from adjacent properties or streets. (Ord. 04-024 § 27, 2004: Ord. 99-004 § 7 (part), 1999: Ord. 95-769 § 5 (part), 1995)
17.131.040 Screening of mechanical equipment.
Mechanical equipment located on the ground, such as heating or cooling equipment, pumps or generators must be screened from the street and any abutting residential lots with a B2 buffer or equivalent. Mechanical equipment on roofs must be screened from the ground level of any abutting residential lots. (Ord. 99-004 § 7 (part), 1999: Ord. 95-769 § 5 (part), 1995)
17.131.050 Landscape strips required.
New development or additions and expansions of existing development shall provide landscaping consistent with Table 17.131-1, and for parking lots as required by BGMC 17.131.070. (Ord. 99-004 § 7 (part), 1999: Ord. 95-769 § 5 (part), 1995)
17.131.060 Buffers required.
New development or additions and expansions of existing development shall provide buffers along property lines consistent with the screening and buffering requirements as specified in Table 17.131-1. (Ord. 99-004 § 7 (part), 1999: Ord. 95-769 § 5 (part), 1995)
17.131.070 Landscape maintenance.
Landscaping is to be maintained in a healthy and neat manner and may be subject to periodic inspection by the city. When installation of landscaping is required by this title, to assure survival of new plantings, the owner shall be responsible for the monitoring, maintenance and replacement, if necessary, of new landscaping to assure one hundred percent survival for trees and ninety percent survival for shrubs and ground cover. The mandatory maintenance of landscaping for a one-year period shall be assured by the developer prior to the issuance of a certificate of occupancy by requiring one of the following options, subject to approval of the city as to legal form prior to acceptance:
A. The posting of a performance bond for one hundred fifty percent of the estimated cost of maintenance of landscaping, as approved by the planning and development director.
B. The depositing with the city treasurer/finance director of a certified or cashiers check for one hundred fifty percent of the estimated cost of landscaping, as approved by the planning and development director.
C. Filing with the city planning director of a copy of a service contract for maintenance of landscaping.
D. Such other written commitments that will assure satisfactory maintenance of landscaping. (Ord. 02-009 § 70, 2002: Ord. 99-004 § 7 (part), 1999: Ord. 95-769 § 5 (part), 1995)
17.131.080 Buffer standards.
All new development within the city shall comply with the screening and buffering required by the buffering matrix contained in Table 17.131-1 and the following standards. Where there is a conflict between the fence and hedge provisions of BGMC 17.135.080 and this section, this section shall prevail; provided, that in no case shall sight distance provisions at intersection or other safety provisions be violated. The planning director may allow specific change to the following standards where it is found that an alternative buffer provides the same level of buffering as the standard indicated.
A. B1-Low Screen Buffer. This buffer is intended to provide a minimal amount of transitional screening between potentially incompatible zones. This buffer consists of live ground cover and trees planted every thirty lineal feet on center.
B. B2-Medium Screen Buffer. This buffer is intended to provide a moderate degree of transitional screening between potentially incompatible zones. This buffer consists of live ground cover and trees planted every thirty lineal feet on center, filled between with evergreen shrubs which reach a minimum height of four to six feet within three years of planting.
C. B3-High Screen Buffer. This buffer is intended to provide a high degree of visual screening between potentially incompatible zones. This buffer consists of six-foot-high fully sight-obscuring fences with a landscape strip on the exterior of the fence along the perimeter of the side and rear yards. Where a B3 buffer is required on both sides of a shared property, a single shared fence on the property line is permitted. The landscape area shall be planted with live ground cover and trees planted every thirty lineal feet on center, filled between with evergreen shrubs which reach a minimum height of six feet within three years of planting.
D. Required Vegetation. Plant species selected for planting shall be suitable to the local climate, and the location in which they are to be planted. Plant species that are invasive or cause problems with utilities shall generally be prohibited. The planning director shall maintain a list of plant species that are prohibited.
