The following design standards shall apply for
site plan review:
A. Lighting.
(1) Site lighting shall be provided in all areas regularly
used by the public in the evening.
(2) Required lighting intensity shall vary generally with
the proposed use of intensity. Specific areas shall maintain lighting
levels in accordance with the following table:
|
Use
|
Average Footcandles
|
---|
|
Commercial:
|
|
|
|
Self-parking
|
1
|
|
|
Attendant parking
|
0.5 to 1
|
|
Residential:
|
|
|
|
Multifamily
|
0.5 to 1
|
|
Pedestrianways:
|
|
|
|
Sidewalks, general
|
0.5
|
|
|
Sidewalks, park
|
0.25
|
|
|
Entrances, active
|
1 to 2
|
|
|
Entrances, inactive
|
0.5
|
|
|
Intersections
|
1 to 2
|
(3) Fixtures shall be equipped with cutoffs so that no
part of the lamp or reflector is visible from adjoining roadways.
(4) All lighting shall be cut off at property lines to
prevent carry-over onto residential properties.
(5) The maximum permissible fixture height shall be 25
feet.
B. Storm drainage.
(1) All site plans shall incorporate adequate storm drainage
facilities in accordance with the Surface Water Management Ordinance
of Independence Township.
(2) Driveways entering onto Township roads shall provide
stormwater facilities to prevent runoff from entering the traveled
way of the roadway. Where necessary, inlets or trench drains shall
be utilized at the driveway/roadway intersections.
C. Parking lot layouts.
(1) Parking spaces shall be provided in accordance with §
255-92E of the Zoning Ordinance.
(2) Parking lots for multiple-family, commercial-business
or industrial use shall be paved with asphalt unless otherwise permitted
by the Board. Pavement thickness shall be proposed by the developer
and approved by the Township Engineer and shall reflect the anticipated
traffic volume and type. Where a full-depth bituminous pavement is
proposed, it shall consist of a three-inch stabilized base with a
one-and-one-half-inch FABC surface course as a minimum. Alternate
design incorporating an untreated aggregate base with a four-inch-minimum-thickness
bituminous pavement may also be considered. Graveled parking areas
will only be considered and approved by the Land Use Board where the
developer can demonstrate that such construction is consistent with
good planning, will accommodate minimal traffic volumes and will not
cause drainage and/or siltation problems detrimental to public health,
safety and welfare.
[Amended 2-13-2007 by Ord. No. 2007-07]
(3) A parking space for a passenger automobile shall accommodate
an area of 200 square feet either within a structure or garage or
in the open, exclusive of driveways or access drives. It shall accommodate
an inscribed rectangle having a minimum length of 20 feet and a minimum
width of 10 feet, except that a parking space abutting a curb need
only be 18 feet in length, provided that a two-foot clear area, in
addition to any required sidewalks, is maintained behind the curb,
reducing the parking space area to a minimum of 180 square feet. Aisles
for access to parking spaces shall be in accordance with the following:
[Amended 5-11-2004 by Ord. No. 04-3]
|
Parking Angle
(degrees)
|
Aisle Width
(feet)
|
Traffic Flow
|
---|
|
90
|
24
|
2-way
|
|
80
|
24
|
2-way
|
|
70
|
19
|
1-way
|
|
60
|
17
|
1-way
|
|
50
|
14
|
1-way
|
|
45
|
13
|
1-way
|
(4) Off-street parking areas which provide parking for
10 or more vehicles shall be provided with shade trees of a type approved
by the Land Use Board. The shade trees shall be located in curbed
islands in a planned manner within the parking lot area, in quantity
equal to one shade tree for every 10 parking spaces.
[Amended 2-13-2007 by Ord. No. 2007-07]
(5) Parking lots providing in excess of 50 parking spaces
shall meet the following requirements:
(a)
Driveways shall be separated from parking stalls
and aisles by raised curbed islands which shall be a minimum of five
feet wide.
(b)
In every fifth row of parking, the opposing
stalls shall be separated by raised curbed islands which shall be
a minimum of four feet wide.
(6) Parking areas shall be graded to provide grades between
a minimum of 0.5% to a maximum of 6%. Runoff shall be directed from
aisles to parking stalls.
