§ 407.040. Site And Landscape Design., Chapter 407. General Development Standards, Unified Development Code, Code of Ordinances, Blue Springs

Intent. It is the intent of this Section to:

Enhance the environmental and ecological function of unbuilt portions of sites, including reduced air or water pollution and reduced heat gain from large expanses of blank walls or paved surfaces.

Improve the aesthetic character of development with natural landscape materials.

Coordinate landscape and design amenities across multiple sites, improving the character of districts and neighborhoods.

Screen and mitigate the visual, noise or other impacts of high-intensity areas of sites, including loading areas, external equipment, or other site utility areas.

Focus particular attention on the design of landscapes to improve the transitions and relationships to the public realm formed by the open space system, streetscapes, internal access streets, and lot frontages, or other similar public or common areas.

Applicability. The standards of this Section shall apply to all development except:

Agriculture (limited) in the RE District; and

Improvements or repairs to existing development that do not result in an increase in floor area and changes in use that do not result in an increase in intensity.

Landscape Requirements. The required landscape materials shall be based on a landscape plant unit system applied to four (4) different types of areas on a site: frontage design (Section 407.030), parking (Section 407.010), buffers [Section 407.040(D)], and other open spaces. Landscape requirements may also apply to streetscapes and open space systems to the extent they are part of the design for any project.

Species And Size.

Table 407.040-2: Plant Size And Specifications
Plant Type	Size And Specifications
Medium and large shade tree	2 inches minimum caliper
Small shade/ornamental	1.5 inches minimum caliper
Upright evergreen	4 feet minimum height
Conifers/evergreen trees	6 feet minimum height
Shrubs	18 inches to 24 inches height; 3 feet minimum at maturity 3 feet to 5 feet on center
Perennial/ornamental	1 gallon minimum 2 feet to 3 feet on center
Ground treatments	Ground cover: 50% coverage 1st year; 100% after year 1 Mulch: 2 inches to 4 inches — limited to areas immediately around plants or where ground cover not yet established Lawn: seeded or sod suitable to Blue Springs climate and soils; complete coverage after first growing season

Plant Quality. All plants shall conform to or exceed the plant quality standards of the most recent edition of American Standard for Nursery Stock, published by the American Association of Nurserymen. Plants shall be nursery-grown and adapted to the local area.

Required Tree Types. All required trees shall follow recommendations of Great Trees for Blue Springs included in Appendix A3 of the Comprehensive Plan. More specific recommendations or additional guidance may be considered through a specific plan or application of the Natural Resource Inventory (NRI) analysis included in that Appendix.

Species Mix. When more than ten (10) trees are required to be planted to meet the standards of this Section, a mix of species shall be provided, unless broader urban forest diversity is already accounted for through a block-scale street tree plan, specific plan, or other application of the Natural Resource Inventory (NRI) in Appendix A3 of the Comprehensive Plan. In order to promote diversity in the urban forest and to prevent the spread of disease among trees, the number of species to be planted shall vary according to the overall number of trees required to be planted in accordance with the following requirements:

Table 407.040-3: Species Mix
Required Number Of Trees	Minimum Number Of Species
11 — 20	3
21 — 30	4
31 — 40	5
40 +	6

Use Of Existing Plant Material. Vegetation and plant material that exists on a site prior to its development may be used to satisfy the landscaping standards of this Section, provided that it meets the size, variety and locational requirements of this Section. Any existing trees that are healthy, not damaged during construction, and otherwise meet the requirements of this Section may be credited towards the plant unit requirement subject to the following:

Table 407.040-4: Tree Credits
Diameter Of Tree At 4 Feet, 6 Inches Above Ground Level	Credit
15 1/4 inches or more	10 units per 5 inches (maximum 50 units per tree)
10 1/4 to 15 inches	30 units
6 1/4 to 10 inches	20 units
2 to 6 inches	10 units
Less than 2 inches	No credit

Existing Tree Protection.

When preservation is required, measures will be taken to preserve trees on site as practical or economically feasible. Existing trees and their root zones that are to be saved shall be protected from all construction activities, including earthwork operations, movement and storage of equipment and vehicles, and placement of construction materials and debris. Erosion protection measures may be required to prevent siltation of the tree preservation areas during construction. Protection zones may be established by the Community Development Director to ensure trees and their root zones are adequately protected and are not damaged during site development operations. In any event, it is the developer's responsibility to use adequate protection measures to ensure tree preservation occurs.

Every effort shall be made to locate utility easements away from tree preservation areas. However, utility easements may be located adjacent to tree preservation areas as long as adequate clearance and protection is provided for the tree preservation area during the installation of the utilities adjacent to the tree preservation easement. When utilities or infrastructure systems must cross tree preservation areas, every effort shall be made to minimize tree removal in such areas.

To ensure protection of tree preservation areas, protection zones shall be delineated on the site development plans. The plans shall identify the type and diameter of trees to be saved. Note: City staff may not enforce tree protection measures and it will be the property owner's responsibility to ensure measures are taken.

