A. 
All site plan and subdivision plats shall conform to design standards that will encourage desirable patterns with the Township.
(1) 
Where either or both an official map or master plan have been adopted, the site plan or subdivision shall conform to the proposals and conditions shown thereon.
(2) 
Any streets, drainage rights-of-way, school sites, public parks and playgrounds or other municipal facilities shown on an adopted master plan or official map shall be considered in the review of site plans and subdivision plats.
(3) 
Where no master plan or official map exists, or makes no provisions therefor, streets and drainage rights-of-way shall be shown on the final plat in accordance with N.J.S.A. 40:55D-38 and shall be such as to lend themselves to the harmonious development of the Township and the enhancement of the public welfare.
B. 
Within the criteria established by and subject to the review and approval of the municipal agency, all design of a site plan or subdivision is the responsibility of the developer, and he/she shall be responsible for and bear the entire cost of any and all investigations, tests, reports, surveys, samples, calculations, environmental assessments, designs, researches or other activity necessary to the completion of the design.
C. 
The standards set forth in this chapter shall be taken to be the minimum necessary to meet its purposes as set forth elsewhere herein. The responsibility of the municipal agency shall be to see that these minimum standards are followed and, in those cases not covered by these standards, sufficient precautions are taken to assure that the eventual design is conducive to the implementation of the purposes of this chapter and the Township Master Plan.
D. 
The municipal agency may employ professionals in various disciplines to advise and assist it in its determinations. When specified, the cost of such professional services shall be covered by escrow funds posted by the developer.
E. 
Any decisions of the municipal agency regarding the suitability or sufficiency of any design proposal, taken upon advice of its professionals and subject to the provisions of this chapter, shall be deemed conclusive.
F. 
Within the Pinelands Area, in the event of a conflict between a Township design standard and a CMP design standard, the CMP standard shall prevail.
Minor subdivision design shall conform to the following:
A. 
Space standards. Minor subdivisions shall conform to the lot size and dimensional requirements of zoning regulations.
B. 
Development patterns. Minor subdivisions shall be designed to avoid adverse impacts on the desirable future subdivision of adjoining land, and strip development of existing highway frontages shall be discouraged.
C. 
Maintenance of standards. Minor subdivisions involving lot line changes should avoid unnecessary infractions of zoning regulations.
A. 
General. Major subdivisions should conform to design standards that will provide safe and efficient access to the neighborhood street and highway system; relate the design of the subdivision to the natural topography and existing vegetative cover of the site; contribute to the harmonious development of the municipality; and enhance the public welfare of the community.
B. 
Streets.
(1) 
All streets within major subdivisions shall be designed to serve a specific function and shall be classified by the municipal agency in terms of their projected use according to the following classification system:
(a) 
Arterial road. Arterial roads are designed to serve primarily regional traffic movements.
(b) 
Minor arterial road. Minor or secondary arterials are intended to connect with and augment the major arterial system and to provide for trips of moderate length, speed and volume.
(c) 
Collector street. Collectors are streets designed to serve as principal entrance streets of a residential development; streets for circulation within a development; and as traffic channels between minor streets and the arterial road system.
(d) 
Local streets (including culs-de-sac and marginal access streets). Local or minor streets are designed and intended to provide access to adjacent properties and are not intended to carry through traffic.
(2) 
Right-of-way widths for the above-designated street classifications shall be measured from lot line to lot line and shall be not less than the following, nor shall any new street or road right-of-way be less than the width of any existing street or road of which it is an extension or any proposed street or road shown on the Township Official Map or the Master Plan.
(a) 
Arterial: 130 feet.
(b) 
Minor arterial: 80 feet.
(c) 
Collector: 60 feet.
(d) 
Local street: 50 feet.
(3) 
Pavement widths, median strips and paved shoulder requirements on all proposed streets shall conform to the requirements shown on Diagrams 1 through 3 (Typical Roadway Section and Details, copies of which are on file in the Township Clerk's office).
(4) 
Local or minor streets shall be so designed as to discourage through traffic.
(5) 
Subdivisions abutting arterial streets or roads shall provide a marginal service road, reverse frontage lots with planted buffer strips or such other means of separation of through and local traffic as the Planning Board may determine appropriate.
