A.
Landscape transition areas or buffers shall be provided along any lot and street line of any lot in all zones except R-1 through R-6 where such line or the center line of the adjacent street coincides with a residence zone boundary. Yard requirements may be deemed to be included as part of the landscape transition buffer.
(1)
The Planning Board may waive the landscape transition area requirement where existing natural or man-made physical barriers provide an effective visual separation between residential and nonresidential uses.
(2)
Each permitted use shall provide suitable buffers in order to protect the character and to minimize any adverse impacts or nuisances on adjoining properties. Buffers shall be located around the perimeter of the site to minimize glare from headlights of vehicles, to minimize noise, to shield light from structures, to shield the movement of people and vehicles from adjacent property and to shield activities from adjacent properties. Buffers are fences, walls, landscaping, berms and mounds used to minimize any adverse impacts or nuisances on the site from adjacent areas. The applicant shall incorporate into its landscaping plan submitted with the site plan a buffer design plan which shall incorporate the following principles:
(b)
Buffer areas shall consist of lawn areas and massed evergreen and deciduous trees and shrubs planted in a manner that will provide a continuous visual screen throughout the entire year.
(c)
Evergreen and deciduous shrubs shall have a minimum height of three feet when planted and shall be of varieties as suggested herein.
(d)
The height of shrubs planted in a buffer area shall be measured from the ground level around the base of shrub to the topmost part of the shrub once the shrub has been properly planted in the ground.
(e)
Where an area required for a buffer is already wooded, it shall be left in its natural state, and existing growth shall be supplemented with additional plant material where necessary to bring the buffer area up to the minimum requirements of this section.
(f)
In nonresidential zones, all parking areas, garbage collection areas or loading areas exclusive of ingress and egress drive shall be screened from adjacent properties by a buffer strip at least five feet in width.
(g)
Fences or walls as buffers shall complement the structural type, design and color of the principal building.
(3)
The plant materials, fences or walls used for screening purposes shall be sufficient to screen an area at all seasons of the year from the view of persons standing at an elevation approximately equal to that of the area to be screened on adjacent streets or properties.
(4)
Any article or material stored outside an enclosed building as an incidental part of the primary operation on a lot shall be screened as provided hereinafter by fencing, walls or evergreen planting.
(5)
Where the Planning Board or Zoning Board deems it necessary to assure an effective visual screen between nonresidential uses and streets or residentially zoned properties, such Board may require, in addition to landscaping, the provision of a fence of a type, height and design suitable for the purpose, provided that the height of such fence or screening shall not exceed four feet.
B.
Other provisions of this chapter notwithstanding, the entire lot, except for areas covered by buildings or surfaced as parking, recreation or service areas, shall be seeded, sodded or planted with ground cover and suitably landscaped in accordance with an overall landscape plan. All landscaping shall be consistent with the natural surroundings and shall be properly maintained throughout the life of any use on said lot. Existing trees or landscaping located within 20 feet of any street or lot line or zone boundary shall not be removed except with the written approval of the Planning Board; nor shall the existing grade within that space be disturbed without such approval.
C.
Every application for approval of a site plan or a subdivision shall contain a landscaping plan prepared by a New Jersey certified registered architect or professional engineer.
(1)
The plan shall identify, locate and provide planting details for all proposed trees, shrubs, bushes, plant material and ground cover, all such existing plant materials proposed to be retained and all ground cover, natural features such as boulders, rock outcroppings and waterways. For all existing natural growth proposed to be retained, the plan shall state the method(s) proposed to be used for its protection during and after construction (e.g., fencing, tree wells, curbing or similar devices).
(2)
The landscaping plan shall conform to the following design requirements, as applicable:
(a)
The site plan or subdivision plan shall be so designed as to preserve, wherever possible, natural features such as large trees, groves, views, open waters, scenic and historic features or other recognized community assets. Efforts shall be made to utilize as much existing vegetation on the site as possible.
(b)
All nonpaved areas on properties shall be appropriately landscaped with trees and shrubs, grass and other suitable landscaping materials.
(c)
Landscaping shall be provided in public areas, recreation sites and adjacent to buildings. Where possible, shade trees shall be planted on the south side of buildings to shield them from the summer sun and evergreens on the north side of buildings to serve as windbreaks.
(d)
The landscaping plan shall provide for a variety and mixture of plant materials taking into consideration their susceptibility to disease, colors (by season), textures, shapes, blossoms and foliage.
(e)
The choice of landscaping shall be appropriate to site soil conditions and availability of water for irrigation.
