(a) Purpose. The intent of this section is to:

    (1)    Establish healthy environmental conditions by providing shade, air purification, oxygen regeneration, groundwater recharge, storm water runoff retardation, erosion control, and noise, glare and heat abatement.

    (2)    Provide visual buffering from streets, to buffer potentially incompatible land uses and to generally enhance the quality and appearance of a development site, and the city in total.

    (3)    Encourage the preservation of existing trees and vegetation.

    (4)    Supplement the land disturbance permit requirements.

    (b) Authority. The director of public works is hereby designated as the enforcement officer under this section.

    (c) Lands to which this section applies. The landscaping and screening requirements of this section shall apply to all land public and private located in the City of Columbia, Missouri, except the following:

    (1)     Land within zoning districts A-1; R-1; R-2 (except for those R-2 zoned developments having lots which contain attached residences and which have side or rear property boundaries abutting collector or arterial street right-of-way); RMH; M-C; M-U; F-1; and PUD or portions thereof consisting of one -family detached dwellings on individual lots and one -family attached dwellings on individual lots (except for one -family attached developments having lots which have side or rear property boundaries abutting collector or arterial street right of way). Notwithstanding this exception, parking areas and loading/unloading areas in any zoning district shall be subject to the provisions contained in this section. Buildings or additions to buildings in district C-2 shall be exempt from the provisions of this section; however, any parking areas associated with buildings or additions to buildings in district C-2 shall not be exempt from the provisions of this section.

    (2)    Development existing or approved by the City of Columbia in the form of building permit issuance or final development plan approval, prior to August 19, 1991.

    (3)    An existing single-family detached dwelling unit.

    (d) Landscape plan requirements. A landscaping plan, prepared by an individual who can demonstrate knowledge of landscape design, shall be required as specified in chapter 12-A, the Land Preservation Act. In addition to those requirements, approval of a landscape plan shall be required prior to the issuance of building permits and prior to the development of any parking area or loading/unloading area.

    (e) Screening and landscaping requirements. In addition to the requirements and purpose of the Land Preservation Act:

    (1)    A minimum of fifteen percent (15%) of the total land area of any tract, parcel or lot shall be landscaped. Landscaping shall be reasonably distributed throughout the site.

    (2)    No new buildings or additions to existing buildings shall be permitted unless additional landscaping is provided on the tract, parcel or lot in an area equal to at least fifteen percent (15%) of the land area occupied by the new building or addition. This subsection shall not apply to any land which meets the minimum requirement of subsection (e)(1).

    (3)    All paved areas with more than fifty (50) feet of length, within twenty (20) feet of a street right-of-way shall have a six (6) feet wide street yard landscaping strip within private yards separating parking areas from abutting street rights-of-way containing no less than four (4) of the categories of planting materials listed in paragraph (f) of this section. The street yard landscaping strip shall contain one tree per fifty (50) feet of street frontage. Such trees may be clustered or arranged within the area and need not be placed at even intervals. The street yard landscaping strip may contain driveways.

        No parking areas shall contain more than one hundred fifty (150) spaces. If a greater number is required, separate parking areas of not more than one hundred fifty (150) spaces shall be provided and shall be separated by a landscaped area of at least ten (10) feet in width. The ten (10) feet wide landscaped area shall contain four (4) of the categories of planting materials listed in paragraph (f) of this section. In addition, trees shall be planted within the ten (10) feet wide landscaped area at the rate of one tree for each fifty (50) lineal feet. Appropriately placed connections between parking areas are permitted.

        No less than fifty (50) percent of the linear street frontage forming the perimeter of parking areas described above, exclusive of driveways and entrances, shall contain screening materials. These materials may consist of plantings from the tree and shrub categories, or ornamental fences or walls, or earthen berms, or some combination thereof. This screening shall extend to a minimum of three (3) feet above the grade of the parking lot.

