ACTION REQUESTED:
Title
Communication from the City Manager and Director of Community Development with a Recommendation from the Planning & Zoning Commission and Staff to ADOPT the Following:
A. ORDINANCE A Amending APPENDIX B, the Zoning Ordinance, Related to LANDSCAPING AND SCREENING REQUIREMENTS; and
B. ORDINANCE B Amending APPENDIX C, the Land Development Code, Related to LANDSCAPING AND SCREENING REQUIREMENTS.
Body
BACKGROUND:
On February 18, 2014, Staff held a policy session with City Council to discuss current and proposed landscaping and screening requirements. At the policy session, Staff noted the following issues with the current regulations:
· Lack of plant variety
· No encouragement for the use of bio-swales or alternative landscaping
· No requirement for street trees
· Landscaping for large parking lots only
· No encouragement for alternative screening
· Lack of incentive to landscape or screen
· Different regulations between the Zoning Ordinance and Land Development Code.
Staff presented research of the economic, environmental, and social benefits effective landscaping and screening regulations can provide to a community: Benefits such as:
· Increased property values
· Lower utility/operational costs of mechanical systems
· Extended street and parking lot pavement life
· Better erosion control
· Improved air quality
· Added attractiveness and livability of neighborhoods
· Reduced noise pollution
· Overall sense of well-being
Following the discussion, Council directed Staff to take the specific actions listed below.
1. Permit a greater variety of landscaping plants and an emphasis on trees.
2. Require landscaping of parking lots at 50 spaces.
3. Allow artistic painting of utility boxes.
4. Align the landscape requirements of the Land Development Code and the Zoning Code.
The text amendments included with this memo are summarized below.
Item |
Description |
Appendix B Section |
Appendix C Section |
Front and Corner Side Yard |
Plantings must be from the tree classification. Street shade trees may be planted in the right-of-way to meet requirements. |
16.4.a |
8.2.6 |
Parking Lot |
Landscape islands or divider medians required for 51 or more (reduced from 100) parking spaces. Plantings must be from the shade tree classification. |
16.4.b |
8.2.7 |
Garden Wall |
Garden wall may be used in place of Transitional Buffer Yard |
16.4.c |
No change |
Alternative Landscaping |
Rain gardens, bio-swales, native plants, grasses and perennials are allowed. |
16.5 |
8.2.16 |
Garbage Enclosure |
Minimum height of 6 feet, not to exceed 7 feet. (Reduced from 8 feet in the LDC) |
No change |
8.2.15 |
Mechanical Equipment |
Roof, wall or ground equipment may be painted as a form of screening. Ground level equipment only may be artistically painted as a form of screening. |
16.10 |
8.2.15 |
Definitions |
Garden wall, green infrastructure, and shrub. |
18 |
11.3 |
The proposed code changes encourage green infrastructure, allow a greater variety of plantings, and provide additional buffering and screening options. The code changes also align the Zoning Ordinance and Land Development Code to provide uniform regulations.
City staff has discussed these ordinance amendments with a group from the Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber group is in agreement with these changes.
After the Public Hearing and comment process was complete, the Peoria Area Association of Realtors (PAAR) Government Affairs Committee voted to oppose the use of shade trees in parking lots because of "leaf debris, possible blockage of signs, root issues, etc."
FINANCIAL IMPACT: None
NEIGHBORHOOD CONCERNS (at the Planning & Zoning Commission meeting): None
IMPACT IF APPROVED: A greater variety of plantings may be utilized toward required landscape points, a garden wall may be installed in place of a transitional buffer yard, alternative landscaping features such as rain gardens and bio-swales are encouraged, height of garbage enclosures reduced from 8 feet to 6 to 7 feet in the Land Development Code, artistic painting of mechanical units is allowed and definitions of green infrastructure and garden wall are added.
IMPACT IF DENIED: The landscaping and screening regulations will remain unchanged with the issues noted above, which provide less flexibility and fewer sustainable development options.
ALTERNATIVES: NA
EEO CERTIFICATION NUMBER: NA
WHICH OF THE GOALS IDENTIFIED IN THE COUNCIL'S 2014 - 2029 STRATEGIC PLAN DOES THIS RECOMMENDATION ADVANCE?
1. Grow Peoria: Businesses, Jobs, and Population
2. Attractive Neighborhoods with Character: Safe and Livable
WHICH CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTOR(S) FROM THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DOES THIS RECOMMENDATION IMPLEMENT?
1. Grow employers and jobs.
2. Support sustainability.
DEPARTMENT: Community Development