Route 9 Corridor Design GuidelinesProject Applicant: EVEREST ENTERPRISES, LLC
Route 9 Corridor design guidelines
• Streetscape: Landscape strip along streets
1. Maximum area available estimated 11,500 square feet
2. 46 Shade Trees 1 shade tree per 250square feet of land between use(parking
area) and right-of-way
3. Minimum area available estimated 2,200 square feet (220 feet road frontage)
X (10 feet minimum required)
4. 9 Shade Trees
5. Screening shrubs not required: estimated distance from right -of --way to
parking area is 50ft.
• Interior Parking area:
1. 79 Parking spaces provided
2. 6 Shade trees required ,
4,OpO tnta sing area a unjge
4. 5%is uare _ Li -- T
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Draft Zoning Ordinance
Town of Queensbury
August 18, 2000
THE
Chazen_
COMPf�MES
Prepared for:
Town of Queensbury
742 Bay Road
Queensbury, New York 12804
C2000 The Chazen Companies
P
ARTICLE XI LANDSCAPING AND BUFFERING STANDARDS
Section X)0( General Provisions
The purpose of this section is to establish incentives for the preservation of existing
trees, replanting of trees lost due to development and to provide guidelines for
minimum landscaping on site as well as within the town rights -of -way.
Only trees from the list provided in this section or alternates approved by the Planning
Board and or Zoning Enforcement Officer will be considered to meet the requirements
of this ordinance. Tree caliper shall be measured four (4) feet from the base of the
tree. The developer/owner shall make every effort to preserve and protect significant
trees over eighteen inches in caliper.
The requirements of this section shall apply to all vacant undeveloped property and all
property to be redeveloped, including additions and alterations.
A landscape plan must be submitted as part of the site plan review process. A tree
schedule must also accompany the final plat submitted prior to site plan review.
Evergreen landscape materials must be included to achieve at least a 1:3 ratio between
evergreen and deciduous plants, except that the Planning Board may, at its discretion,
require a greater ratio of evergreen to deciduous plants where it determines that such
greater ratio would be desirable.
Where the location of existing overhead or underground utility lines conflict with the
required landscaping strip and tree planting, the Planning Board may approve an
alternative plan to meet the intent of the ordinance.
Required landscaping must be permanently maintained in a healthy growing condition
at all times. The property owner is responsible for regular weeding, mowing of grass,
irrigating, fertilizing, pruning, and other permanent maintenance of all plantings as
needed. A one-year warranty must be provided for all planted trees and shrubs, from
the plant supplier, prior to the issuance of a certificate of occupancy.
Section XXX Applicability
The landscaping requirements of this Article are not retroactive. They shall be applied
by the Planning Board as part of any site plan review. A site plan review affecting only a
portion of a site triggers the landscaping requirements of this section. The Planning
Board may waive some or all of the requirements of this section, at its discretion.
Section XXX Recommended Tree List
Plant species shall generally be selected from the following list of species. Substitutions
may be made at the discretion of the Planning Board.
DECIDUOUS SHADE TREES
Common Name
Scientific Name
-Norway Maple
Acer platanoides
Red Maple
Acer rubrum
Celtis occidentalis
-Hackberry
Green Ash Seedless on
Fraxinus pennsylvanica
White Ash Seedless on
Fraxinus Americana
Ginkgo/Maidenhair
Ginkgo biloba
Amur Cork
Phellodendron amurense
American Plane
Platanus occidentalis
Red Oak
Quercus rubra
White Oak
Quercus alba
Pin Oak
Quercus palustris
Little Leaf Linden
Tilia cordata
EVERGREEN SHADE TREES
Common Name
Scientific Name
Spruce varieties
Picea varieties
varieties
Juni rus varieties
-Cedar/Juniper
Pine varieties
Pinus varieties
Yew varieties
Taxus varieties
Arborvitae varieties
Th'a varieties
Hemlock varieties
Ts 'a varieties
Section XXX Multi -Family And Non -Residential Landscaping Requirements
A. Applicability. These standards shall apply to all commercial, industrial, and multi-
family zoning districts and uses. These standards may be met by saving existing trees
on the site or by planting new trees from the above list.
B. Landscaped Strips Along Streets. A landscaped strip shall be provided adjacent to all
public and private streets. The landscaped strip shall be a minimum of ten (10) feet,
exclusive of street right-of-way. Within the landscaped strip, one (1) shade tree (3"
caliper minimum) shall be provided per every two hundred fifty (250) square feet, or
any portion thereof, of landscaped strip. Required shrubbery shall be no higher than
four (4) feet above existing street grades, nor any tree with foliage extend below ten
feet above the established street grades, shall be maintained within twenty (20) feet of
any street intersection or ten (10) feet of driveway/street intersections. This restriction
is for purposes of maintaining visibility at all times.
