Township of Harrison, NJ Planned Village Center Overlay

Single-family detached. The following types of single-family detached units are permitted:

Village house: a dwelling that is typically accessed from an alley or side street.

Perimeter house: a dwelling on the edge of a residential community which is usually accessed from the fronting street.

Senior house: a dwelling occupied by age-restricted residents.

Single-family attached, including townhouses, two-family buildings, or other configurations.

Flats (i.e., multifamily).

Live/work units: a fee simple unit that contains both a residential and a business or commercial component.

Business uses as permitted in §§ 225-16B(1) and 225-16.1C unless otherwise set forth herein. The maximum size of a store as set forth by § 225-16B(1) shall not apply. Single uses over 50,000 square feet shall be permitted only on parcels adjacent to a Route 55 right-of-way.

A minimum of 8.5 acres shall be dedicated to institutional uses such as schools, houses of worship, post offices, civic facilities and the like.

Recreational/open space uses.

Assisted living/congregate care, which beds shall not be counted against gross density.

Lodging such as hotels or bed-and-breakfast uses, but not motels or motor courts such as lodging with individual unit doors which open to or face the parking lot.

Full-service restaurants licensed, pursuant to Title 33 of the New Jersey Revised Statutes, to sell alcoholic beverages by the glass or other open container for consumption on the premises only. Full-service restaurants shall be required to provide full menu service and seating for not less than 150 patrons, with at least 80% of the seating at tables. Full-service restaurants shall not be permitted in any other zoning district.

[Added 11-17-2008 by Ord. No. 33-2008]

Package liquor store: permitted only as part of a single entity retail store with a total minimum of a 60,000 gross square foot store.

[Added 5-16-2016 by Ord. No. 7-2016]

§ 225-170 Prohibited uses.

The following uses are specifically not permitted:

Deep discount department stores: a single store which exceeds 100,000 square feet in area which is characterized as offering the majority of its merchandise for sale at less-than-usual retail prices on a regular basis.

Tattoo or piercing parlors.

Establishments dedicated to adult entertainment use such as bookstores, theaters or shops having as a substantial or significant portion of their stock-in-trade books, publications, tapes, films or other items which are distinguished or characterized by the emphasis on matter depicting or relating to sexual activities and anatomical genital areas.

Drive-in or drive-through restaurant.

[Added 6-1-2009 by Ord. No. 15-2009; amended 4-16-2012 by Ord. No. 24-2012]

§ 225-171 Residential use regulations.

A minimum of 25% of all residential units must be age-restricted as permitted by the Federal Fair Housing Act Amendments of 1988.

A maximum of 50% of age-restricted units may be flats.

Recreational facilities for the use of residents shall be provided including a clubhouse totaling at least 25 square feet per unit up to 250 units and 15 square feet per unit over 250 units.

A separate homeowners' association shall be formed consistent with § 225-51 of this chapter.

A maximum of 40% of the non-age-restricted units may be single-family detached.

A maximum of 50% of the total units may be single-family detached.

A maximum of 75% of total non-age-restricted units may be single-family attached.

A maximum of 40% of non-age-restricted units may be flats.

§ 225-172 Residential bulk regulations.

Single-family detached.

Regulation		Village house	Perimeter house
Minimum lot size		5,500 square feet	6,600 square feet
Minimum lot width		50 feet	60 feet
Minimum lot frontage		50 feet	60 feet
Minimum lot depth		100 feet	100 feet
Minimum yards:
	Front	10 feet	10 feet
	Side (one/both)	6 feet/12 feet	6 feet/12 feet
	Rear	20 feet	20 feet

Single-family detached, age-restricted.

Minimum lot size: 5,500 square feet.

Minimum lot width: 50 feet.

Minimum lot frontage: 40 feet.

Minimum lot depth: 100 feet.

Yards:

Front: 20 feet (may be five feet if access is from alley).

Side (one/both): four feet/10 feet.

Rear: 20 feet.

Single-family attached (fee simple).

Minimum lot size: 1,500 square feet.

Minimum lot width: 20 feet.

Minimum lot frontage: 20 feet.

Minimum lot depth: 75 feet.

Yards:

Front: 20 feet (may be five feet if access is from alley).

Side: five feet (end units).

Rear: 20 feet.

Flats.

Maximum number of units per building: 40.

Maximum height: four residential stories or 48 feet.

Minimum yards: 25 feet.

Building-to-building setback:

Front to front: 60 feet.

Rear to rear: 60 feet.

Side to side: 30 feet.

Other: 50 feet.

Accessory structures. All accessory structures shall be placed to the rear of the principal structure. Detached garages shall have a minimum side yard and a minimum rear yard of five feet if the access is from a fronting street. The rear yard shall be increased to a minimum of 20 feet if access is from an alley. All other accessory structures shall have a minimum side and rear yard of five feet.

