Town of Fuquay-Varina

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1 170 LANDSCAPING GENERAL Street trees shall be provided in accordance with the Land Development Ordinance for site plans and subdivisions Street trees, landscape areas, landscape medians on streets within residential and non-residential developments, and other designated landscaped areas shall be maintained by the Homeowners Association or by individual property owners. This shall include but is not limited to maintenance of the trees, landscape, ground cover and removal and replacement of plant materials. The Town accepts no responsibility for maintenance or replacement of street trees, landscape areas, or landscape medians except as determined by the Town A one-year warranty period following installation shall be provided on all landscape plant material With the construction of streets of Type 8 or greater, landscaping of medians and shoulders shall be per the Thoroughfare Planting Guidelines. Thoroughfare median plantings shall be maintained by the Town, unless otherwise specified All landscaping plans shall include a plant list with information regarding the quantity, botanical name, common name, size and height at planting. The landscaping plan shall be a clear representation of existing vegetation to remain and proposed landscaping meeting the requirements of the Land Development Ordinance VISUAL BUFFER REQUIREMENTS General Buffer Requirements The arrangement of plants within each buffer shall be integral to the design concept of the project as a whole, as well as responsive to the landscapes of adjacent properties. The room required for plants to develop their natural form, especially large trees, shall also be considered when determining plant spacing. Allowing greater than minimum buffer widths can therefore provide more design flexibility. When developing external buffers, large trees may be planted within the public ROW if acceptable to the Town and the NCDOT, if applicable When it is acceptable to the Town, existing vegetation can be used to satisfy some or all of the required buffer plantings. In these cases, the existing vegetation shall be in good health and be protected during the development process. In most locations where existing vegetation is retained, supplemental plantings of evergreen shrubs along buffer edges shall still be required in order to meet the planting requirements of the Land Development Ordinance The location of existing or proposed utility easements shall be taken into account when determining the location of proposed buffers. Consistent with the Town Standard Specifications and Details Edition: V.2.1 December 15, 2017

2 Code, required buffers cannot overlap utility easements other than in locations where the easements cross (not run parallel) to these buffers. In these locations and where easements exist that may conflict with other landscaping standards, applicants shall contact the affected utility provider to determine what types of plantings are permitted within the easement areas Parking Lot Screening Requirements All parking lots shall be screened along a public ROW and adjacent properties zoned residential in accordance with the Land Development Ordinance Fences or walls used for screening shall be built of materials compatible with the principal building or existing adjacent fences or walls. The surface area of all fences and walls facing a public ROW shall be supplemented by plant materials. The screen shall extend for the full length of the parking lot adjacent to public ROW and adjacent properties zoned residential Earth berms used for screening shall have a minimum crown width of 2 feet, maximum slopes of 3:1, and be covered along the slopes and crown with approved vegetation to provide a screen of the required height in accordance with the Land Development Ordinance Parking Lot Landscaping Standards Parking lot landscaping shall be in accordance with the Land Development Ordinance Loading Area/Exterior Storage Requirements All loading areas shall have a minimum width of 12 feet and be screened from public ROW and all adjacent properties in accordance with the Land Development Ordinance Utility Service Area Requirements All utility service areas shall be screened from public ROW and all adjacent properties. To avoid conflicts with utility services, applicants shall review proposed plantings with affected utility providers prior to including such plantings on proposed planting plans The screening height shall be a minimum of 1 foot above the structure to be screened in accordance with the Land Development Ordinance Screening shall be located to provide adequate access and workspace around the utility structure. There shall be a minimum clearance around the utility structure with appropriate plant material used as a screening that does not interfere with the ability to service or work around the utility structure Tree Placement Requirements Standard Specifications and Details Edition: V.2.1 December 15, 2017

