§ 17.24.200. Determination of landscape buffer yard requirements.

Generally, a landscape buffer yard shall be located at the perimeter of the building site along zoning district boundaries, or otherwise coincident with the edge of a specified facility that is to be screened, and shall not be located in any portion of a public right-of-way. When a zoning district boundary falls along a public street of less than four travel lanes, a B-2 landscape buffer yard may be substituted in lieu of the standard buffer required by Table 17.24.230. In applying the buffer standards of Table 17.24.230, the zoning administrator may take into consideration the future zoning designation of the abutting property as envisioned by the general plan to the extent that existing land uses are reasonably protected by an effective buffer. When the gross floor area of a building legally existing on the effective date of the ordinance codified in this section is enlarged by more than twenty-five percent, that perimeter portion of the property in proximity to the area of expansion shall be brought into conformance with the landscaping buffer yards standard of this code to the greatest extent considered reasonable by the zoning administrator. When incremental expansions occur over time, the total of all expansions shall be used by the zoning administrator in applying the provisions of this section. The following procedure shall be followed to determine the standard of landscape buffer yard required along a zoning district boundary:

A.

Identify the zone district for the proposed site as well as for the abutting site(s);

B.

Determine the landscape buffer yard standard required on each building site boundary (or portion thereof) by referring to Table 17.24.230;

C.

Select the desired width/screening option from those listed in Section 17.24.240, landscape buffer yard standards. Any of the listed width or screening variations shall satisfy the requirement between abutting zone districts.

(Ord. 98-1268 § 1 (part), 1998; Ord. 96-555 § 6.5(C), 1997)