The only exception to the height maximums above shall be limited to architectural and nonfunctional design elements such as cupolas, steeples, parapets and the like, which shall be limited to 25% of the height of the principal building.

§ 225-173 Building placement and height within nonresidential or mixed-use areas.

Setbacks. Each building shall be placed on its lot in compliance with the following setback requirements, and the frontage type requirements of Section 8.

Front setback: five feet minimum and 15 feet maximum.

Side street setback: 10 feet minimum.

Side interior setback: zero feet minimum.

Rear setback: 20 feet minimum.

Live/work units shall meet the requirements of a single-family attached unit.

Height limit. No structure shall exceed a height of four stories. No more than 60% of the floor area of the Village town center may be in four-story structures.

§ 225-174 Site design standards.

General. The below standards have been promulgated in an attempt to achieve a well-designed site. It is recognized that the intent of this section can be achieved with designs not anticipated by these standards. Accordingly, the Planning Board may grant, by variance, any design standard variations it deems appropriate.

Spatial relationships between buildings and other structures shall be formal; facades shall be parallel to street lines and exterior building walls shall typically be either parallel or at right angles to each other. Buildings shall be oriented toward the street or the streetscape to create the feel of a traditional neighborhood. A lot with multiple buildings should be organized around a feature such as a courtyard, green, or quadrangle that encourages pedestrian activity and incidental social interaction among users. Buildings shall be located to allow for adequate fire and emergency access.

Civic, institutional and commercial buildings shall be located to front toward and relate to public streets, both functionally and visually. There shall be no parking fields or lots situate within the primary frontage of a use. Buildings shall be oriented to address the geometry of the abutting street pattern and shall acknowledge prominent design features in the regular street pattern (i.e., circles, crescents, etc.).

Residential buildings shall define the street edge through adherence to uniform setbacks along the build-to line for each block. A minimum of 80% of all residential building facades on a block face shall be located at the build-to line. The streetscape shall also be reinforced by lines of uniformly spaced shade trees and may be further reinforced by walls, hedges, or fences that define front yards.

Commercial buildings on corner lots shall be considered significant structures, since they have at least two facades visibly exposed to the street. Such buildings shall be designed with additional architectural features to emphasize their location.

Focal points of visual termination shall generally be occupied by prominent buildings and structures that employ enhanced height, massing, distinctive architectural treatments, ornamental site elements or other distinguishing features.

Variation in single-family detached residential building design.

Excessive uniformity in the exterior design and appearance of dwellings erected in the same residential neighborhood may adversely affect the desirability of the residential area and impair the value of both improved and unimproved real property in such areas. The Village Center, in which residential lot sizes are modest and, consequently, houses will be close together, is particularly susceptible to the negative impacts of such uniformity. It is the purpose of this section to prevent these and other harmful effects of excessive uniformity in design and appearance of dwellings and thus promote and protect the general welfare of the community.

Not more than one construction permit shall be issued for any particular single-family detached dwelling unit design when the houses are substantially alike in exterior design and appearance unless such houses on the same street are separated by a distance of at least 220 feet or two homes. Homes will be considered as substantially alike if they are of the same model, same elevation alternate and same basic materials.

Garages.

Except for flats, each market-rate dwelling unit shall have a one-or-more car garage with the intent of having two on-site vehicle spaces.

Dwelling units intended for low- and moderate-income occupancy are exempt from this requirement; however, affordable dwelling units shall have adequate off-street parking. All garages shall be deed-restricted against being converted to any other use.

Garages may be detached from or attached to the principal dwelling unit. In either case, the garage shall be aligned either parallel with or perpendicular to the alignment of the principal building. Each garage shall be serviced by a driveway of at least 20 feet in length.

The architectural design of the garage, including the proportions, roof pitch, exterior materials, windows/doors, color, etc., should be coordinated and compatible with that of the principal dwelling unit.

Parking.

Off-street parking shall not be located between a building and a street unless the visual impact has been minimized by the construction of walls, fences, berms or the installation of appropriate landscaping.

No outside storage or overnight parking of commercial vehicles or boats, recreational vehicles, trailers or similar conveyances shall be permitted, unless the commercial vehicle is part of a commercial use and is parked in a designated area, screened and shielded from any roadway.

Off-street parking shall be set back from property lines as follows:

Front setback: 20 feet.

Side street setback: 10 feet.

Side interior setback: 10 feet minimum, except where parking on adjacent lots is connected as one lot, in which case zero feet minimum shall apply.

Rear setback: five feet minimum.

Parking spaces shall be provided in the following ratios and shall be cumulative for mixed-use structures:

RSIS for all residential uses.