3 In all areas of vehicular traffic it is important that the type and placement of plantings does not interfere with site visibility at intersections. For additional information about sight distance triangles, Owner/Developers shall refer to Section 060. In general the following tree placement standards apply: Large Shade Trees - All trees reaching a mature height of thirty five (35) feet or more shall be planted to the following minimum distances: feet from BOC, edge of street pavement, and driveways (allow for any proposed future widening) feet from sidewalks and other paved pedestrian surfaces, except where urban conditions would prohibit any planting feet from all buildings feet from street lights, utility poles and above-ground utility wires feet from all underground utilities feet from utility vaults and ground level utility structures Small Trees - All trees reaching a mature height of less than 35 feet shall be planted to the following minimum distances: feet from BOC, edge of street pavement and driveways (allow for any proposed future widening) feet from sidewalks and other paved pedestrian surfaces except where urban conditions would prohibit any planting feet from all buildings feet from street lights and utility poles feet from all underground utilities feet from utility vaults and ground level utility structures (10 feet from door side) PLANT SELECTION The Town encourages the use of diverse plantings of native species in all landscaping projects. Accordingly, the Town has developed a list of plant material consisting of trees, shrubs, ground covers, and grasses that shall be used for specific landscaping requirements. The tables found in Appendix provide approved lists of the plant material acceptable for Town-regulated planting projects. For proposed landscaping on a Town-regulated planting project that does not fall under the specific landscaping requirements in the Land Development Ordinance, the Design Professional Standard Specifications and Details Edition: V.2.1 December 15, 2017

4 shall take into consideration the species and location of the plant material, and avoid invasive or uncharacteristic material for the overall landscaping design of the project Areas to be seeded with grass and maintained by mowing shall be from the approved grasses list in the Appendix, and follow the seed manufacturer s recommendations for time of year for sowing, rate of application, and appropriateness of location. A Design Professional or the Soil Conservation Service shall be consulted for additional information concerning other alternatives for seeding of denuded areas, or for extreme slopes or other unusual situations In addition to the information provided in the lists of plants, Design Professionals are encouraged to research their plant selections carefully to assure that they are providing a diverse mix of species that will perform well on a specific project site. For additional information about local plant adaptability Design Professionals can contact the North Carolina Botanical Garden and the J.C. Raulston Arboretum Consistent with the Town s landscaping objectives, Design Professionals shall not develop a landscaping plan that includes planting large numbers of a single species in any given project, or utilizes plant varieties that are prone to insect and disease problems. For additional information about susceptible plant species, Design Professionals can contact the North Carolina County Extension Service LANDSCAPE INSTALLATION AND MAINTENANCE Materials Requirements Plant Materials The American Standard for Nursery Stock published by the American Society of Nurserymen shall be used for determining caliper, heights, widths and ball sizes, for all plants Plant material shall be free of any diseases, funguses or insect infestations Topsoil Mix All topsoil mixes used for finish grading and planter applications shall be the site's original topsoil. If borrow topsoil is brought to the site it shall be tested by N.C. Department of Agriculture or similar agency to determine their suitability for landscape use All topsoil mixes shall contain a minimum 2% organic matter, range in ph from , and be free of herbicide and pesticide residues prior to the addition of amendments All topsoil mixes shall be amended as recommended by soil test results, and be loose and friable at the time of planting Backfill for Planting Pits Standard Specifications and Details Edition: V.2.1 December 15, 2017

5 Soil dug from the planting pit shall be used for backfilling in order to avoid creating soil interfaces at the edge of the planting pit. The backfill may be amended to contain a maximum of 10% added organic matter. The backfill shall be loose and friable at the time of planting Mulch/Pine Straw Mulch shall consist of pine bark, leaf mold, well-aged wood chips, or a combination of these three components. On sloped sites where pine bark may float, well-aged wood chips shall be used. Pine straw shall be clean and predominantly non-decayed material. Mulch shall have a minimum depth of 2 inches and pine straw shall have a minimum depth of 4 inches Soil Preparation Chisel compacted areas and spread topsoil three (3) inches deep (where conditions require) with stockpiled topsoil. Contractor shall reserve sufficient topsoil for seedbed preparation Till the entire area to a depth of six (6) inches Remove all loose rock, roots, and other obstructions leaving surface reasonably smooth and uniform Apply agricultural lime (2 tons/acre (3 tons/acre in clay soils)), fertilizer (1,000 lb/acre of ), and super-phosphate (500 lb/acre of 20% analysis) uniformly and mix with soil Continue tillage until a well-pulverized, firm, reasonably uniform seedbed is prepared 4 to 6 inches deep Seed on a freshly prepared seedbed and cover seed lightly with seeding equipment or cultipack after seeding Cover seedbed immediately after seeding with small grain straw (2 tons/acre) and anchor the straw with asphalt emulsion (300 gals/acre) Inspect all seeded areas and make necessary repairs or reseedings within the planting season, if possible. If stand is less than 60% established, the entire area shall be reseeded according to specifications using the original lime, fertilizer and seeding rates Consult a Design Professional on maintenance treatment and fertilization after permanent cover is established Planting Requirements Planting Seasons Trees and shrubs shall be planted in accordance with the Land Development Ordinance. Standard Specifications and Details Edition: V.2.1 December 15, 2017

