Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
354 Article 6: Development Standards <br />Section 6.8: Landscaping, Buffers & Tree Protection <br />(3) During construction activities, adequate protective measures shall be provided to <br />minimize damage to existing trees and other vegetation. <br />(4) All tree protection fencing shall be installed prior to any grading, construction <br />traffic or activity taking place on site. <br />(5) Logging mats shall be used in areas where critical root zones may be disturbed <br />during construction. <br />(6) Signs shall be posted identifying the tree protection areas and shall state the <br />area is not to be disturbed. Such protective devices shall effectively protect the <br />critical root zones, trunks, and tops of trees to be retained and shall be <br />maintained until all work has been completed. <br />(7) Construction traffic, storage of vehicles and materials, soil compaction, filing, and <br />grading shall not take place within the drip line of trees to be preserved. <br />(8) Construction access to a site should be located where an existing or proposed <br />entrance /exit is located. <br />(9) A stabilized open area should be designated for storage of materials (including <br />stockpiling of soil and gravel) and for parking construction vehicles and <br />equipment. <br />(C) Mitigation <br />Where grading within a critical root zone of a tree cannot be avoided, the following <br />measures shall be used to maintain the life of the trees affected by grading: <br />(1) Avoid cut and fill around the entire circumference of the trunk of the tree; <br />(2) Root prune a tree several months prior to any cuts within the critical root zone; <br />(3) Prune tree limbs in an amount, which reflects the area of the roots to be severed, <br />but in no case allow pruning to exceed 25% of the tree crown. Fertilize, if <br />necessary and water the undisturbed root area of the tree; <br />(4) Trees that are marked for preservation and for which utilities must pass through <br />their critical root zones shall not have surface -dug trenches; and <br />(5) Utilities shall be bored through critical root zone areas. Shared utility easements <br />or trenches are encouraged. <br />6.8.5 Landscaping Standards <br />(A) General Design Guidelines <br />The following are guidelines and should be included where possible in the landscape <br />plan, and shall be balanced against other objectives of this Section when reviewing a <br />landscape and tree preservation plan. <br />(1) The use of potable water sources to irrigate should be minimized by utilizing <br />rainwater or other allowable systems. <br />(2) Native, non - invasive, and drought tolerant species should be arranged into zones <br />according to their water needs, by employing xeriscaping. <br />(3) Landscaping in the rural zoning districts (RB, AR and R1) should be clustered to <br />provide a more natural look. More formal arrangements are possible in the <br />medium and high density residential districts as well as the commercial, aad <br />industrial, and economic development 9? zoning designations. <br />97 Staff is suggesting this addition since more formal landscaping arrangements would seem to be appropriate in the <br />economic development zoning districts as well. <br />Orange County, North Carolina — Unified Development Ordinance Page 6 -48 <br />