(7) The Land Use Board shall have the authority to require
curbing bumper guards, wheel stops, etc., to direct runoff, guard
landscaping and protect pedestrians. Where utilized, curbing shall
be nine-by-twenty-inch grey concrete and shall otherwise conform to
New Jersey Department of Transportation standards.
[Amended 2-13-2007 by Ord. No. 2007-07]
(8) Parking stalls, pedestrianways, entrance driveways
and exit driveways shall be designated with white paint on the finished
pavement.
D. Streets and driveways.
(1) All interior development roadways, whether intended for dedication to the Township or not, shall be constructed in accordance with §
255-68A of this article.
(2) Two-way driveways serving aisles and parking lots
shall be a minimum width of 20 feet.
(3) Business, commercial, multifamily and industrial driveways
shall provide the following sight distance from a point 30 feet along
the driveway curbline to a point on the curbline of the intersecting
street:
|
Roadway Classification
|
Minimum Sight Distance
(feet)
|
---|
|
Local
|
200
|
|
Minor collector
|
275
|
|
Major collector
|
350
|
|
Others
|
400
|
(4) The sight triangle shall be clear of all obstruction
from 20 inches above center-line grade to a point 120 inches above
center line, except that utility poles and street trees shall be permitted,
provided that they do not create a safety hazard. An easement dedication
to the owner of the intersecting roadway incorporating the entire
sight triangle within the site but outside the right-of-way line shall
be made.
E. Fire protection. Notwithstanding the provisions of
fire codes and recommendations of fire personnel, the following shall
apply:
(1) On all sites in excess of 10,000 square feet of building
area, fire aisles shall be provided adjacent to all exposures of buildings.
No automobile parking shall be permitted between the fire aisle and
the building, except that parcel pickup areas will be permitted, provided
that the designated area does not exceed 1/3 of the frontage of an
individual business establishment. Pedestrian walkways and truck loading
zones will be permitted between the fire aisle and the buildings.
(2) All fire aisles shall be a minimum of 30 feet in width.
(3) No portion of a structure shall be more than 600 feet
from a fire hydrant where municipal waterlines exist.
(4) Prior to the holding of any public hearing on any
application for major subdivision or major site plan approval, the
applicant shall notify the Independence Township Volunteer Fire Department
and provide copies of all relevant documents for the review and comment
of such Fire Company and, prior to construction, furnish to the Fire
Company six copies of a general plat of such application on eight-and-five-tenths-by-eleven-inch
paper, in notebook form, with all road names and water supply points
clearly delineated, suitable for use to assist in locating such development
or locations therein under emergency circumstances.
[Added 10-13-1989 by Ord. No. 89-19]
(5) Prior to the issuance of a certificate of occupancy
for any major subdivision or major site plan or any part thereof,
the applicant shall contact the Independent Volunteer Fire Company
and permit such Fire Company to inspect and familiarize their personnel
with the site unless the Fire Company determines that there is no
necessity for any such inspection.
[Added 10-13-1989 by Ord. No. 89-19]
F. Landscaping.
(1) All areas shall be temporarily and permanently stabilized
from erosion.
(2) All unpaved areas shall be attractively landscaped.
(3) Shade trees shall be provided within a five-foot strip
at seventy-five-foot intervals along the street right-of-way line.
Trees shall be one of the following type: sugar maple, Norway maple,
pin oak or other type as approved by the Board.
G. Variations in design.
[Added 7-12-1988 by Ord. No. 88-16]
(1) The purpose of this subsection is to provide a variation
in design in the construction of new dwellings and to promote a desirable
visual environment through creative development techniques and good
civic design and arrangements.
(2) Building permits will not be issued for any new dwelling
to be constructed in a subdivision consisting of one or more dwellings
unless the exterior designs are substantially different in appearance
from any contiguous, adjacent or nearby dwelling within 500 feet or
within two conforming lots within the particular zone, whichever distance
is greater, of the proposed dwelling and measured in either direction
along the road frontage upon which the proposed dwelling is to be
constructed. Said five-hundred-foot distance between dwellings shall
include dwellings situated on the opposite side of the road or, in
the case of intersecting streets, 500 feet from any intersection.
