Municipality of Princeton, NJ Subdivision 2.14 Transitional Residential District

§ T10B-272.6 Purposes.

[Ord. No. 88-44, § 3; Ord. No. 98-33, § 1]

Township committee has determined that a new zoning district, to be designated R-T, should be established in the township in order to:

(a) Provide a transitional zone between higher intensity and lower intensity areas by requiring that the kind and intensity of uses in the zone be arranged in a manner compatible therewith;

(b) Provide for a greater range of housing types than is being developed in the township by requiring multi-family as well as single-family residential units;

(c) Impose a maximum floor area ratio as herein provided; limit the maximum size of single-family detached homes based on gross floor area; and

(d) Where appropriate, require a portion of the tract to be used for the construction of affordable housing or ancillary uses necessary for the construction of affordable housing on adjacent sites.

§ T10B-272.7 Establishment.

[Ord. No. 88-44, § 3.]

There is hereby established a Transitional Residential (R-T) zoning district, made up of such land area as shown on the zoning map on file in the office of the township clerk.

§ T10B-272.8 Permitted uses.

[Ord. No. 88-44, § 3; ]

Residential clusters meeting the requirements of this article and of Division 9 (Residential Clusters) of Article IX, except as modified herein, shall be permitted at a gross density not exceeding 1.8 units per acre. The number of units permitted when calculated shall be rounded down to the next whole number. Unit types permitted shall be single-family structures, two-family structures, multi-family structures - non-townhouse, and townhouse structures as defined in section T10B-191

§ T10B-272.9 Additional provisions.

[Ord. No. 88-44, § 3; Ord. No. 88-47, § 1; Ord. No. 98-33, § 2.]

(a) Residential mix. The number of single-family detached units within a development shall not exceed one-third of the maximum number of residential units permitted pursuant to the gross density provisions of the first sentence of section T10B-272.8.

(b) Entire tract floor area ratio. The floor area ratio for an entire tract within the R-T zone shall not exceed 12 1/2%.

(bb) Unit floor area ratio. No single-family detached unit shall contain gross floor area in excess of 4,300 square feet, provided, however, that up to 12% of the single-family units constructed in the R-T district may be up to 6,100 square feet if they are constructed with walk-out basements. A walk-out basement is space where the ceiling (defined as the bottom of the structural members of the floor above) is more than four feet above the average finished grade line along the outside walls of the building and is more than six feet six inches measured from the finished floor and where the ceiling of the wall facing the street is less than two feet above the average grade line along the wall facing the street.

(bbb) Garage orientation. No more than 50% of the single-family detached homes shall contain a front-entry garage, i.e., a garage in which the garage doors face the street on which the unit fronts.

(c) Tract size. In lieu of the minimum tract size requirement of section T10B-191.1, all land within each R-T zoning district shall be included in an application for development and planned in a comprehensive manner.

(d) Location of units. Units shall be clustered in one or more groups and located so that single-family detached units are adjacent to tracts zoned for or developed with single-family detached uses and all other residential structures shall be adjacent to tracts zoned for or developed with two-family, multi-family, multi-family structures — non-townhouses, townhouse structures, and nonresidential uses except for adjacent uses which are isolated uses inconsistent with the primary development pattern in that adjacent area; provided that the applicant may arrange the kind and intensity of such uses in a different manner if he can demonstrate that the arrangement is at least as beneficial in terms of furthering the purposes of this subdivision as the arrangement set forth herein. Clusters shall make maximum use of open space.

(e) Amount and location of open space. In lieu of the requirement in section T10B-194(a) at least 60% of the tract shall be devoted to common open space and at least 30% of the tract shall be devoted to preserved open space as defined in section T10B-194(a)(2). Preserved open space shall include such areas as are set forth in section T10B-194(a)(2) and in sections T10B-185 and T10B-238. Areas within the Princeton Ridge as may be determined by the materials and standards set forth in section T10B-256.1 shall also be preserved. Usable open space where feasible shall consist of a central area bordered by clusters of different unit types.

(f) Affordable housing sub-zone. The affordable housing sub-zone set forth on the zoning map shall be utilized for the construction of affordable housing or for improvements which benefit in whole or in part any contiguous affordable housing development. The township shall determine whether the sub-zone shall be utilized for affordable housing construction, in which case the standards for the RH-8 zoning district shall apply, or for other purposes, in which case it shall specify the purposes and the standards which shall be applied thereto. Upon final approval of the development application for the tract, the applicant shall at the option of the township either convey to the township such affordable housing sub-zone or enter into an agreement with respect to such sub-zone with the township and whatsoever third parties have an interest in the use thereof. Such sub-zone shall be included for the purposes of determining the total unit yield of the tract.

