§ 20-1180. Screening for visual impacts.

(a)

Undesirable visual impacts must be screened. Undesirable visual impacts include, but are not limited to, truck loading areas, trash storage, parking lots, interior lot areas and perimeters, outdoor storage areas, large unadorned building massing, garage doors associated with auto-oriented uses and vehicular stacking areas for drive-through uses.

(1)

Required screening for any visual impact may be achieved with fences, walls, earth berms, hedges or other landscape materials. All walls and fences shall be architecturally harmonious with the principal building. The use of wooden screen fences or chain link fences equipped with slats is prohibited. Earth berms shall not exceed a slope of 3:1 unless provided with landscaping designed to minimize maintenance. The screen shall be designed to provide effective visual barrier during all seasons.

(2)

All required screening shall be located on the lot occupied by the use, building, facility or structure to be screened. No landscape screening shall be located on any public right-of-way or within eight feet of the traveled portion of any street or highway.

(3)

Screening required by this section shall be of a height needed to accomplish the goals of this section. Height of plantings required under this section shall be measured at the time of installation.

(4)

Parking lot screening shall limit direct views of pavement and direct views of vehicles parked near the exterior of the site. It is not intended that this requirement result in significantly obscuring views of principal structures or permitted signage.

(5)

The city may make special allowances for establishing screening requirements for long term parking areas such as those developed for transit related park-and-ride facilities. Due to their characteristics of long duration parking coupled with long hours having little or no activity, these lots may present special problems related to safety that require enhanced visibility.

(b)

The following uses shall be screened in accordance with the requirements of this subdivision:

(1)

Principal buildings and structures and any building or structure accessory thereto located in any business, industrial or planned unit development district containing nonresidential uses shall be buffered from lots used for any residential purpose.

(2)

Principal buildings and structures and any building or structure accessory thereto located in any R4, R8, R12, R16 district or planned unit development district containing residential development at densities exceeding four units per acre shall be screened from lots located in any A1, A2, RR or RSF district.

(3)

Additional buffer yard requirements are established by the city comprehensive plan and listed in individual district standards.

(4)

Outside storage in any district subject to these provisions and allowed by other provisions of this ordinance, shall be screened from all public views.

(Ord. No. 153, § 1, 11-4-91; Ord. No. 195, § 1, 11-11-93)