ARTICLE II. GENERAL REGULATIONS

Sec. 24.1-243. Transitional buffers.

(a) Buffer types. Transitional buffers of the following types shall be provided in the situations identified by the entries in the table contained in section 24.1-243(b) below. Where there is no entry for a particular combination of districts, no transitional buffer shall be required. The layout, design, and arrangement of the pre-scribed numbers and types of landscape materials shall be in accordance with the provisions of section 24.1-242 of this chapter. Plants shall be positioned to achieve the greatest benefit in terms of buffering the views of adjacent and potentially incompatible uses. The use of staggered double rows of plant materials is encouraged as a technique to achieve maximum screening benefits. Shrubs planted in the transitional buffer shall be of a type that will have a mature height of at least four (4) feet and when located within an existing or newly planted wooded area, shall be selected based on their suitability for shaded areas and any other growth-inhibiting characteristics of the subject area.

     (1) Transitional Buffer Type 25: shall consist of a strip of open space, a minimum of twenty-five feet (25') wide, landscaped with evergreen trees and shrubs to achieve a minimum of 0.75 landscape credits for every linear foot measured along the outside edge of the transitional buffer. A maximum of 70% of the landscape credits may be earned from shrubs.

     (2) Transitional Buffer Type 35: shall consist of a strip of open space, a minimum of thirty-five feet (35') wide, landscaped with evergreen trees and shrubs to achieve a minimum of (1) landscape credit for every linear foot measured along the outside edge of the transitional buffer. A maxi-mum of 70% of the landscape credits may be earned from shrubs.

     (3) Transitional Buffer Type 50: shall consist of a strip of open space, a minimum of fifty feet (50') wide, landscaped with evergreen trees and shrubs to achieve a minimum of 1.25 landscape credits for every linear foot measured along the outside edge of the transitional buffer. A maximum of 50% of the landscape credits may be earned from shrubs.

   (4) Upon specific written request, the zoning administrator may modify the landscaping requirements for transitional buffers which have been de-signed by a certified landscape architect in order to preserve mature trees, facilitate a clearly discernible development and planting theme, or complement the arrangement and type of surrounding landscaping provided, however, that the landscape architect must certify that the modified buffer will provide at least the equivalent buffering as would otherwise be required and that the buffering will be from landscape means (i.e., exclusive of fencing).

    (5) The zoning administrator may require supplementary fencing either temporarily or permanently in order to ensure that the appropriate degree of visual buffering and noise attenuation is achieved.

(b) Transitional buffer provision matrix. Transitional buffers shall be provided as follows:
 

TRANSITIONAL BUFFERS
					RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS						COMMERCIAL & INDUSTRIAL DISTRICTS
		RC	RR	R20	R13	R7	YVA	PD	RMF		NB	WCI	LB	GB	EO	IL	IG
	RC	X									25	25	25	25	35	35	50
	RR		X								25	25	35	35	35	35	50
	R20			X							25	25	35	35	35	50	50
	R13				X						25	25	35	35	35	50	50
	R7					X					25	25	35	35	35	50	50
	YVA						X				25	25	25	35	35	50	50
	PD							X			25	25	25	35	35	50	50
	RMF								X		25	25	25	25	25	35	50