    (4)    In addition to the above, paved areas developed after August 19, 1991, and additions to paved areas which were developed prior to August 19, 1991, exceeding 4500 square feet in area shall contain a minimum of one (1) tree for every four thousand five hundred (4,500) square feet of paved area. All required trees planted to achieve compliance, are to be distributed in a configuration which shades the paved areas within the site.  In a case where the location of trees within the site interferes with the loading and unloading of large vehicles, the required trees may be placed at the perimeter of the paved areas or in other suitable locations on the site. All required trees planted to achieve compliance must be a locally adapted species, approved for the site by the director of public works. The director of public works is authorized to adopt and maintain a list of approved species to be used for planting required by this section. When a site, in the opinion of the director of public works, is configured in a manner that makes planting of required trees impractical or unsafe, shrubs and ground cover may be substituted for trees. Existing trees saved on the site within the parking area may be credited toward minimum tree requirements only if it is demonstrated that they have been properly protected during and following development and if they meet the size requirements of chapter 12A.

    (5)    Paved areas containing more than one thousand five hundred (1,500) square feet within fifty (50) feet of a residential use or residential zoning district or any motor vehicle loading/unloading areas within fifty (50) feet of a residential use or residential zoning district, but not separated by street right-of-way, shall be screened from view of the adjoining residential use or residential zoning district, by landscaping materials, ornamental fence and walls in combination with plant materials, properly stabilized earthen berms, or a combination of any of these methods. Screening shall be so designed that at least eighty (80) per cent opacity is achieved, viewed horizontally, in the space between one foot and five (5) feet above grade at the screen line, at the time of installation; provided, that where plant materials are used for screening, these shall be selected and placed to achieve the same objective within four (4) full growing seasons following planting. All screening material, including plant material, shall be continuously maintained in good condition, to the above standards.

    (6)    Landscaping and screening shall not be allowed to obstruct the view of motorists using any street, private driveway, parking aisles or the approach to any street intersection so as to constitute a traffic hazard or condition dangerous to the public safety upon any such street.

    (7)    Of the combined total number of trees required to be planted in the six (6) feet wide street yard landscaping strip and in the interior parking lot, no less than thirty (30) percent shall be of a species of medium to large shade trees.

    (8)    Lots which contain attached residences and which have side or rear property boundaries abutting collector or arterial street right of way shall have screening either along such boundaries or around any patios on the lot which are visible from the right of way. The screening shall consist of landscape materials, ornamental fences or walls in combination with plant materials, properly stabilized earthen berms, or a combination of these methods. Screening shall be so designed that at least 50 percent opacity is achieved, viewed horizontally, in the space between one foot and five feet above grade at the screening line, at the time of installation; provided that where plant materials are used for screening, these shall be selected and placed to achieve the same objective within four (4) full growing seasons following planting. Screening shall be placed on private property. All screening material, including plant material, shall be continuously maintained in good condition to the above standards.

    (f) Planting requirements. The categories of planting material and the minimum planting sizes for planting materials, where applicable, shall be as follows:

    (1)     Medium and large deciduous shade trees: Two (2) inch caliper, as measured six (6) inches above the ground, as specified by the American Association of Nurserymen.

    (2)     Small deciduous or ornamental trees: Four (4) feet in height as specified by the American Association of Nurserymen, with the exception of true dwarf species.

    (3)     Conifers: Six (6) feet in height.

    (4)     Upright evergreen trees: Four (4) feet in height as specified by the American Association of Nurserymen, except for true dwarf species.

    (5)    Deciduous shrubs (minimum two (2) gallon size).

    (6)    Evergreen shrubs (minimum two (2) gallon size).

    (7)     Ground cover plants (Crowns, plugs, containers): In a number as appropriate by species to provide fifty (50) per cent surface coverage after two (2) growing seasons.

    (8)     Grass seeding or sod: As appropriate to provide complete coverage within the first growing season.

    (9)    Perennial flowers.

    (10) Ornamental grass.

    (g) Installation, maintenance and enforcement.

    (1)    Required landscaping shall not be installed until all street yard landscaping strips, setbacks, tree planting sizes and locations, screening locations and overall planting configurations are inspected and approved by the city. Deviations from the approved plans shall be corrected to conform to the approved plan. If, in the opinion of the director of public works, compliance is not achievable due to unforeseen circumstances, the landscaping plan may be amended, but in all cases must comply with the requirements of the landscaping requirements for the zoning district in which the site is located.