(6) 
The right-of-way for internal roads and alleys in commercial and industrial development shall be determined on an individual basis by the Planning Board and shall, in all cases, be of sufficient width and design to safely accommodate expected traffic movements and parking and loading needs.
(7) 
No subdivision showing reserve strips controlling access to streets shall be approved, except where the control and disposal jurisdiction over land comprising such strips has been placed in the governing body under conditions stipulated or approved by the Planning Board.
(8) 
Subdivisions that adjoin or include existing streets that do not conform to widths as shown on the Master Plan or Official Map or the street width requirements of this chapter shall provide for additional width along either one or both sides of said street. If the subdivision is along one side only, 1/2 of the required extra width shall be dedicated.
(9) 
Whenever possible, street intersections shall be at right angles and, in any case, the angle formed shall not be less than 60°. No more than two streets shall meet or intersect at one location, and the center line of two intersecting streets shall pass through a common point. Block corners at intersections shall be rounded at the curbline with the intersecting street having the higher radius requirement, as specified below, determining corner curbline radius:
(a) 
Arterial street: 40 feet.
(b) 
Collector street: 35 feet.
(c) 
Local street: 30 feet.
(10) 
Sight-triangle easements.
(a) 
Sight-triangle easements within which nothing shall be erected, placed, planted or allowed to grow so as to obstruct vision between a height of two and 10 feet above the center-line grade of intersecting streets, shall be dedicated to the municipality as follows: The area bounded by the street right-of-way lines and a line connecting sight points on center line which are measured from the intersection of the center line.
(b) 
Setback requirements for sight triangle sight points shall be measured from the point of intersection of the center line in accordance with the following schedule:
[1] 
Arterial streets: 300 feet.
[2] 
Major streets: 250 feet.
[3] 
Collector streets: 200 feet.
[4] 
Secondary streets: 200 feet.
[5] 
Minor streets: 90 feet.
[6] 
Marginal streets: 90 feet.
(c) 
Intersections involving any state or county road shall comply with arterial standards.
(11) 
Street jogs with center-line offsets of less than 125 feet are prohibited.
(12) 
A tangent shall be introduced between all reverse curves and shall be a minimum of 100 feet.
(13) 
Dead-end streets shall not be longer than 800 feet and shall provide a turnaround at the closed end with a radius of not less than 60 feet, tangent wherever practicable to the right side of the street. If a dead-end street is temporary, a turnaround as described above shall be provided, together with provision for future extension of the street and reversion of any excess right-of-way to adjoining properties.
(14) 
No street shall have a name which will duplicate, or so nearly duplicate as to be confused with, the name of an existing street, in either the Township or an adjoining municipality. The continuation of an existing street shall have the same name.
(15) 
Final approval of a plat shall not be construed as the acceptance of a street dedicated to public use.
(16) 
In the case of local streets within a development where the municipal agency determines that the length of the street and the nature of adjacent uses warrants such reduction in the width of the paved surface, the width may be reduced below the paved width required in Subsection B(3) above, but in no case shall the paved width of a local street be less than 26 feet.
(17) 
A maximum road grade of 2% shall be used to aid safe stopping under icing conditions on any new streets connecting with existing or proposed streets at their approaches to an intersection. Grades shall be designed to direct surface drainage away from the existing streets unless intercepting underground drainage facilities are provided to prevent flow of water over the street surfaces.
C. 
Blocks. Block design shall conform to the following:
(1) 
Block length and width or acreage within bounding roads shall be such as to accommodate the size of lot required in the area by zoning requirements and to provide for convenient access, circulation and safety of street traffic. No block shall exceed 1,200 feet in length.
(2) 
In blocks over 750 feet long, pedestrian crosswalks may be required in locations deemed necessary by the Planning Board. Such walkways shall be 10 feet wide and be straight from street to street.
(3) 
For commercial, multifamily housing or industrial use, block size shall be sufficient to meet all area and yard requirements for such uses.
D. 
Lots. Lot design shall conform to the following:
(1) 
The size, shape and orientation of lots shall be appropriate for the location of the subdivision and for the type of development and use contemplated. Only one single-family, detached dwelling unit shall be located on any individual lot.
