18.90.050 Parking lot landscaping.
A. Applicability. The interior parking lot landscaping standards of this section apply to all off-street parking lots containing 10 or more parking spaces with exceptions where shade structures are provided for parking spaces. They do not apply to readapted residential properties in the MU-H Overlay District or vehicle/equipment storage lots or vehicle and equipment sales lots.
B. Landscape Islands.
1. Parking lot landscape islands shall be installed at each end of a row of stalls and in between for a maximum of eight contiguous parking spaces.
2. Landscape islands shall be a minimum of eight feet wide and 15 feet in length for single-row and 30 feet in length for double-row parking. All measurements are to face of curb. Projects may be eligible for sustainable development bonus incentives if increased landscaping is provided.
3. Radius curbing shall be provided along drive aisles with a minimum four-foot radius.
4. For rows of more than 16 parking spaces, landscape islands shall be staggered.
Figure 18.90.050.B.4. Landscape Islands
5. The maximum length of a covered parking canopy shall be 15 contiguous parking spaces. Landscape islands within a row of parking may be eliminated when a conflict with the covered parking canopy occurs. However, landscape islands must be installed at the end of all parking rows.
6. When parking canopies are adjacent to each other in a single row, the total length of each canopy shall not exceed 15 parking stalls and the adjoining canopies shall be separated by at least a 24-foot-wide landscape island as depicted in the following illustration:
Figure 18.90.050.B.6. Adjacent Canopies
7. For parking lots containing more than 200 spaces, one eight-foot-by-15-foot staggered landscape island may be replaced with two landscape islands of at least 25 square feet clear landscape area each. Each landscape island/planter shall contain at least one tree and three shrubs. These landscape islands/planters may be designed in any combination of shape and size provided the minimum clear landscape area dimension is five feet.
8. To minimize conflict, a landscape island shall not be located adjacent to an ADA parking stall.
Figure 18.90.050.B.7. Covered Canopies
C. Medians. Where divider medians occur adjacent to head-in parking, vehicle overhang shall be as follows:
1. Single-Row Parking. A minimum seven-foot (or nine feet if a two-foot overhang is provided) landscape area is required. The required median width does not include a sidewalk.
Figure 18.90.050.C.1. Single-Row Parking
2. Double-Row Parking. A minimum eight-foot landscape area (or 11 feet if a two-foot overhang is provided on both sides of median) measured from face of curb to face of curb is required where the median width does not include a sidewalk.
Figure 18.90.050.C.2. Double-Row Parking
3. Medians with Sidewalks. When a sidewalk is located within a median, shade trees should be placed so that at least 25 percent of the sidewalk is shaded at noon. The sidewalk shall be no less than four feet in width.
Figure 18.90.050.C.3. Medians with Sidewalks
D. Plant Materials.
1. Number of Plants.
a. Parking Lot Landscape Islands. One shade tree and three shrubs shall be provided for every 15-foot parking island.
b. Parking Lot Divider Medians. In addition to the above requirements, a minimum of one shade tree and six shrubs shall be provided for every eight parking spaces.
2. Size of Plants. A minimum 60 percent of the required trees shall be at least 24-inch box, and the remaining can be a minimum of 15-gallon box. Substitution based on plant size is not permissible for trees planted within the interior of a parking lot.
3. Ground Cover. All landscape planting areas that are not dedicated to trees or shrubs shall be permeable. No hardscape materials are permitted in designated planting areas. [Res. 21-09; Ord. 21-05 § 2; Res. 14-36 § 404.05; Ord. 14-12 § 1.]