Two off-street spaces per live/work unit.

Three and one-half spaces per 1,000 square feet of nonresidential floor area, which may be provided in a combination of off-street spaces and on-street spaces in reasonable proximity to the nonresidential uses.

Shared parking.

Shared parking shall be encouraged for all commercial parking lots and particularly for those serving mixed-use commercial and residential buildings. Where necessary, in parking lots which are serving mixed-use commercial or residential buildings, the Planning Board may, in its discretion, permit a limited amount of parking to be reserved either for residential or specified commercial uses only; or may restrict the hours that certain spaces are to be used for residential or commercial uses only. In exercising its discretion to allow any limitations to be placed on the use of any parking spaces, the Board shall do so with the intent to limit such restrictive use in order to advance the objective of encouraging shared parking.

An applicant seeking to satisfy its parking requirement using a shared parking approach shall prepare a parking report that documents how an adequate supply of parking spaces will be provided to satisfy projected parking demand. The report shall be prepared using procedures presented in the most recent version of the report Shared Parking, published by the Urban Land Institute. The report shall be prepared using the most current shared parking methodology published by the Urban Land Institute or the Institute of Transportation Engineers.

The report may also adjust projected parking demand based on an analysis of captured parking using procedures presented in the most recent version of the Trip Generation Handbook published by the Institute of Transportation Engineers.

A captured and shared parking study and report shall:

[a]

Calculate the projected peak parking demand for each land use that will be sharing the available parking supply using the latest edition of the ITE informational report Parking Generation.

[b]

Calculate the extent to which parking demand will be mitigated on the site as a result of trips captured from adjoining land uses and therefore occurring without the use of a vehicle.

[c]

Calculate the peak parking accumulation for the development, making use of shared parking procedures.

[d]

Expand the peak parking accumulation by 10% to determine the needed supply of parking spaces. This will assure an adequate capacity of spaces for the turnover of vehicles.

[e]

Determine the number of on-site parking spaces that will be supplied.

[f]

Determine the number of on-street parking spaces that are available to the development in accordance with procedures established by this section.

[g]

Determine whether any additional parking spaces will be needed to serve the development and, if so, how they will be supplied.

[h]

Propose additional methods, if needed, to reduce parking demand to mitigate an insufficient supply of parking. Other methods could include the use of fringe parking lots, a satellite parking lot with shuttle bus service, the provision of transit subsites to employees in lieu of assurance of a parking space or the establishment of a valet parking service making use of an identified off-street parking lot.

All parking areas must serve units and uses located within Harrison Township.

Vehicular access to each village single-family lot is permitted from an alley or a side street. Access from the fronting street is only permitted if the garage is located to the rear of the principal structure. Perimeter homes are permitted to have access from the fronting street to minimize unnecessary alley paving; however, the garage must be set back from the front facade by a minimum of five feet.

Common trash-collection areas shall be properly screened with an appropriate combination of walls, fences, earth berms and plantings. Any common trash-collection area shall provide facilities for the collection and separation of recyclable materials in accordance with the requirements of the Township of Harrison.

Any loading space shall be screened from public view by building walls or extensions thereof, fencing and/or landscaping.

All public and private streets, parking lots and pedestrian walkways shall be sufficiently illuminated to ensure traffic and pedestrian safety under all weather conditions. Lighting fixtures are to include nonglare lights with cut-off shields as appropriate in order to mitigate against adverse impacts upon adjacent and nearby properties, the safety of traffic along adjacent roadways and overhead glow. Exterior lighting shall be of appropriate style to the architectural character and compatible with landscape lighting for the area. No exterior lighting shall be directed beyond the property line.

Construction techniques shall be utilized to minimize the impact upon the environment, including energy-efficient building designs, recycled materials, water conservation devices, permeable pavement, native plantings, low chemical usage to maintain the landscaping, and similar measures which are sensitive to the environment.

The stormwater management plan shall include detention or retention basins that are designed to enhance the aesthetic attributes of the proposed development, including water features and landscaping which create an attractive visual appearance and deterrent landscaping at the perimeters.

The following shall apply to all streets, avenues, and boulevards:

Parallel parking shall be provided on all street types unless designated otherwise. Diagonal head-in parking may be permitted along the front of commercial uses and/or the community green. Curbside parking shall not be permitted within 25 feet of an intersection.

Planted parkways shall be provided, except where the road abuts the community green. The parkway shall be a minimum of five feet in width. Sidewalks shall have a minimum width of five feet, except along commercial uses where the sidewalk in commercial areas shall be larger. At corners, handicapped ramps shall be provided. Sidewalks in commercial areas shall be continued across street surfaces using paving materials to delineate crosswalks.

