[1975 Code § 86-1; Ord. No. 024-77]
This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Off-Tract
and Off-Site Improvements Regulations of the Borough of Allentown."
[1975 Code § 86-2; Ord. No. 024-77]
The purpose of this chapter shall be to provide rules, regulations
and standards on applications for development pursuant to Chapters 30
and 32 of the Code of the Borough of Allentown for off-tract and off-site
improvements necessary to conserve and promote the public health,
safety, convenience, morals and general welfare of the present and
future residents of the Borough. It shall be administered to promote
the orderly and planned growth of municipal services and assets occasioned
by proposed development for the benefit of the residents of the Borough
of Allentown.
[1975 Code § 86-3; Ord. No. 024-77]
a. As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings
indicated:
APPLICATION FOR DEVELOPMENT
Shall mean the application form, maps and other documents
required by this chapter and other applicable zoning and planning
ordinances of the Borough, including any fees required therein for
consideration and approval of a subdivision plat, site plan, cluster
development, conditional use, zoning variance or direction of issuance
of a permit, or any combination of the above.
GENERAL IMPROVEMENTS
Shall mean any and all municipal improvements or property,
no part of which cost has been or is to be specially assessed on property,
including the property of the developer, other than as provided for
in this chapter.
LOCAL IMPROVEMENT
Shall mean an improvement on property, part or all of which
cost has been or is to be specially assessed on property, including
that of the developer, as provided for in this chapter.
MUNICIPAL AGENCY
Shall mean and refer to either the Municipal Planning Board
or the Zoning Board of Adjustment, depending on which Board has reviewing
authority pursuant to this chapter, and in accordance with N.J.S.A.
40:55D-1 et seq.
OFF-SITE
Shall mean located outside the proposed lot lines of the
lot or lots in question pursuant to the application for development,
but within the property (of which the development lots are a part)
which is the subject of a development application or a contiguous
portion of a street or right-of-way.
OFF-TRACT
Shall mean not located on the property which is the subject
of a development application nor on a contiguous portion of a street
or right-of-way.
ON-SITE
Shall mean located on the present or proposed lot or lots
for which the application for development is being made.
ON-TRACT
Shall mean located on the property which is the subject of
a development application or on a contiguous portion of a street or
right-of-way, specifically including the total land encompassed and
defined herein as on-site and off-site.
PERFORMANCE GUARANTEE
Shall mean any security which may be accepted by the Borough
in a form and manner of execution acceptable to the Borough Attorney,
including performance bonds, cash deposits not exceeding 10% of the
total performance guarantee, escrow agreements and other similar collateral
or surety agreements to guarantee the installation of required improvements
and in an amount sufficient, allowing for inflationary cost increases,
to enable the Borough to complete the guaranteed improvements in the
event of the default of a developer.
b. All other words used herein shall be read in pari materia with the
definitions contained in N.J.S.A. 40:55D-1 et seq.
[1975 Code § 86-4; Ord. No. 024-77]
In addition to those improvements enumerated in Chapter 30,
Land Subdivision, and Chapter 32, Zoning, of the Code of the Borough
of Allentown, the protection of the public interest may require the
installation of some or all of the same or similar improvements at
locations apart from the property to be subdivided or for which site
plan approval is sought, which shall be referred to as off-tract or
off-site improvements, as applicable. The improvements shall be installed
in accordance with the regulations and design standards as stated
in the aforementioned subdivision and zoning regulations of the Borough
as applicable to on-site and on-tract improvements. In the event that
the Municipal Agency shall determine that the protection of the public
interest requires the installation of an off-tract improvement, it
shall refer the matter to the Borough Council, which shall determine
whether the improvement shall be constructed by the Borough as a general
or local improvement or shall be constructed by the developer. Off-site
improvements shall be installed by the developer without contribution
from the Borough as if they were on-site improvements, except in those
circumstances where the improvements to be installed have no beneficial
impact on the on-tract property of the developer or owner, in which
case they shall be deemed to be off-tract improvements.
[1975 Code § 86-5; Ord. No. 024-77]
On-site or off-tract improvements shall include installation
of new improvements or extensions and modifications of existing improvements.
[1975 Code § 86-6; Ord. No. 024-77]
Prior to referral of the matter to the Borough Council, the
Municipal Agency shall consider the total cost of the off-tract improvements,
the benefits conferred upon the applicant's proposed development,
population and land use projections for the general area in which
the proposed development is located and other areas to be served by
the off-tract improvements, the estimated timing of construction of
off-tract improvements and the condition and period of usefulness,
which periods may be based upon the criteria of N.J.S.A. 40A:2-22.
