O-2020-3770 Amending regulations related to truck stops, landscaping requirements, and storage of hazardous material

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(Visibility triangle). e. Parking lot requirements. i. Parking lot with minimum 20 spaces shall provide a planter at the ratio of one for every ten parking spaces. ii. Planters(minimum 135 square feet) shall not abut on more than two sides of required perimeter landscape area. Each required planter shall have one shade tree.Trees shall be dispersed throughout the parking lot to maximize the shading effect on the parking spaces. These trees are exclusive of trees planted around the perimeter of the parking lot. f. When adjacent to residential, landscaping shall be required in accordance with section 106- 444(a)(Screening). (2) Types of plants and materials.Trees,flowering and non-flowering plants, shrubs,wood,timber, stone, fountains, and ponds may be used for required landscaping. a. Shade trees shall be a minimum of two-inch caliper and shall be selected from city's recommended native/protected trees and plants list. Ornamental trees shall be a minimum of six feet in height at the time of planting. b. Shrubs or hedgerow plants shall be no less than five gallons in size. (3)Maintenance. Required landscaping must be maintained by the property owner and/or occupant. Vehicles should not encroach upon perimeter landscape areas or planters. Wheel stops must be provided along perimeter frontage to ensure no overhang or damage to landscape area. (4)Irrigation. A irrigation system shall be provided to all landscaped areas subject to the following: a. On developments greater than one acre, a programmable automatic irrigation system with rain sensor devices shall be provided to all landscape areas. b. On developments one acre or less, in lieu of a programmable automatic irrigation system, a programmable hose bib system may be utilized when plant material is within 100 feet of the hose bib. c. An exception from the irrigation system requirements shall be allowed when utilizing drought tolerant and native plants as identified by Texas A&M University's current table for this region. These plantings must be established through manual irrigation for a minimum of six weeks after planting. (d) Commercial projects who follow the landscaping guidelines as described in this section(106-801)are subject to additional façade requirements as described in Article IX,Divisions 1-3 of Chapter 106"Zoning"of the City of La Porte Code of Ordinances. (e)Placement of landscaping shall be in accordance with the visibility triangle requirements of section 106-311 (Visibility triangle). (f) Screening for commercial and industrial uses adjacent to residential shall refer to the requirements of section 106-444(a)(Commercial performance standards). Sec. 106-802. -Landscaping/screening for shipping container facilities. (1)The property owner or tenant shall provide a natural screening. This will be accomplished in one of three ways. a. Leave in place existing trees,vegetation,underbrush,etc.to provide a thorough, continuous and effective opaque visual screening of the shipping container development. b. Construct earthen berms with a combination of trees, shrubs, and ground cover that after three years will be at least 20 feet in height and creates a continuous visual screen. c. Develop a screening plan that would be approved by the city that includes a combination of trees, shrubs,and ground cover that after three years will be at least 20 feet in height and creates a continuous visual screen. (2)The property owner or tenant will provide screening along the frontage of the site and along the side yards for a distance of 50 feet. In the advent that the site is adjacent to a commercial or residential use,the screening shall be required for the entire length of the adjacent yard area.