Private sidewalks and pedestrian paths shall connect proposed uses to a public sidewalk or roadway. The public sidewalk and pathway system interconnects the community. Private sidewalks shall be designed to connect parking areas with individual structures, as well as building groups. The use of special paving such as brick or precast concrete pavers for sidewalks is highly encouraged. Otherwise, sidewalks shall be poured-in-place concrete. Special paving, if selected, should complement the building materials and should be used to define spaces or special areas such as entrances. All plans for special pavement areas shall be submitted to the Planning Board for approval. Private sidewalks shall be a minimum of four feet wide. Sidewalks adjacent to parking lots, where car bumpers may overhang the walk, shall be a minimum of six feet wide measured from the face of curb or four feet wide if set back a minimum of two feet from the face of curb with a grassed area.

Open space.

A minimum of 25% of the total tract area of a PVC shall be dedicated for common open space uses, which may include open space, conservation, passive and active recreation and stormwater management as below. No more than 50% of the required common open space shall be in the form of wetlands, wetlands buffers, floodplain, swales, recharge areas, and detention and retention basins if designed as an aesthetic feature.

The nonresidential area in a PVC shall have at least one town park and may have plazas, greens, squares and greenways.

Landscaping.

All developments requiring site plan or major subdivision approval shall submit a landscape plan prepared by a licensed professional landscape architect, in accordance with the standards of Article VI, Note 23 — Landscape Standards of the Township Development Ordinance, except as superseded or specified below by this article.

In order to celebrate and reinforce a sense of place and for ecological benefit, a minimum of 50% of all plantings shall be species native to the region and a maximum of 50% of the plantings may be nonnative, noninvasive species. Lawn should not be used as a ubiquitous ground cover but primarily for places for active recreation and occupation. Lawn should cover a maximum 50% of all planted areas. Exceptions to this guideline are allowed for parks for active recreation where lawn would be expected and single-family residences in which up to a maximum of 75% of the planted area could be in lawn. Fertilization and maintenance of planting should be as ecologically sustainable as possible, by engaged organic methods and low-spray or no-spray and toxicity protocols wherever feasible.

The term "canopy tree" generally refers to a tree two and one-half inches to three inches in caliper measured six inches DBH and a minimum of 12 feet in height. (Certain desirable species may be slightly less in height at equivalent caliper thickness. In this case, industry standards should be referred to for height requirements.) The above requirements refer to the canopy tree size at the time of project sales, not planting date. This allows the developer to plant some streets and other public spaces before commencement of building construction, thereby allowing trees to mature to an equivalent size of the more recently planted trees around newly constructed buildings.

Canopy trees shall be planted in accordance with the following minimum standards:

One canopy tree per 50 linear feet of retail store frontage, to be planted in reasonable proximity to the store.

One canopy tree per 35 linear feet of property front lot line, which may be planted anywhere in the nonresidential portion of the site.

Whenever an off-street parking area exceeds 100 spaces, the area should be divided into a minimum of four equal sections with each section being divided by a landscaped divider strip (minimum 10 feet wide) with canopy trees and planted with ground cover or low shrubs (36 inches in height or less).

(6)

Hedges, privacy or ornamental fences of varying heights may be used to block view of parking areas, storages areas, loading docks or other utilitarian views from residential or public areas. No cyclone or chain link fencing shall be permitted.

(7)

Canopy trees shall be planted in residential lots in a PVC in accordance with the following minimum standards. [NOTE: Existing native trees on lots may be retained to satisfy the canopy tree requirement. The canopy tree planting requirements for residential units in mixed-use buildings with nonresidential uses shall be as specified for commercial planting, as modified by Section 13.E of this ordinance.]

On single-family detached housing lots: one canopy tree per 40 linear feet of property lot line; and

One canopy tree in the front yard of any lot 35 feet or more wide.

(8)

To the greatest extent practical, all healthy trees 18 inches DBH or more shall be preserved.

Buffers.

There shall be a tract perimeter buffer of 25 feet from any existing adjacent residential areas or zones consisting of preserved existing and supplemental landscape material and/or fences to provide a reasonable visual buffer.

The tract perimeter buffer for all other locations shall be 15 feet.

Parking lot landscaping, buffering and screening.

Lots for apartment and nonresidential uses shall balance the functional requirements of parking with the provision of pedestrian amenities. Transition areas between parking and civic, commercial, or residential uses shall be designed with textured paving, landscaping, and street furniture approved by the Planning Board.

Parking lot layout, landscaping, buffering, and screening shall be provided to minimize direct views of parked vehicles from streets and sidewalks, avoid spillover light, glare, noise, or exhaust fumes onto adjacent residential properties, and provide the parking area with a reasonable measure of shade, when trees reach maturity. In order to achieve these objectives, parking lots exposed to view shall be surrounded by a minimum of a four-and-one-half-foot-high, year-round visually impervious screen, hedge, or wall. The height of any required screen, hedge or wall shall decrease where driveways approach sidewalks or walkways in order to provide adequate visibility of pedestrians from motor vehicles, and shall not interfere with clear sight triangle requirements.