When preservation is required and trees die during construction, the property owner shall be required to replace the same type of tree amount and diameter in inches as was present before construction. Multiple trees can be used to accomplish the number of inches required; however, no replacement tree can be less than two (2) inches in diameter. Trees shall be replaced in the same general location as originally grown. If there is not adequate room to replace the trees in the same location, then the Community Development Director may approve alternate locations.

Editor's Note: Table 407.040-1, Landscape Requirements, is included as an attachment to this Chapter.

Buffers, Screens And Fencing.

Buffers. Landscape buffers are required when certain land uses are adjacent to one another or when adjacent to certain roadway types. The standards are intended to help ease the land use transition between areas of varying development intensity; to ensure land use compatibility; and preserve the appearance of roadway areas. Each type (A-D) identified in Table 407.040-5 shall be designed according to the landscape requirements in Subsection (C) above, and may be modified to meet the frontage designs in Section 407.030.

Location Of Buffers. Buffers shall be located adjacent to public rights-of-way and along adjoining lots with a different zoning classification. In the case of modifications or additions to an existing building or site, buffers shall only be required along those portions of the site that are directly affected by the proposed improvements as determined by the City.

Use Of Buffers. Required buffers shall be reserved solely for open space and landscaping. No proposed building addition, structure, parking area or any other type of physical land improvement shall be located in a required buffer, provided that driveways or roads may cross required buffers if necessary to provide access to the building site. Sidewalks, paths and project identification signs may also be located within required buffers.

Waiver For Small Sites. The area of required buffers shall not be required to exceed ten percent (10%) of the site proposed for development. In cases where buffer requirements would consume more than ten percent (10%) of the site, the Planning Commission may allow the width or location of buffers to be reduced or eliminated. The property owner shall be required to add plant material within remaining buffers or elsewhere on the site and any combination of plants, screening walls and fences or other solutions appropriate to the site and context may be required to meet the intent of this Section.

Responsibility For Installing Buffers. The owner of the developing property shall always be responsible for providing required buffers. In those cases where a landscape buffer that complies with the buffer standards of this Section is already in place — whether on the site of the developing property or on the site of the adjacent property — the property owner shall not be required to install another landscape buffer. The property owner of a subdivision or other developing site shall only be responsible for ensuring that the intervening landscape buffer complies with the standards of this Section.

[Ord. No. 4795, 2-19-2019]

Berms And Fences Required. Anytime NB/SO, GB, RC, LI or HI Districts abut a residential district, an undulating four (4) to six (6) foot (or as high as practical) earth berm or six (6) foot fence shall be required in the setback area. Along with the fence or berm, a twenty-five percent (25%) reduction of plant units will be allowed in that particular setback area. Exceptions may be approved where terrain cancels out or removes the benefit of a fence or berm or, in the opinion of the Community Development Director, a fence or berm would not create the desired effect. Where it is determined a fence or berm is not appropriate, a buffer of one hundred twenty-five percent (125%) shall be required.

Editor's Note: Table 407.040-5, Buffer Types, is included as an attachment to this Chapter.

Screening. All of the following shall be screened from streets or adjacent property with dense evergreen plants, a fence or wall meeting the standards of Subsection (D)(3), or a combination of both.

Electrical and mechanical equipment such as transformers, air conditioners, of communication equipment and antennas;

Permanent or temporary outdoor storage areas, which shall further be subject to all setback standards for the lot, and require at least a Type A buffer;

Trash enclosures;

Utility stations;

Delivery and vehicle service bays, except that bays do not need to be screened from adjacent property with the same or more intense zoning;

Any parking areas larger than ten (10) spaces and adjacent to property zoned MF-14 or less; and

Any parking permitted within thirty (30) feet of a public right-of-way shall be screened between two and five tenths (2.5) feet and three and five tenths (3.5) feet high, limited to a combination of plants and/or ornamental fences and walls with architectural details and materials that complement those of the principle building.

Fences. All fences for screening, security, or privacy shall meet the following standards.

Front Fences. All fences in front of the front building line shall:

(1)

Be no higher than four (4) feet;

(2)

Be limited to ornamental or decorative materials that complement the materials and design of the principal building; and

(3)

Except for screens for parking, have a transparency or voids of at least thirty-three percent (33%).

Rear And Side Fences. All rear and side fences located behind the front building line shall:

(1)

Be limited to no higher than six (6) feet in TF (Two-Family) and less intensive zoning districts and eight (8) feet in all other districts;

[Ord. No. 4723, 3-19-2018]

(2)

On corner lots, fences within eight (8) feet the right-of-way shall meet the standards in Subsection (D)(3)(a) for front fences and not create a sight distance obstruction as described in Section 407.020(D)(3).

Other Fence Design Standards.

(1)

Any fences that could potentially create a sight obstruction for vehicles crossing pedestrian areas or entering the street may require greater transparency or additional location restrictions to allow for safe sight distances.

(2)

All fences facing public rights-of-way shall be constructed so that the finished side faces the public right-of-way and the support posts are inside the fence and screened from view.

