§ 8108-5.14.5. Interior landscaping.

Parking areas shall include interior landscaping as outlined below. Parking structures and covered parking spaces are exempt from these specific requirements, but may be conditioned on a case-by-case basis to ensure that the purposes of this section are met.

a.

Amount Required. Interior landscaping shall account for six (6) percent of the parking area, excluding the area of required perimeter landscaping, except that no interior landscaping is required when the required perimeter landscaping amounts to ten (10) percent or more of the parking area.

b.

Tree Spacing. Trees shall be spaced out evenly throughout the parking area in order to maximize shading of pavement. At a minimum, one (1) shade tree shall be provided in interior planters for every four (4) adjacent motor vehicle parking spaces (eight (8) total spaces in double-sided parking rows) or equivalent area of motorcycle spaces.

c.

Interior Planter Dimensions.

Finger Planters. Finger planters are planters adjacent to the long side of parking spaces. Finger planters shall measure at least five (5) feet wide (inside dimension) by the length of the parking space, and shall contain one (1) tree in single-sided rows and two (2) trees (one per side) in double-sided rows.

Tree Wells. Tree well planters shall measure at least four (4) feet by four (4) feet (inside dimension).

Strip Planters. Strip planters in front of or between rows of parking spaces shall measure at least four (4) feet wide (inside dimension).

d.

Pedestrian-Orientated Design. Landscaping shall be designed so that pedestrians are not likely to cross landscape planters to reach building entrances from parked vehicles. This may be achieved through orientation of the landscape planters away from pedestrian pathways, use of pedestrian pathways or barriers to keep pedestrians out of planters.

e.

Preferred Layout. The preferred layout of interior landscaping of parking areas is set forth below. The Director shall consider this preferred layout, together with any site constraints, in approving parking area landscape plans.

(1)

Ends of Parking Rows. The ends of each row of parking spaces should be separated from drive aisles, driveways, or buildings by a finger planter (as described in subparagraph (2) below) or sidewalk.

(2)

Double-sided Parking Rows. One finger planter with two (2) trees (one (1) per row) per twelve (12) adjacent spaces, or fraction thereof, should be provided. Between finger planters either two (2) tree wells (one (1) per eight (8) spaces) or a continuous planter containing two (2) trees (one (1) per eight (8) spaces) should be provided.

(3)

Single-sided Parking Rows. One finger planter with one (1) tree per sixteen (16) adjacent spaces, or fraction thereof, should be provided. Between finger planters either two (2) tree wells (one (1) per four (4) spaces) or a continuous planter containing two (2) trees (one (1) per four (4) spaces) should be provided.

(4)

Adjacent to On-Site Buildings. Where a parking area or driveway is adjacent to a building on the same site, the area should be separated from the building by a landscaped planter at least four (4) feet wide.

(Ord. No. 4407, § 1, 10-20-2009)