Proposed dwellings shall be substantially different in design within
the distances outlined above. The distances outlined above shall be
measured from the exterior lot lines of the properties in question.
(3) Further, notwithstanding the above distance requirements,
the developer must use a minimum of substantially different designs
as per the following schedule:
|
Number of Lots
|
Minimum of Substantially
Different Designs
|
---|
|
3 to 7
|
3
|
|
8 to 15
|
4
|
|
16 to 25
|
5
|
|
26 to 40
|
6
|
|
41 to 80
|
7
|
|
80 and above
|
8
|
(4) For the purposes of this subsection, "substantially
different" shall mean that a proposed dwelling must incorporate four
major changes in design, which major changes shall differentiate said
dwelling from other dwellings situated within the distances delineated
above. "Major changes" shall mean and include but not necessarily
be limited to:
(a)
Location of garage, portico, breezeway or decks.
(b)
Location, size and type of windows and doors.
(c)
Type, design and pitch of roofs, heights of
eaves and peaks, together with type, color and pattern of roofing
materials.
(5) The developer shall submit architectural drawings,
which incorporate the proposed exterior designs as outlined above,
for the Board's review as part of the developer's preliminary application.
For purposes of this article, the developer may submit architectural
drawings to the Board which incorporate changes other than those outlined
above for review, and it shall be the discretion of the Board to determine
if said designs constitute substantially different major changes in
order to conform to the above article.
(6) It is not the intent or purpose of this article to
suggest that a developer should propose a development which includes
more than one basic architectural style in a single development, i.e.,
colonials mixed with Tudors or ranches or Cape Cods, etc., and the
same is to be discouraged in that to mix said designs would be less
aesthetically pleasing and acceptable than a basic architectural styling
theme with the major changes noted above.
[Added 3-14-2006 by Ord. No. 2006-04]
The following minimum design standards shall
be required for all site development within a ridgeline protection
area.
A. Definitions. The following definitions shall apply
for the purposes of this section.
CLEARING LIMIT RATIO
Determined by dividing the area proposed to be disturbed
upon a lot or parcel by the total area of that lot, expressed as a
percentage and indicating the portion of the lot from which vegetation
is proposed to be removed.
DIAMETER AT POINT OF MEASUREMENT
The diameter of a tree measured 4 1/2 feet above the
ground level, measured on the down hill side when on a slope, and
abbreviated as DPM.
EXISTING TREE
Any tree standing at the time of subdivision, site plan or
building permit application that has a DPM of eight inches or greater
for deciduous trees or height of six feet or greater (from the base
to the highest point) for nondeciduous trees.
LIMIT OF DISTURBANCE
The boundary line formed between all portions of the site
where land disturbance will occur and the existing natural area of
the property that will remain undisturbed.
TREE PROTECTION ZONE
An area in which no clearing of vegetation is permitted except
for construction of approved structures, buildings, roads, driveways,
sidewalks, drainage facilities, and utilities. Where clearing is permitted
for roads, driveways, sidewalks, drainage facilities and utilities,
it shall not exceed 35 feet in width or the width of the associated
easement or right-of-way, whichever is less, except for public road
rights-of-way, which may be cleared to allow for construction of a
road or lane in accordance with the residential site improvement standards.
Clearing for building lots shall be subject to lot clearing standards.
VEGETATION
Any plant material, including native grasses or groundcover,
shrubs and trees.
B. Performance standards. A tree protection zone within
the area of ridgeline protection shall be established for all lots
that have any portion of land area within a ridgeline protection area,
which tree protection zone shall be subject to the following limitations
and requirements:
(1) The tree protection zone shall include all areas of
the ridgeline protection area. The boundary of the tree protection
zone shall be depicted and labeled on any subdivision map, site plan
or topographic plan submitted in accordance with the ridgeline protection
standards.
(2) All areas within a tree protection zone, whether same
shall be wooded or nonwooded at the time of application, shall be
required to have located thereon a minimum of 12 trees per acre of
land within the tree protection area, after development, including
existing trees and proposed trees meeting the minimum size requirements
of an existing tree. Proposed trees shall be planted as specified
in a approved landscape plan as approved by the Land Use Board.
[Amended 2-13-2007 by Ord. No. 2007-07]
(3) A tree conservation easement in a form acceptable
to the Land Use Board Attorney and the Township Attorney shall be
established for the area contained within the tree protection zone.