The Municipal Agency may further consider the criteria set forth below:
a. Road, curb, gutter and sidewalk improvements may be based upon the
anticipated increase in pedestrian and vehicular traffic generated
by the subdivision. In determining such traffic increase, the Municipal
Agency may consider traffic counts, existing and projected traffic
patterns, quality of roads and sidewalks in the area and other factors
related to the needs created by the proposed development and existing
and planned uses in the area and the anticipated benefit thereto.
b. Drainage facilities may be based upon the proportion that the acreage
of the proposed development bears to the acreage of the entire drainage
basin, or, in areas where substantial development by other persons
has previously occurred along the natural or manmade drainage courses,
in the alternative, they may be based on the amount of or density
of present and future uses.
c. Sewerage facilities may be based upon the proportion that the proposed
development's total anticipated volume of sewage effluent bears
to the existing or proposed capacity of existing and projected sewage
disposal and transmission facilities, including but not limited to
sewer mains and other appurtenances leading to and servicing the proposed
development. The Municipal Agency may also consider types of effluent
and particular problems requiring special equipment or added costs
of treatment and transmission.
d. Water facilities may be based upon what proportion the proposed development's
total anticipated volume of water use bears to the existing or proposed
capacity of existing and projected water treatment and transmission
facilities, including but not limited to water mains and other appurtenances
leading to and servicing the proposed development.
[1975 Code § 86-7; Ord. No. 024-77]
The Borough Council shall make its determination and shall allocate
the cost of such improvements as follows:
a. In the event that the off-tract improvement shall benefit property
in addition to the property being developed and such improvement is
to be constructed by the Borough as a general improvement, then the
developer shall be required to provide, as a condition for approval
of his proposed development, a bonded guarantee, a cash deposit or
other security acceptable as to form and execution by the Borough
Attorney to insure payment to the Borough of an amount equal to the
difference between the total estimated cost of the general improvement
and the estimated total amount by which all properties to be serviced
thereby, including the property of the developer being developed,
will be specifically benefited by the improvement.
b. In the event that the off-tract improvement will benefit property
in addition to the property being developed and such improvement is
to be constructed by the Borough as a local improvement, then in addition
to the amount referred to in paragraph a above, the bonded guarantee,
cash deposit or other security shall also ensure payment to the Borough
of the estimated amount by which the property being developed will
be specifically benefited by the improvement.
c. In the event that the off-tract improvement benefits only the property
being developed, then the developer shall be required, as a condition
for approval of his development application, to install and complete
the improvements as part of his development plan in accordance with
the requirements of those ordinances generally applicable to on-site
and off-tract improvements.
d. The cost estimates hereinabove referred to shall be made by the Municipal
Agency with the aid of the Borough Engineer and such other persons
possessing pertinent information or expertise as may be designated
by the Municipal Agency.
e. Properties shall be deemed to be specifically benefitted to the extent
that the installation of the off-tract improvement increases the value
of such properties for any lawful use to which they are or may be
put after deducting the amount that the owners of such properties
may reasonably be anticipated to expend to obtain the use of such
improvement.
f. In the event that the developer's share of the cost of the off-tract
improvement is to be calculated in accordance with either paragraph
a or b above, and such improvement is to be constructed by the developer,
then subsequent to the completion of the construction of such improvements,
he shall be partially reimbursed for the cost of construction in accordance
with the allocation of costs as set forth in paragraphs a and b above,
as applicable. Such improvements shall be completed prior to the granting
of final approval where the public health, safety or welfare requires,
unless the developer shall have provided performance and maintenance
guarantees in accordance with the requirements of the ordinance generally
applicable to on-site or on-tract improvements.
g. As nearly as may be practicable, the Municipal Agency shall endeavor
to allocate the developer's cost of off-site and/or off-tract
improvements at the time that preliminary approval is granted. Nothing
contained herein, however, shall be deemed to prevent the Municipal
Agency from allocating the developer's cost of off-tract improvements
at the time of final approval, as a condition of final approval.
[1975 Code § 86-8; Ord. No. 024-77]
Any performance guarantee provided in accordance with the requirements
of this section shall be conditioned upon the completion of the required
improvements and for the repair of any damage caused by the owner
or developer to any property, public or private, during the installation
of the improvements, and the inspection and acceptance of the same
by the Borough Engineer. The release of the developer from a performance
guarantee, including the providing by the developer of a maintenance
guarantee upon completion of all improvements, shall be governed by
the standards set forth for other improvements contained in the Borough
ordinances.
[1975 Code § 86-9; Ord. No. 024-77]
Upon completion of the off-tract improvements and prior to acceptance
thereof, the Municipal Agency shall determine the actual cost of the
improvement. The developer shall be reimbursed for any amount paid
which shall be determined to be in excess of his appropriate share
of the cost of such improvement and shall be charged for any amounts
less than the developer's appropriate share.
[1975 Code § 86-10; Ord. No. 024-77]
If the Municipal Agency considering the application for development
is the Zoning Board of Adjustment, the Board may request a report
from the Planning Board, which report when received shall be forwarded
to the Borough Council as part of the Zoning Board of Adjustment's
report and recommendation to the Borough Council for off-tract improvements.
[1975 Code § 86-11; Ord. No. 024-77]
Immediately upon adoption of this chapter, the Borough Clerk
shall file a copy of this chapter with the County Planning Board as
required by law. The Clerk shall also file with the County Planning
Board copies of all other amended ordinances of the municipality relating
to land use, such as the subdivision and zoning regulations.
[1975 Code § 86-12; Ord. No. 024-77]
This chapter shall take effect after final passage and publication
in accordance with law and upon the filing of a certified copy of
the duly adopted chapter with the Monmouth County Planning Board.