Plan requirements and specific standards
(1) Landscape plan required. A landscape plan prepared by a Rhode Island registered landscape architect shall be submitted for all projects requiring development plan review, subdivision, or land development approval as specified in the subdivisions and land development regulations. A landscape plan shall contain the elements listed below:
(a) Existing conditions plan.
(i) The general extent and types of vegetation, including notable or unique plant communities and mature unfragmented forests or areas of vegetation;
(ii) Notable natural features such as rock outcrops, and trees having a ten-inch caliper dbh or more;
(iii) General drainage paths throughout the site;
(iv) The location of any notable human-made features such as structures, stone walls, fences, utilities, etc.; and
(v) Planting details and specifications.
(b) Proposed landscaping.
(i) Proposed grading at two-foot contour intervals. The director of planning and development or planning commission may waive this requirement if the proposal will clearly not alter on site drainage patterns in a manner that affects adjacent properties or may compromise the performance of on-site stormwater or wastewater infrastructure;
(ii) Proposed location of retained vegetation;
(iii) Methods of protection for retained vegetation during the construction phase (limits of disturbance should be clearly shown on plans and delineated in the field using fencing, hay bales, silt fencing, or other means installed prior to land disturbance and maintained throughout the construction period);
(iv) List of proposed plantings and general locations;
(v) Identification of any landscaped areas that will be used for stormwater management including details and specifications vegetated practices such as swales, constructed wetlands, rain gardens, etc. (landscaping for rain gardens and other stormwater controls and revegetation of disturbed wetland buffers may be beyond scope of this provision and addressed separately in stormwater management plan and wetland protection standards, respectively);
(vi) Specifications for cultivation, loaming, seeding, and fertilization that demonstrate compliance with subsections (3) and (4) as applicable;
(2) Site protection. Protection of the site shall be in accordance with the following:
(a) Sediment and erosion control shall be addressed as part of the landscaping plan unless a separate soil and erosion control plan is prepared.
(b) Topsoil suitable for landscaping shall be retained on site in an amount as determined as part of the required landscape plan. To the maximum extent practicable, the developer shall minimize the areas of the site to be regraded or disturbed. Topsoil exposed during construction shall be protected through stabilization measures consistent with the Rhode Island Sediment Control Handbook and approved by the director of planning and development or the planning commission as applicable;
(c) All organic material, rubbish, potentially harmful materials or debris shall be removed from the site in a timely fashion. Disposal of cleared, grubbed and stripped materials shall be the responsibility of the developer. All roots, stumps, brush, foliage and other vegetation that have been cleared or excavated shall be removed and disposed of by the developer off the project site. This requirement may be modified for the dumping and landfilling of tree stumps as regulated by the subdivisions and land development regulations.
(d) No filling, excavation, or material storage shall occur within four (4) feet of any shrub or the dripline of any tree that will be retained. Protective barriers shall be installed to protect this area surrounding retained vegetation and shall be a minimum of three (3) feet high and constructed of durable material. Snow fences and silt fences are examples of acceptable barriers.
(e) Parking of construction vehicles, offices/trailers, stockpiling of equipment/materials, etc. shall take place in areas designated for permanent structures or other impervious surfaces and clearly shown on plans.
(f) Existing stone walls shall be retained and incorporated into the site design to the maximum extent possible. Where possible, they shall be used as property lines for proposed new interior lots, perimeter property lines or to delineate open space areas from development areas. If existing stone walls are to be moved or disassembled, the director of planning and development or the planning commission may require the stone wall to be reconstructed elsewhere within the proposed development site.
(g) Landscaping of all cut and fill areas and/or terraces shall be sufficient to prevent erosion, and all roadway side slopes greater than 1:3 shall be planted with vegetated ground cover appropriate for the purpose of erosion control and for the soil conditions and environment. The use of erosion control fabric or mats shall be utilized when appropriate.
(h) Disturbed areas intended for natural re-growth should be, at a minimum, graded, loamed, and seeded with wildflowers, perennial rye grass, a meadow or "conservation" native grass mix or similar varieties.
(3) Plant specifications.
(a) Caliper and height measurements as well as root ball specifications for all trees and shrubs shall conform to the American Standard For Nursery Stock ANSI Z60.1-2004.