6 Weather Conditions Digging and planting operations shall be performed only when the soil temperature at each planting area and of all backfill materials is above 32 degrees F, unless otherwise approved by the Town Following a period of precipitation, planting operations shall resume only when the full depth of the planting pits has satisfactorily drained, unless otherwise approved by the Town Handling Plant Materials Shade and water shall be provided to all delivered material during dry weather, and materials shall be mulched if they are to remain unplanted for over 24 hours, unless otherwise approved by the Town Excavating Planting Pits All planting pits shall be excavated to a depth equal to or slightly less than the height of the planting ball. The sides of the planting pits shall be loosened and roughened to facilitate the movement of roots into the surrounding soil Setting Balled-and-Burlapped and Container Plants The top of the plant root ball shall be set so that it will be level with the finished grade after settlement. Generally, large plants shall be installed from 3 inches to 4 inches above grade to allow for settlement. All plant material greater than 3 feet in height shall be set plumb regardless of the slope of finished grade. Plants smaller than 3 feet in height may be set perpendicular to finished grade on sloping sites For container grown plants, carefully remove the container and cut any container-bound circling roots. For balled-and-burlapped plants, cut burlap away from the top of the root ball. For plants in wire baskets, set plant in planting pit, then cut and remove wire that will remain exposed after backfilling, along with the burlap from the top of the root ball Place and tamp backfill around root ball in 6 8 inch layers up to the level of the finished grade. Avoid bruising or breaking roots when tamping the soil. Remove all protective wrapping from trunks and branches and thoroughly settle plantings with water. Place a minimum of 3 inches of mulch over the plant ball and pit area, taking care to keep material a minimum of 2 inches from the trunk of the tree Staking Trees Support shall be provided only for trees greater than 8 feet in height planted in exposed locations. Standard Specifications and Details Edition: V.2.1 December 15, 2017

7 Trees shall be secured using vertical stakes driven into the ground outside the planting pit with constraining lines made of webbing, hose-protected wire or other material that will not abrade or become embedded in trunk. Slack shall be provided in each constraining line to allow for some trunk movement and all supports shall be removed after one year unless tree is excessively weak General Pruning Requirements Pruning shall consist of the removal of dead, dying, diseased, interfering, obstructing and weak branches and selective thinning to lessen wind resistance and improve the appearance of trees and shrubs All cuts shall be made close to the trunk or parent limb without leaving a protruding stub and without cutting into the branch collar or the branch bark ridge. Clean cuts shall be made at all times Trees limbs too heavy to handle by hand shall be precut above the final cut to prevent splitting or peeling of the bark. Where necessary to prevent tree or property damage, branches shall be lowered to the ground with ropes or equipment Treatment of cuts and wounds with tree wound dressing is discouraged except for cosmetic purposes in highly visible areas. If such treatment is made, materials non-toxic to the cambium layer shall be used and care shall be taken to treat only the exposed wood with a thin coat of dressing Climbing spurs shall not be used unless the tree is dead or is to be removed. Standard Specifications and Details Edition: V.2.1 December 15, 2017

Section 815. LANDSCAPING

815.01 Section 815. LANDSCAPING 815.01. Description. This work consists of providing and planting trees, shrubs, and other plants, including replacements, classified as nursery stock. The Engineer may