§ 118-1523. Landscape buffer along public streets.

Landscape buffers along public streets shall meet the following guidelines:

(1)

A minimum 15-foot wide landscape buffer is required for parcels along any public streets and requires 50 percent coverage with shrubs and groundcover. A ten-foot wide landscape buffer is otherwise allowed and requires 75 percent shrubs and ground cover for parcels with 100 or less existing and/or proposed parking spaces or any parcel with a parcel lot depth equal to or less than 250 feet. An administrative waiver may be requested for any existing parcel that may require a front buffer width reduction that results in a landscape buffer less than the required minimum 10 feet and was caused or created by the State Road 50 Road Improvements or any other third party.

(2)

All planted shrub and groundcover areas shall achieve 100 percent coverage of their planting area within one year.

(3)

In areas where the landscape buffer must be reduced to meet individual site constraints, the planting area should be planted according to the following table of required buffer standards. Landscape buffers smaller than ten feet may only be allowed through a variance process.

(4)

Additional features such as maximum 24-inch knee walls and maximum 48 inches decorative 'wrought iron' picket fences shall also be allowable elements. Decorative fences must have at least 50 percent of required buffer planting adjacent to right-of-way.

(5)

Permitted features for front buffers include sidewalks, signs, low wall and "wrought iron" picket fences, retention features according to section 118-1527 and equipment according to section 118-1529.

(6)

Prohibited features in front buffers include chain-link, wood or PVC fences, walls greater than two feet in height, loading, service or dumpster areas or similar items, which may not be placed in the front buffer or in any additional "open space" adjacent to the street or any direction visible from the street.

(7)

The City of Winter Garden encourages the use of drought tolerant plants for all landscape buffers as recommended by the Florida-Friendly Landscaping Program as set forth by the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences ("IFAS") at the University of Florida. Further details may be found at http://fyn.ifas.ufl.edu/index.html.

STATE ROAD 50 FRONTAGE BUFFER REQUIREMENTS:

Canopy Trees (per 70 LF)	One per 70 linear feet (LF) or fraction thereof.
Buffer width (ft.)		15′	10′
CAL		3.5″	4″
Height		13′-0″	14′-0″
Container size		65 gal.	100 gal.
Understory trees (per 100 LF)	Three per 100 linear ft.
Buffer width (ft.)		15′	10′
Tree height (ft.)		11′-0″	11′-0″
Container size		30 gal.	65 gal.
Buffer width (ft.)		15′	10′
Shrub screen (per 100 LF) Quantity of shrubs	(33) three-gallon plants, per 100 linear feet; a continuous hedge at least 36 inches high at time of planting to create a continuous landscape screen with a 90 percent opacity within one year of planting.
Container size	3 gal.
Groundcovers (per 100 LF)
# of plants	As needed in combination with shrubs to meet total required landscaped area percentage.
Container size	1 gal.
Total required % landscaped area (shrubs & groundcovers vs. sod)		50%	75%

 

Note: An administrative waiver may be requested for any existing parcel that may require a front buffer width reduction that results in a landscape buffer less than the required minimum 10′ and was caused or created by the State Road 50 Road Improvements or any other third party.

Front Buffer Yard - 15′ Width Buffers. A 15-foot wide landscape buffer is required for parcels along any public streets and requires 50 percent coverage with shrubs and groundcover.

Front Buffer Yard - 10′ Width Buffers. A ten-foot wide landscape buffer is allowed and requires 75 percent shrubs and ground cover for parcels with 100 or less existing and/or proposed parking spaces or any parcel with a parcel lot depth equal to or less than 250 feet.

An administrative waiver may be requested for any existing parcel that may require a front buffer width reduction that results in a landscape buffer less than the required minimum ten feet and was caused or created by the State Road 50 Road Improvements or any other third party.

(Ord. No. 03-30, § 2B(3.3), 9-17-03; Ord. No. 10-08, § 3(Exh. B), 7-8-10)