§ 10-21. Summary of required landscaping.
(a)
All development—Required landscaping.
(1)
All lots, plots, tracts or parcels of land shall maintain landscaping in areas specifically authorized as a developed area. The developed area includes open water space and water retention areas. Areas that have not been affected by development including clearing, grading, grubbing, or construction of landscape or structural elements and illustrated on the site plan, are exempt from requirements of this subsection.
(2)
As part of any new development authorization on a parcel of land that has a minimum two hundred (200) feet along the frontage and is two (2) acres or greater, a minimum twenty-foot-wide vegetative buffer shall be required with respect to any property line adjacent to the right-of-way of any arterial roadway.
(3)
New single-family and multi-family residential development of more than fifty (50) units shall provide at least one (1) treed roadway/access way for motor vehicles extending through the length or width of the development, whichever dimension is greater, which roadway shall provide a buffer a minimum of ten (10) feet in width with at least one (1) tree as defined in this article for every thirty (30) linear feet on both sides of the roadway consistent with accepted traffic engineering standards.
(4)
Landscape materials within the buffers along all rights-of-ways shall be designed to display variety, color, form, and texture, by utilizing site specific native and naturalized species. Such variety and color may be accomplished by a combination of shade trees, shrubs and ornamentals from the plant lists in the Florida Friendly Plant List, published for the University of Florida IFAS Extension Service and Florida Yards and Neighborhoods, or other publications reasonably deemed reliable which follow BMP's related to Florida-friendly landscaping. Special care should be taken to avoid monoculture plantings, in order to guard against disease susceptibility. The landscape materials within the landscape buffers shall have a rational relationship to the existing patterns and densities of adjoining areas, which have been designed or preserved. Arrangements shall not be linear unless dimensional limitations necessitate such an arrangement or linear arrangement is part of a formal landscape directly related to the architecture of the building(s). Landscape materials shall be clustered into groupings that simulate a natural, rather than man-made appearance.
(5)
All new development (subdivision and commercial) greater than two (2) acres that abuts existing residentially zoned housing units not in previously developed or future phases of the same development must provide a construction buffer at the perimeter of the construction site boundary. It shall be a natural vegetative buffer a minimum of ten (10) feet in width, provide a minimum of eighty (80) percent opacity, and minimize - airborne erosion to existing adjacent residentially zoned housing units. If natural vegetation is not adequate or available to provide such a buffer, a fence or wall at least six (6) feet in height above grade must be installed within thirty (30) days of clearing and prior to commencement of construction. If a fence is used it must include mesh or slats to minimize airborne erosion. If a permanent fence or wall is provided it must be dominated by greenery on the side facing adjacent property at the conclusion of construction. Retention of a natural vegetative buffer is encouraged. A permanent construction buffer can be used to meet all or part of the requirement for natural vegetation preservation.
(6)
As part of any new subdivision or commercial development along a designated scenic highway, a twenty-foot-wide landscape buffer shall be required. The purpose of this buffer is to shield the traveling public from signage, development and walls/fences and provide views of open space and natural areas on designated scenic highways.
The landscape buffer shall be planted with a staggered row of native shade trees and/or long-leaf pine trees, three (3) inch minimum caliper Florida Grade Number 1 or better, with maximum spacing of thirty (30) feet on center. Special care shall be taken to avoid monocultural plantings. The buffer shall also include ten (10) native shrubs for each required tree at a minimum planting height of eighteen (18) inches. The shrubs may be planted in groupings or in a serpentine pattern between trees. Grasses and/or other groundcover shall be required to complete the buffer. If a wall or fence is erected within the development and faces the designated scenic highway or is in the landscape buffer, it must be a minimum of eight (8) feet in height, shall be dominated by greenery and reach eighty (80) percent opacity within twelve (12) months. The wall/fence shall be installed to allow the required landscape buffer to be provided along the right-of-way side of the wall/fence. Where natural areas exist that meet or exceed the intent of this section, the planting of a buffer may be waived at the discretion of the county administrator or his designee. Retention of a natural vegetative buffer is encouraged and can be used to meet all or part of the requirement for preserved natural vegetation.
(7)
Proper pruning techniques in accordance with American National Standards Institute (ANSI A300) must be met when pruning shade trees on public or private property, pursuant to section 10-31 herein.
