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Parking Lot Perimeter Landscaping

DISCLAIMER: The information provided on this page is a work in progress and should be viewed strictly as informative.
 
Note: All parking lot perimeter landscaping must adhere to s.295-405-1

 

Light Motor Vehicles

 

Principle:


Parking lot street edge landscaping serves a number of purposes. 

It helps to define the street edge or street wall where a building or structure is lacking, reinforcing the pedestrian realm of the public sidewalk. It does this both at the crowns of the trees as well as at the lower level human scale area. In more distinctly urban contexts, a “hard urban edge” is needed to create the appropriately level of street edge. In other locations, the even spaced, consistent species shrubbery and planting can acheieve the effect.
 
Street edge landscaping also serves to street motor vehicles and create a safe barrier for parking lots that may encroach on the pedestrian public sidewalk.
 
Landscaping should generally allow views in and out of the parking area to provide visual safety.

 

Standards:

  
Type "A" Landscaping
 

This type is primarily intended for application along street frontages of light motor vehicle parking lots. It requires regularly-spaced trees and continuous base shrubs, but not fences or walls. Fences are allowed, but not required. Plantings in the lowlevel and high-level zones shall create a continuous edge of plants. However, the eye-level zone shall be kept mostly open, consistent with the standards of par. c-5, to allow for surveillance between parking lots and streets.
 Type "B" Landscaping
  

This type is primarily intended for application along street frontages of light motor vehicle parking lots. It requires regularly-spaced trees and continuous base shrubs, as well as fences or walls. Fences or walls shall clearly define the street edges of properties. Plantings in the low-level and high-level zones shall create a continuous edge of plants, while the eye-level zone shall be kept mostly open, consistent with the standards of par. c-5, to allow for surveillance between parking lots and streets.
 Type "C" Landscaping
  

This type is primarily intended for application along street frontages of light motor vehicle parking lots. It reduces the width of the setback and drops the base-shrub requirement in exchange for upgraded edge elements such as low-level walls. In order to maintain the low- level edge, a wall of at least 3 feet in height is required. Higher fences or walls are allowed. Fences or walls shall clearly define the street edges of properties. The crown of trees in the highlevel zone shall create a continuous street edge, while the eye-level zone shall be kept mostly open, consistent with the standards of par. c-5, to allow for surveillance between parking lots and streets. Low-level shrubs, plantings and grasses are allowed and encouraged.
 Type "D" Landscaping
  

This type is primarily intended for application along street frontages of motor vehicle sales and display lots. It requires regularly-spaced trees and continuous, lower-height base shrubs. Unlike the type A requirement, base shrubs need only grow to a height of 2 feet. This type requires fences or walls in the LB2 district, but in all other districts fences and walls are optional. Plantings in the low-level and high-level zones shall create a continuous edge of plants, while the eye-level zone shall be kept mostly open, consistent with the standards of par. c-5, to allow for surveillance between parking lots and streets.

 

Images/Examples:

  
Type "A" Landscaping
 This is a good example of Type "A" landscaping.  The image shows a continuous low-level and high-level planting edge while leaving the eye-level zone open.
Type "B" Landscaping
 This is a good example of Type "B" landscaping.  The image shows a wrought iron fence combined with low-level plantings and evenly spaced trees.
Type "B" Landscaping
 This is a good example of Type "B" landscaping.  Low-level plantings along with a masonry wall form the bottom edge of landscaping.  Evenly spaced honey locust trees provide a continuous canopy edge.

 

Adapting to Existing Conditions:
Often times, landscaping is unable to adhere precisely to what is required by code.  The images below show good examples of how landscaping can be adapted to existing conditions.
Narrow space between parking lot and sidewalk
 Large, concrete planters with hedge plantings
Type "C" landscaping with no space for required wall
 Raised planter bed with continuous edge of hedge plantings