The purpose of this Part 2 is to provide zoning
regulations and design standards that are to be used in combination
with the open space and circulation plans to promote the creation
and sustainability of mixed-use walkable communities and neighborhoods
along the Route 322 Corridor and within the Auburn Road area of Woolwich
Township, New Jersey. The zoning regulations and design standards
address seven development sectors within the Woolwich Regional Center
and the Auburn Road Village. Sectors have been identified and are
designed to promote stability and sustainability to the concept of
the community of the 21st Century as they are designed to accommodate
the growth of both regional and local services, some pedestrian-oriented,
some automobile-oriented, and provide employment, civic and residential
choices for communities of up to 4,246 residential units and roughly
five million to six million square feet of retail/commercial space.
A.
B.
The regulations and standards within this Part 2 address
location, mixture and intensities of permitted uses, as well as site
planning and architectural controls designed to promote vibrant urban
form consistent with the visioning process undertaken by Woolwich
Township officials, civic leaders and citizens.
C.
This is not a document about architectural style.
By style we mean such descriptive terms as "colonial," "victorian,"
"modern," "post-modern," etc. While each of us may have a collective
memory of a place or places where such styles have elicited positive
experiences of community, the history of human settlement instructs
us that basic design considerations independent of "architectural
style" are determinants of successful human scale community building.
Good design promotes healthy community of place. The tenets of good
design expressed in this document are based on seven principles:
(1)
Scale: the visual arrangement and massing of
buildings, voids and landscape elements that promote walkability and
other alternative forms of transportation, a sense of place and a
human scale rather than auto-oriented suburban sprawl.
(2)
Rhythm: a pattern of facade and streetscape
elements that discourages monotony and creates an inviting pedestrian
environment and visual compatibility with buildings and places.
(3)
Edges: physical elements that define a place
and provide transition to adjacent areas.
(4)
Colors and materials: the visible components
of buildings and streetscapes, including siding, trim, doors, windows,
gutters, downspouts, roofing and all other architectural and site
elements. They must be in context with their environment and must
be sustainable, low maintenance, durable and tactile.
(5)
Density: the proximity at which a community
lives, works and plays together.
(6)
Choice: the provision of housing, employment,
retail, recreation and other services for people of all ages and lifestyles.
(7)
Diversity: a variation of scale, rhythm, materials,
density and choice that provides an array of options for all people.
D.
The local visioning process has identified a series
of goal statements, as outlined below, which are to be considered
in the review of all development applications involving lands located
within the mapped Woolwich Regional Center and the Auburn Road Village.
Requests for variances, waivers and/or deviations from the ordinance
provisions of this code shall be evaluated in the context of the impact
the same may have on the following goal statements:
(1)
Promote traditional neighborhood developments
where the physical, visual and spatial characteristics are established
and reinforced through the consistent use of compatible urban design
and architectural design elements. Such elements shall relate characteristics
of an individual structure or development to other existing or planned
structures or developments in a harmonious manner, resulting in an
overall development pattern and streetscape.
(2)
Encourage innovative mixed-use and multiple-use
plans so that the housing demand of varying age groups, families and
income levels may be met by greater variety of type, design and layout
of dwellings and by the construction and more efficient use of open
space. To that end, the goal is to create smaller lots than currently
exist in Woolwich Township to accommodate a mixture of single-family
detached units, twins, townhouses, condominium flats and apartment
flats above commercial and office uses which are to be integrated
into the plan.
(3)
Promote the creation of neighborhoods and districts
that are distinct and identifiable in landscape, architecture and
public space elements.
(4)
Encourage the development of "sustainable" community
identified by economic and fiscal balance, social integration and
maximization of water and energy conservation through the use of passive
and active technologies.
(5)
Encourage land development practices that will
promote the public health, safety, and welfare by creating neo-traditional
land use alternatives to conventional, use-segregated "suburban sprawl,"
such as larger-lot subdivisions and strip commercial developments.
