LASN is a photographically oriented, professional journal featuring topics of concern and state-of-the-art projects designed or influenced by registered Landscape Architects.
Issue link: https://landscapearchitect.epubxp.com/i/107181
ordinances Form-based coding conveys an architectural pattern to all decisions concerning land use, building placement, building design, parking, street frontage, landscaping and other minor aspects of community building, including parks and public spaces. Existing site conditions play a secondary role to creating walkable communities and reducing the impact of cars. Pictured is the Palmetto Bluff development http://landscapeonline.com/ research/article/5507 in Bluffton, S.C., a Lowcountry town (pop. 12,530) between Interstate 95 and Hilton Head Island in the county of Beaufort. removal and the preparation of forestry management plans. Large trees over 14-inch DBH as well as special classes of preferred trees exceeding 6-inch DBH must be saved or replaced. Tree protection zones (TPZ) around critical root zones are used to prevent encroachment. All removed trees are replaced on a 1:1 ratio. Landscaping requirements include minimum plant material sizes and plantings for buffers, parking lot screens, landscape islands, medians, building foundation plantings and street trees. Interestingly, the minimum canopy requirement is 75 percent coverage at maturity. Preserved habitat areas include wetlands, river buffers and a 150-ft. coastal buffer along the South Carolina Ocean and Coastal (Continued from page 16) Resources Management waterway critical line. A 30-ft. buffer is required along all perennial waters. Twenty percent of the gross area of each building site must be preserved for common open space. This drops to 10 percent for residential developments. PUDs (planned unit development) must be designed with a minimum of 35 percent. Open space may be in the form of greenways, greenbelts, greens, squares, community gardens, parks, plazas and habitat preserves. Interestingly, this list goes beyond what is found in the SmartCode. Open space areas may be used for stormwater management. One Smart (Green) Code A minimum of 15 out of 20 sustainability points must be scored to qualify a project to receive fee-waiver incentives. Points are given for the use of native plants, tree mitigation and exceeding the minimum requirements for wetland habitat and stream bank buffers. Additional points are provided for water conservation, energy efficiency, reduction in the heat island effects and low impact maintenance of open space facilities. Fee reductions are also used as developer incentives to encourage LEED building design and for the transfer of development rights that protect critical resources. This final part of the code pushes the concepts of environmental sustainability. It incorporates several of the LEED/SITES ideas into the code. Landscape architects ought to review this code. This is the direction that landscape codes are moving. You may contact the author at lsugreenlaws@aol.com, or reach him at the Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture at 225.578.1434. Information Request # 558 76 Landscape Architect and Specifier News