(b) Shade or canopy trees shall not be less than twelve (12) feet in planted height above grade;
(c) Small or minor shade trees shall not be less than ten (10) feet in planted height above grade;
(d) Flowering fruit trees shall not be less than ten (10) feet in planted height above grade;
(e) Evergreen trees used for screening shall not be les than six (6) feet in planted height above grade;
(f) Lawn seed mixes shall be drought resistant. To achieve a high level of drought tolerance, lawn mixes shall include, but shall not be limited to, a predominance of fine fescues.
(4) Planting and cultivation.
(a) Soil.
(i) In all areas where landscaping is to be provided and topsoil is to be removed for the purposes of site development and/or grading, topsoil shall be restored and shall contain a minimum of five percent organic matter for turf areas and ten percent for trees and shrubs. The minimum depth of any restored topsoil shall be six inches.
(ii) Where pre-existing topsoil will be used for landscaping, such soil shall be cultivated to a depth of six inches. All areas subject to compaction by vehicles, heavy equipment, materials storage or other activities shall be restored by tilling or plowing before replanting.
(iii) Cultivated areas shall be covered with not less than a two-inch deep layer of mulch after planting where weed control is required. Mulch should be natural, unpainted, unstained, and designed to retain moisture where applied. Mulching around plantings shall not be done in a manner that encourages damage from excessive moisture. Wood chip mulch shall not be allowed.
(b) Lawns.
(i) Lawn area for ornamental purposes in commercial or industrial development shall be limited to yards with frontage and ornamental turf shall be limited to areas within the front yard setback. The use of turf in yards without frontage shall be limited to areas reserved for utilities, grass swales, or alternative parking surfaces.
(ii) Lawn or turf areas shall not be planted in strips that are less than six feet in width.
(c) Trees.
(i) Deciduous shade trees along streets are required as part of all development activity in accordance with the zoning ordinance.
(ii) Trees shall be spaced approximately 30 to 40 feet on center along streets, but shall not be located within 30 feet of intersecting right-of-way lines.
(iii) Pits cultivations for all trees shall be 2.5 times the diameter of the root ball and a depth equal to the same. Holes for trees shall be prepared in a manner that facilitates grow-in of new trees through the use of best practices.
(iv) Trees and other landscaping shall be staked as necessary and provisions shall be made by the developer for adequate watering and maintenance until the plantings are established.
(v) No street trees shall be located in a manner that interferes with overhead or underground utility lines.
(vi) When planted closer than seven (7) feet from the edge of any pavement, vertical barriers shall be installed to discourage the growth of tree roots into and immediately under the pavement area. Alternative tree planting methods such as the use of "CU-structural soil TM" to prevent damage to pavements and enhance tree growth are encouraged.
(5) Landscaping for buffers, parking lots, and loading areas.
(a) Every development that has a potentially adverse effect on adjacent property or streets due to noise, size or any conditions shall provide sufficient buffering when topography, existing vegetation or other barriers do not provide reasonable screening to shield neighboring properties.
(b) No building, structure, storage of materials, trash receptacles, or parking shall be permitted within the buffer area unless specifically allowed as an exception elsewhere within the Zoning Ordinance. Buffer areas shall be maintained in a manner commensurate with the approved landscape plan and kept free of all debris, rubbish, and weeds and tall grasses unless they were specifically identified in the planting/landscape plan. A buffer may be intersected by a sidewalk, a driveway, a shared driveway, a driveway used to connect adjacent properties with complementary uses, a pedestrian path, bike path, or utility easement.
(c) The minimum standards for buffering are provided below. The director of planning and development or the planning commission, as part of development plan review, land development projects or subdivisions, may require applicants to comply with stricter buffer requirements if the project would otherwise create large-scale negative impacts to abutting or adjacent properties such as dust, noise, and glare. The director of planning and development or the planning commission may also reduce these requirements along non-residential property lines within the same zoning district.:
(i) Unless otherwise specified, a minimum ten-foot wide landscaped strip of vegetation is required around the entire perimeter of a site, except for development in the neighborhood business district, the Wickford Village Center district, and the Post Road district.
(ii) Where a property zoned or used as a business, commercial or institutional use abuts a property which is zoned or used as a residential, educational, recreational or religious use, a 25-foot wide buffer strip shall be required on the property zoned or used for business, commercial, mixed use or institutional use. This requirement shall not apply to development in the Post Road, neighborhood business, or Wickford Village districts.