(6)
Discourage uses and design patterns that tend
to contribute to traffic congestion through the dependence on private
automobiles.
(7)
Establish a comprehensive street and path network
based on the principles of the grid to accommodate an integrated multimodal
transportation system with the intent of providing a safe pedestrian
environment and pedestrian paths.
(8)
Alleviate undue traffic congestion by reducing
excessive sprawl of development and the segregation of land uses which
result in the inefficient use of land and which necessitate the use
of private vehicles.
(9)
Encourage creative green technologies integrated
into public spaces and private development parcels to achieve flood
control, stormwater recharge and water filtration in an effort to
preserve an indispensable natural resource.
(10)
Allow for the directing of additional development
through transfer of development rights (TDRs) in an effort to preserve
the remaining rural, historic and agricultural character of Woolwich
Township.
A.
This document outlines the purpose of the zoning regulations and design standards and identifies the tenets of good design based upon specific principles. It also contains a series of goal statements that must be considered in the review of all development applications. Specifically, this document acts as an enabling ordinance which contains a development process section, phasing rules, general standards and definitions, a listing of principal and accessory uses, bulk and area regulations for all permitted uses, design standards and a street regulating plan. Further detailed rules associated with street layout and design, stormwater management, and parking and open space are found in other sections of this Part 2.
B.
The zoning regulations and design standards are an
interrelated set of plans, diagrams, photographs, tables and text
which specify the design and intent of the Woolwich Regional Center
and the Auburn Road Village.
C.
Steps for developing land.
(1)
Step 1: Review sections related to the variance,
waiver and/or deviation process, phasing rules and general standards
and definitions.
(2)
Step 2: Review enabling ordinance section, including
specifics on implementation. “Specifics on implementation”
is the text which explains how regulations that are specified within
the document will be implemented. This is the legal language that
clarifies the regulations.
(3)
Step 3: Review total number and types of residential
units, densities and square footage of nonresidential uses.
(4)
Step 4: Review bulk, area, and design regulations
for each land use and building type that specifically addresses the
following categories: town scale, block scale, site scale, public
realm and private realm in relationship to architecture and design,
parking, edges and buffers and the environment.
(a)
The “town scale” shows the location
of a particular permitted use in the Route 322 Corridor and Auburn
Road area and its relationship to Center-wide features. The “block
scale” specifies tract and block dimensions, sidewalk and planting
strip widths, mid-block crossings, streetlighting and street furniture,
architectural elements, public space and right-of-way considerations
as well as issues of rhythm, scale and building orientation.
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(b)
The “site scale” identifies typical
area and bulk regulations pertaining to lot area, width and depth,
building and impervious coverage, building setbacks, fencing, open
space and stormwater considerations.
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(c)
The “public realm” identifies the
outside features of the architecture of buildings on each lot, including
height, elevations, window-to-eave offsets, facade fenestration, rhythm
breaks, porches, and other related matters.
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(d)
The “private realm” identifies building
factors related to rear deck and outdoor space areas, chimney materials,
upper-floor breezeways, stoops, awnings, solar screens, balconies
and permitted uses internal to the structure.
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(5)
Step 5: The Land Use Master Plan maps for both
areas are the legal maps which are part of this document. They are
the regulating plans for the design of both Centers. All regulations
in this document are derived from these maps. It reflects the location
of streets, avenues and boulevards, open space and parks, retail and
mixed-use buildings within both Centers.
A.
This Part 2 is intended to create the standards and
requirements for the Woolwich Regional Center and the Auburn Road
Village, which have been contemplated in some form by the Township
dating back three years to 2003. The Township Committee seeks to create
mixed-use, neo-traditional neighborhoods with public uses and open
space areas designed to serve as both passive and active amenities.
B.
Both Centers are also intended to integrate themselves
with newly developed lands and with existing properties in and around
the existing Route 322 Corridor and Auburn Road area, some of which
are presently commercial and some of which are residential. It is
intended that most of these existing properties will eventually be
converted to some form of mixed uses or complementary stand-alone
developments.