(g) Lot standards. In lieu of the requirements of section T10B-192, the following standards shall apply:

(1) Single-family structures. Single-family structures shall have the following lot area, dimensions, and yard set-back requirements:

a. Minimum width and frontage for non-cul-de-sac building lots. Minimum width shall not be less than 90 feet nor a building lot frontage of less than 80 feet;

Minimum width and frontage for cul-de-sac building lots. Minimum width shall not be less than 90 feet nor a lot frontage of less than 40 feet.

b. Maximum depth. No building lot shall have a depth more than two and one-half times its width.

c. Minimum area. No building lot shall have an area of less than 9,500 square feet.

d. Average lot area. The average lot area shall not exceed 12,350 square feet.

e. Front and rear yard setbacks. Each building lot shall have a combined front and rear yard setback of at least 50 feet, but neither the front nor the rear yard setback shall be less than 25 feet.

f. Setbacks for corner lots. Corner lots shall observe a setback of at least 25 feet from each street right-of-way line.

g. Side yard setback. Each lot shall have combined side yard setbacks of 35 feet, but neither setback shall be less than 10 feet for a side-loaded garage and 15 feet for a front-loaded garage; provided that side-loaded garages may not face each other on adjoining lots.

h. Minimum distance between houses. In no case shall there be less than 35 feet between houses, measured at their closest point.

(2) Two-family structures. Two-family structures shall have the following lot area, dimensions, and yard setback requirements:

a. Minimum width and frontage. No lot shall have a width of less than 45 feet, nor a lot frontage of less than 12 feet.

b. Maximum depth. No lot shall have a depth of more than two and one-half times its width.

c. Minimum area. No lot shall have an area of less than 4,500 square feet.

d. Average lot area. The average lot area shall not exceed 5,000 square feet.

e. Front and rear yard setbacks. Each lot shall have a combined front and rear yard setback of at least 40 feet, but neither the front nor rear yard setback shall be less than 20 feet.

f. Setbacks of corner lots. Corner lots shall observe a setback of at least 20 feet from each street right-of-way line.

g. Side yard setback. Each lot (or pair of lots, if the parcel containing the two-family structure is divided into two lots) shall have combined side yard setbacks of at least 40 feet but neither side yard setback shall be less than 20 feet.

(3) Townhouse units. Townhouse units shall have the following lot area, dimensions, yard setback, and outdoor living requirements:

a. Minimum width and frontage, lot and building. No lot shall have a width of less than 22 feet, nor a lot frontage of less than 12 feet. No townhouse unit shall have a width of less than 22 feet.

b. Maximum depth. No lot shall have a depth of more than five times its width.

c. Minimum area. No lot shall have an area of less than 2,000 square feet.

d. Front and rear yard setbacks. Each lot shall have a combined front and rear yard setback of at least 35 feet, but neither the front nor rear yard setback shall be less than 15 feet.

e. Setbacks of corner lots. Corner lots shall observe a setback of at least 15 feet from each street right-of-way line or common parking area, whichever is greater.

f. Side yard. There shall be a side yard of not less than 15 feet for each and every end townhouse unit.

g. Outdoor living space. There should be direct access from each townhouse unit to outdoor living space having an area of not less than 330 square feet in size, having no single dimension of less than 15 feet, which shall be clear of structures and shall be designed for the recreational use of the occupants of the townhouse unit. The space may be at ground level or elevated and may be composed of any materials designed to create a patio or surface or may be a wood deck area, lawn, or other surface or structure or combination thereof, in whole or in part. Adequate visual screening from neighboring dwelling units and their outdoor living space, adjacent parking areas, and roadways shall be provided which may consist of plantings, masonry structures, or wood fencing. Architectural elements, such as masonry walls and fences, shall be compatible in both style and materials with the dwelling unit of which it is a part.

(4) Multi-family structures — non-townhouse. Since the dwelling units in multi-family structures — nontownhouses may contain a variety of configurations, no specific lot dimensions are prescribed for the individual units. Each such structure shall conform to the following requirements:

a. Minimum area. Each structure shall be on a lot having an area of 2,800 square feet per dwelling unit in the structure.

b. Front and rear yard setbacks. Each structure shall have a combined front and rear yard setback of at least 35 feet, but neither the front nor rear yard setback shall be less than 15 feet.

c. Setbacks of corner lots. The portion of a structure at a corner shall observe a setback of at least 15 feet from each street right-of-way line or common parking area, whichever is greater.

d. Side yard. Each structure shall have a side yard of not less than 15 feet.

e. Outdoor living space. Each unit in a structure shall have outdoor living space comparable to that required from each townhouse unit, but the planning board may allow those requirements to be adjusted as may be necessary to accommodate the different arrangements of units.

(5) Arrangements and height of buildings. The standards set forth in section T10B-193 as to the arrangement and heights of buildings shall apply, except as follows:

a. As to subsection (a) thereof, a distance between principal buildings shall be at least 30 feet on the plane which describes the buildings as being next to each other and 70 feet on the plane which describes the buildings and backing or fronting each other, and the distance between accessory structures relating to townhouse or multi-family structures shall be at least 10 feet.

b. As to subsection (c) thereof, the buffer area required along property lines other than public streets shall be at least 65 feet or such greater distance as the planning board deems necessary to protect existing neighborhoods or adjoining open space.

c. As to subsection (d) thereof, townhouse and multifamily structures shall not exceed 156 feet in length.

(6) Active recreation area. Any project within the R-T zone shall provide an active recreation area, which shall include at a minimum a paved hard surfaced area no less than 4,400 square feet (minimum 50 feet by 88 feet), a regulation basketball court (minimum of 50 feet by 84 feet and a minimum of 40 feet unobstructed on all sides), and a regulation sized soccer field (minimum of 200 by 300 feet with a minimum of 40 feet unobstructed on three sides and one side with a minimum of 20 feet) with an appropriate underground drainage and fencing. The active recreation area shall be a minimum of three contiguous acres.