Township of North Brunswick, NJ R-5 Residential District

Garden apartments.

Temporary buildings for uses incidental to construction work, provided that such buildings are removed upon completion or abandonment of the construction work.

Temporary sales and/or rental offices.

Required accessory uses.

Signs, in accordance with Article XXV of this chapter.

Fences, in accordance with § 205-93 of this chapter.

Television antennas not exceeding 15 feet in height from the roof of the main structure and subject to other restrictions as noted in Article IV of this chapter.

Other customary accessory uses and structures which are clearly incidental to the principal structure and use.

Conditional uses (subject to Article XXIX of this chapter).

(Reserved)[1]

[1]

Editor's Note: Former Subsection C(1), concerning community residence for the developmentally disabled, was repealed 5-18-1998 by Ord. No. 98-9.

§ 205-56 Development standards for garden apartments.

The following project design requirements for garden apartments are in addition to those specified in § 205-4.1, Schedule of District Regulations:

Minimum front yard setback: 100 feet from state and federal highways; 50 feet from existing and proposed Township streets; and 35 feet from all other internal streets and roadways.

Maximum density: 10 dwelling units per acre.

There shall be not more than 20 contiguous dwelling units in each building.

The length of any one building shall not exceed 175 feet.

The project shall be designed to avoid straight unbroken lines. There shall be no more than four dwelling units in a line without a variation in setback equal to a minimum of 10 feet in the exterior surface or building elevation.

Each building unit shall have a master television antenna.

All buildings shall be of fire-resistant material and shall comply with the provisions of the Township's Fire Prevention Code.[1]

[1]

Editor's Note: See Ch. 176, Fire Prevention.

The design layout of garden apartment structures shall be such that the front of one building does not face the back of another building. When buildings are arranged front-to-back, they shall be separated by a minimum of 100 feet.

The architecture of all buildings shall be compatible with structures on adjacent lands and in the neighborhood.

(10)

All buildings shall supply, in an enclosed basement area, laundry facilities for the use of the occupants of the building unless such facilities are provided within each unit.

(11)

All buildings shall be clearly identified by posting of building numbers.

Individual apartment units shall comply with the following design requirements:

Every dwelling unit shall have two separate means of ingress and egress from the building in which it is located.

All apartment units shall include complete kitchen facilities, toilets and bathing and washing facilities, as well as living space.

Each dwelling unit shall contain at least one clothes closet, with a minimum floor area of 40 square feet for the main bedroom and 20 square feet for each other bedroom or similar facility. Where two bedrooms are provided in a dwelling unit, a linen closet with a minimum floor area of 15 square feet and a storage closet with a floor area of at least 25 square feet shall be provided within each dwelling unit.

In addition to any storage area contained inside individual dwelling units, there shall be provided for each dwelling unit 420 cubic feet of storage area in a convenient, centrally located area in the basement or ground floor of the dwelling structure or elsewhere where personal belongings and effects may be stored without constituting a fire hazard and where said belongings and effects may be kept locked and separated from belongings of other occupants.

All walls separating apartment units shall be of masonry construction not less than eight inches in thickness or the equivalent in terms of sound transmission loss factor. Each apartment shall be separated from adjacent apartments by nonhabitable spaces such as bathrooms, kitchens, stairs or mechanical areas.

The floor area per dwelling unit shall not be less than the following: 500 feet for efficiency apartments; 600 square feet for one-bedroom units; and 700 square feet for two-bedroom units.

Excluding bathrooms, closets, halls and stairways, bedrooms shall have a minimum floor area of 100 square feet.

No dwelling unit shall be located above the second floor or below the first floor.

Each dwelling unit shall contain at least one fully equipped bathroom of at least 45 square feet, not including closet space.

All apartment projects must comply with the following open space and recreation requirements:

A playground area or areas shall be provided at the rate of at least 450 square feet per dwelling unit. Outdoor play equipment shall be installed in each playground, in sufficient amount and variety to service the occupants of the project. A swimming pool area or areas may be installed as approved by the Planning Board and Recreation Committee. All recreational areas which are adjacent to a public street or internal roadway shall be separated from said roadway by a fence at least four feet in height. In an active recreation area or areas, an auxiliary building or buildings shall also be erected in conjunction with said pool or pools.

For the purpose of this provision, usable open space shall be exclusive of front yard, service driveways, parking areas, loading or storage areas, drying yards, etc., and shall be maintained exclusively for residents of the apartment house and their guests.

Active and passive recreation areas shall not be located closer than 20 feet to a road or driveway.

Off-street parking, driveway and roadway requirements:

A minimum of two off-street parking spaces shall be provided for each unit.

Parking shall be prohibited along internal streets, in required front yard areas and in usable open space areas.

No off-street parking area shall be located within 60 feet of any adjoining property line of a single-family use.

Off-street parking areas shall be physically separated from streets and roads by curbs, constructed in accordance with Township specifications.

Parking areas shall be constructed in accordance with provisions established in this chapter and shall be graded, piped and provided with catch basins so as to adequately drain the entire area to the satisfaction of the Township Engineer.

In any apartment project where more than 60 open parking spaces are required, the parking area shall be divided into sections each not exceeding 60 open parking spaces, and such sections shall be separated by grassed or landscaped areas at least five feet in width, except that such dividing strips may be sidewalks or walkways, provided that the same meet specifications of the Township Engineer.

All off-street parking shall be located on the immediate apartment house property.

Streets not leading into parking areas shall be cul-de-sac in design, with sufficient turning area and radius for emergency vehicles.

All interior streets and related improvements shall be maintained by the apartment owner.

(10)

All roadways within the garden apartment area shall provide a minimum paved roadway of 36 feet.

Other provisions.

Where a garden apartment development abuts an area zoned for single-family, industrial or commercial use, said development shall provide a thirty-foot buffer strip, designed in accordance with the requirements of Article XXVI, within the required side or rear yard which abuts such use.

All areas not devoted to structures, parking areas or other required uses shall be appropriately landscaped and maintained. Wherever feasible, natural features will be preserved. Landscaped areas, playgrounds and recreational areas shall be maintained by and at the expense of the owner.

No buildings, including garages, other accessory structures, interior streets and driveways, parking areas or play areas may be located in the buffer strip.

All buildings shall be set back a minimum of 10 feet from driveways and parking lots, and 35 feet from internal roadways.

A garbage and refuse storage and collection area which is accessible for disposal and collection shall be provided at the rear of each building and shall be adequately screened from view on three sides. The collection and removal of garbage and refuse shall be the responsibility of the owners.

One nonilluminated project identification sign shall be permitted on each public street on which the garden apartment development has frontage. The project name, address and vacancy status may be advertised. Such signs shall not exceed 16 square feet total aggregate area of all sides, with a maximum height of four feet located within the property lines. No signs shall be attached to buildings nor shall any other signs other than pedestrian or vehicular directional signs be visible from the premises.

Topsoil shall not be removed from the site during construction, but shall be stored and redistributed to areas most exposed to view by occupants and the public, and such areas shall be stabilized by seeding or planting.

Interior roadways, parking areas, dwelling entranceways and walkways shall be sufficiently illuminated to minimize hazards to pedestrians and motor vehicles. All luminaries shall be directed downward and properly shielded to avoid disturbing glares to occupants, buildings and adjoining properties and public streets.