The interior of all parking lots shall be landscaped to provide shade and visual relief. This is best achieved by protected planting islands or peninsulas within the perimeter of the parking lot. Parking lots with 10 or fewer spaces may not require interior landscaping if the Planning Board determines that there is adequate perimeter landscaping. In parking lots with 11 or more spaces, a maximum of one deciduous shade tree shall be required to be planted in the parking lot for every five parking spaces. A six-foot planting diamond, or equivalent planter, is required per tree. Choice of plant materials, buffer width, type of screening, location, and frequency of tree planting shall be flexible, provided these objectives are designed to the satisfaction of the Planning Board.

Parking lot layout shall take into consideration pedestrian circulation. Pedestrian crosswalks shall be provided, where necessary and appropriate, shall be distinguished by textured paving, and shall be integrated into the wider network of pedestrian walkways. Pavement textures shall be required on pedestrian accessways, and strongly encouraged elsewhere in the parking lot, as surfacing materials, or when used as accents and as approved by the Planning Board.

Permitted accessory uses.

[Added 4-18-2011 by Ord. No. 15-2011]

Solar panels erected on the roof of a building or on the ground, subject to the requirements of § 225-132D.

§ 225-175 Architectural design standards.

General.

Preliminary architectural design standards are intended to establish general architectural concepts and serve as a guide for subsequent detailed design guidelines or site-specific designs submitted for each GDP phase as described in section B-3 of this ordinance. It is recognized that the intent of this section can be met with designs that are not anticipated by these standards. Accordingly, the Planning Board may grant, by waiver, any design standard variations it deems appropriate.

To balance village harmony and variety, the PVC will consist of overall PVC architectural design standards as described in this article plus phase- or neighborhood-specific design details to be submitted with each phase preliminary submission. Preliminary architectural design standards are divided into:

Overall PVC design standards.

Village center or "core" design standards.

Residential neighborhood design standards.

Special district design standards.

Overall PVC design standards. Overall PVC design harmony is generally achieved through consistent planning and site standards as described in Section 3-F, G, H of this ordinance. At the architectural level, the village will establish a balance of harmony and variety as described below. Although the overall PVC and individual neighborhoods will establish a consistent architectural style or theme, it may be appropriate to deliberately deviate from the theme on a limited basis to promote variety and a "built-over-time" feel common in traditional neighborhoods.

Village Center or "Core" design standards.

General architectural character. The architectural character of the Village Center or "Core" should be defined by using architectural styles that are coherent with traditional town centers within the northeastern portion of the United States. The structures within the Village Center or Core should try to replicate traditional detailing methods and proportions characterized by traditional architectural styles, including, but not limited to Colonial, Neoclassical, and Italianate styles. There should be a mix of architectural styles to try to create a sense of timelessness and to create a sense that the buildings were constructed during a long time period. Typical of village centers, the buildings should vary in heights ranging from one to four stories. The Village Center should have a mix of uses and building types, including, but not limited, to mixed-use residential/office over retail, office buildings, retail-specific structures, live/work units, and multifamily residential buildings. The structures themselves usually have front and side facades located on or near the right-of-way and property lines. See the site design standards for more detailed site planning information.

Specific architectural guidelines.

The entry facades of all buildings shall be designed to a pedestrian scale.

The architectural treatment of the front facade, with regard to its major features and materials, shall be continued around all sides of a building that are readily visible from public property and/or rights-of-way. The design of all sides of a building shall be consistent with regard to style, materials, colors and details. No solid, blank, windowless walls or service areas shall be visible from the public areas. Where the construction of a blank or substantially blank wall is necessary, the facades shall be articulated by the provision of false windows, articulated masonry, or, if the building is occupied by a commercial use, by using recessed or projecting display window cases. Enhanced plantings may also be appropriate in certain cases.

Roofs of civic, institutional or commercial buildings shall either be flat with a decorative cornice or shall have a minimum pitch of 6 to 12.

Open arcades may encroach into a public right-of-way and over the sidewalk at a front or side street lot line as follows:

Front encroachment: eight feet maximum.

Side street encroachment: eight feet maximum.

The maximum allowable height of an encroachment is three stories. The area of an encroachment shall not exceed 20% of the block length.

Frontage types allowed. Only the following frontage types may be allowed in the Village Center or Core:

Arcade: the facade of a building with an attached colonnade. Balconies may overlap the sidewalk while the ground floor remains set at the lot line. This type is ideal for retail use, but only when the sidewalk is fully absorbed within the arcade so that a pedestrian cannot bypass it. An easement for private use of the right-of-way is usually required. To be useful, the arcade should be no less than eight feet wide clear in all directions.