(iii) Buffering shall provide a year-round, dense, and virtually opaque screen of not less than six feet in height in order to minimize adverse impacts and limit visibility and noise. The buffer shall be comprised of a mix of plantings and site elements which may include a mixture of groundcover, understory vegetation and canopy trees, evergreens, berms, walls and/or fences to effectively achieve screening objectives. Earthen berms may be used in the buffer design, provided such side slopes are adequately stabilized by vegetation. Such berms may be used to calculate effective buffer height. The use of tall, monoculture, and uniformly planted rows of evergreens or other similar species shall be discouraged.
Figure 4. Buffering
(iii) Plantings shall provide adequate screening but shall not be overcrowded and shall be installed in a manner that provides enough space for shrubs and trees to remain viable at maturity.
(iv) Where a property contains a stand-alone parking lot and abuts a property zoned or used exclusively as a residential, educational, recreational or religious use, a 25-foot wide buffer shall be required on the property line(s) that abut the residential, educational, recreational or religious use on the property zoned or used for business, commercial, mixed use, or institutional use. This requirement shall not apply to development in the Post Road, neighborhood business, or Wickford Village districts.
(v) Where a property zoned or used for an industrial use abuts a property zoned for residential, educational, or religious use, a vegetated buffer of 50 feet in width shall be installed and maintained on the industrial use.
(vi) Where residential development is located on the corner of streets with two different size classifications as defined in the subdivisions and land development regulations (i.e., "local" vs. "collector" vs. "arterial" roads), frontage shall be located along the road with the smaller classification to the extent practicable. A buffer shall be provided between the residential development and the road with the larger street classification. The buffer strip shall be a minimum of 20 feet wide. Additional width may be required where necessary to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of the residents. The director of planning and development or the planning commission may waive these requirements in the Post Road, neighborhood business, or Wickford Village districts in order to further the goals of these districts.
(vii) Garbage collection, recycling areas, utility areas and any other outside storage areas designated for discarded items shall be screened by a buffer strip with a minimum width of three (3) feet along the sides and back of the area and shall be planted with evergreen trees and shrubs. Where the location of a garbage collection or similar area is effectively screened on any side by another structure such as a building, fence, or retaining wall, the director or the planning commission may waive or reduce this buffering requirement. The director of planning and development or the planning commission may waive these requirements in the Post Road, neighborhood business or Wickford Village districts in order to further the goals of that district. Dumpsters shall not be located in front yards as defined by this zoning ordinance.
(d) Parking lot and loading area landscaping shall be provided, in addition to the required buffer, to minimize direct views of parked vehicles from streets and public sidewalks, provide the parking area with a reasonable measure of shade and avoid spillover light, glare, noise or exhaust onto adjacent properties. The planning commission and director of planning and development may modify any of the minimum standards associated with parking lot landscaping where deviating from these standards would facilitate an effective use of landscaping to manage stormwater runoff. The following minimum standards shall apply:
(i) Interior landscaping shall be provided as follows:
i. The minimum required amount of interior landscaping shall be ten percent of the parking area, which includes driveways, borders, sidewalks, parking stalls, and travel lanes.
Parking lots with 20 or fewer spaces may not require interior landscaping if the planning commission or director of planning and development determines that there is adequate perimeter landscaping and that the objectives of this article have been met.
ii. Each double row of parking spaces shall be terminated by landscaped islands which measure not less than ten feet in width. For islands with a tapered design, the width shall be measured at the island's widest point. The island shall be designed to border the entire length of the adjacent parking stall.
Figure 8. Typical Landscaped Islands
iii. The interior of parking lots shall have, at a minimum, landscaped center islands at every other double row. Pedestrian paths may be incorporated within center islands provided a minimum width of four feet is maintained for vegetated areas.
iv. The interior of parking areas and all internal circulation areas to the site shall be shaded by deciduous trees either retained or planted by the developer. At maturity, each tree shall provide a canopy with a radius of at least 15 feet. There shall be a sufficient tree canopy to cover 30 percent of the parking area.
Figure 9. Shade Trees in Commercial Developments
v. Shade trees shall be located so that they are surrounded by at least 25 square feet of evenly distributed unpaved area, which may be counted towards calculating the required landscaped area. Trees located in sidewalks shall be located in a protected enclosure level with the sidewalk capable of allowing the trunk to grow to maturity.
(Ord. No. 98-7, 5-11-1998; Ord. No. 02-20, §§ 11, 12, 11-18-2002; Ord. No. 03-8, § 10, 6-9-03; Ord. No. 08-18, § 7, 7-7-2008; Ord. No. 10-06, § 6, 4-26-2010)