23.8 Buffer Yards

A.  Buffer yards maintain an appropriate relationship between adjacent developments by clarifying the delineation between properties, and creating attractive and effective buffers between uses.

B.  Where the parking lot of a non-residential use or district abuts a residential district, a buffer yard of ten (10) feet shall be provided along the lot line that abuts a residential district.

C.  The buffer yard shall be landscaped as follows:

1.  A solid fence, constructed of wood or simulated wood, or a wall a minimum of seven (7) feet in height is required. Chain-link fences are prohibited.

2.  One (1) shade tree for every forty (40) feet or one ornamental tree for every twenty-five (25) linear feet of the adjacent property line. Shade trees are defined as having a height of over forty (40) feet at maturity; ornamental trees are defined as having a height of less than forty (40) feet at maturity.

3  A single hedge row planted with one (1) shrub every thirty-six (36) inches on center, spaced linearly. The shrubs shall measure a minimum of twenty-four (24) inches at planting, and a minimum of thirty-six (36) inches to a maximum of forty-eight (48) inches in height at maturity.

4.  The remainder of the area shall be planted with turf or groundcover.