§ 5.01.02. Landscaped Buffers.

A.

Purpose and Intent. This Section requires landscaped buffers to be provided and maintained when certain land uses are adjacent to or directly across from each other in order to protect uses from the traffic, noise, glare, trash, vibration and odor likely to be associated with a more intensive land use. Landscaped buffers are also required to conserve the values of land and buildings and to provide adequate light and air. The width of the buffer and the required plantings within the buffer vary depending upon the relative intensities of the abutting or adjacent uses.

B.

How to Determine Landscaped Buffer Location. Landscaped buffers shall be located at the perimeter of the development site for any given use, and shall not be located in any portion of a public right-of-way.

C.

Minimum Width of Buffer Required Between Uses.

(1)

Between adjacent residential land uses, the buffer shall be at least ten feet in width. The ten foot buffer must contain, at a minimum, three Canopy trees, eight Shrubs, and two Understory trees per each 100 feet.

(2)

Between residential and commercial land uses, the buffer shall be at least 20 feet in width. The 20 foot buffer must contain, at a minimum, four Canopy trees, 16 Shrubs, and three Understory trees per each 100 feet.

(3)

Between industrial and any other land use, the buffer shall be at least 25 feet in width. The 25 foot buffer must contain at a minimum, five Canopy Trees, 20 Shrubs, and four Understory trees.

D.

Landscaped Buffer Design and Material.

1.

Existing Native Plant Material Encouraged. The use of existing native species of plant material is strongly encouraged in landscaped buffers. Existing natural ground cover should be retained where possible by avoiding scraping, grading and sodding within the landscaped buffer. Where the planting requirements require additional trees or shrubs to be installed in an existing natural area, it should be done in a manner which minimizes disturbances to native species.

2.

Approved Plant Material. Where the planting requirements require additional trees to be installed in the landscaped buffer, required shrubs, understory and canopy trees shall either (a) be selected from the following lists of native species or other shrubs, or (ii) be varieties not on these lists but identified as native by a landscape architect or botanist and approved by the Director of Planning and Zoning.

Shrubs:

a.

Ligustrum (Ligustrum japonicum).

b.

Azalea (Rhododendron indicum, Rhododendron simsii, Rhododendron obtusum).

c.

Red top (Photinia glabra and Photinia fraseri).

d.

Cleyera (Cleyera japonica).

e.

Pampas grass (Cortaderia selloana).**

f.

Silverberry (Elaeagnus macrophylla).

g.

English holly (Ilex aquifolium).

h.

Chinese juniper (Juniperus chinensis).

i.

Savin juniper (Juniperus sabina).

j.

Rocky Mountain juniper (Juniperus scopulorum).

k.

Sea myrtle (Baccharis halmifolia).**

l.

Thorny elaeagnus (Elaeagnus pungens).**

m.

Spanish bayonet (Yucca aloifolia).**

n.

Adams needle (Yucca smalliana).**

Understory Trees:

a.

Bottlebrush (Callistemon citrinus).**

b.

Cat claw (Pithecellobium unguis-cati).**

c.

Chaste [tree] (Vitex agnus-castus).**

d.

Crabapple (Malus angustifolia).

e.

Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica).

f.

Devil's walkingstick (Aralia spinosa).

g.

Dogwood (Cornus florida).

h.

Fringe tree (Chionanthus virginicus).

i.

Fringe tree, Chinese (Chionanthus retusa).

j.

Goldenrain tree (Koelreuteria elegans).

k.

Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.).

l.

Holly, Dahoon (Ilex cassine).*

m.

Hop-hornbeam (Ostrya virginiana).

n.

Hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana).

o.

Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica).

p.

Magnolia, oriental (Magnolia spp.).*

q.

Mimosa (Albizia julibrissin).

r.

Pear, Bradford (Pyrus calleryana Bradford).

s.

Plum, American (Prunus americana).

t.

Plum, wild (P. angustifolia).

u.

Redbud (Cercis canadensis).

v.

Rusty blackhawk (Viburnum rufidulum).

w.

Smooth redbay (Persea borbonia).*

x.

Sparkleberry tree (Vaccinium arboreum).

y.

Yaupon (Ilex vomitoria).**

Canopy Trees:

a.

Ash, white (local) (Fraxinum americana).*

b.

Birch, river (Betula nigra).*

c.

Basswood (Tilia caroliniana).*

d.

Catalpa, southern (Catalpa bignonoides).*

e.

Cedar, Atlantic white (Chamaecyparis thyoides).

f.

Cherry laurel (Prunus caroliniana).*

g.

Cottonwood (Populus deltoides).*

h.

Cypress, pond (Taxodium ascendens).*

i.

Elm, winged (Ulmus alata).*

j.

Florida elm (Ulmus americana floridana).*

k.

Hickory (Carya spp.).*

l.

Live oak (Quercus virginiana).* **

m.

Loblolly bay (Gordonia lasianthus).

n.

Maple, Florida (Acer barbatum floridanum).*

o.

Mulberry, red (Morus rubra).

p.

Myrtle oak (Quercus myrtifolia).* **

q.

Palm, cabbage (Sabal palmetto).**

r.

Palm, pindo (Butia capitata).

s.

Pecan (Carya illinoensis).*

t.

Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana).

u.

Pine, longleaf (Pinus palustris).

v.

Pine, sand (Pinus clausa).**

w.

Pine, spruce (Pinus glabra).

x.

Red maple (Acer rubrum).*

y.

Southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora).* **

z.

