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SALT LAKE CITY ORDINANCE
No. 70 of 2003
(Creating an Airport Landscaping Overlay District
and Adopting Related Changes to the City Code)
AN ORDINANCE CREATING AN AIRPORT LANDSCAPING OVERLAY DISTRICT AND ADOPTING RELATED CHANGES TO THE CITY CODE, PURSUANT TO PETITION NO. 400-00-21.
WHEREAS, the Salt Lake City zoning code contains provisions concerning the landscaping required in parking lots located within the City; and
WHEREAS, the Salt Lake City International Airport and other private entities construct and maintain a variety of parking lots for Airport related operations; and
WHEREAS, the Airport has unique needs concerning parking lot landscaping due to both the temporary nature of some of its parking lots, and due to the need to avoid creating additional habitat for wildlife which might create a risk to continued Airport operations; and
WHEREAS, after public hearings held before the Planning Commission and before the City Council, the Salt Lake City Council has determined that the following amendment to the City’s parking lot landscaping requirements are in the best interest of the City;
NOW, THEREFORE, be it ordained by the City Council, Salt Lake City, Utah;
Section 1. Subsections 21A.34.040.31 and 32 of the Salt Lake City Code shall be and hereby are renumbered as subsections 33 and 34. The text of those subsections shall remain unchanged.
Section 2. Sections 21A.34.040.31 and 32 of the Salt Lake City Code shall be and hereby are enacted to read as follows:
31. Airport Landscape Overlay District:
The Airport Landscape Overlay District shall consist of all properties located generally between Interstate 215 and the eastern boundary of the Salt Lake International Center, and between 2700 North and the Western Pacific Railroad corridor south of Interstate 80. This Airport Landscape Overlay District is more particularly depicted on the following map:
[A copy of the map is attached to this ordinance as Exhibit A and is incorporated herein by reference.]
32. Airport Parking Lot Landscaping:
All parking lots located within the Airport Landscaping Overlay District shall comply with the following guidelines:
a. General Landscaping Performance Standards. Landscaping plans for parking lots shall be developed to reflect a balance between the responsibility of ensuring the safety and security of persons and property with the objective of creating aesthetically pleasing, environmentally sensitive landscapes. Landscaping should address City goals related to reduction of urban heat islands, visual buffering of parking lots, impacts of noise, water conservation, as well as minimization of dust, runoff and sedimentation. Landscaping shall consist of a variety of landscape materials, which may include trees, turf, groundcover, shrubs, perennials, managed water features, and rock features. Drought tolerant or resistant vegetation, which reflects the natural vegetation and geography of the region, should be used to create an aesthetically appealing landscape.
b. Reduction of Urban Heat Islands. The following standards are intended to help mitigate the contribution to the urban heat island effect from large parking areas. Parking lot owners or operators may use a combination of any of the following methods to reduce urban heat.
i. The total airport parking supply shall consist of a combination of surface and structured parking lots. Structured parking shall offset the area of surface parking that is otherwise required, thereby reducing the area that contributes to urban heat.
ii. Landscaping within large land use areas may be evaluated in terms of a comprehensive planned development program to consider the total landscaping within the entire development area. Landscaping may be shifted from the interior of parking lots to other areas within the developed area.
iii. Landscaping, which includes trees, shrubs, groundcover and perennials shall be dispersed throughout parking lots to provide shade while ensuring trees are not planted at a spacing or density that will encourage wildlife use or create an aviation hazard.
iv. Shade for pedestrians shall be provided in parking lots through the use of pedestrian shelters integrated with landscaping.
v. Interior landscaped areas shall be provided in parking lots to reduce heat, provide a visual buffer and reduce run off.
vi. No specific ratio of trees and shrubs to landscaped area is required.
c. Visual Buffering. Landscaped buffers, not less than 10 feet in width shall be provided, where feasible, between parking lots and primary entrance and exit roads. Visual screening shall be provided within landscape buffers to enhance aesthetics and reduce visibility of parked vehicles. Visual screening may consist of a combination of earth berms, shrubs, trees or other methods.
d. Water Conservation. To promote water conservation, landscape concepts shall incorporate features that use trees, shrubs, groundcover, and perennials that are drought tolerant or resistant species that can withstand dry conditions once established. The plant list developed by the City, titled “Water Conserving Plants for Salt Lake City” shall be used as the primary reference in determining drought tolerance of plants. All irrigation systems shall be designed for efficient use of potable water. Traditional turf areas should be minimized in favor of alternative landscape practices to reduce the use of water.
e. Temporary Parking Lots. Parking lots that are intended to be in use for three years or less are exempt from parking lot landscaping requirements. Such parking lots may exist to phase the construction of other facilities and shall be removed once the facilities are completed. Temporary lots that are within the area of an approved comprehensive plan may remain in use for the duration approved in the plan. However, temporary parking lots shall still comply with applicable development standards for parking lots as outlined in Section 21A.44.020 of the zoning ordinance. Parking lots that remain in use by the public beyond three years shall be brought into compliance with these standards within twelve months.
f. Operational and Maintenance Lots. Parking lots that are not available to the public for parking and are used to store vehicles, operational materials, or maintenance equipment are exempt from landscaping requirements. The portions of permanent storage lots that are adjacent to public areas shall be landscaped using acceptable landscaping principles contained herein to screen the storage area from public view.
g. Plan Approval. All landscape plans shall be coordinated with the City’s Development Review Team (DRT) and Planning Division, for review and comment on compliance with City ordinance and these performance standards. The Planning Director and Director of Airports shall jointly approve final landscaping plans for any Airport parking lot.
Section 3. The table entitled “Required Perimeter Parking Lot Landscaping Improvements,” which is currently numbered as section 21A.48.070 of the Salt Lake City Code shall be and hereby is amended so as to be numbered as section 21A.48.070.G. The text of the table located at that section shall remain unchanged.
Section 4. Section 21A.48.070.H of the Salt Lake City Code shall be and hereby is enacted to read as follows:
H. Landscaping performance standards for Airport (“A”) Districts: Parking lot landscaping in Airport districts shall comply with the specifications set forth in Sections 34.040.31 and 32 of the City code.
Section 5. Effective Date. This ordinance shall be effective on the date of its first publication.
Passed by the City Council of Salt Lake City, Utah, this 9th day of October, 2003.
Bill No. 70 of 2003.
Published: October 20, 2003.