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Article 5: Development Standards
Section 5.12. Landscaping
5.12.4. Vehicle Use Area Landscaping
Morrisville, NC
June 23, 2017
Unified Development Ordinance
Page 5-127
f.
Any wall or fence shall comply with the standards in
Section 5.14, Fences and Walls.g.
Ground cover or turf shall be planted in all areas not covered by trees, shrubs, or walls.
Width
The perimeter landscaping strip shall be the minimum width necessary to adequately accommodate
the proposed plantings and other screening materials and avoid damage to such materials by
vehicles within the vehicle use area. In no instance shall the strip be less than four feet wide.
Credit Towards Other Landscaping Requirements
a.
Perimeter landscaping associated with a vehicle use area may be credited towards compliance
with perimeter and streetyard buffer standards to the extent landscaping within the strips
complies with applicable buffer standards (see
Section 5.7, Perimeter and Streetyard Buffers).
b.
Existing trees retained on a site in accordance with the standards i
n Section 5.4, Tree Protection,can be credited towards the perimeter landscaping standards associated with a vehicular use
area, provided the trees meet the minimum size at time of planning standards in Section
5.12.3.A, New Planting Standards,and the trunks are physically located within ten feet of the
required perimeter landscaping boundary.
(Ord. No. 2014-051, 11/10/2014)
D.
Interior Landscaping Standards
Vehicle use areas, except those containing 15 or fewer vehicle parking spaces, shall provide and
maintain landscaped islands within the interior of the vehicle use area in accordance with the following
standards. These standards shall not apply to parking structures.
General
a.
For each 2,000 square feet of area within a vehicle use area, at least one shade tree and ten
shrubs meeting the standards in Section
5.12.3.A, New Planting Standards,shall be provided.
Up to 25 percent of the shrubs may be deciduous.
b.
Understory trees may be substituted for shade trees in areas beneath or immediately adjacent
to overhead utilities or exterior lighting fixtures.
c.
Those parts of planting islands not containing required shade trees shall be landscaped with
other trees, shrubs, or ground cover.
Planting Islands within Parking Bays
a.
A planting island shall be provided at each end of every row of parking spaces. Where a row
of parking spaces contains more than 20 parking spaces, additional planting islands shall be
provided at a spacing no greater than one island at the end of every 20 contiguous parking
spaces.
b.
A planting island at the end of single-loaded parking bays shall be at least 175 square feet
in area. A planting island at the end of double-loaded bays shall be at least 350 square feet
in area.
c.
Each planting island shall be at least ten feet wide. If the planting islands at the ends of parking
bays include a connecting walkway, they shall be at least 15 feet wide and designed to
maximize shading of the walkway and minimize disturbance of vegetation by pedestrians.
d.
Each planting island shall contain at least one shade tree.
Planting Islands Between Parking Bays
a.
A planting island at least ten feet wide shall be provided between at least every three parallel
parking bays. If the planting island includes a walkway, it shall be at least 15 feet wide and