C.
The Township Committee and Joint Land Use Board have
promulgated a series of policy statements as listed below, which are
to be considered in reviewing all development applications involving
lands located in both the Woolwich Regional Center and the Auburn
Road Village.
(1)
Develop new mixed-use communities, which reflect
the traditional character of this evolving rural Township.
(2)
Require, whenever possible, the interconnection
of existing and proposed uses so as to create integrated neighborhoods
and a greater sense of community by using design techniques that provide
for modified grid patterns accentuated with special, more grand avenues.
(3)
Provide a layout of streets and open space edges
which encourage pedestrian interconnections to residential, civic
and commercial uses within a one-half-mile walking distance.
(4)
Provide a clearly articulated and rationally
designed open space system which consists of both integrated and peripheral
active and passive parks.
(5)
Extend greater opportunities for housing, commercial
and recreational facilities to all residents of the Township.
(6)
Encourage a more efficient use of land and public
services by directing development in a pattern that resembles a traditional
mixed-use development with varied housing types.
(7)
Provide an approval, which will require the
development to relate the type, design, and layout of residential
development on any site to the surrounding environs and context, and
to the Township's goal of encouraging mixed-use, neo-traditional development
in a manner sensitive to the preservation or enhancement of property
within existing residential areas.
(8)
Establish policies and procedures intended to
promote flexibility for the marketability of dwelling unit types while
requiring the maintenance of the underlying integrity of the plan
in an efficient and expedient forum.
(9)
Discourage generic, modern suburban development
that bears no relation to the historic development pattern of the
Township and Gloucester County while promoting the creation of new
neighborhoods and developments that exhibit the design features of
neo-traditional neighborhoods and small towns in the county.
(10)
Promote the creation of places which are oriented
to the pedestrian, promote citizen security, and social interaction.
(11)
Establish community plazas and squares which
act as focal points of activity and interaction for both commercial
and residential neighborhoods.
(12)
Promote developments with visual and spatial
characteristics as expressed in the components of the regulating plan
and site plan and design standards.
(13)
Incorporate a land use component specifically
addressed to the needs of senior citizens.
(14)
Develop a plan that addresses the fiscal imbalance
of current zoning and provides a phasing of development in a fiscally
responsible manner.
(15)
Accommodate both the need and desire for the
automobile in community planning.
A.
This Part 2 supersedes any provisions of the Woolwich
Township Site Plan Ordinance, Subdivision Ordinance or Zoning Ordinance[1] as they apply to the Township as a whole. The Regulating
Plan, which includes the Land Use Element, Circulation Plan Element,
Public Spaces Plan Element, Stormwater Element, and Zoning Regulations
and Design Standards Element, is incorporated as a companion document
herein by reference.[2]
[Amended 12-15-2014 by Ord. No. 2014-17]
B.
In the event of any inconsistencies or contradictions,
this Part 2 shall be deemed as controlling over those lands located
in the two Centers. The Regulating Plan shall be incorporated herein
by reference as the design basis for the lands included in the Woolwich
Regional Center and the Auburn Road Village. The Regulating Plan shall
be governed in its entirety by the provisions of this Part 2 with
the exception that those provisions of the Township Subdivision and
Site Development Ordinance[3] and Zoning Ordinance specifically referenced within this
Part 2 shall also apply to the zone district.
C.
The approval or disapproval of any portion of any
Center development shall be based on an interpretation of the effect
of the proposed development on the surrounding properties and the
zone district if the same deviates in any manner from the Regulating
Plan incorporated herein by reference. In the event of a deviation
from the same, the determination shall be evaluated based upon the
following provisions:
(1)
The Regulating Plan, as incorporated herein
by reference, shall be deemed to be the basic structure of both the
Woolwich Regional Center and the Auburn Road Village and cannot be
modified without approval of the Township Committee and/or the Joint
Land Use Board depending on the extent of the deviation from the provisions
of the Regulating Plan.
