23.7 Parking Lot Landscape

23.7.A Required Parking Lot Landscape   

1.  All parking lots of ten (10) or more spaces require a landscape plan as a condition of obtaining a building permit.

2.  Perimeter parking lot landscape is required for all parking lots, whether an accessory or principal use, and shall be established along the edge of the parking lot that abuts a public right-of-way, excluding alleys.

3.  Interior parking lot landscape, whether an accessory or principal use, is required for parking lots of ten (10) or more spaces.

4.  For existing parking lots that currently do not comply with the required parking lot landscape, such landscape shall be provided when any one (1) of the following occurs:

a.  A new principal building is constructed.

b.  A building addition is constructed that expands the building footprint by thirty percent (30%) or more.

c.  Over fifty percent (50%) of the total area of an existing parking lot is reconstructed.

d.  When an existing parking lot less than ten thousand (10,000) square feet in area is expanded by fifty percent (50%) or more in total surface area.

e.  When an existing parking lot over ten thousand (10,000) square feet in area is expanded by twenty-five percent (25%) or more in total surface area.

5. When an existing parking lot is required by this section to provide landscape, which would result in creating a parking area that no longer conforms to the parking regulations of this Ordinance, the existing parking lot is not required to install all or a portion of the required landscape. The applicant is required to show that landscape cannot be accommodated on the site. If only certain requirements can be accommodated on the site, only those elements are required. The Director of Department of Safety and Permits will make the determination that all or a portion of required landscape does not have to be installed.

6. An above ground sun lit parking lot stormwater detention BMP shall be worked into the interior or the perimeter of every parking facility to capture, filter, infiltrate and store the first flush coming off of the parking surface.  The detention BMP may be grassed or naturalized with ornamental wetland plants to reflect a Louisiana wetland environment.  Outflow facilities shall be included for all storm events over the capacity of the BMP and must be completely infiltrated and evaporated within 48 hours of the storm event.

7.  Nothing in this section prevents the applicant’s voluntary installation of additional parking lot landscape, so long as parking space requirements and parking lot design requirements are complied with. 

Adopted by Ord. 27,683 MCS, §6, March 6, 2018, Zoning Docket 086-17

23.7.B Perimeter Parking Lot Landscape   

Perimeter parking lot landscape provides for the enhancement and screening of parking lots by requiring a scheme of landscape along public streets. A perimeter landscape yard is required for all parking lots and the landscape treatment shall run the full length of the parking lot where it abuts a public right-of-way, excluding an alley. In the case of parking located at the front of the building, the front landscape yard requirements control. The perimeter parking lot landscape yard shall be improved as follows: (Figure 23-2: Parking Lot Perimeter Landscape Yard)

1.  The perimeter landscape yard shall be a minimum of five (5) feet in width.

2.  A single hedge row is required, planted with one (1) shrub every thirty-six (36) inches on center to form a continuous visual buffer. At the time of planting, the shrubs shall be at three (3) to five (5) gallons in size or twenty-four (24) inches in height and a minimum of thirty-six (36) inches to a maximum of forty-eight (48) inches in height at maturity.

3.  A minimum one (1) foot of width of groundcover or mulch. All mulch shall derive from a living, natural source.

4.  One (1) shade tree every forty (40) feet on center or one (1) ornamental tree every twenty-five (25) feet on center spaced linearly. Trees may be spaced at various intervals and/or clustered based on specific site requirements or design scheme to be approved as part of the landscape plan.  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.

5.  An ornamental fence a minimum of four (4) feet in height is required, subject to the following materials:

a. Metal Picket

b. Wood

c. Masonry

6.  Alternatively, a low pedestrian wall, the height of which provides effective screening to a maximum height of three (3) feet, may be used instead of shrubs and an ornamental fence. Where possible, plant materials shall be installed between the sidewalk and the wall to provide a softening effect on the wall.

7.  All perimeter parking lot landscape areas shall be protected with raised concrete curbs.

FIGURE 23-2: PARKING LOT PERIMETER LANDSCAPE YARD

23.7.C Interior Parking Lot Landscape   

For parking lots consisting of ten (10) or more spaces, interior parking lot landscape is required. (Figure 23-3: Interior Parking Lot Landscape) However, these planting provisions may be waived if the applicant presents an alternate landscape plan that provides a combination of tree canopy, landscape design elements, and/or non-reflective auto canopies, including solar panels and solar powered electric auto recharging stations, that shade a minimum of fifty percent (50%) of the parking lot paved surface within five (5) years of completion.

1. One (1) parking lot island shall be provided between every ten (10) contiguous parking spaces. As part of the landscape plan approval, parking lot island locations may be varied based on specific site requirements or design scheme, to be approved as part of the landscape plan, but the total number of islands shall be no less than the amount required of one (1) island for every ten (10) spaces.

2.  In addition to parking lot islands, additional landscaped areas shall be provided within the interior of parking lots. All rows of parking spaces shall terminate in a parking lot island or landscaped area. The minimum total landscaped area, including parking lot islands, is ten percent (10%) of the total parking lot area, excluding any area of perimeter parking lot landscape.

3.  Parking lot islands or landscaped areas shall be at least one-hundred sixty (160) square feet in area. However, parking lot islands shall be the same dimension as the parking stall. Double rows of parking shall provide parking lot islands that are the same dimension as the double row.

4.  Parking lot islands or landscaped areas shall be designed to apply sustainable techniques allowing the flow and access of stormwater. Such islands and landscaped areas  shall be depressed below grade and provide an underdrain to ensure drainage within forty-eight (48) hours of each rain event.  Such parking lot islands or landscaped areas shall be protected by tire stops or curbing with gaps a minimum of six (6) inches that allows runoff to flow from the parking area to the depressed landscaped areas.

5.  The following plantings are required in parking lot islands and landscaped areas:

a.  Trees, preferably with capacity for high water retention, shall be the primary plant materials used in parking lot islands and landscaped areas. Other plant materials may be used to supplement the shade tree plantings but shall not create visibility concerns for automobiles and pedestrians.

b.  One (1) shade tree is required every parking lot island or landscaped area. If the island extends the width of a double row, then two (2) shade trees are required.

c. Shrubs shall be planted within the parking island to provide another layer of planting for visual interest.

d.  A minimum of seventy-five percent (75%) of every parking lot island shall be planted in live groundcover, perennials, or ornamental grasses. Mulch is required to fill in planting areas for early growth protection until the groundcover is established and covers the planting area. It is encouraged to mulch bare areas for three (3) to five (5) years, or until the plant material is fully established in the parking islands. 

FIGURE 23-3: INTERIOR PARKING LOT LANDSCAPE

Adopted by Ord. 27,683 MCS, §6, March 6, 2018, Zoning Docket 086-17