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Article 16 Landscaping and Tree Protection
16-10 Landscaping and Bufferyards
Wake County Unified Development Code
16-3
(C) Plans
Whenever a parking area is required to be landscaped, the information included in the
approved landscaping plan must be submitted to the Planning Director as part of the plan
for a parking lot or site or development plan.
16-10-2 Bufferyards
(A) Purpose
The bufferyard regulations of this section are intended to:
(1)
utilize spacing and screening to buffer lower density and intensity uses from higher
density or intensity uses and reduce adverse visual effects and the impacts of traffic,
noise, dust, and odor;
(2)
tailor bufferyard requirements to suit the varying intensities of use; and
(3)
require adequate screening of commercial and industrial uses along thoroughfares to
preserve building values and to enhance the visual appearance of road corridors.
(B) Applicability
(1)
Any new nonresidential use or high-density residential use must provide bufferyards
and screening in accordance with the requirements of this section.
(2)
Any change in a nonresidential use to a more intensive class of use, or expansion of
an existing nonresidential or high-density residential use by 25% or more of the floor
area and/or impervious surface associated with the use as of August 15, 1996 must
provide bufferyards and screening in accordance with the requirements of this
section.
(3)
In the case of an expansion of a lawful existing use, when the degree of expansion
does not exceed 50%, such expansion need only provide a bufferyard and screening
that meets the requirements of this section to a degree proportional to the degree of
expansion. For example, a 30% expansion of an existing use must provide a
bufferyard meeting 30% of required bufferyard depth and plant density (screen)
requirements. For purposes of this section, existing uses include proposed uses for
which a land use permit has been issued and remains valid, and the class of a use and
zoning of vacant land must be determined from the bufferyard table in Sec. 16-10-
2(D). These bufferyard regulations apply whether or not the adjoining lot is in the