[Ord. No. 856, § 3; Ord. No. 90-38, § 5; Ord. No. 93-19, § 4; Ord. No. 94-19, § 3.]
The side or rear lot line of a lot, other than a lot having
street frontage, shall be screened by a landscaped buffer strip designed
in accordance with this subdivision 3.11 and section 10B-288(c) wherever
the lot is proposed to be improved with a:
(a)
Nonresidential use and the lot line borders a residential use
or district, except for the SC Shopping Center District, within which
said buffer shall only be required where the SC Shopping Center District
boundary borders the R-7 Residential District.
[Amended 7-27-2021 by Ord. No. 2021-20]
(b)
Residential use on a lot which is part of a proposed residential
development of three or more dwelling units and the lot line borders
a multifamily or nonresidential use to the extent that there is insufficient
screening on the contiguous lot or lots to screen the residential
use from the nonresidential use or district; and
(c)
Multifamily use including a continuing care residential community
and the lot line borders a single-family and two-family use or district.
The buffer strip requirements of this section shall apply to
any development application approved after the effective date of this
section. If the application involves a pre-existing development, the
board of jurisdiction may lessen the requirements to a level commensurate
with the nature of the application taking into account the extent
to which the application modifies the pre-existing development.
[Ord. No. 856, § 2; Ord. No. 93-19, § 4.]
Within required buffer areas, a solid and continuous landscape
screen shall be planted and maintained, and the remaining area of
the buffer shall be appropriately planted. Such landscaping shall
consist of a mixture of evergreen and deciduous trees and shrubs of
such species and size as will produce a screen at least five feet
in height within two growing seasons, so as continually to restrict
a clear view beyond such buffer strip. The plantings shall be not
arranged in a straight row. In addition, an adequate number of shade
trees not in the visual barrier shall be provided. The planning board
shall adopt and maintain on file a list of appropriate plantings.
[Ord. No. 856, § 2; Ord. No. 93-19, § 4.]
The required height of the screen shall be measured from the
elevation of the edge of the adjacent area to be screened. In cases
where the elevation of the planting location is less than the elevation
of the edge of adjacent area, the required height of the screen shall
be increased in an amount equal to such difference in elevation. In
cases where the elevation of the planting location is greater than
that at the edge of the adjacent area, the required height of the
screen may be reduced in an amount equal to such difference in elevation;
provided, that in no case shall the required height be reduced more
than two feet.
[Ord. No. 856, § 2; Ord. No. 90-38, § 6; Ord. No. 93-19, § 4.]
Any required buffer strip shall be at least 50 feet in width
at all points, except that, if a service use abuts another nonresidential
use or nonresidentially-zoned lot, the buffer strip shall be five
feet in width at all points if there is a buffer along the lot line
on the adjacent lot and 10 feet if there is no such buffer. The board
of jurisdiction may increase the buffer strip width, up to but not
more than 75 feet, if the nature of the uses to be buffered and the
existing or proposed site layout require the installation of a wider
buffer strip in order to mitigate visual, noise, and light impacts
and there is sufficient room for a wider buffer. It shall be maintained
and kept clean of all debris and rubbish.
(a)
Within
the SC Shopping Center District, the required buffer strip along the
boundary abutting the R-7 Residential District shall comply with the
following :
[Added 7-27-2021 by Ord. No. 2021-20]
(1)
The minimum buffer width shall not be less than nine (9) feet and
shall not have an average width less than 18 feet;
(2)
At any point where the minimum buffer width is less than 12 feet
the composition of the buffer, in terms of materials used for visual
screening, shall be enhanced to ensure that an opaque visual screen
is created between the ground elevation and a height of six (6) feet
at the time of installation; and
(3)
Retaining walls to provide suitable grades shall be permitted within
the required buffer.
[Ord. No. 856, § 2; Ord. No. 93-19, § 4.]
Required buffer plantings shall be replaced from time to time
as they die and within one year after they die.
[Ord. No. 856, § 2; Ord. No. 93-19, § 4.]
No development certificate of occupancy for premises upon which
such screening is required shall be issued until such time as the
landscaping requirements as set forth in this subdivision are installed,
or, in the event that the season is not appropriate for such installation,
until a performance guarantee is posted with the township in an amount
equal to the estimated cost of such landscaping installation.
[Ord. No. 856, § 2; Ord. No. 93-19, § 4.]
In required buffer areas where a natural buffer strip is deemed
impracticable or inappropriate by the planning board, a suitable screening
wall or fence may be substituted, as approved by the planning board.
