§ D. LANDSCAPING STANDARDS.

8.d.1.

Purpose:

a.

Landscaping shall be provided as part of site plan and subdivision design. It shall be conceived in a total pattern throughout the site, integrating the various elements of site design, preserving and enhancing the particular identity of the site, and creating a pleasing site character;

b.

Landscaping may include plant materials such as trees, shrubs, ground covers, perennials, and annuals, and other materials such as walls, fences, paving materials, and street furniture.

8.d.2.

Landscape Plan: A landscape plan shall be submitted by a landscape architect, horticulturist, or persons actively involved in the design of plant materials with each site plan and subdivision application, unless a waiver is specifically granted by the Sumter City-County Planning Commission. The plan shall identify proposed trees, shrubs, and ground covers, natural features, and other landscaping elements. The plan shall show where they are located and planting types and other construction details. Where existing plants are to be retained, the applicant shall include in the plans proposed methods of protecting them during construction.

8.d.3.

Site Protection and General Planting Requirements:

a.

Storm-water Management and Sediment Reduction Act: All land grading and filling activities, as defined in 1.p.1. of this ordinance and S.C. Codes 48-14-10 et seq., as amended, within the City of Sumter and the unincorporated portion of Sumter County shall require a grading permit by the Sumter County Soil and Water Conservation District. The Sumter Soil and Water Conservation Service, as an implementing agency, shall not issue grading permits for construction projects unless in conformance with the City of Sumter Ordinance Number 1627, and the Sumter County Ordinance Number 98-348. Appendix A of this ordinance contains a copy of the herein referenced Ordinances.

b.

Protection and the Replacement of Trees: A Land Disturbance Permit shall be required for all commercial and industrial projects occupying undeveloped and/or developed property, or portions thereof. Expressly excluded from the provisions herein are only owner-occupied individual residential properties, all one- and two-family lots that have been approved and recorded, and on-going farm operations. No person, firm, organization, society, association, or corporation, or any agent or representative thereof shall directly or indirectly destroy or remove any tree situated on property under the jurisdiction of this Section without A Land Disturbance Permit. Note: Tree protection and a Tree Protection Plan are not required for any development activity in residentially zoned districts in the county. This provision is in addition to the exclusions noted in the above paragraph.

1.

Purpose and Intent: It is the intent of Council that the individual planner reviewing tree protection will do an initial on-site inspection of trees and proposed construction. No lot shall be cut prior to this on-site inspection. From that, "Significant Trees" specified in the list below will be protected where feasible. That feasibility may include small site adjustments, saving additional tress outside the construction area, or having a landscape plan that replaces "Significant Tress" that must be removed to allow construction. More significant site adjustments may be required to protect and preserve "Historic Trees" that are found to be healthy and viable. Trees saved by site modifications will receive additional credit during the development of the final landscape plan. It is Council's intent that this ordinance not render any parcel impractical for its permitted or conditionally allowed uses.

2.

Definition of a Land Disturbance Activity: Residential subdivision development or commercial and industrial development projects involving earth moving, clearing, grading, ditching, tree removal, or other construction activities.

3.

Application, Fee, and Permit Issuance: An application for a Land Disturbance Permit shall be available from the Sumter City-County Planning Commission. The permit fee shall be twenty-five ($25.00) dollars. The issuance of a Land Disturbance Permit is contingent upon the approval of a Tree Protection Plan.

4.

Tree Protection Plan: A Tree Protection Plan shall be submitted as part of a landscape plan, site plan, subdivision plan, or filed separately.

5.

Components of a Tree Protection Plan: The following information shall be placed on a map at the same scale to be used later in a construction plan:

a.

Foot print or proposed foot print of any building(s) or structure(s);

b.

Areas of clearing, grading, trenching, and other earth moving activities;

c.

Identification of significant trees, historic trees, and hazard trees;

d.

Significant stands of trees;

e.

Tree protection zones;

f.

Ponds, creeks, wetlands and other important natural features;

g.

Planned remediation areas of re-vegetation.

6.

Tree Protection Measures During Construction: The tree protection plan shall include drawings of tree protection measures to be used during construction including the following:

a.

