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Updated January 2025 – Gem Lake Consolidated Land Use Ordinance No. 131 147 be finished, but seeding of large areas around the structures is allowed in lieu of sod placement. Silt fences and other methods to prevent soil erosion shall be installed and maintained on the remaining portions of the lot that are not sodded or properly landscaped until a stable ground cover is established. 2. Parking Area Landscaping. Any parking areas in a non-residential zone that contain one hundred (100) parking stalls or less shall include at least one unpaved landscaped island along the driving aisles that serve as primary circulation to the site. In addition, at least one landscaped island shall be provided for every two hundred and twenty five (225) feet of contiguous parking stalls. All parking areas containing over one hundred (100) parking stalls shall include unpaved landscaped islands for every two hundred and twenty-five (225) feet of contiguous parking stalls. The islands shall be distributed evenly throughout the planned parking area space and be positioned in a way to promote effective traffic flow through the parking area. All landscaped islands in parking areas shall contain a minimum of one hundred and eighty (180) square feet of area and shall be provided with deciduous shade trees, ornamental or evergreen trees, plus ground cover, mulch and/or shrubbery in addition to then minimum landscape requirements of this Ordinance. Interior parking landscape area trees shall be provided at the rate of one (1) tree for each fifteen (15) surface parking spaces provided or a fraction thereof. Parking area landscaping shall be contained in planting beds bordered by a raised concrete curb or equivalent approved by the Planning Commission. 3. Landscaping required in land filling or reclamation. If land filling or land reclamation is done in a non- residential area, the requirements of 16.15.1 for landscaping following construction shall be followed, using the date of permit expiration in place of the date of construction completion. 4. Minimum Standards in non-residential districts. In order to achieve landscaping which is appropriate in scale with the size of the building and site, these minimum standards shall apply to all non-residential districts: 1. One (1) tree for every one thousand (1,000) square feet of total building floor area, or one (1) tree for every fifty (50) feet of site perimeter, whichever is greater. A minimum of thirty percent (30%) of the trees required shall be coniferous. 2. One (1) ornamental tree may be substituted for every 0.6 overstory deciduous shade tree. In no case shall ornamental trees exceed fifty percent (50%) of the required number of trees. 3. One (1) large shrub for every three hundred (300) square feet of building or for every thirty (30) feet of site perimeter, whichever is greater. 5. Credit for Existing Trees. The total number of new overstory trees required on a property may be reduced by the retention of existing overstory trees, provided that the following conditions are satisfied: 1. The trees fulfill the minimum requirements of section 27 of this Ordinance as to size and species. The City Forester shall recommend to the Planning Commission the amount of credit for such existing trees based upon their location and distribution in the lot. 2. Proper precautions to protect trees during building development shall be indicated on site grading pl ans submitted for plan review. The landscape performance security shall include provisions to ensure that these precautions are followed. 6. Irrigation System Required. As a non-residential area is developed, an underground irrigation system shall be required in all landscaped areas. 5. General Requirements for All Districts. 1. Trees and Shrubs. The following nursery stock sizes shall be required at the time of planting. All measurements shall conform to the standards set forth in the current edition of the USA Standards for Nursery Stock. Larger plants may be used or specified at any time. Overstory Trees 2-1/2 inches in diameter Ornamental Trees 1-1/2 inches in diameter Evergreen Trees 6 feet tall