Morrisville Unified Development Ordinance - June 2017

Article 5: Development Standards Section 5.12. Landscaping 5.12.4. Vehicle Use Area Landscaping

been severely pruned, sheared, topped, or shaped shall be considered damaged and shall be replaced with healthy comparable plant material. Actions shall be taken to protect required landscaping materials from unnecessary damage during all facility and site maintenance operations. Landscaping materials shall be maintained in a way that does not obstruct sight visibility within intersection sight distance areas (see Section 5.8.6.F, Intersection Sight Distance Areas), obstruct traffic signs or devices, or interfere with the use of bikeways and walkways. Landscaping shall comply with Building Code restrictions on placing or storing combustible materials near buildings. If landscaping materials used to meet the requirements of this section die, are seriously damaged, or are removed, they shall be replaced with comparable landscaping materials meeting the standards of this section within the next six months—or within the next year if the death, damage, or removal of the landscaping materials was due to an unusual weather occurrence or other act of nature (e.g., tornado, hurricane). In determining the extent of replacement required, the Planning Director shall consider the type and location of the required landscaping materials as well as the propensity for natural re-vegetation. All initial and replacement landscaping shall be subject to a two-year performance guarantee that ensures proper maintenance and replacement, in accordance with Section 8.1.4, Performance Guarantees. H. Alteration of Required Landscaping Landscaping may be altered through replacement or relocation by a maximum of ten percent over the life of the development without submittal of a revised landscape plan provided that the overall landscaping remains in compliance with this section. A revised plan shall not be required for plantings that exceed the requirements of this section. A. Applicability Except for driveways serving as off-street vehicle parking areas for bungalow court, pocket neighborhood, single-family detached, duplex, manufactured home, and single-family attached dwellings, the vehicle use areas of developments shall include landscaping both within the interior of the vehicle use area (interior landscaping) and around its perimeter (perimeter landscaping) as a means of mitigating the vehicle use area’s microclimate and visual impacts. B. General To the maximum extent practicable, required landscaped planting areas and shade trees shall be distributed and sited within and around the vehicle use area so as to maximize shading of pavement and pedestrian routes through the parking area. Part of every parking space shall be located within 50 feet from the trunk of a shade tree. Perimeter landscaping and interior landscaping shall be sited and designed for stormwater management purposes to the maximum extent practicable, as long as they comply with these vehicle use area landscaping standards. Perimeter landscaping and interior landscaping may include non-landscaping features such as walkways, light or utility poles, utility lines, and fire hydrants, provided the minimum landscaping width and planting standards for vehicle use areas are met. 5.12.4. Vehicle Use Area Landscaping (Ord. No. 2016-001, 05/10/2016)

Morrisville, NC

June 23, 2017

Unified Development Ordinance

Page 5-125