Southern red cedar (Juniperus silicicola).* **

aa.

Sweetbay (Magnolia virginiana).*

bb.

Sweet gum (Liquidambar styraciflua).*

cc.

Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis).*

dd.

Tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera).

ee.

Tupelo, water (Nyssa aquatica).

ff.

Walnut, black (Juglans nigra).*

gg.

Waxmyrtle (Myrica cerifera).* **

* Shade trees.

** Salt tolerant trees and shrubs.

E.

Landscape Buffer Requirements within Mixed-use Development. Where a building site is used for a single mixed-use development, landscaped buffers shall not be required between the various constituent uses. Landscaped buffers required at the perimeter of the development shall be based upon the individual uses on each portion of the property.

F.

Parking Lot Landscaping. Perimeter plantings required for parking lot landscaping pursuant to this Code may be counted toward satisfying buffer requirements.

G.

Use of Landscaped Buffers.

1.

Open Space. Landscaped buffers may be counted toward satisfying open space requirements, and may be used for passive recreation. They may contain pedestrian or bike trails, provided that the total width of the buffer yard is maintained. In no event, however, shall the following uses be permitted in landscaped buffers: playfields, stables, swimming pools, tennis courts, parking lots and vehicular use areas, dumpsters, equipment storage and other open storage, buildings or overhangs.

2.

Stormwater Retention/Detention Facilities. The Director of Planning and Zoning shall be authorized to allow stormwater retention/detention facilities to encroach into landscaped buffers a maximum of 40 percent of buffer width, where it is found that all planting requirements of this section are met and the visual screen provided by the landscaped buffer will be fully achieved.

H.

Silviculture Buffers.

1.

Buffer Required. There is hereby established a 25-foot-wide silviculture buffer along all state and County rights-of-way.

2.

Design Criteria. Within this buffer area, silvicultural activity shall be limited to the extent that a maximum of 50 percent of the planted or naturally occurring pine trees may be harvested from any existing stand or future planted stand.

I.

Agricultural Buffers.

1.

Purpose. It is the County's specific intention to ensure compatibility of adjacent agricultural and non-agricultural land uses and protection of the health, safety and welfare of the residents engaged in each of these uses.

2.

Buffers Required. The County hereby creates a required buffer area between these two uses wherever they are proposed as adjacent uses in the future. A buffer must be established between any new subdivision and active agricultural lands adjacent to such subdivision. Similarly, a buffer must be established between any new agricultural use and any existing subdivision adjacent to the agricultural use.

3.

Functional Criteria. In order for the required buffering to be approved as effective, it must serve the following functions:

a.

The screening of each land use, one from the other;

b.

The protection of the affected residential land uses from normal agricultural operations that may create nuisances and other adverse impacts, such as odors, noise, smoke, vibration, chemical spray, glare, or dust;

c.

The protection of the affected agricultural land from intrusive activities of residential land uses, such as trespass, pets, vehicles, and noise; and

d.

The minimization or elimination of any incompatibility between the uses so that the uses may be considered compatible and so that the long term continuance of both uses is not threatened by the negative impacts of adjacent land uses upon each other.

4.

Design Criteria. All required buffer areas shall comply with the following design criteria in order to be presumed in compliance with the functional criteria provided in Subsection 3 above:

a.

Buffers shall be a landscaped strip along parcel boundaries and shall serve as an attractive boundary of the parcel or land use and shall include landscaping and site barriers.

b.

Buffers shall be at least 50 feet in width; however, during the site plan approval process the County may require buffers larger than the minimum established in this policy, if deemed necessary to ensure the compatibility of adjacent land uses.

J.

Resource Protection Buffers.

1.

Purpose. The purpose of the buffer is to protect natural resources from the activities and impacts of development.

2.

Buffers Required. Buffer requirements are established for the following environmentally sensitive resource areas in the cited sections of Chapter IV of this Code:

a.

Wetland Protection Zone - Section 4.01.02.

b.

Shoreline Protection Zone - Section 4.03.02.

c.

Coastal Dune Lake Protection Zone - Section 4.02.03.

d.

Coastal Protection Zone - Section 4.02.02.

3.

Functional Criteria. The buffer areas required for the areas specified above should function to:

a.

Provide protection to the natural resources from intrusive activities and impacts of development such as trespassing, pets, vehicles, noise, lights, and stormwater runoff.

b.

Minimize the negative impacts of the uses upon each other or, preferably, to eliminate by the buffer such that the long-term existence and viability of the natural resources, including wildlife populations, are not threatened by such impacts and activities. Any incompatibility between the uses is eliminated and the uses may be considered compatible.

4.

Design Criteria. All required buffer areas shall comply with the following design criteria in order to be presumed in compliance with the functional criteria provided in Subsection 3 above:

a.

Buffers shall primarily include native species plant material, preferably xeriscape in nature, that is "wildlife friendly."

b.

Buffers shall not include noxious or invasive exotic vegetation or trees.

c.

The buffer may be a landscaped natural barrier, a natural barrier or a landscaped or natural barrier supplemented with fencing or other man-made barriers, so long as the function of the buffer and intent of this policy is fulfilled.

d.

Buffers shall emphasize vegetation that will serve as a habitat component for species likely to use the area.

K.

Maintenance of Landscaped Buffer Areas. The maintenance of all landscaped buffers shall be the responsibility of the property owner. Failure to maintain such landscaped buffers in an attractive and healthy state shall be considered a violation of this chapter subject to enforcement in accordance with Chapter XII of this Code.