[Ord. No. 4723, 3-19-2018]

(3)

Fences may be located so that the fence face is at or near the property line; otherwise the fence shall be setback at least three (3) feet from the property line absent more specific standards in these regulations. Any areas set back three (3) feet or more from the property line, which could become enclosed by other similarly located fences, may be required to have at least one (1) gate for access and maintenance equipment.

(4)

Fences shall be constructed out of any of the following materials:

(a)

Wood or vinyl simulating wood;

(b)

Wrought iron or aluminum simulating wrought iron;

(c)

Stone, brick, concrete with stone or brick veneer, or precast concrete simulated stone or brick; or

(d)

Chain link or vinyl clad chain link in the rear or side yard only, provided all exposed steel shall have a color finished coat or be galvanized.

(5)

Fences for security in non-residential districts or fences around recreation amenities such as tennis courts or pools may be exempt from the height and material standards.

(6)

Any fence proposed across a drainage way or drainage easement shall require review and approval by the Director of Public Works.

Permits Required. No fence shall be erected, modified or changed in any manner until a fence permit application has been approved by the Director of Community Development. Applications shall be filed upon forms provided by the City and shall clearly show the type, material, and placement of the fence.

Installation, Maintenance And Replacement.

Installation. All landscape materials shall be installed according to sound nursery practices in a manner designed to encourage vigorous growth. All landscape elements, living and non-living, shall be healthy and in place prior to issuance of final occupancy certificate. A temporary occupancy certificate may be issued prior to installation of required landscaping if written assurances and financial guarantees are submitted ensuring that planting will take place when planting season arrives. The amount of the financial guarantee shall be equal to one hundred twenty-five percent (125%) of the estimated cost of the plant material based on written cost estimates provided by the property owner and/or property owner's representative.

Maintenance And Replacement. Trees, shrubs, fences, walls and other landscape and screening elements depicted on plans approved by the City shall be considered requirements of the project in the same manner as parking, building materials and other details of the plan. The land owner, or successors in interest, or agent, if any, shall be jointly and severally responsible for the following:

[Ord. No. 4795, 2-19-2019]

Regular maintenance of all landscape and screening elements in good condition and in a way that presents a healthy, neat and orderly appearance.

Proper care of all landscape material free from disease, pests, weeds and litter. This maintenance shall include weeding, watering, fertilizing, pruning, mowing, edging, mulching or other maintenance, as needed, and in accordance with acceptable horticultural practices.

The repair or replacement of required landscape structures and screening elements (i.e., walls, fences, gates) to a structurally sound condition and orderly appearance.

Alternative Compliance. Applicants may submit an alternative compliance landscape plan to demonstrate that the intent of this Section can be more effectively met through alternative means. If approved, an alternative compliance landscape plan shall be substituted for the standards in this Section only to the extent shown on the plan.

Procedure. Alternative compliance landscape plans shall be reviewed in accordance with the site plan and design review procedures in Section 403.070, and the plan shall clearly delineate and identify the modifications and alternatives proposed.

Review Criteria. Alternative compliance landscape plans may be approved upon a finding that any of the following circumstances exist on the proposed building site or surrounding properties:

Natural land characteristics or existing vegetation on the proposed development site would achieve the intent of this Section;

Innovative and exceptional landscaping or architectural design is employed on the proposed development site to achieve a buffering effect that is equivalent to the buffer standards of this Section;

The required landscaping or buffering would be ineffective at maturity due to topography or the location of improvements on the site; or

The proposed alternative represents a plan that is as good or better than a plan prepared in strict compliance with the other standards of this Section.

Landscaping Plan Required. All plans submitted in support of a plan review, conditional use, PD, and final plat shall include a landscape plan. However, conventional single-family and two-family residential developments are exempt from Section 407.040(G)(9) and (11). The following plan standards apply:

[Ord. No. 4625 § 9, 11-21-2016]

North arrow and scale.

Topographic information and final grading adequate to identify and properly specify planting for areas needing slope protection.

The location and contours at one-foot intervals of all proposed berms.

The location and dimension of all proposed and existing structures, parking lots and drives, sidewalks. Refuse disposal areas, fences above or underground utilities and storm drainage systems, freestanding electrical equipment, recreational facilities, and other freestanding structural features as determined necessary by the City.

The location, size, spread (at the time of planting), type and quantity of all proposed landscape materials, along with common and botanical names of all plant species. The size, grading and condition shall be specified according to American Association of Nurserymen standards.

Mature size of plant material shall be drawn to scale.

Location of hose connections and other watering sources.

All landscaping required along with landscape calculation in a table format on the drawing breaking out open space, buffers and parking lot unit requirements, and plant units provided.

The landscape plan shall be properly sealed by a licensed landscape architect, architect, engineer or plant nurseryman licensed to practice in the State of Missouri.

10.

All existing trees to be saved including type, size, location, and condition shall be shown along with preservation methods anticipated to ensure existing tree health and longevity.

11.

Upon installation, a landscape architect, architect, engineer or plant nurseryman shall submit a letter certifying the landscape installation is substantially in compliance with the approved landscape plan.