(1) Single and Multifamily Residential. Single and multifamily development shall maintain a “nondisturbable area envelope.” The envelope is to ensure minimal disturbance of the natural grade and vegetation of areas outside the envelope. The total area of the disturbable area envelope (excluding pedestrian walkways, parking areas and courtyards) shall be no greater than forty (40) percent of the area of the single-family lot or multifamily residential (townhouse, condominium) development. All disturbed areas not taken up by structures or other impervious surfaces shall be re-vegetated with native or commonly accepted equal trees, shrubs and other vegetative ground cover.

(2) Nonresidential. A minimum of thirty (30) percent of each lot or site shall be landscaped, which at a minimum shall include the following:

(3) General Requirements.

(1) Minimum natural and/or enhanced landscape buffers between any residential and nonresidential uses shall be a minimum of twenty (20) feet. At zoning district boundaries, this buffer shall be a minimum of thirty-five (35) feet.

(2) Buffers between adjacent land uses may be required by the city council to obtain greater separations than the specified setbacks required in the land use designation where necessary to protect existing adjacent residential, business, commercial or industrial uses.

(1) Outdoor storage of materials, equipment, vehicles, trailers and similar items, outdoor refuse container areas, ground mounted mechanical equipment, loading docks and service bays shall be screened from view with materials compatible with the architecture of the principal building on the same site pursuant to subsection (F) of this section.

(2) Nonresidential parking areas shall be screened from street view by a three (3) foot high screen consisting of masonry or other type walls, earth berms or dense landscaping, or a combination of two (2) or more of these elements. Such walls or earth berms shall be enhanced by appropriate vegetative landscaping materials. Such walls shall be designed to be compatible with the architecture of the principal building on the same property or area pursuant to subsection (F) of this section, Building, Structure and Site Design.

(3) Where any non-single-family lot line adjoins a single-family residential lot, a six (6) foot high solid material fence shall be constructed along the property line in addition to the landscaped buffer required in subsection (B)(2) of this section. Similar screening may be required between other dissimilar uses, as determined by the planning and zoning director or designee.

(4) Openings no greater than six (6) feet wide in screening walls and buffer landscaping necessary to facilitate pedestrian and bicyclist traffic may be required where determined by the planning and zoning director.

(5) The use of solid material fences for the purpose of privacy screening between dissimilar uses may be waived if the applicant can provide alternatives for adequate screening to be determined by performance (i.e., by completely concealing or disguising the unsightly areas, object or equipment). In all cases, the applicant shall bear the burden of proving adequacy of required screening by including renderings, photographs or plans to accompany application or building permits. Preservation of view corridors shall be treated as good cause for flexibility in the requirement for visual screening.

(6) Fencing around tennis courts or driving ranges shall have a maximum height of twelve (12) feet.

(7) Roof-mounted mechanical equipment shall be screened from view on all sides by materials that are an integral part of the design and finish of the building upon which they are mounted; such materials shall be equal to or greater in height than the mechanical equipment they are intended to screen.

(1) Loading areas and service bays shall not be located on any side of any building fronting upon a street, unless such location would cause undue destruction of significant natural environmental features; if located on a side of a building fronting upon a street, such loading areas and bay doors shall be screened from view using the same screening requirements as in subsection (C) of this section.

(1) Minimum setbacks for single-family residential detached structures with lots twenty thousand (20,000) square feet or greater shall conform to the AR-43 zoning district requirements of this Code. All other single-family and multifamily developments shall conform to the setbacks in the R1-15 zoning district, except as specifically set forth herein.

(2) Minimum setbacks for commercial developments shall meet the setback requirements of the Neighborhood Commercial zoning district.

(3) Where more than one (1) detached, multifamily residential building occupies one (1) lot or one (1) tract or multiple contiguous tracts, there shall be a minimum separation of twenty (20) feet between such residential buildings of one (1) story and/or fifteen (15) feet in height. Such separation shall be increased by five (5) feet for each story and/or each fifteen (15) feet in height above the first story.

(4) There shall be a minimum separation of twenty (20) feet for any one (1) story building, other than a detached, single-family residence, which is located adjacent to a single-family residence or lot; such separation shall be increased by ten (10) feet for each story and/or each fifteen (15) feet in height above the first story and/or thirty-five (35) feet in height.

(5) Where existing mature trees, significantly tall rock outcrops or other terrain features provide adequate privacy screening between buildings as described in subsections (E)(2) and (E)(3) of this section, the planning and zoning director may reduce the building separations and setbacks required herein.

(6) Where special architectural design elements create privacy through the location of windows, doors, walls and private yards or courts or other design features, the building separations and setbacks required in subsections (E)(2) and (E)(3) of this section may be reduced if, in the opinion of the planning and zoning director, the intent of this section is provided for.

(7) Where reduction of building setbacks and separations, parking and loading requirements and locations pursuant to subsections (E)(1) through (E)(6) of this section are desired by the applicant, the applicant must submit a site plan of existing conditions, visual analysis, construction documents or other reasonable proof in support of such reductions or deviations when filing for a building permit.