Tree protection barriers;

b.

Erosion control fencing;

c.

Transplantation specification;

d.

Tree wells and aeration systems;

e.

Staking specifications.

7.

Review of Tree Protection Plan: The review of the Tree Protection Plan shall be conducted by the City or County Arborist. If a review is not complete within ten (10) working days after submission, the Tree Protection plan shall be deemed to be approved.

8.

Follow-up Inspections: The Zoning Administrator, City or County Arborist shall conduct follow-up inspections for the enforcement of the Tree Protection Plan.

c.

Protection of Historic Trees and Significant Trees: It shall be the responsibility of the City or County Arborist through the general enforcement provisions of this ordinance to protect Historic and Significant Trees. Historic trees are any trees within the City of Sumter or the unincorporated areas of Sumter County which are known in local legend or lore; or are known by a popular name; or have a diameter at breast height (DBH) of thirty (30") inches or more; or are over one hundred (100) years old. Significant trees are defined by a minimum DBH criteria for the designated trees as follows:

Botanical name	Common name	DBH
Qyercus virginiana	Live Oak	8 inches
Ulmus parviforia	Chinese Elm	10 inches
Cedrus deodara	Deodar Cedar	10 inches
Nyssa spp.	Tupelo	10 inches
Ginko biloba	Ginkgo	10 inches
Quercus spp.	Oaks other than live oaks	10 inches
Acer rubrum	Red Maple	10 inches
Liriodendron tulipifera	Yellow-poplar or tulip tree	10 inches
Taxodium distichum	Bald Cypress	10 inches
Magnolia grandiflora	Southern Magnolia	10 inches
Carya spp.	Hickory	10 inches
Ulmus americana	Elm	10 inches
Betula nigra	River Birch	10 inches

 

8.d.4.

Additional Landscaping in Residential Areas: Besides the screening and street trees as may be required, additional plantings or landscaping elements may be established where necessary throughout the subdivision for climate control, privacy, or other reasons in accordance with the landscape plan approved by the Sumter City-County Planning Commission.

8.d.5.

Planting Specifications For All Forms Of Development: Deciduous trees shall have at least a two (2") inch caliper at planting. Size of evergreens and shrubs shall be allowed to vary depending on setting and type of shrub. Trees, shrubs, and ground covers shall be planted according to acceptable horticultural standards. Dead and dying plants shall be replaced by the developer during the following planting season, or at the end of the Maintenance Guarantee Phase, whichever is longer.

8.d.6.

Street Trees:

a.

Location: The Sumter City-County Planning Commission may require street trees when an adequate number of trees do not exist on a lot. Where street trees are installed they shall normally be on both sides of streets in accordance with the approved landscape plan as set forth in 8.d.1.a. Trees shall be spaced evenly along the street with spacing dependent on species and tree size. However, when spacing intervals exceed forty (40 ft.) feet, small ornamentals (e.g., Crepe Myrtle) may be required between the larger trees as under-story trees. Street trees shall be planted not to interfere with utilities, roadways, sidewalks, or street lights. Tree location, landscaping design, and spacing plan shall be approved by the Sumter City-County Planning Commission as part of the overall landscaping plan as set forth in 8.d.1.a.

b.

Tree Type: The principle street tree chosen for a development shall be selected from known canopy trees species. However, within this requirement, street tree type may vary depending on the overall effect desired. All trees on a particular street shall be of the same kind.

c.

Planting Specifications: All street trees shall have a caliper of two (2") inches and be of substantially uniform size and shape, and have straight trunks. Street trees shall be properly planted and staked and provisions shall be made by the developer or owner for regular watering and maintenance until the street trees are established. Dead and/or dying street trees shall be replaced by the applicant during the next planting season, or at the end of the Maintenance Guarantee period, whichever is longer.

8.d.7.

Buffering:

a.

Function and Materials: Buffering shall provide a year-round visual screen to minimize adverse impacts and to insure high aesthetic standards of development. It may consist of fencing, trees, berms, landscaping or a combination thereof.

b.

