ZDC 4-704. Parking Facility Landscape Standards.

C. Parking Lot Landscape Dimensions. All parking areas shall conform to the following standards:
1. Landscape islands shall be provided except that raised curbs are not required where parking areas drain into storm drainage retention features that are integrated into the parking area and landscape design;

2. To ensure adequate soil, water, and area for healthy plant growth, each landscape island shall be a minimum of one hundred twenty (120) square feet in area, a minimum seven (7) feet in width, and a minimum of fifteen (15) feet in length, including curbing. Landscape islands shall extend to the end of the abutting parking space(s);

3. To accommodate pedestrians, landscape islands may be required to include minimum five (5) feet wide raised pathway with wheelchair ramps. For such situations landscape island widths shall be increased to a minimum twelve (12)
feet;

4. Each landscape island shall include, at the time of installation, a minimum of one (1) tree with a minimum caliper of one and one-half (1 ½) inches and five (5) ground covers of one (1) gallon size for each parking space length. All ground covers in parking lot landscape islands shall not exceed two (2) feet in height and be selected from the recommended ground cover and shrub plant list (see Appendix B), and be of a species that will not grow to interfere with natural surveillance of the parking lot. Development plan review modifications to these and other standards shall demonstrate that the alternative provides equal or superior appearance and plant health;

5. All parking areas shall conform to the street clear vision requirements under Section 4-702(G)(1); and 

6. Tree trunks shall not be placed closer than twenty (20) feet, measured horizontally, from a light source. Trees and lighting shall be located to avoid conflicts with one another and to avoid conflicts with existing and proposed structures. Development plan review modifications to this standard shall demonstrate the alternative does not reduce required lighting levels.

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A common example:

A common violation for this code is a parking lot with too small of an island. The violation in this scenario is the installation of a parking lot island a minimum of one hundred twenty (120) square feet in area, a minimum seven (7) feet in width, and a minimum of fifteen (15) feet in length.