General Berm Design Guidelines
 Earth Berm
- The top of the berm should be held level along its entire length
except at the entrance drives. An undulating ridgeline on the berm
within the restricted height of 3’10” would tend to destroy the visual
unity and would create a “forced” appearance to the berm.
- The sides of the berm must not exceed a 3:1 slope ratio.
- The ridge of the berm must have an approximate two (2) foot wide
area at the top that is rounded (i.e., neither flat nor meeting at the
peak).
- Maximum height of the berm is 3'-10".
Planting
- The ground surface on the berm should be covered primarily with
lawn. If other types of ground covers are used, they should be planted
in areas large enough to be in scale with the overall length of the
berm, thus avoiding a "spotty" effect.
- The entrance drive should be given visual emphasis with plantings.
One means of achieving this is through the use of low growing
evergreens in conjunction with groupings of small ornamental trees.
- If evergreens are used, they should generally be planted in groups
of six or more of the same species. Widely spaced evergreens create a
“spotty” effect on the landscape. This is especially true in the
winter.
- Continuous planting along the ridgeline of the berm and an even
spacing of trees along the strip should be avoided. Random spacing of
trees and shrubs creates a less formal and more naturalistic effect.
- The purpose of the planting strip is not to totally obscure the
building and parking behind but to reduce their visual impact. The
planting design may be such that the motorist is allowed fleeting
glimpses through to the other side of the strip.
- Planting on berms should consist of species that naturally grow in
high, well drained situations. Plants such as arborvitae, birch,
cedar, hemlock and cypress, which are indigenous to low, moist
situations, should not be used. In addition, plants such as dogwood
and redbud should not be used in a berm area where there is much
exposure to the elements.
Corner Clearance
Within the corner clearance area, no planting, berm or structure
should exceed thirty (30) inches in height.
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