(2) 
Lot dimensions and area shall be not less than the requirements of the zoning requirements.
(3) 
Insofar as is practical, side lot lines shall be at right angles to straight streets, and radial to curved streets.
(4) 
Where extra width has been dedicated for widening of existing streets to conform to Master Plan proposals, lots shall begin at such extra width lines, and, in any event, all setbacks shall be measured from such extra width lines.
(5) 
Where there is a question as to the suitability of a lot or lots for the intended use due to factors such as flood conditions or similar circumstances, the municipal agency may, after adequate investigation, withhold approval of such lots.
E. 
Public use and service areas. Public use and service area design shall conform to the following:
(1) 
In large-scale developments, easements along rear property lines or elsewhere for utility installations may be required. Such easements shall be at least 15 feet wide and located in consultation with the companies or municipal departments concerned. The requirements of off-site and off-tract services and improvements or a reasonable contribution thereto shall be planned in the interest of sound and harmonious neighborhood and community development.
(2) 
Where a subdivision is traversed by a watercourse, drainageway, channel or stream, there shall be a stormwater easement or drainage right-of-way provided, conforming substantially with the lines of such watercourse and such further width or construction, or both, as will be adequate for the purpose.
(3) 
Natural features such as trees, brooks, hilltops and views shall be preserved whenever possible in designing any subdivision containing such features.
F. 
Environmental concerns. Subdivision design shall conform to the following:
(1) 
Lands subject to periodic flooding or, in the case of on-site sewage disposal, lands failing to meet County Health Department or Pinelands Commission depth to seasonally high water table requirements, shall not be incorporated in the developed portion of any subdivision.
(2) 
The municipal agency shall coordinate its review and requirements with the Soil Conservation District in the interest of avoiding any unnecessary soil erosion and stream sedimentation.
(3) 
Subdivision development shall not result in the unnecessary removal of existing topsoil. Topsoil removed from street installation areas shall be stockpiled for use on subdivision lots in any case where areas to be developed for residential uses do not have a substantial existing topsoil cover.
(4) 
Care shall be taken in subdivision design and review to encourage maximum retention of desirable existing vegetation on the site.
(5) 
In any industrial, commercial or multifamily dwelling subdivision, or in the case of any conventional single-family subdivision consisting of 10 or more lots, provision shall be made for on-site retention and/or ground infiltration of any additional surface runoff that would be created by the proposed development.
(6) 
Any proposed lakes or ponds must be shown on a subdivision plan and shall have sufficient source of supply and runoff to prevent drying up or stagnation.
(7) 
Creation of lakes or ponds shall be accomplished in a manner acceptable to and approved by the municipal agency and the Department of Environmental Protection, along with any other reviewing agency having jurisdiction.
(8) 
No trees, brush or debris shall be used as landfill, nor shall any landfilling operation be performed in such a manner as to cover unremoved trees and debris on any streets, lots or other development areas.
(9) 
Public and common open spaces shall be encouraged through the utilization of clustering provisions and the requirement of recreation space in connection with developments of 25 or more residential units pursuant to § 115-114.
A. 
General. In the design and review of a proposed development site plan, attention shall be given its overall scheme, the relationship of its various elements and its compatibility with its surroundings, as demonstrated by the following:
(1) 
Building and structure design. Critical consideration shall be given to building materials, use of color and texture, massing, fenestration and building or structure height and shape as they relate to site conditions and harmonize with similar elements in neighboring buildings or structures.
(2) 
Circulation. Close attention shall be given to the layout of the site with respect to the arrangement, width and alignment of driveways and walkways as they provide for pedestrian traffic, both within and external to the site.
(3) 
Parking and loading. Concern for the amount, location and arrangement of spaces proposed for automobile parking and for the loading and unloading of goods and materials, both with relation to the use involved and efficient and safe interconnection with the public circulation system.
(4) 
Landscaping. The arrangement of landscape elements and the appropriateness, variety and compatibility of selected plant materials as they contribute to an adequate and pleasing landscape design and/or screening system as well as the compatibility of the landscape plan with adjacent properties and the neighborhood.
(5) 
Orientation and siting. In the case of freestanding buildings or structures, and depending on individual site characteristics, consideration shall be given to positioning that provides a desirable visual composition, avoids blocking natural vistas and provides desirable space enclosures.
