Morrisville Unified Development Ordinance - September 2020

Article 5: Development Standards Section 5.12. Landscaping 5.12.4. Vehicle Use Area Landscaping

(Ord. No. 2016-001, 05/10/2016)

B. General

1. To the maximum extent practicable, required landscaped planting areas and shade trees shall be distributed and sited within and around the vehicle use area so as to maximize shading of pavement and pedestrian routes through the parking area. Part of every parking space shall be located within 50 feet from the trunk of a shade tree. 2. Perimeter landscaping and interior landscaping shall be sited and designed for stormwater management purposes to the maximum extent practicable, as long as they comply with these vehicle use area landscaping standards. 3. Perimeter landscaping and interior landscaping may include non-landscaping features such as walkways, light or utility poles, utility lines, and fire hydrants, provided the minimum landscaping width and planting standards for vehicle use areas are met. C. Perimeter Landscaping Where a vehicle use area is within 50 feet of and visible from a street, other development (except another vehicle use area), or vacant property, perimeter landscaping shall be provided and maintained within the strip of land between the vehicle use area and the adjacent street right-of-way or easement or property line in accordance with the following standards, except where such strip is crossed by an authorized vehicular or pedestrian accessway or utility easement. (See Figure 5.12.4.C: Perimeter Landscaping.) Perimeter landscaping shall be located on the same property as the vehicle use area and placed to assure visibility and safety of pedestrians within the vehicle use area. Composition Perimeter landscaping shall be comprised of any combination of trees, evergreen shrubs, berms, walls, and fences that form a continuous screen along the perimeter of the vehicle use area that will be at least 75 percent opaque within one year and at least 30 inches above ground level at the time of installation, subject to the following standards: a. Screening within a perimeter landscaping strip between a vehicle use area and a street shall be designed to screen the headlights of vehicles in the vehicle use area yet allow security surveillance of vehicle use areas from the adjacent street. Ways to achieve this include, but are not limited to, limiting the height of the largely opaque screening to three feet or using landscape features above a height of three feet that are at least 75 percent transparent (e.g., see-through metal railing or a trellis). b. Screening within a perimeter landscaping strip between a vehicle use area and a street shall allow compliance with all applicable sight distance and intersection sight distance area standards in the Engineering and Design and Construction Manual. c. The perimeter landscaping strip between a vehicle use area and a street shall not be located within any future street right-of-way whose boundary is delineated or otherwise established by the Comprehensive Plan. 2. 1. Location and Configuration

d. The perimeter landscaping strip shall be located on the same property as the vehicle use area.

e. Any planted trees or shrubs shall comply with the standards in Section 5.12.3.A, New Planting Standards.

f. Any wall or fence shall comply with the standards in Section 5.14, Fences and Walls.

g. Ground cover or turf shall be planted in all areas not covered by trees, shrubs, or walls.

Morrisville, NC

September 1, 2020

Unified Development Ordinance

Page 5-125