Shop front. The facade is placed at or close to the right-of-way line, with the entrance at sidewalk grade. This type is conventional for retail frontage. It is commonly equipped with cantilevered shed roof or awning and/or recessed entryway. The absence of a raised ground floor story precludes residential use on the ground floor facing the street, although this use is appropriate behind and above.

Stoop. The facade is placed close to the frontage line with the ground story elevated from the sidewalk, securing privacy for the windows. This type is suitable for ground-floor residential uses at short setbacks. This type may be interspersed with the shop front. A porch may also cover the stoop.

Forecourt. The facade is aligned close to the frontage line with a portion of it set back. The resulting forecourt is suitable for gardens, vehicular dropoffs, and utility off-loading. This type should be used sparingly and in conjunction with the stoops and shop fronts. A fence or wall at the property line may be used to define the private space of the yard. The court may also be raised from the sidewalk, creating a small retaining wall at the property line with entry steps to the court.

All air-conditioning units, skylights, solar panels, HVAC systems, exhaust pipes or stacks, elevator housing satellite dishes and other telecommunications receiving devices shall be screened from view from public property or rights-of-way and from adjacent properties by using walls, fencing, roof elements, penthouse-type screening devices and/or plantings

Residential neighborhood design standards.

General architecture character. The architectural character of the residential neighborhoods should be developed by using architectural styles that are coherent with traditional towns within the northeastern portion of the United States. The structures within the Village Center or Core should try to replicate traditional detailing methods and proportions characterized by traditional architectural styles, including, but not limited to, Colonial, Neoclassical, Italianate, and Victorian styles. The residential structures may range from attached townhome structures to single-family detached units, depending on the allowable neighborhood densities of the GDP and in relation to proximity to the Village Center or Core. Where feasible, residential site layouts should also emphasize traditional unit layouts with an emphasis on hiding the parking requirements from public view through the use of rear alleys for both single-family attached and detached units. The architectural character should provide visual continuity through consistent and/or compatible design elements, architectural styles, and materials with a sensitivity to how each structure can complement and be complemented by adjacent structures.

Specific architectural guidelines.

Building walls shall have an exterior finish of the following materials or approved equivalent:

Smooth-cut cedar shingles (four inches to eight inches exposed to weather).

Wood clapboard (four inches to eight inches exposed to weather).

Wood beaded siding (seven inches exposed to the weather).

Vinyl siding which shall be Dutch Lap or beaded.

Brick or stone. Brick mortar joints shall not exceed 1/2 inch. Mortar joints shall be struck.

Cement fiber clapboards or shingles, such as HardiPlankTM (four inches to eight inches exposed to weather).

Stucco or approved similar product.

House foundation walls of poured concrete which face a street shall be exposed no more than 24 inches above the ground unless the walls shall show a finish of brick, local fieldstone, finished poured concrete or patterned brick-form poured concrete.

Exterior building walls of wood, vinyl or hardboard shall have openings trimmed in material two inches to six inches nominal width (with the exception of side trim on windows with shutters, which may be less than two inches) and corners trimmed in material of four inches to eight inches nominal width. Trim shall protrude from the siding surface to create a shadow line. Doors may have wider trim.

Front and side facades of any building on a corner lot shall be made of the same materials and shall be similarly detailed.

Windows and doors.

Window and door treatments shall be of uniform character.

Patterns of glazing must be appropriate to the style of architecture.

Dormer windows shall be consistent with lower-level window style.

Windows with true divided light divisions are encouraged. However, snap-in mullions are acceptable.

Shutters shall be applied to all or none of the typical windows on any given elevation. If shutters are provided on a corner house, they shall be provided on both of the elevations which face public rights-of-way as well as on the side elevation. Shutters shall be paneled design, and shall be one-half the width of the opening and the same length as the opening. Color of such windows shutters or blinds shall be inherent of a traditional architectural style.

Fenestration shall be architecturally compatible with the style, materials, colors, and details of the building. To the extent possible, upper-story windows shall be vertically aligned with the location of windows and doors on the ground level.

Windows on elevations facing a street or sidewalk shall be no closer than two feet to the corners of the building. Windows on corner houses shall be required on both the first and second story of both elevations which face public rights-of-way.

[8]

Front doors shall be wood, steel, or fiberglass paneled in a traditional style.

[9]

Garage doors shall generally not exceed 10 feet in height or nine feet in width if accessed from a street, or 18 feet in width if accessed from an alley. Exceptions can be granted if proportional to the building. Garage doors shall be built of wood, embossed hardboard, embossed steel or fiberglass. Garage doors shall have glass or raised panels or both.