(6) 
Site utilities. Careful planning for the location and adequacy of waterlines and sanitary sewerage facilities and the nature, adequacy and safety of the surface drainage system, both as they relate to the intended site development and to the surrounding area; the positioning, adequacy and design of overhead and underground electric, telephone and gas lines and other structures.
(7) 
Accessory features. Concern for the aesthetic quality and harmony of the architectural design of proposed signs, exterior architectural features, displays, service areas, walls, fences, lighting decorations, street and public area furnishings and such other features as they affect the aesthetic quality of the buildings, property and neighborhood.
(8) 
Environmental protection. Critical attention shall be given to preserving the landscape in its natural state, insofar as possible, and to improving the existing conditions according to high standards of conservation and environmental protection in keeping with the surrounding natural setting. The development plan should demonstrate the avoidance of unnecessary alteration of existing topography or the removal of vegetation and should propose development that will otherwise respect the established natural conditions of the site and its surroundings. In the case of any institutional, industrial, commercial or multifamily development involving more than two acres, more than 10 dwelling units or more than 20 off-street street parking spaces in the non-Pinelands Area, provision shall be made for on-site retention and/or ground infiltration of any additional surface runoff that would be created by the proposed development. Such provision shall be made for all development in the Pinelands Area in accordance with § 115-53B(5).
(9) 
Performance standards. In reviewing the site plan for any use subject to performance standards contained in the Buena Vista Township Zoning Regulations,[1] the municipal agency shall condition its approval on both initial and continued compliance with such standards.
[1]
Editor's Note: The former Zoning Regulations, which constituted former Ch. 98, were superseded by this chapter.
(10) 
Energy conservation. All development shall be designed and carried out in a manner which promotes energy conservation. Such measures may include southerly building orientation, landscaping to enhance solar access and the use of energy-conserving building materials.
B. 
Site improvement design standards. The arrangement, nature, size and construction of any required on-site, off-site or off-tract improvements, including streets, curbs and gutters, sidewalks, sight-triangle easements, street signs and shade trees, water and sewer systems and topsoil protection measures shall conform to any applicable design standards contained in Article V of this chapter. In addition, required site improvements shall conform to design standards that shall include but not be necessarily limited to the following:
(1) 
Parking and loading areas. Off-street parking and loading spaces of such size and number as are consistent with good planning standards and in compliance with any prevailing requirements or supplementary zoning regulations contained in this chapter shall be required in connection with, and convenient to, uses projected for the site development in accordance with the following:
(a) 
Access.
[1] 
All required off-street parking and loading facilities shall be furnished with adequate pedestrian passageways, vehicular maneuvering areas and driveways providing efficient access either directly or indirectly to a public street.
[2] 
Access driveways shall be not less than 12 feet in width for one-way operation and 24 feet for two-way operation when leading to parking areas and 16 feet in width when leading to off-street loading spaces.
[3] 
Entrances and exits for all required parking and loading facilities shall be located not less than 50 feet from an intersection involving a public street; and the arrangement of off-street parking areas providing space for more than two vehicles in the case of a minor or private street or for any vehicles in the case of a collector, primary or arterial street shall be such that no vehicles would have occasion to back into a public street.
[4] 
No off-street loading area shall be so located that a vehicle would be required to back from or into a street or road.
(b) 
Dimensions. The size of parking spaces and their relationship to adjoining driveways shall comply with the minimum dimensions set forth in the following table:
Dimensional Table
Dimensions when parking stalls are designed at any of these angles shall be as follows:
Feature
0° (parallel)
1° to 45°
46° to 60°
61° to 90°
Stall width (feet)
8
13
11
9.5
Stall depth (feet)
22
19
20
20
Driveway (feet)
12
15
19
22
(c) 
Screening. Parking area providing space for more than five vehicles and all loading areas shall be provided with adequate setbacks, fencing or natural barriers to effectively prevent any noise, glare or other nuisance emanating therefrom to unduly interfere with the peaceful use and enjoyment of adjoining residential or public or private institutional uses.