(2)
The Regulating Plan is conceptual in nature
in that it is not an engineered plan and that the actual layout of
the streets and alleys shall be determined at the time of site plan
and/or subdivision approval. The general locations of streets and
alleys will remain; however, minor modifications may be permitted
by the Joint Land Use Board due to engineering and site plan considerations,
provided that the overall integrity of both the project scale and
the comprehensive nature of the interconnected grid and parallel circulation/roadway
system as illustrated in the conceptual drawings of this document
are maintained.
(3)
The regulations in this Part 2 shall be deemed to be the minimum standards applicable for the Woolwich Regional Center and the Auburn Road Village. In the event of any requests for deviation from standards for any section of proposed development or any portion of any section of either Center, Township Planner or Center Subcommittee or the Joint Land Use Board, depending upon the extent of the deviation, may require more stringent standards based on the proposed effect of the deviation on the overall Center plan or on specific areas of either development which may be impacted by the proposed deviation, in order to protect the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of the Township and the overall integrity of the plan.
A.
Any applicant seeking to develop properties located
within the Woolwich Center or Auburn Road Village shall be required
to provide a phasing schedule, which phasing schedule shall be subject
to the review of and approval by the Joint Land Use Board. The intent
of the phasing schedule shall be to establish parameters within which
permitted housing stock shall be constructed in conjunction with the
construction of land-use-related infrastructure components.
B.
The Joint Land Use Board shall have the discretion
to develop a suitable mechanism to ensure a balanced development so
as to minimize and moderate fiscal impacts on the Township which may
otherwise be created by the construction of housing.
C.
A methodology may be established based upon ratio
of dwelling units to nonresidential floor area or any other suitable
calculation which the Joint Land Use Board deems to be appropriate
in light of the intended goal of minimizing and moderating fiscal
impacts.
A.
The Township Committee can choose to use the professional
services of the Township Planner and/or establish a Center Subcommittee
to review applications for development of lands within both the Woolwich
Regional Center and the Auburn Road Village. For purposes of this
Part 2 and Regulating Plan, the reviewer shall be referred to as the
“Township Planner.” The Township Planner is hereby established
and acknowledged, the purpose of which shall be to review all plans
for development as well as variances, waivers and/or deviations from
the Regulating Plan as incorporated in this Part 2 by reference. The
Township Planner shall be responsible for reviewing and providing
recommendations to the Joint Land Use Board for its approval or denial
for deviations from any of the aforesaid design standards set forth
in the Regulating Plan and this Part 2.
B.
In those matters involving variances, waivers and/or
deviations, the applicant shall be responsible for demonstrating to
the Joint Land Use Board the nature of the variances, waivers and/or
deviations sought, the amount of land or building lots affected, the
impact of the variances, waivers and/or deviations on the immediately
surrounding area of the Woolwich Regional Center and the Auburn Road
Village and, if applicable, the effect on the overall district or
subdistrict based upon the extent of the variances, waivers and/or
deviations requested.
C.
The Township Planner shall have the right to prepare
and require the submission of an application checklist, provided the
same is adopted by the Township Committee by ordinance.
D.
The Woolwich Regional Center and the Auburn Road Village plans and the land uses of its subsections shall be considered as permitted uses with conditions, those conditions being those established in the Regulating Plan, incorporated herein by reference. In the event any single property owner or consortium of property owners owns properties consisting of 15 acres or more, he/she or it may apply to the Joint Land Use Board for General Development Plan (GDP) approval for its portions of either Center and shall be subject to the provision of N.J.S.A. 40:55D-45 et seq. regarding GDP review and approvals. Both property owners or consortiums of property owners who obtain GDP approval and those who do not obtain a GDP approval for their property shall be required to obtain site plan and/or subdivision approval as may be required by law in addition to complying with the conditions of the within Part 2.