Where parking lots and drive abut the landscaped strip along street right-of-way,
evergreen shrubs selected from the list below must be provided for screening. The
screening must be a minimum of three (3) feet high and extend along the entire street
frontage of the parking lot, exclusive of driveways and visibility clips. A landscaped
berm may be provided in lieu of required shrubs. The berm must be eighteen (18) to
forty (40) inches above the average grade of the street and parking lot curbs with a
slope not to exceed 3:1. If a parking lot is located fifty (50) feet or more from the street
right-of-way line, no screening shrubs or berm will be required.
EVERGREEN LOW SCREENING SHRUBS
Common Name
Scientific Name
Euon mous
Euon mousfortunei
Oregon Grape
Mahonia a uifolium
Rhododendron
Rhododendron corn cta' varieties
Holly
Ilex corn cta' varieties
Dwarf Hinoki False Cypress
Chamaecyparis obtuse Nana Gracilis'
Spruce
Picae varieties
Juniper
Juni rus varieties
Yew
Taxus varieties
EVERGREEN TALL SCREENING SHRUBS
Common Name
Scientific Name
Spruce
Picae varieties
Juniper
Juni rus varieties
Yew
Taxus varieties
The Blue Hollies
Ilex meservae
Mountain Laurel
Kalmia latifolia
Fire Thom
Pyracantha
Rhododendron
Rhododendron
Leatherleaf Viburnum
Vibumum rhytide phyllum
C. Visibility. Street level landscaping shall not interfere with visibility. See Section M of
this ordinance.
D. Interior Parking Lot Landscaping. Interior parking areas shall be landscaped in
addition to the required landscaped strip. Trees must be provided in each parking lot at
a minimum average density of one (1) shade tree (3" caliper) for each fifteen (15)
parking spaces, or any fraction thereof. Additionally, interior parking lot landscaping
shall be provided in accordance with the following table:
Total Parldng Area
Interior Landscaped Area
< 24,999 square feet
5%
25,000 — 49,999 square feet
80/0
150,000 square feet or larger 1 10%
E. Exterior Parking Lot Landscaping. A landscaped strip shall be provided around the perimeter
of the site exclusive of driveways. The landscaped strip shall be a minimum of five (5) feet wide
for sites 10,000 square feet or greater and three (3) feet wide for sites less than 10,000 square
feet, except for any area abutting a public street, in which case the requirements of Section B.
above shall apply. Within the perimeter landscaped strip, one (1) shade tree (3" caliper
minimum) shall be provided per every two hundred fifty (250) square feet, or any portion
thereof, of landscaped strip.
F. General Parking Lot Landscaping. Parking lot landscaping shall be met for all
customer and employee parking. Parking lot landscaping requirements shall apply to
storage and standing parking spaces incidental to uses such as sales and rental of
motor vehicles, mobile homes, boats, trailers, or other similar uses if such storage is
visible from any public rights -of -way.
To calculate the total parking area and the subsequent percentage of required interior
lot landscaping, total the square footage of parking spaces, planting islands, curbed
areas, and all interior driveways and aisles, except those with no parking spaces located
on either side. Landscaped areas located outside the parking lot may not be used to
meet the interior landscape requirement.
The required landscaping for parking lots shall be more or less evenly distributed
throughout the parking lot, although adjustments may be approved by the Planning
Board reviewing the landscape plan, where shape or size of the parking lot, the location
of existing trees, or other natural constraints reasonable prevent such distribution.
All landscaped areas, including permeable areas and drip lines around trees and
planting beds used for visual screening which abut any parking lot or vehicular travel
area shall be protected with curbs, parking blocks, or similar barriers sufficient to
protect them from vehicular intrusion. Such areas shall have a minimum pervious area
of sixty (60) feet if they are for the purpose of housing landscaping including trees and
twenty-five (25) feet if they house landscaping other than trees. Landscaped islands will
be a minimum five (5) feet in dimension and must be a minimum of nine (9) feet wide
when adjacent to parking spaces where a car door would open into the island.
Section XXX Types of Buffer Zones Between Uses
The purpose of buffer zones is to separate land uses and offer visual screening between
uses that may not be compatible. The level of general compatibility dictates the level of
screening. Three different types of buffers are specified. The buffer types are
designated as Type A, Type B and Type C buffers. The following table illustrates the
types of buffers required between adjacent uses.
•
Table XX Buffer Rec uirements Between Ad'acent Uses
Land Uses
Single
Family
Residential
Multi-
Family
Residential
Office
Retail
Commensal/
Recreation
Industrial
Single Family
Residential
None
B
A
B
C
C
Multi -Family
Residential
B
None
A
A
B
C
Office
A
A
I None
A
B
C
Retail
B
A
A
None
B
C
Commercial Recreation
C
1B
B
B
None
B
Industrial
C
1C
C
C
B
None
Any use not specified above is considered a commercial use, unless otherwise
determined by the Planning Board.