(2) 
Customer service areas. Any site plan that proposed temporary stopping space or maneuvering space for vehicles of customers or patrons seeking service at a roadside business establishment should be so designed that the stopping or maneuvering space will be at least 10 feet removed from the right-of-way line of the adjacent street or road.
(3) 
Driveways. Any site plan proposing private driveway openings shall comply with the following:
(a) 
Spacing. The number of driveways provided from a site directly to any public street or road shall comply with the following:
Width of Site Frontage
Number of Driveways
150 feet or less
1
Between 151 and 300 feet
2
Over 300 feet
To be specified by municipal agency on advice of the Township Engineer
(b) 
Location. All entrance and exit driveways to or from a public street or road shall be so located as to afford maximum safety to traffic on the road. Where a site occupies a corner of two intersecting streets or roads, no driveway entrance or exit shall be located within 50 feet of right-of-way intersection lines nor 30 feet of the tangent of the existing or proposed curb radius of the intersection. No entrance or exit driveway shall be located on the following portions of any collector or arterial road; on a traffic circle; on a ramp of an interchange; within 30 feet of the beginning of any ramp or other portion of an interchange; nor on any portion of such road where the grade has been changed to accommodate an interchange. In cases where two or more driveways connect a single site to any one public street or road, a minimum clear distance of 100 feet, measured along the right-of-way line, shall separate the closer edges of any two such driveways.
(c) 
Sight distance. Any exit driveway or driveway lane shall be so designed in profile and grading and shall be so located as to permit the following maximum sight distance measured in each direction along any abutting Township, county or state road (the measurement shall be from the driver's side seat of a vehicle standing on that portion of an exit driveway that is immediately outside the edge of the road right-of-way):
Allowable Speed On Road
(mph)
Required Sight Distance
(feet)
25
150
30
200
35
250
40
300
45
350
50
400
(d) 
Widths. The dimensions of driveways shall be designated to adequately accommodate the volume and character of vehicles anticipated to be attracted daily to the land development for which a site plan is prepared. Driveways and curbline openings serving large volumes of daily traffic, or traffic with a substantial number of trucks, shall be required to utilize high to maximum dimensions. The required maximum and minimum dimensions for driveways and curbline openings are indicated in the following table:
One-Way Operation
Two-Way Operation
Use
Curbline Opening
(feet)
Driveway Width
(feet)
Curbline Opening
(feet)
Driveway Width
(feet)
3- to 10-family residence
12 to 15
10 to 13
12 to 30
10 to 26
11-family or over
12 to 30
10 to 26
24 to 36
20 to 30
Commercial and industrial
24 to 50
24 to 34
30 to 50
30 to 46
Service station
15 to 36
12 to 34
24 to 36
20 to 34
(e) 
Intersections. Driveways used for two-way operation shall intersect any collector or arterial road at an angle as near to 90° as site conditions will permit, and in no case less than 60°. Driveways used by vehicles in one direction of travel (right turn only) may form an angle smaller than 60°, but only with a collector or arterial road when acceleration and deceleration lanes are provided.
(f) 
Grades. Any vertical curve on a driveway shall be flat enough to prevent the dragging of any vehicle undercarriage. All driveway profiles and grades shall be submitted to and approved by the Township Engineer. Should a sidewalk be so located with respect to the curb at a driveway opening that vehicle undercarriage is likely to drag, the sidewalk involved should be adequately depressed or elevated to avoid such a result.
(g) 
Acceleration lanes. Where a driveway serves right-turning traffic from a parking area providing 200 or more parking spaces and the abutting road is classified as an arterial or collector road, an acceleration lane should be provided in accordance with A Policy of Geometric Design of Rural Highways, American Association of State Highway Officials.
(h) 
Deceleration lanes. Where a driveway serves as an entrance to a land development providing 50 or more parking spaces, a deceleration lane shall be provided for traffic turning right into the driveway from any arterial or collector road. The deceleration lane shall be at least 200 feet long and 13 feet wide, measured from the abutting roadway curbline. A minimum forty-foot curb return radius shall be used from the deceleration lane into the driveway.
(4) 
Refuse disposal. Refuse depositories shall not be exposed to public view and shall be nonpolluting, covered from weather and secure from vandalism. Compactor units shall afford completely sealed operation and efficient access by collection vehicles.