9-4-24 PB Agenda Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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Article 6: Development Standards 35 Section 6.8: Landscaping, Buffers&Tree Protection The following are guidelines and should be included where possible in the landscape plan;and shall be balanced against other objectives of this Section when reviewing a landscape and tree preservation plan. (1) The use of potable water sources to irrigate should be minimized by utilizing rainwater or other allowable systems. (2) Native, non-invasive, and drought tolerant species should be arranged into zones according to their water needs, by employing xeriscaping. (3) Landscaping in the rural zoning districts (RB, AR and R1)shouldmust be clustered and shall be consistent with existing or dedicated Common Open Space and/or recreational areas to provide a more natural look. More formal arrangements are possible in the medium and high density residential districts as well as the ^^mm^r^i^' industrial and ^ ^deve'^^ment non-residential zoning designations, including NR-CD. Variations may be permitted, as allowed by Section 6.8.3. (4) LandSGape materials shc)uld be se!eGted and arranged te add variety and visual Hntc^-"rcst, r'vvc'^c�rcr ^C�Ircc'r"caz Hai' .d- dis (5) Landscaping shall not be located on any portion of a public or private drainage or utility easement. Site Iand6Ga^in^ oh^, ld Ret P-A-Rfliet yAth Utility pla^^m^r,+ (6) Plant placement in buffers may include clustering; however, such clustering should be reflected in plant placement that provides the maximum protection of neighboring properties. (7) Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED), as outlined by the National Crime Prevention Institute, should be considered when laying out sites to maximize public safety. (8) If there is existing, healthy, natural native, non-invasive and drought tolerant vegetation in the area of a required buffer and greater than 24" inches dbh, it must be preserved. If the vegetation is removed for any reason, other than in accordance with an approved landscape and tree preservation plan, the dimensions of the buffer within the impacted area shall be increased 50% and the number of required plantings shall be increased 50%. (9) The ^ri+i^^' root topes drip line of trees within the a required buffer must be protected if the applicant seeks credit for preservation of existing trees. For example, if a required buffer has a dimensional width of 30 feet, and the^"ice f^,�e drip line extends beyond the 30 feet, the buffer will be extended to the edge of the^ri+i^al reef zene drip line in the area around the tree.'- (B) Basic Plant Types There are five basic plant types referred to in this section, and all shall require the use of locally-adapted plants. They include canopy trees, evergreen trees, deciduous understory trees, evergreen understory trees and shrubs, defined as follows: (1) Canopy Trees Large deciduous shade trees with a mature height of 30 feet or greater and a mature spread of 30 feet or greater. (2) Evergreen Trees 18 and 9 have been relocated from Buffers section,with modifications from existing language in bold. Orange County, North Carolina—Unified Development Ordinance Page 6-39