Section xxx Description of Buffer Types.
Each buffer type contains certain minimum requirements, which are outlined in the
table below. Trees and shrubs are to be from the recommended lists in this section. An
opaque fence may be substituted for trees or shrubs of the minimum specified height,
at the discretion of the Planning Board.
Table XX Buffer Types
Buffer Yard Type
Minimum
Number of Trees
Minimum Height of
Landscaped
Required per 100
Required Trees
Yard
Linear Feet of
Buffer
A
10 feet
1
NA
B
20 feet
3
6 feet
C
50 feet
5
10 feet
Parking or storage of vehicles of any kind or objects associated with the use of the
property is not permitted within the buffer yards. When not inhabited with natural
woody plants (i.e., trees and shrubs) sufficient to visually screen adjoining uses or
zones, such buffer area shall be planted, re -graded and/or fenced.
Buffer yards are in addition to landscape requirements outlined in this section and may
not be used as a substitution for any part of the required landscaping. Where the use
and area tables of this ordinance specify a 50 foot buffer, the requirements of a Type C
buffer in table XX shall apply.
Section XXX Additional Buffering Requirements
E
A. All industrial and commercial uses shall maintain a 50 foot Type C buffer between
the use and the adjoining lot line of any cemetery.
Section XXX Landscaping Of Dedicated Streets, Medians Or Other Public Rights -Of -Way.
(A) General Provisions. All unpaved public medians and parkways shall be landscaped
with a minimum of four (4) inches of topsoil and seeded or sodded with indigenous
grass or low growing evergreen groundcover. In addition, one tree, from the approved
list, per five hundred (500) square feet of landscaping shall be provided within the
medians. The location of the trees shall be approved by the Highway Superintendent to
avoid any conflict with any utilities within the medians and traffic movement. These
landscape areas shall be maintained by the developer or the owner until adequate
coverage is attained at a maintenance level compatible with like areas in other parts of
the Town, or for three years, whichever comes first, unless other contractual
agreements are made between the developer and the Town.
1. Trees must not be planted within thirty feet of intersections or utility
poles.
2. Trees shall be spaced thirty (30) feet apart when planted in rows and
fifteen (15) feet apart when planted in groups.
3. Only trees with a mature height of less than thirty feet may be planted
directly under utility lines. Trees with mature heights greater than thirty
(30) feet must be planted a minimum of fifteen (15) feet from the outside
edge of the last energized line.
4. Ornamental tree spacing will be determined based on the desired effect.
S. Trees must be planted a minimum of ten feet from the edge of the curb.
Section XXX Tree and Root Protection Standards
During the development and construction of any commercial site, adequate protection
measures shall be provided to minimize damage to existing trees and other vegetation
to be preserved. A tree and root preservation plan shall be included with the landscape
plan and shall consist of at least the following preventative measures:
A. Tree and shrub protective barriers. Barriers shall be installed prior to grading,
construction, or other land construction activity and may not be removed until after
final inspection by the Zoning enforcement officer. Sturdy material substantial enough
to protect roots, trunk and crown of trees/ shrubs (example: Orange safety fencing at
least 4 feet high on metal posts) may be used. The barrier shall be placed on a
circumference along the farthest drip -line of the tree at minimum. Since the root system
extends well beyond the drip -line, additional measures may be taken by the developer
to ensure the safety of trees and shrubs. All proposed barriers shall be illustrated on the
preservation plan. No ropes, signs, wires, unprotected electrical installation, or any
other device or material may be hung on or tied around any tree or shrub.
B. Non -disturbance area. No soil disturbance or compaction, stockpiling of soil or other
construction materials, vehicular traffic, or storage of heavy equipment is allowed within
the tree and root protection area or within the drip -line of trees to be retained. Non -
disturbance areas are to be labeled on the site plan.
C. Removal of landscape material. Dead trees and scrub growth shall be cut flush with
the adjacent grade. Areas of removal are to be shown on the site plan.
D. Root Pruning. Tree root pruning shall be used as a last resort. In the event that root
pruning is absolutely necessary, equivalent canopy pruning in a manner that preserves
the character of the crown is required to sustain the health of the tree. Any necessary
root pruning and mitigative measures are to be shown on the site plan.
F. Tree Replacement. Trees or shrubs that are part of a commercial site plan that die or
become sickly within three years of construction completion, as a result of negligence of
the preservation plan specifications, shall be removed and replaced with trees from the
approved list according to the following replacement schedule:
Table XXX
Size of Tree to be Replaced
Number of 3" Caliper Replacements
> 36" caliper,dbh
Five
29"-36" caliper, dbh
Four
21' -28" caliper,dbh
Three
12"-20" tali dbh
Two
< 12" caliper,dbh
One