Sec. 7.2.5. Screening

  1. Drive-Thru Facilities
    Where allowed, drive-thru windows and lanes must be designed to adhere to the following standards:
    1. In the DX- District and on any Urban Frontage, drive-thru windows and lanes may not be placed between the right-of-way of the street and the associated building. Drive-thru windows and lanes associated with buildings must be placed to the side or rear of the building.
    2. Where drive-thru windows and lanes are allowed to be placed between the right-of-way of the street and the associated building, the entire length of the drive-thru lane, located between the drive-thru lane and the adjacent right-of-way (not including an alley), must be screened.
    3. Screening must be a continuous compact evergreen hedge. At the time of installation, such screening must be at least 36 inches in height and reach a height of 48 inches within 3 years of planting.
    4. The following options may be used in lieu of compact evergreen hedge: (1) a combination of plants within GSI practices proposed to be part of an approved stormwater management plan and evergreen plants outside such GSI practices that together, at the time of planting, provide screening at least 36 inches above the level of the ground adjacent to the GSI practice, and reach a height at least 48 inches above adjacent ground level within 3 years of planting; or (2) a screening wall with a minimum height of 48 inches may be installed. The wall must be compatible with the principal building in terms of texture, quality, material, and color.
    5. No drive-thru window is permitted on the side of a building facing any Residential District.
  2. Loading Areas
    1. Outdoor loading areas 50 square feet or larger not screened by an intervening building must be screened from view from adjacent property or public street right-of way for their entire length.
    2. Enclosed loading areas must be screened with a roll down door or other opaque screen.
    3. Unenclosed loading areas must be screened by a wall totaling 8 feet in height. Walls shall be compatible with the principal building in terms of texture, quality, material and color.
    4. Planting material must be provided so that no more than two-thirds of the surface area of the screening wall is visible at the time of maturity of the plants.
    5.  Screening may also be accomplished with evergreen plant material that can be expected to reach a height of 8 feet with a spread of 4 feet within three years of planting.
  3. Service Areas
    1. Trash collection, trash compaction, recycling collection and other similar service areas shall be located to the side or rear of buildings and must be screened from view from adjacent property or public street right-of-way (not including an alley).
    2. Service areas that are fully integrated into a building must be screened with a roll down door or other opaque screen.
    3. Service areas that are not integrated into a building shall be screened from three sides by a wall at least 6 feet in height and on the fourth side by a solid gate at least 6 feet in height. The gate and wall shall be maintained in good working order and shall remain closed except when trash pick-ups occur. The wall and gate shall be compatible with the principal building in terms of texture, quality, material and color.
  4. Mechanical Equipment
    1. Exemptions
      The following types of equipment are exempted from these screening requirements:
      1. Free-standing or roof-mounted sustainable energy systems; and
      2. Mechanical equipment associated with a single-unit living, two-unit living or townhouse building type used for multi-unit living.
    2. Roof-Mounted Equipment
      1. Roof-mounted equipment shall be screened from ground level view from adjacent property or adjacent public street right-of-way (not including an alley).
      2. New buildings shall provide a parapet wall or other architectural element that screens roof-mounted equipment from view.
      3. For existing buildings with no or low parapet walls, roof-mounted equipment shall be screened on all sides by an opaque screen compatible with the principal building in terms of texture, quality, material and color.
    3. Wall-Mounted Equipment
      1. Wall-mounted equipment shall not be located on any surface that directly faces a public right-of-way (not including an alley).
      2. Wall-mounted equipment located on any surface that is visible from a public right-of-way (not including an alley) must be fully screened by landscaping or an opaque screen compatible with the principal building in terms of texture, quality, material and color.
    4. Ground-Mounted Equipment
      1. Ground-mounted equipment screening shall be as high as the highest point of the equipment being screened.
      2. Screening shall consist of landscaping or an opaque screen compatible with the principal building in terms of texture, quality, material and color.
  5. Utility Service Areas
    1. Utility service areas located outside of the public right-of-way that exceed 42 inches in height and 42 inches in any other dimension must be screened from the public right-of-way.
    2. Screening shall consist of landscaping or a wall or fence compatible with the principal building in terms of texture, quality, material and color.
    3. Utility service areas must be located an adequate distance from the public right-of-way to allow for any required screening to be installed without encroaching into the public right-of-way.
    4. Screening is not required for utility service areas located more than 50 feet from the public right-of-way.
  6. Parking Structures
    1. Applicability
      1. Any façade facing towards, and located within 150 feet, of any of the following areas shall have openings screened with active uses or screening elements:
        1. Public street
        2. Off-site public park
        3. Off-site amenity area
        4. Residential district
        5. Residential use
      2. For properties zoned DX-, or with a Shopfront or Urban General Frontage, or -TOD, all facades shall have openings screened with active uses or screening elements.
    2. Allowable Screening Elements
      1. Allowable screening elements include mesh, tensile fabric, perforated or decorative panels, tinted or sandblasted opaque spandrel glass, or materials compatible with the associated principal building in terms of texture, quality, material and color.
      2. Mesh or perforated screening elements shall have a maximum open area of 40%. Chain link fencing shall be prohibited as an allowable mesh or similar screening element.
      3. Non-residential buildings, walls, or fences, located on-site, and within 30 feet of the parking structure façade, shall qualify as allowable screening elements.
      4. Alternative screening elements such as a green walls or louvers may be considered as part of a design alternate (see Section 7.2.3.)
    3. Design Standards
      1. Screening elements shall have a gap of no more than 18 inches from the frame of the screening element to the wall opening.
      2.  For parking structures located on properties not zoned DX-, or with a Shopfront or Urban General Frontage, or -TOD, screening elements may have a maximum lateral spacing of no more than 18 inches.
      3. On all levels where parking is provided adjacent to an exterior wall of the parking structure, all façades shall have exterior opaque walls a minimum height of 42 inches above any finished grade and any finished floor.
    4. Exemptions
      The following openings are not required to be screened:
      1. Vehicular ingress and egress openings at a maximum width of 30 feet for two driveways.
      2. Vehicular ingress and egress openings at a maximum width of 40 feet for three or more driveways.
      3. Pedestrian access openings at a maximum width of 8 feet.
      4. Openings required by Section 903.2.11. of the Fire Code.
7-2-5-f-4