[Added 11-10-2010 by Ord. No. 0-10-25]
Pursuant to the recommendations set forth in Section I (St. Joseph Seminary Development Area) of the Township Master Plan adopted January 20, 2009, amended on August 2, 2010, the intent of the Cemetery Zone is to accommodate the establishment of a cemetery on a portion of the former Saint Joseph Seminary property in a manner that preserves and protects the unique topography and other attributes of the property, and subject to the requirements and limitations of the New Jersey Cemetery Act of 2003.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See N.J.S.A. 45:27-1 et seq.
The Cemetery Zone is intended to achieve the following goals:
A. 
To implement the recommendations set forth in Section I (St. Joseph Seminary Development Area) of the Township's Master Plan, as amended on August 2, 2010.
B. 
To ensure that any cemetery that is established or expanded within the Zone is designed to integrate harmoniously into the landscape and topography of the Seminary property, as well as with due regard to mitigating any negative impact on the adjacent properties and uses.
C. 
To establish such zoning requirements as are reasonably necessary to implement the above goals, within the parameters established by the New Jersey Cemetery Act of 2003.
D. 
To allow the property to be used in a manner consistent with the adjacent ECA Educational and Cultural Arts Zone in the event no cemetery is established.
A. 
Cemeteries, including the establishment of individual gravesites, mausoleums, crematoria, and other accessory uses and activities customarily associated with a cemetery.
B. 
Principal and accessory uses permitted in the ECA Educational and Cultural Arts Zone, provided the property has not been dedicated to a cemetery use, and subject to standards and requirements applicable to said uses, as set forth in Chapter 101, Article XXIII, of this Code.
C. 
Private or public open space.
D. 
Necessary public utilities and services pursuant to § 101-13.6.
[Added 10-10-2018 by Ord. No. 18-13]
All buildings or structures in the Cemetery Zone, including mausoleums and crematoria, shall be set back a minimum of 50 feet from any property line.
A. 
Parking improvements and driveways shall be set back a minimum of 25 feet from any property line, except that this requirement shall not be deemed to prohibit use of existing parking facilities incorporated into the Cemetery Zone or driveway connections to property situated in the adjacent ECA Zone.
B. 
Graves with raised headstones shall be set back a minimum of 15 feet from any property line.
C. 
Graves without raised headstones shall be set back a minimum of five feet from any property line.
A. 
No building or structure in the Cemetery Zone, including mausoleums or crematoria, shall exceed a height of 35 feet.
B. 
As used herein, the terms "height" or "building height" shall be as defined in § 101-1, Definitions and usage, and § 101-7, Height regulations, of this Code.
A. 
Any cemetery established within the Cemetery Zone shall initially provide a minimum of 10 parking spaces.
B. 
At the conclusion of such cemetery's first five years of operation, the cemetery operator shall provide an additional 10 parking spaces.
C. 
On-site parking in the Cemetery Zone may be located either in dedicated parking stalls or through parallel parking along interior roads.
D. 
Except as specifically set forth herein, off-site parking facilities may be used to meet the cemetery's parking needs, provided the applicant or cemetery operator provides evidence of a permanent legal right to the use of such off-site facilities.
A. 
To the greatest extent possible, existing site characteristics, including unique topographic features and mature landscaping in the Cemetery Zone, shall be preserved, and site disturbance minimized.
B. 
Additional landscaping in the Cemetery Zone shall be used to enhance the character of the site, help screen parking areas visible from the street and adjoining properties, and improve the effectiveness of buffer areas near property lines of neighboring residential areas.
A. 
Pursuant to the requirements of the New Jersey Cemetery Act of 2003,[1] no cemetery shall be established or expanded without the prior approval of the Plainsboro Township Committee. Any application or request for such approval shall, at a minimum, include the following:
(1) 
Survey and metes and bounds description of the area being dedicated to a cemetery use.
(2) 
Plan showing the overall layout of the cemetery, including the location of any and all buildings or other structures, gravesites, pathways, parking areas, and other improvements.
(3) 
Elevations and/or other detailed and accurate depictions of the design and appearance of any proposed buildings, including mausoleums or crematoria.
(4) 
Copy of the cemetery operator's rules and regulations adopted pursuant to the New Jersey Cemetery Act of 2003 [N.J.S.A. 45:27-16a(1)].
(5) 
Such other information or documentation as the Township Committee may deem reasonably necessary in order to properly evaluate the request.
[1]
Editor's Note: See N.J.S.A. 45:27-1 et seq.
B. 
In deciding whether to approve a request to establish or expand a cemetery, the Township Committee may impose such conditions or limitations as it deems reasonably necessary to protect the interests of the public, to mitigate any negative impacts the proposed cemetery or expansion might have on adjacent properties, and to preserve the integrity of the property on which the cemetery is to be established or expanded, in keeping with the recommendations set forth in Section I (St. Joseph Seminary Development Area) of the Township's Master Plan. The Township Committee, in its discretion, may also refer the request to the Plainsboro Township Planning Board for its review and recommendations prior to acting on the request.