[Amended 2-13-2007 by Ord. No. 2007-07]
C. Area, lot and bulk requirements. All lots with existing
or proposed structures and buildings contained within a ridgeline
protection area shall meet the minimum requirements as specified in
the Township of Independence Schedule of Limitations and the following additional requirements:
(1) A usable lot area shall be shown for each lot. It
shall be formed within the required building envelope and contain
an area formed by right angles (square) with each side being at least
100 feet in length. Such usable lot area shall be free of:
(a)
Easements that restrict development, including
but not limited to easements for conservation, tree protection, stormwater
detention/retention, critical slopes, utilities, and access; and
(b)
Wetlands and their transition areas and open
water bodies or courses as designated by NJDEP; and
(c)
Special flood hazard areas (FEMA designated
one-hundred-year special flood hazard areas);
(2) A lot with a one-hundred-foot by one-hundred-foot
square within the building envelope, which is not free of such areas,
and was lawfully approved and created prior to adoption of this section,
is to be considered a conforming lot with respect to this provision.
(3) Any principal building shall be constructed within
the usable lot area.
(4) The maximum impervious building and lot coverage for
any lot having a portion or all of its area within the ridgeline protection
area shall not exceed 50% of the coverage limit for the zone.
D. Lot clearing limit ratio. All building lots contained
within a ridgeline protection area shall be subject to a maximum lot
clearing ratio of 20%.
E. Lot clearing standards. The following standards shall
apply to all building lots contained within a ridgeline protection
area.
(1) Notwithstanding the lot clearing limit ratio, no clearing
of vegetation is permitted beyond a street, right-of-way or within
a tree protection zone except as specified in the definition of a
tree protection zone.
(2) Where lot clearing is permitted it shall be confined
to the construction of lot improvements limited to structures and
buildings, driveways, utility service lines, drainage facilities,
and lawn areas.
(3) The subdivision or site plan shall include a table
with calculations of clearing limit rations and area of disturbance.
A limit of disturbance line shall be drawn and labeled for each effected
lot.
F. Nonwooded area planting. In all instances where the
Board determines that proposed building lots are located in nonwooded
or sparsely wooded areas of a ridgeline protection area, the following
standards shall apply:
(1) Trees having a caliper three feet above the ground
base of 2.5 inches or greater DPM if deciduous or six feet high at
time of planting for evergreen trees shall be planted in such nonwooded
or sparsely wooded areas so that the lot area contained within a ridgeline
protection area has a minimum of 12 trees per acre post development.
(2) The applicant shall calculate the required number
of trees to be planted by multiplying the area of ridgeline protection
area of the lot by 12. Any fractional amount shall be rounded up to
one additional tree. Credit will be given for any existing trees to
remain or replacement trees.
(3) The variety and planting design shall be as approved
by the Land Use Board, but not less than 25% of all trees shall be
evergreen varieties.
[Amended 2-13-2007 by Ord. No. 2007-07]
(4) The trees shall be planted prior to the issuance of
a certificate of occupancy on each building lot according to a landscape
plan approved by the Township Engineer prior to issuance of a building
permit. If weather conditions do not permit such planting, the developer
shall post a cash deposit with the Township equal to 120% of the amount
needed for such plantings, as determined by the Township Engineer.
If the developer does not cause the trees to be planted within six
months of the date of the issuance of the certificate of occupancy,
then the developer shall forfeit to the Township the entire cash deposit.
The Township shall use the cash deposit, or any portion thereof, to
purchase and install the required plantings and shall retain without
refund any excess cash deposit.
(5) A plan shall be submitted providing for continuous
maintenance, including but not limited to watering, pruning, and pest
control shall be practiced on all such areas for a period of not less
than two years from the date of planting. A maintenance guaranty shall
be posted with the Township in a form acceptable to the Township Committee.
G. Tree protection. All trees to remain within a tree
protection zone shall be protected from disturbance.
H. Waiver of requirements. The applicant may request
relief, in the form of a waiver, for any standard contained in this
section. If a waiver is required, the applicant must demonstrate to
the Board's satisfaction the strict compliance with the design standard
will cause undue hardship on the applicant.