    (2)    All landscaping called for in the approved landscape plan, living and non-living, shall be in place and approved by the city prior to issuance of certificates of occupancy. It shall be unlawful to occupy any structure, or to represent to any person that the structure may be occupied, prior to the final approval of the landscaping. If, at the time of request for the certificate, the required landscaping would be jeopardized by weather conditions, the developer shall comply with applicable provisions of chapter 12A.

    (3)    The trees, shrubs, fences, walls and other landscaping materials depicted on approved plans shall be considered as elements of the project in the same manner as parking, building materials and other elements. The developer, his successor and subsequent owners and their agents who are authorized to maintain the property, shall be responsible for the continued maintenance. Plant material which exhibits evidence of insect pest disease or damage shall be appropriately treated, and dead plants promptly removed and replaced within the next planting season. All landscaping will be subject to periodic inspection by the city to ensure compliance.

    (4)    A minimum one hundred seventy (170) square feet pervious growing area per medium to large tree shall be provided. A minimum seventy-five (75) square feet pervious growing area shall be provided for ornamental trees.

    (h) Alternative methods of compliance. Although certain material or a particular method of construction is specifically prescribed by this section, this section is not intended, especially whenever a stream, natural rock formation or other physiographic condition exists, to prevent the use of a material or method of construction not prescribed specifically by this section; provided, any such alternate material or method has been approved in writing or in plan and its use authorized by the director of public works. The director may approve in writing or in plan any such alternate material or method of construction; provided, it is found that the proposed alternate is for the purpose intended, and is at least the equivalent of that specifically prescribed by this section in quality, effectiveness, durability, hardiness, and performance.

    (i) Exceptions. The following uses are exempt from the requirements of subsection (e)(3) and (4) above:

        Motor vehicles or trailer sales and service;

        Farm machinery sales and service;

except that paved areas of such exempted uses with more than fifty (50) feet of length within twenty (20) feet of a street right-of-way shall have a six (6) feet wide street yard landscaping strip within private yards separating such areas from abutting street rights-of-way containing no less than four (4) of the categories of planting materials listed in paragraph (f) of this section. Such landscaping strip shall not be subject to the tree or screening requirements imposed by subsection (e)(3); except that the required landscaped areas shall include not less than one ornamental or other type of tree for each 4,500 square feet of paved area, provided however, that one (1) large shrub or two (2) medium shrubs may be substituted for each required tree.  A large shrub is defined as one that reaches at least six (6) feet in height in four (4) growing seasons, and a medium shrub is defined as one that reaches at least thirty (30) inches in height in three (3) growing seasons.  Shrubs which may be grouped together or planted individually, should be from the deciduous woody ornamental or evergreen families (minimum of five (5) gallon size); and except that when a use listed above has been abandoned, and trees and screening have not been installed in accordance with the provisions of this section, such tree planting and screening shall then be required prior to occupancy for any other use.

    (j)    As used in this section, “paved area” means open areas used or occupied by motor vehicles including parking areas, loading areas and driveways.  “Paved area” does not include areas under the roof of a building, sidewalks or pedways.

(Ord. No. 13058, § 1, 8-19-91; Ord. No. 14334 § 1, 1-3-95; Ord. No. 14963, § 1, 9-3-96; Ord. No. 15474, § 1, 1-5-98; Ord. No. 15640, § 1, 6-15-98; Ord. No. 16126, § 2, 8-16-99; Ord. No. 16798, § 1, 3-5-01; Ord. No. 17584, § 1, 2-17-03; Ord. No. 18464, § 1, 4-4-05 ; Ord. No. 20237, § 1, 4-20-09)

     Editor's note--Ord. No. 11767, § 1, adopted Feb. 1, 1988, repealed § 29-25, pertaining to design standards for travel trailer parks, which derived from Code 1964, § 19.202; Ord. No. 9958, § 1, adopted Oct. 3, 1983 and Ord. No. 11702, § 1, adopted Dec. 7, 1987.