Roofs.

Roofs shall be built of steel standing seam, copper, cedar, shakes, natural slate, artificial slate or asphalt shingles.

Roofs shall be simply and symmetrically pitched and only in the configuration of gables and hips. The pitch of the roof shall be between 7 to 12 and 14 to 12, except for porches.

Shed roofs (roofs that pitch in one direction) shall only be permitted when the ridge is attached to an exterior wall of a building. The pitch shall be between 3 to 12 and 14 to 12.

Vertical or pseudo-Mansard-type roof forms and bubble-type skylights are prohibited. Roof vents or projections which are in public view shall be avoided.

Porches may have a lesser roof pitch than the main roof.

Dormers are encouraged, provided they are reflective of the style and period of architecture.

Gutters shall be of half-round design; downspouts and leaders shall be of round design; and all shall be copper, painted aluminum, or painted galvanized metal and may be covered.

(g)

Porches, patios and decks.

All front steps shall be masonry. No wood front steps are permitted.

Durable wood, or an approved equivalent, concrete, masonry, or suitable synthetic wood products which appear to be traditional wood flooring are to be used for porch and covered portico flooring that is visible from a public right-of-way. Pressured-treated wood flooring is prohibited.

Patio materials shall be stone, slate, brick, poured concrete or decorative paver.

Porch railings shall be in a traditional style.

Decks shall be located in rear yards and designed at a scale to be compatible with the home and with the lot.

Patios may be located in side and rear yards not readily visible from a public right-of-way (except for alleys) or sidewalk.

The space below decks and porches which is visible from nearby public property and/or rights-of-way shall be skirted by wood or vinyl lattice with not greater than two-inch spaces between the boards.

[8]

Decks and stairs built of pressure-treated wood and readily visible from public property and/or rights-of-way (excluding alleys) must be painted or stained.

[9]

A minimum of 50% of dwelling units, except apartments, shall have a front entrance articulated with a covered front entry porch. Front porches shall generally be located on the front of the dwelling facing the sidewalk, but may occasionally be located on the side wall of a dwelling. The size of front entry porches shall be a minimum of six feet deep from the front wall of the dwelling to the enclosing porch rail and a minimum of 10 feet long.

(h)

Fences, yards and gardens.

Fences, hedges, and walls in the front yard shall be limited to a maximum of three and one-half feet in height and shall conform to the permitted fence and gate types and materials.

Walls and fences shall be architecturally compatible with the style, materials, and colors of the principal building on the same lot. Front yards may have the following treatments: brick walls with a stone or cast stone cap, wood picket fences, and decorative metal or cast iron fences. Solid PVC fences are permitted in rear and side yards only. Stockade, solid wood or contemporary security fencing such as chain link, barbed or razor wire are prohibited.

Side and rear yards may be defined by a masonry wall, wooden fence, trellis or lattice, vegetative hedge, garage and/or outbuilding walls, or some combination thereof. The height of such yard or patio enclosure shall not exceed six feet and shall be suitable to provide privacy and screen views of neighboring uses, trash receptacles/containers, or recycling bins. Side and rear fences shall be opaque for a maximum of five feet from ground level and 50% opaque above five feet.

Retaining walls shall be brick, stone, or concrete units at all front yards and side yards facing a street or sidewalk. Retaining walls not visible from nearby streets may be of brick, stone, concrete units or concrete.

Driveways shall be paved of asphalt, brick or concrete.

All crosswalks and pedestrian walkways shall be improved with decorative pavers.

(i)

General.

End unit elevations for single-family attached units shall have a minimum of three architectural features such as windows, doors and chimneys.

All antennas shall be concealed attic-type antennas.

No satellite dishes shall be permitted unless totally shielded from view.

Special District design standards.

General architecture character.

The architectural character of the designated Special District areas should be developed by using architectural styles that are coherent with the Village Center and the surrounding residential neighborhoods. The architectural character of the structures within the Special Districts should allow for a more modern approach than the Village Center and the residential neighborhoods. The architectural styles and designs need not be restricted only to traditional northeastern architectural styles; however, the architectural proportions and materials used should be consistent with the surrounding neighborhoods and Village Center. Also, the urban layouts within the Special District should be consistent with the § 225-174, Site design standards.

The primary purpose of the Special District designation is to allow for urban design and architectural styles that are related for functions which typically will not fall within the Village Center. These types of uses may include, but are not limited to, modern retail centers, corporate headquarters, healthcare facilities, large office structures, community recreational facilities, and community educational facilities, among others.

§ 225-176 Signs.

The Planning Board may grant a waiver from any design standard below. All signs located within the PVC shall comply with the sign regulations.

Permitted signs.

