10.3 Landscape Screens/Buffer
The intent of a screen/buffer is to use plant materials and/or other landscape architectural elements to obscure views from adjacent properties. Breaks in screens shall be permitted to provide adequate ingress and egress as needed.
Loading docks for semi-trailers and trucks over 35 feet in length, miniwarehouses, correctional institutions, service courts, and outside storage of material stocks or equipment, not for sale on the premises, such as motor vehicles, farm equipment, or construction equipment, shall normally be screened from unobstructed off-site views. Uses requiring screening as noted in Section 7, shall be screened according to the requirements of this Section. However, such features and uses need not be screened from similar features and uses on adjacent lots and within the CBD, CT, I-2 and I-3 zones, except as required under Section 10.2.
10.3.1 Landscape Screen Standards
Features and uses specified above as requiring screen/buffers shall provide a visual obstruction from adjacent properties in conformance with the following standards: The screen may be composed of view-obscuring vegetation, wall, fence, or berm. The items may be used individually or in combination. The result shall be a semi-opaque (75%) screen which obscures views from the ground to a height of the object being screened; however, the screen is not required to exceed 8 feet. Plant materials shall be at least 2 feet tall at the time of installation and reach the desired height within 3 to 5 years of planting. When a combination of features is proposed, one third of the surface area of all walls, fences or berms that face off-site must be covered with plant material within 3 to 5 years. Additionally, screen areas shall be sufficient to allow for the mature growth of plant materials when used.
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