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Township of Hanover, NJ
Morris County
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
[Added 12-19-2005 by Ord. No. 36-2005; amended 12-14-2006 by Ord. No. 30-2006; 8-14-2008 by Ord. No. 18-08]
The RM-4 District is intended to promote and encourage the redevelopment of the zone for townhouse and/or multifamily housing units, including an affordable housing component.
The following principal uses and structures shall be permitted in the RM-4 Zone District:
A. 
Townhouses.
B. 
Multifamily residential buildings.
C. 
Any use permitted in all zone districts or in all residential zone districts by this chapter or by other applicable law.
Permitted accessory uses shall be limited to those uses customarily incidental to the permitted principal use in the district. These may include, but are not limited to:
A. 
Community center/clubhouse.
B. 
Outdoor active recreational facilities for the exclusive use of the residents in the zone district and their guests.
C. 
Off-street parking areas.
D. 
Fences, walls, gazebos, mail kiosks and other street furniture.
E. 
Signs in accordance with § 166-143 of this chapter.
F. 
A structure reserved exclusively for the storage of common area maintenance and recreation equipment.
G. 
Detached garages designed and used primarily for the parking of residents' vehicles.
In addition to any other applicable requirements of this chapter, the following requirements shall apply to development within the RM-4 Zone District:
A. 
Minimum tract area. The minimum tract area shall be 12 acres.
B. 
Maximum tract density. The maximum density shall not exceed 8.5 units per gross acreage of the tract; provided, however, that the maximum density may be increased to 9.4 units per gross acreage of the tract in order to permit the creation of additional affordable housing units within the district above and beyond that required herein. The foregoing shall not be construed to permit more than 112 market-rate dwelling units within the RM-4 Zone District; any and all housing units in excess of 112 units shall be required to be affordable units.
C. 
Minimum tract frontage. The minimum tract frontage shall be 200 feet on an improved public street.
D. 
Minimum tract boundary setbacks. The minimum setback from a tract boundary for all principal structures shall be 50 feet to a commercial or industrial zone district and to any public street contiguous with the tract boundary and 25 feet to all other tract boundaries.
E. 
Minimum distance between buildings. The following minimum dimensions shall separate buildings; provided, however, that Subsection E(1) through (6) below shall apply only to the separation of residential buildings from each other and Subsection E(7) below shall apply only to the separation of residential buildings and any community center/clubhouse:
(1) 
Front wall facing front wall: 45 feet at any point.
(2) 
Front wall facing rear wall: 50 feet at any point.
(3) 
Front wall facing end/side wall: 45 feet at any point.
(4) 
End/side wall facing end/side wall: 20 feet at any point or one-half the height of the tallest of the buildings being separated, whichever is greater.
(5) 
End/side wall facing rear wall: 30 feet at any point.
(6) 
Rear wall facing rear wall: 45 feet at any point.
(7) 
The minimum distance between any residential building and a detached accessory building shall be 25 feet.
F. 
Orientation of buildings to streets and parking areas.
(1) 
All residential buildings shall maintain a minimum setback of 10 feet from the curbline of any internal street located within the tract boundaries, subject to the limitations set forth herein.
(2) 
The community center/clubhouse building shall maintain a minimum distance of 10 feet from any internal street or parking space, subject to the limitations set forth herein.
(3) 
All buildings shall be located at least 10 feet from any parking space or parking area located in front of or behind the building, and at least five feet from any parking space or parking area located on the side of the building. Excluded from this requirement are parking spaces located within individual driveways that provide direct access to garages which are a part of the same building.
(4) 
Where individual unit driveways provide access to garages, and where such driveways provide parking spaces, the length of such driveway shall be at least 20 feet, measured between the building and the traveled way of the internal roadway or parking area to which the driveway connects or, if there is a sidewalk adjacent to the internal roadway or parking area, measured between the building and the sidewalk.
(5) 
No building shall be permitted to have direct driveway access onto Cedar Knolls Road; all driveways providing direct access to buildings shall be connected only to a road, driveway or other way that is internal to the development. Only a single access roadway providing common access for the development shall be permitted from Cedar Knolls Road.
G. 
Maximum height of principal buildings. No principal building shall exceed a height of 45 feet and three stories. For purposes of administering this requirement, a parking level located beneath the first habitable floor shall not be considered a story.
H. 
Accessory buildings and structures.
(1) 
No accessory building, except for a community center/clubhouse, shall be permitted in the front yard. Accessory buildings and structures shall comply with the minimum setbacks from tract boundaries and principal buildings applicable to principal buildings, except as may be specifically provided otherwise herein.
(2) 
Community center/clubhouse.
(a) 
Maximum height: 30 feet and two stories.
(b) 
Maximum gross floor area: 4,000 square feet.
(3) 
Storage structure.
(a) 
Maximum height: 12 feet.
(b) 
Maximum gross floor area shall not exceed 300 square feet.
(4) 
Detached garages.
(a) 
Maximum height: 17 feet.
(b) 
Maximum gross floor area: 1,400 square feet per garage.
I. 
Maximum building coverage. The coverage by principal and accessory buildings and structures shall not exceed 25% of the tract area.
J. 
Maximum improvement coverage. The coverage by all improvements, including buildings, paved areas and other improved surfaces, shall not exceed 55% of the tract area.
K. 
Building design standards.
(1) 
Building dimension. The horizontal dimension of buildings shall not exceed 200 feet on any facade.
(2) 
Front wall horizontal projection. At least one story of the front wall of all principal buildings shall provide a horizontal projection or recess of at least four feet perpendicular to such front wall, at intervals of no greater than 30 feet measured parallel to such front wall. Such projections or recesses shall have a horizontal dimension of at least 12 feet, measured parallel to such front wall. The projections or recesses shall extend the full vertical height of the building story.