Wall-mounted or painted signs, provided the following standards are met:

The sign shall be affixed to the front facade of the building and shall not project outward from the wall to which it is attached more than six inches.

The area of the signboards shall not exceed 5% of the ground floor front facade area or 24 square feet, whichever is less.

No part of a sign shall be higher than 15 feet above the front sidewalk elevation, and shall not extend above the base of the second floor windowsill, parapet, eve, or building facade.

Limited to one sign per business.

One wall-mounted sign, not exceeding six square feet in area, shall be permitted on any side or rear entrance which is open to the public. Such wall signs may only be lighted during the operating hours of the business.

Wall-mounted building directory signs identifying the occupants of a commercial building, including upper-story business uses, provided the following standards are met:

The sign is located next to the entrance.

The sign shall project outward from the wall to which it is attached no more than six inches.

The sign shall not extend above the parapet, eave, or building facade.

The area of the signboard shall not exceed three square feet, with each tenant limited to one square foot.

The height of the lettering, numbers, or graphics shall not exceed four inches.

Only one directory sign per facade

Applied letters may substitute for wall-mounted signs, if constructed of painted wood, painted cast metal, bronze, brass, or black anodized aluminum. Applied plastic letters shall not be permitted.

Projecting signs, including graphic or icon signs, mounted perpendicular to the building wall, provided the following standards are met:

The signboard shall not exceed an area of six square feet.

The distance from the ground to the lower edge of the signboard shall be 10 feet or greater.

Limited to one window sign per business window and one door sign.

May be in addition to only one of the following: a wall-mounted sign, a freestanding sign, an applied letter sign, a projecting sign, or a valance awning sign.

(6)

Awning signs, for ground-floor uses only, provided the following standards are met:

If acting as the main business sign, it shall not exceed 10 square feet in area, and the height of the lettering, numbers, or graphics shall not exceed eight inches.

It shall not be in addition to a wall-mounted sign.

(7)

One freestanding sign, provided the following standards are met:

The building where the business to which the sign refers is located shall be set back a minimum of five feet from the street line.

The area of the signboard shall not exceed three square feet.

The height of the lettering, numbers, or graphics shall not exceed four inches.

The height of the top of the signboard, or any posts, brackets, or other supporting elements shall not exceed six feet from the ground.

The signboard shall be architecturally compatible with the style, composition, materials, colors, and details of the building.

The sign shall be located in proximity to the main entrance to the business, and its location shall not interfere with pedestrian or vehicular circulation.

(8)

Businesses located in corner buildings are permitted one wall-mounted or awning sign or painted window sign for each street frontage.

(9)

Businesses with service entrances may identify these with one sign not exceeding two square feet.

(10)

One directional sign, facing a rear parking lot. This sign may be either wall-mounted or freestanding on the rear facade, but shall be limited to three square feet in area.

(11)

One monument sign may be erected to identify each section of the overall town center.

Temporary signs.

Temporary civic, cultural, and public service window posters, when posted inside commercial establishments, provided they do not, individually or combined, occupy more than 25% of the total area of said window, or five square feet, whichever is less. Temporary window signs are permitted on ground floor windows only. Political signs are not permitted.

Temporary promotional or special sales signs shall be permitted for a period not to exceed 30 days, when erected in conjunction with a commercial establishment, provided they do not, individually or combined with other window signs, exceed 25% of the total area of the display window or 16 square feet, whichever is less. Temporary signs advertising a business opening or change in ownership shall not exceed an area of 16 square feet, and shall require a temporary zoning permit specifying the date of removal. All temporary signs shall have the date of removal printed clearly on the lower right-hand corner, as viewed from the exterior. Temporary promotional signs are permitted on ground floor windows only.

Prohibited signs.

Signs employing mercury vapor, low-pressure and high-pressure sodium, and metal halide lighting, plastic panel rear-lighted signs, or neon.

Signs on roofs, dormers, and balconies.

Billboards.

Signs painted or mounted upon the exterior side or rear walls of any principal or accessory building or structure, except as otherwise permitted hereunder.

Signs with changeable copy by digital or other means or which flash, rotate, spin, fade, or strobe.

Design standards for signs.

Signs affixed to the exterior of a building shall be architecturally compatible with the style, composition, materials, colors, and details of the building, as well as with other signs used on the building or its vicinity.

Signs shall fit within the existing facade features, shall be confined to signable areas, and shall not interfere with door and window openings, conceal architectural details or obscure the composition of the facade where they are located.

Whenever possible, signs located on buildings within the same block face shall be placed the same height in order to create a unified sign band.

Wood and painted metal are the preferred materials for signs. Flat signs should be framed with raised edges. Wood signs shall use only high-quality exterior-grade wood with suitable grade finishes.