When Required: Every development shall provide sufficient buffering when natural land features or existing natural vegetative barriers do not provide reasonable screening and when the Sumter City-County Planning Commission determines that there is a need to:

1.

Screen from view any proposed commercial, industrial or other non-residential uses with outside storage area for materials to be sold, salvaged, stored and the like;

2.

Shield neighboring developed or undeveloped properties from any adverse external effects of a development;

3.

To shield the development from negative impacts of adjacent uses such as streets. In high-density developments, when building design and siting do not provide privacy, the Sumter City-County Planning Commission may require landscaping, fencing, or walls to screen dwelling units for privacy. Buffering may be required for front, side, or rear property lines, excluding driveways (see Exhibit 14 for an example of a buffering concept).

c.

Amount Required:

1.

Where more intensive land uses or zoning districts abut less intensive land uses or zoning districts, a buffer strip ten (10 ft.) feet in width shall be required;

2.

Parking lots, garbage collection and utility areas, and loading and unloading areas shall be screened around their perimeter by a buffer strip a minimum of five (5 ft.) feet wide.

d.

Design: Arrangement of plantings in buffers shall provide protection to adjacent properties. Possible arrangements include planting in parallel, serpentine, or broken rows. If planted berms are used, the minimum top width shall be four (4 ft.) feet, and a reasonable side slope shall be 2:1.

e.

Planting Specifications: Plant materials shall be sufficiently large and planted in such a fashion that a year-round screen at least six (6 ft.) in height shall be produced within three (3) growing seasons. All planting shall be installed according to acceptable horticultural standards.

f.

Maintenance: Plantings shall be watered regularly by means of an automatic and timed irrigation system or other acceptable methods of periodic watering. No buildings, structures, storage of materials, or parking shall be permitted within buffer areas. Buffer areas shall be maintained and kept free of all debris, rubbish, weeds, and tall grass.

EXHIBIT 14

BUFFERYARD ILLUSTRATED DRAWING

8.d.8.

Parking Lot Landscaping:

a.

Amount Required: Within parking lots, landscaped concrete planters should be considered as part of the overall planned landscape concept. Planting required within the parking lot is exclusive of other planting requirements, such as for shade trees planted along the street frontage.

b.

Location: The landscaping should be located in protected areas, such as in landscape islands, center islands, at the end of bays, around the perimeter of buildings, or along walkways.

c.

Plant Type: A mixture of hardy flowering and/or decorative evergreen and deciduous trees may be planted. The evergreens should be used along the perimeter of the parking lot for screening, and the deciduous trees for shade within the lot. The area between trees shall be mulched and planted with shrubs or ground cover. Any area that will be under the overhang of vehicles shall be mulched or covered with paving material.

d.

Maintenance: Plantings shall be watered regularly by means of an automatic and timed irrigation system or other acceptable methods of periodic watering.

e.

Planned Expansion: Where there is a planned expansion of a parking lot of 25% or greater than the number of parking spaces found within an existing parking lot, then the entire parking lot (existing and expanded) shall meet the landscaping and buffering requirements of this ordinance after the expansion. Also, where the planned expansion of a parking lot is greater than 5%, then the requirements for perimeter buffering around the existing and the expanded parking lot shall be installed.

8.d.9.

Paving Material in Pedestrian Areas:

a.

Design and choice of paving materials used in pedestrian areas shall consider such factors as function, characteristics of users, availability, maintenance, glare, drainage, noise, appearance, and compatibility.

b.

Acceptable materials shall include concrete, brick, concrete pavers, asphalt, and stone.

8.d.10.

Walls and Fences:

a.

Walls and fences shall be erected where required for privacy, screening, separation, security, erosion control, or to serve other necessary and reasonable functions.

b.

The design and materials used shall be functional and compatible with existing and proposed site architecture.

8.d.11.

Retrofitting Under Prevailing Landscaping, Buffering, and Parking Lot Landscaping Standards: As per Article Six, Section G. of this ordinance, any commercial or industrial activity which remains vacant on a parcel of land for a six (6) month period, and re-opens as the same use or different use (which may be permitted in the zoning district) shall meet all of the standards of this Article.