|
District of Development |
Minimum Depth of Front Landscape Strip (feet)1 |
Minimum Landscape Coverage (%) % of site |
Minimum Buffer Requirements for Side and Rear Yards Abutting Contrasting District |
||||||||||
|
R3—R7 |
R10—R-20 |
NC |
RC |
CC |
DC |
ML |
MU-E |
MU-R |
EC |
A |
|||
|
R-12 & R-16 |
10 |
20 |
10/B2 |
10/B2 |
5/B2 |
15/B2 |
10/B2 |
5/B2 |
20/B2 |
10/B2 |
10/B2 |
20/B2 |
5/B2 |
|
R-20 |
3 |
20 |
10/B2 |
10/B2 |
5/B2 |
15/B2 |
10/B2 |
5/B2 |
20/B2 |
10/B2 |
10/B2 |
20/B2 |
5/B2 |
|
NC |
102 |
203 |
10/B2 |
10/B2 |
0' |
0′ |
0′ |
0′ |
5/B2 |
0′ |
0′ |
10/B1 |
5/B2 |
|
RC |
102 |
203 |
20/B2 |
10/B2 |
0′ |
0′ |
0′ |
0′ |
10/B1 |
10/B1 |
10′/B2 |
10/B1 |
10/B2 |
|
CC |
102 |
203 |
20/B2 |
10/B2 |
0′ |
0′ |
0′ |
0′ |
10/B1 |
10/B1 |
10′/B2 |
10/B1 |
10/B2 |
|
DC |
0 |
0 |
10/B2 |
0′ |
0′ |
0′ |
0′ |
0′ |
0′ |
0′ |
0′ |
0′ |
0′ |
|
ML |
10 |
10 |
20/B3 |
20/B3 |
20/B3 |
20/B3 |
20/B3 |
20/B2 |
0′ |
20/B1 |
20/B3 |
20/B1 |
10/B1 |
|
MXE |
102 |
10 |
20/B2 |
10/B2 |
5′/B2 |
5′/B2 |
5′/B2 |
0′ |
10/B1 |
0′ |
0′ |
10/B2 |
10/B1 |
|
MXR |
102 |
10 |
10/B2 |
10/B2 |
5′/B2 |
10′/B2 |
5′/B2 |
0′ |
10/B1 |
0′ |
0′ |
10/B2 |
10/B1 |
|
EC |
25 |
25 |
20/B3 |
20/B1 |
20/B1 |
20/B1 |
20/B1 |
20/B1 |
20′/B1 |
20/B2 |
20/B2 |
20/B1 |
20/B1 |
|
A |
10 |
10 |
20/B3 |
20/B3 |
20/B3 |
20/B3 |
20/B3 |
20/B2 |
0′ |
20/B1 |
20/B3 |
20/B1 |
0′ |
1. This landscape strip applies to all public street rights-of-way.
2. May be reduced to zero if there is no vehicular parking or maneuvering between the building and the public or private street.
3. Public pedestrian plazas or additional sidewalk width may count toward this requirement.
(Ord. 06-07 § 8, 2006; Ord. 04-024 §§ 28, 29, 2004: Ord. 99-004 § 7 (part), 1999: Ord. 95-769 § 5 (part), 1995)
17.131.090 Off-site noise impacts.
No person shall operate or cause to be operated any source of sound in such a manner as to create a sound level that exceeds sixty DBA in any residential district. Specifically exempted from this requirement are the following: emergency signaling devices, domestic power tools, air-conditioning equipment for residential purposes, operating motor vehicles and lawnmowers, railroads, aircraft, church bells or chimes and normal sounds from agricultural or domestic animals. (Ord. 99-004 § 7 (part), 1999: Ord. 95-769 § 5 (part), 1995)
17.131.100 Off-site glare impacts.
Glare shall not directly or indirectly from reflection cause illumination on other properties or on public streets or private streets with permitted public access in excess of a measurement of one footcandle of illumination. Outdoor lights shall consist of fully shielded and downward directed fixtures. (Ord. 04-024 § 30, 2004: Ord. 99-004 § 7 (part), 1999: Ord. 95-769 § 5 (part), 1995)
17.131.110 Off-site vibration impacts.
Continuous, frequent or repetitive vibrations that can be detected by a person of normal sensitivities at a property line shall not be produced. Vibrations from temporary construction and vehicles are exempt. Vibrations lasting less than five minutes per day are also exempt. Seismic or electronic vibration equipment may be used for measurements when there are doubts about the level of vibration. (Ord. 99-004 § 7 (part), 1999: Ord. 95-769 § 5 (part), 1995)
17.131.120 Off-site odor impacts.
Continuous, frequent or repetitive odors that exceed centimeter No. zero may not be produced. The odor threshold is the point at which an odor may just be detected. The centimeter reading is based on the number of clean air dilutions required to reduce the odorous air to the threshold level. Centimeter No. zero is one to two dilutions of clean air. An odor detected for less than fifteen minutes per day is exempt. (Ord. 99-004 § 7 (part), 1999: Ord. 95-769 § 5 (part), 1995)
17.131.130 Measurement of off-site impacts.
Measurement for compliance with the standards specified in BGMC 17.131.070 through 17.131.100 are to be made from the property line or within the property of the affected site. If the city does not have the equipment or expertise to measure and evaluate a specific complaint, it may request assistance from another agency or may contract with an independent expert to perform such measurements. The city may accept measurements made by an independent expert hired by the controller or operator of the off-site impact source. If the city contracts to have measurements made and no violation is found, the city will bear the expense. If a violation is found, city expenses will be charged to the violator. (Ord. 99-004 § 7 (part), 1999: Ord. 95-769 § 5 (part), 1995)