(3) 
Front wall material. The front wall of all principal buildings shall be surfaced with at least two different materials, including but not limited to brick, wood, stucco and similar materials. Each material shall comprise at least 25% of the front wall surface area.
(4) 
Windows and doors. At least 15% of the surface area of each wall of all townhouse and apartment buildings shall be comprised of windows and doors. Both pedestrian and garage doors shall be included in determining compliance with the foregoing requirement. The wall surface area shall be measured from the ground to the roof eaves, exclusive of gables located above the roof eaves. Walls facing interior courts shall be exempted from this requirement.
(5) 
Minimum gross floor area, market-rate dwelling units:
(a) 
Efficiency: 600 square feet.
(b) 
One-bedroom: 700 square feet.
(c) 
Two-bedroom: 900 square feet.
(d) 
Three-bedroom: 1,050 square feet.
L. 
Parking.
(1) 
The number and design of off-street parking spaces shall be provided in accordance with the requirements of the New Jersey Residential Site Improvement Standards (N.J.A.C. 5:21-1 et seq.).
(2) 
At least 50% of the market-rate units shall be required to have available at least one garage parking space dedicated to the use of that unit.
M. 
Pedestrian access. Sidewalks shall be provided in accordance with the requirements of the New Jersey Residential Site Improvement Standards (N.J.A.C. 5:21-1 et seq.). All sidewalks shall be provided with appropriately scaled lighting to ensure public health and safety. Separate walking trails may be permitted as a component of the open space/recreation plan but shall not serve as a substitute for sidewalks.
N. 
Landscaping. A landscape plan shall be required to provide the following:
(1) 
Off-street parking areas shall be screened from the view of public streets and from adjacent Township property with year-round landscaping and/or decorative fencing. All screening materials shall be subject to Planning Board review and approval.
(2) 
Street trees shall be installed on both sides of all streets planted at a distance not to exceed 40 feet on center, except where such spacing is not feasible due to the location of approved driveways and on-street parking areas. Trees shall be spaced evenly along the street within a planting strip not less than eight feet in width.
(3) 
The interior and outer edge of stormwater basins shall be planted in a manner so as to simulate a natural woodland. The ground plane shall be seeded with a naturalization, wildflower and/or wet meadow grass mix. All woody and herbaceous plants shall be species indigenous to the area and/or tolerant to typical wet/dry floodplain conditions.
(4) 
A landscape buffer, consisting of a combination of deciduous trees, conifers, shrubs, berms and, if appropriate, fences or walls in sufficient quantities and sizes to create a year-round screen, shall be provided with a minimum depth of 25 feet between any buildings, parking areas and other public use areas and any commercial or industrial zone district and any public street contiguous with the tract boundary and with a minimum depth of 10 feet between such areas and all other tract boundaries. An enhanced buffer beyond the minimum standard may be required by the Planning Board if it determines that the minimum requirements are not sufficient to provide adequate protection from the adverse impacts of factors external to the development site, including, but not limited to, noise and the visual impact of incompatible land uses.
O. 
Utilities. The developer shall arrange with the servicing utility for the underground installation of the utilities' distribution supply lines and service connections.
P. 
Trash storage areas. Trash and recycling storage areas shall be required to comply with the Township's recycling regulations and with the model ordinance promulgated by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and Department of Community Affairs pursuant to § 2 of P.L. 1993, c. 81 (N.J.S.A. 13:1E-99.13a), regarding the inclusion of facilities for the collection or storage of source-separated recyclable materials.
Q. 
Phasing plan. The developer shall submit a phasing plan for approval by the Planning Board. Each phase shall be designed to provide fully functional facilities to provide for the health, safety and comfort of the residents. These shall include, but are not limited to, stormwater management, utilities, vehicular and pedestrian circulation and landscaping for the phase in question. A community center, if approved, and all exterior recreational facilities shall be constructed and available for use by the residents no later than the point where 50% of the certificates of occupancy of the total approved residential units in the entire development have been approved.
A. 
Required number of affordable units. Development within the RM-4 Zone District shall be required to provide at least 14 affordable housing units within the district. In addition, additional affordable units shall be required if the Township or another developer subsidizes the cost of such units, in accordance with the following procedure:
(1) 
Prior to filing a development application with the Planning Board or Board of Adjustment, the developer of any housing units within the district shall notify by certified mail the Township Administrator of his/her intent to file the application.
(2) 
The Township shall within 45 days of the mailing of such notice indicate whether or not it or another developer is interested in subsidizing the creation of additional affordable units in the development.
(3) 
If the Township fails to respond within 45 days, or indicates that it or another developer is not interested in subsidizing additional affordable units, the developer may proceed to file the development application and shall not be required to construct additional affordable units.
(4) 
If the Township or another developer indicates within the required 45 days a willingness to subsidize additional affordable units, the developer shall be required to negotiate the amount and terms of the subsidy with the Township or other developer, as applicable. If the parties cannot reach an agreement of the terms of the subsidy within 60 days of the notice of an interest in providing the subsidy, or any extension of such time that may be granted by the developer, the developer may proceed to file the development application and shall not be required to construct additional affordable units.
B. 
Compliance with COAH rules. All affordable housing units shall be required to comply with all applicable rules of the New Jersey Council on Affordable Housing.
C. 
Phasing requirements. Affordable housing units shall be built in accordance with the following schedule:
Percentage of Market-Rate
Units Completed
Minimum Percentage of Low- and
Moderate-Income Units Completed
25
0
25 + 1 unit
10
50
50
75
75
90
100