§ 50. Screening.

A.

Purpose. To encourage the most appropriate use of land and conserve and protect the privacy and value of adjacent permitted uses, regulations are prescribed herein for location and type of various screening devices to be used when required in the various zoning districts or in this section in accordance with the following standards.

B.

Location of required screening.

1.

Where the side, rear, or service side of a four-family, multifamily, or non-residential use is adjacent to a single-family, two-family, or townhouse residential district, screening of not less than six feet in height shall be erected separating the use from the adjacent residential district, said screening shall be in accordance with screening Alternates A or E. No screening is required adjacent to a street.

2.

Where the side, rear, or service side of a nonresidential use is adjacent to a four-family or multifamily district, screening of not less than six feet in height shall be erected separating the use from the adjacent residential district, said screening shall be in accordance with alternates A or E as set forth in subsection C. No screening is required adjacent to a street.

3.

For all uses other than single-family, two-family and townhouse dwellings, refuse storage areas not adjacent to an alley shall be visually screened by a solid fence or wall one foot above the refuse dumpster, not to exceed eight feet in height on all sides except the side used for garbage pickup service; such side shall not be required to be screened unless the service side of the refuse storage area is visible from a residentially zoned district.

C.

Screening standards. Under various zoning districts and circumstances, screening is required. The following are the approved types of screening as referred to in various places in this chapter:

1.

Screening Alternate A: Screening Alternate A shall consist of a solid masonry or concrete wall to a minimum height of six feet measured from the average grade of either the nearest property line or the nearest building setback line, whichever has the higher elevation.

2.

Screening Alternate B. Screening Alternate B shall consist of landscaped earthen berms to a minimum height of six feet. Side slopes of berm shall have a minimum of two feet of horizontal distance for each one foot of height. Berms shall contain necessary drainage provisions as required by the city engineer. Landscaping shall be as required in section 53.

3.

Screening Alternate C: Screening Alternate C shall consist of a solid wood fence to a minimum height of six feet measured from the average grade of either the nearest property line or the nearest building setback line, whichever has the higher elevation.

D.

Maintenance. All required screening materials shall be maintained in a neat and orderly manner at all times. This shall include, but not be limited to pruning, fertilizing, watering, mowing, weeding, and other such activities common to the maintenance of landscaping. Appropriate facilities for watering any plant material shall be installed at time of planting. Screening areas shall be kept free of trash, litter, weeds, and other such materials or plants not a part of the screening or landscaping. All plant material shall be maintained in a healthy and growing condition as is appropriate for the season of the year. All plant material which dies shall be replaced with plant material of similar variety and size.

E.

Additional screening, fencing, landscaping. The planning and zoning commission may recommend and the city council may require screening, fencing and landscaping requirements on any zoning case in addition to or in lieu of screening or fencing requirements set out specifically in each use district when the nature and character of surrounding or adjacent property dictate a need to require such devices in order to protect such property and to further provide protection for the general health, welfare and morals of the community in general.

(Ord. No. 84-16, § 2(A), 4-9-84; Ord. No. 89-53, § 1(G), 7-18-89; Ord. No. 2000-18, § 1, 2-15-00; Ord. No. 2001-34, § 1(Exh. M), 4-17-01)