Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
DESIGN SOLUTION EIGHT (8) as outlined on page thirty-two (32) through thirty-three (33) of <br />the application reading as follows: <br />`The applicant requests a waiver from Section 3.2 Landscape Design -Landscaping <br />Parking Areas of the EDD Design Manual ' <br />The EDD Design Manual requires that a landscape island be provided for every ten (10) parking <br />spaces. The applicant is proposing the following: <br />` ... shade trees are to be provided at a -ratio of one (1) three inch (3') caliper tree per ten <br />(10) individual parking spaces provided that ninety percent (90%) of the spaces are within <br />fifty (SO) feet of the center of a shade tree' <br />The applicant argues that this provision will require the planting of the same number of tress that <br />would be required under the Design Manual, but would allow for larger trees to be planted, allow for <br />a more compact parking lot with less impervious surface area, and allow for shorter walking <br />distances to storefronts for patrons. <br />STAFF BACKGROUND AND COMMENT: <br />This Design Solution will maintain the same number of canopy tress that would be required under <br />the current landscaping standards contained within the Economic Development Design Manual, but <br />would: <br />1. Allow for larger trees to be planted, <br />2. Allow for a more compact parking lot with less impervious surface area, and <br />3. Allow for shorter walling distances to storefronts for patrons. <br />In researching this proposed Design Solution staff discovered that current LEED standards call for <br />non-roof heat island effect reduction include: <br />l.Fifty percent (50%) of the parking lot surface be shaded within five (5) years of initial <br />planting, <br />2.All paving materials have a SRI of at least 29, and/or <br />3.Parking lot paving be an open grid pavement or other pervious surfacing. <br />LEED standards also recommend the reduction of the parking area footprint such that no more than <br />twenty (20%) of the total development land area is used for parking facilities and no single surface <br />parking lot is larger then two (2) acres. <br />From staff s perspective this Design Solution is actually more in-line with existing site development <br />trends and ought to be reviewed as a possible replacement design standard for- the community. <br />35 <br />