E.
The street pattern as incorporated in the Circulation
Plan Element shall be deemed to be fixed, and any application for
deviation from the street pattern as established in this Part 2 shall
be subject to the review and approval of the Joint Land Use Board
unless said deviation is due to on-site engineering conditions certified
by the Township Engineer and results only in a minor relocation of
a proposed roadway as set forth in the Circulation Plan Element. In
the event of such certification by the Township Engineer, the applicant
shall only be required to submit the proposed deviation to the Township
Planner as set forth above for its review and recommendation and potential
action by the Joint Land Use Board.
F.
All applications for development of any subsection
of either the Woolwich Regional Center or Auburn Road Village shall
be required to submit a phasing schedule unless said application is
for a single property of two acres or less. In the event the application
consists of approval for a site consisting of property exceeding said
two acres, and the plan pertaining to said area consists of both residential
and nonresidential uses, the phasing schedule shall incorporate the
specific mechanism for residential applicable site so as to ensure
the balanced development of the property for both residential and
nonresidential purposes.
G.
This Part 2 shall not be construed to alleviate the
necessity of any applicant from obtaining any and all other approvals
which may be required from outside agencies, whether municipal, county
or state agencies which would otherwise have jurisdiction over the
application.
H.
The Center Subcommittee and/or Township Planner shall
be responsible for the review of architectural building style, including
all materials and colors.
A.
Any application seeking variances, waivers and/or
deviations from the provisions of this Part 2 may be subject to conditions
at the time of approval by the Township Joint Land Use Board. All
applications for such deviations must be evaluated in terms of the
goals and policy statements articulated and established in this Part
2 and the reasons for said deviation shall be established in any determination
made by the Joint Land Use Board.
B.
Proposed deviations shall be reviewed and approved
or denied by the Joint Land Use Board based upon the following criteria:
(1)
The design and improvement shall be in harmony
with the purpose and intent of this Part 2.
(2)
The design and improvement shall generally enhance
the street and/or building regulating plans, or in any case not have
on adverse impact on its physical, visual, or spatial characteristics.
(3)
The design and improvement shall generally enhance
the streetscape and neighborhood, or in any case not have an adverse
impact on the streetscape and neighborhood.
(4)
The modification shall not result in configurations
of lots or street systems which shall be impractical or detract from
the appearance of the Center or the ability of adjacent properties
to develop per the Regulating Plan.
(5)
The proposed modification shall not result in
any danger to the public health, safety, or welfare by making access
to the dwellings by emergency vehicles more difficult, by depriving
adjoining properties of adequate light and air, or by violating the
other purposes for which zoning ordinances are to be enacted.
(6)
Landscaping and other methods shall be used
to ensure compliance with the design standards and guidelines of this
Part 2.
(7)
The minimum lot size of any lot to be created
shall only be reduced below the requirements of this Part 2 by approval
of the Joint Land Use Board.
(8)
The applicant shall demonstrate that the proposed
modification will allow for equal or better results and represents
the minimum modification necessary.
(9)
In the event of the granting of a deviation,
the Joint Land Use Board may impose such conditions it deems necessary
to permit the deviation while ensuring the integrity of the overall
Town Center plan.
A.
The development standards contained in the Regulating
Plan and design vocabulary contained therein are both written and
illustrated. The illustrations and written text are intended to be
complementary; and wherever an apparent inconsistency exists, an applicant
may apply to the Joint Land Use Board for interpretation of the ordinance
regarding such standard. Any interpretation made by the Joint Land
Use Board shall be made in conjunction with the overall intent and
character of the plan as codified in the Regulating Plan.
B.
The development standards as contained in the ordinance
set forth specific requirements for development guidelines which are
to be strictly construed. The design vocabulary shall be interpreted
with the maximum degree of flexibility to promote consistency in design,
taking into account exceptional situations which may require unique
interpretation.
