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Article 5: Development Standards
Section 5.12. Landscaping
5.12.5. Foundation Plantings
Morrisville, NC
June 2013
Unified Development Ordinance - Public Hearing Draft
Page 5-127
3.
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 in accordance with Section
5.10.6.C, Large Parking Lots, it shall be at least 15 feet wide and designed to maximize
shading of the walkway and minimize disturbance of vegetation by pedestrians.
b.
The planting island shall include shade trees spaced no more than 40 feet apart.
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Figur
e 5.12.4:Vehicle use area configuration. [to be revised to match text]
5.12.5.
Foundation Plantings
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A.
Purpose and Intent
Foundation plantings are intended to soften the visual impact of building foundations and provide for
the even dispersal of shrubs along building facades facing streets. They consist of evergreen and
deciduous shrubs planted around a building‘s foundation to help soften its appearance.
B.
Applicability
1.
All new development shall plant evergreen or deciduous shrubs along any building foundation
that faces:
a.
A street; or
b.
A parking lot or driveway, unless separated from the building by only a paved walkway.
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This new standard is intended to ensure shade trees are distributed throughout the parking lot.
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Part C, Art. IX, Sec. 6.5 of the current Zoning Ordinance requires all development to provide foundation plantings. For
nonresidential and multifamily buildings, plantings are required along all foundations. Nonresidential and multifamily development
is also required to provide plantings between buildings and sidewalks and between buildings and parking lots and driveways. For
single-family detached, duplex, manufactured home, and single-family attached dwellings, plantings are required along
foundations adjacent to a street. The section includes no description of the type of plant material required. This carries forward the
current foundation planting requirements, but modifies them to apply only to the foundations facing a street or a parking lot or
driveway without an intervening walkway. This subsection also specifies required plantings as shrubs, and adds standards for
where plantings are required and maximum spacing of shrubs.