(b)
Commercial projects—Required landscaping. A minimum of fifteen (15) percent of a development site that is one (1) acre or larger in size shall be landscaping. A minimum of ten (10) percent of a development site less than one (1) acre in size shall be landscaping. Other requirements include:
(1)
Required tree per acre: A minimum of fifteen (15) trees per acre shall be either preserved or installed. At least five (5) of those trees shall be shade trees. Unless otherwise approved for removal, specimen and majestic trees shall be preserved. See tree preservation and see tree planting.
(2)
Required natural vegetation. Preserved natural vegetation and/or planted native vegetation shall be provided per the following standard. The county administrator or designee may grant deviations to this standard if changes in elevation or other conditions preclude meeting this standard.
a.
Projects less than two (2) acres must designate an area of at least five (5) percent of the total project area as native vegetation and must plant that area using Florida Friendly Landscaping. The native vegetation must consist of a single, contiguous area. Preserved natural vegetation may be considered.
b.
Projects two (2) to twenty (20) acres must designate an area of at least five (5) percent of the total project area as preserved natural vegetation and no construction activity can occur in this area. Preserved natural vegetation areas must be a minimum of two thousand (2,000) square feet and no more than two (2) non-contiguous areas shall be allowed.
c.
Projects greater than twenty (20) acres shall designate an area of at least seven (7) percent of the total project area as preserved natural vegetation and no construction activity can occur in this area. Preserved natural vegetation areas must be a minimum of twenty thousand (20,000) square feet.
d.
If no preserved natural vegetation is available in subsection b. or c. above, then installed native vegetation using Florida Friendly Landscaping practices will be considered after review of the site. A combination of natural and planted may be used to meet this requirement.
(3)
Required vegetative buffers: A vegetative buffer at least five (5) feet in width shall be required in specified locations. See vegetative buffer requirements.
(4)
Required maintenance: Maintenance of all landscaping shall be the responsibility of the property owner. The plants within installed planting areas shall be healthy. Dead plants shall be replaced.
(5)
Invasive-exotic species: Invasive-exotic plant species are not to be used for installed planting areas. Any listed prohibited plant species shall be removed within the area of land clearing, prior to the issuance of the certificate of occupancy. See prohibited plant species.
(6)
Required ground cover: Ground cover is required at all times for pervious surfaces except during permitted construction.
(7)
Required irrigation system: An automatic irrigation system is required. No more than fifty (50) percent of landscaping shall be in the high water-use-zone. See exemptions. See approval of landscape design plan.
(8)
Completion of requirements: All landscaping, ground cover, and tree placement requirements must be completed prior to the issuance of the certificate of occupancy.
(9)
Large retail projects: In addition to any other buffer requirements, the following landscape standards shall be incorporated into the design of all large retail projects:
Foundation: Foundation landscaping shall be required for at least fifty (50) percent of the primary facade length and located between the drive aisle and the first vertical wall of the building facade. A minimum of twenty-five (25) percent of the required foundation landscaping shall be placed between the sidewalk and the first vertical wall of the building primary facade. The foundation landscaping shall be in planters or planting beds that extend a minimum of eighteen (18) inches from the building.
Parking areas: Every ten (10) spaces shall be designed with a minimum of four hundred (400) square feet of landscaping to be placed in medians or islands and shall include at least one (1) overstory tree, one (1) understory tree and six (6) shrubs. No median or island shall be less than five (5) feet in width. No row of parking spaces shall have more than ten (10) spaces without landscaping interruption. Grouping of landscaped islands is encouraged to promote the healthy growth of larger trees. Alternative designs are subject to approval by the county administrator or designee.
Perimeter buffer: A perimeter buffer shall be required along the full length of all streets serving a large retail development. The buffer shall be a minimum of thirty-five (35) feet in width and comprised of retained natural vegetation and/or planted native plant species.
(10)
Primary facade: For parcels of one-half-acre or larger except large retail projects, building perimeter landscaping on the primary facade side shall be planted adjacent to, or between the building and the drive aisle or parking area and shall include shrubs and ground cover. The minimum landscaped area shall be determined by the following formula: Five (5) feet times the length of each primary facade times fifty (50) percent. The area of building perimeter landscaping can be used to meet the requirement for overall landscaping for the parcel. Landscaping shall use native and drought tolerant materials.
(Ord. No. 2008-02, § 6, 1-15-08)