(f)
Street trees shall be planted at a minimum interval of 40 feet on center. Street trees can help unify dissimilar building styles and uses, separate vehicle and pedestrian zones and provide shade, overhead canopy and scale to the streetscape. Flowering trees shall not be used as street trees.
(g)
Existing large trees shall be saved by not changing the surface elevation around the trees by more than 12 inches, construction of tree wells and by erecting four-foot-high snow fences located at the dripline of trees prior to any site disturbance.
(h)
Any tree on the site having a trunk diameter of more than four inches at a height of two feet from the ground shall not be removed or relocated unless it is in accordance with a plan approved by the Planning Board.
(i)
A sufficient number of shade trees shall be provided and planted on the site to ensure a minimum of 12 trees for each acre of the lot not occupied by buildings. Except as set forth hereinafter, at planting, deciduous trees shall have a minimum caliper of three inches measured at six inches above ground level, and evergreens shall be at least five feet high. All trees shall be balled and burlapped.
(j)
Shrubs used as screens in buffer areas shall have an initial height of not less than three feet and be planted at intervals appropriate for the activities involved.
(k)
All new plant materials shall be guaranteed for two years to be in healthy and vigorous condition and replaced as deemed necessary by the Planning Board or Zoning Board.
(l)
Any damaged or dead trees shall be replaced up to two years after a final certificate of occupancy has been issued.
(m)
Landscaping shall be located to provide for climate control, for example, shade trees on the south to shield the hot summer sun and evergreens on the north for windbreaks.
(n)
Landscaping shall be used to accent and complement buildings, for example, groupings of tall trees to break up long, low buildings and lower plantings for taller buildings.
(o)
Shade trees shall be planted on each side of every street so as not to interfere with utilities, sidewalks and proper sight distance at intersections.
(p)
Replacement trees shall conform to the type of existing trees in a given area.
(q)
A variety and mixture of landscaping shall be provided. The variety shall consider susceptibility to disease, colors, season, textures, shapes, blossoms and foliage.
(r)
The impact of any proposed landscaping plan at various time intervals shall be considered so that, for example, shrubs do not grow and eventually block sight distances.
(s)
Landscaping shall be located in protected areas, along walkways, center islands and at the end of parking bays. In narrow islands, low-spreading plants such as creeping juniper, English ivy, myrtle or pachysandra are appropriate.
(t)
All landscaping in parking areas shall be carefully located so as not to obstruct vision. A variety of different types of trees shall be grouped to break up the mass of cars. Tree types shall be selected from those specified in Trees for New Jersey Streets — 2nd Revision, 1974, published by the New Jersey Federation of Shade Tree Commission. Trees that cause damage or excessive site maintenance problems due to root systems or leaf shedding shall be avoided. Trees that can withstand parking area conditions are encouraged.
(u)
Those portions of all front, side and rear yards not used for off-street parking or vehicular or pedestrian circulation shall be planted with trees, shrubs, plants or grass lawns or combinations thereof.
D.
Landscaping shall be provided as part of the overall site plan design and integrated into building arrangements, topography, parking and buffering requirements.
(1)
Landscaping shall include preservation of existing vegetation to the extent possible as well as trees, bushes, shrubs, ground cover, perennials, annuals, plants, sculpture, art and the use of building and paving materials in an imaginative manner.
(2)
The following landscape materials shall be used in the development of landscape plans. This list of species is to be used as a guideline and is not meant to exclude other acceptable species.
Key | Botanical Name | Common Name | Size | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Shade (Street) Trees | ||||
AR | Acer rubrum Oct. Glory | Oct. Glory Red Maple | 3-inch caliper, 13-15 feet tall | B&B |
FA | Fraxinus Americana "Autumn Purple" | Autumn Purple Ash | 3-inch caliper, 13-15 feet tall | B&B |
GT | Gleditsia tricanthos "Shademaster" | Shademaster Honey locust | 3-inch caliper, 13-15 feet tall | B&B |
QR | Quercus robra | Red Oak | 3-inch caliper, 13-15 feet tall | B&B |
TT | Tilia tomentosa | Silver Linden | 3-inch caliper, 13-15 feet tall | B&B |
Key | Botanical Name | Common Name | Size | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Flowering Trees | ||||
CK | Cornus Kousa | Kousa Dogwood | 6-8 feet | B&B |
MF | Malus floribunda | Japanese Crabapple | 8-9 feet | B&B |
PY | Prunus yedoensis | Yoshino Cherry | 2-2 1/2 inches caliper | B&B |
Key | Botanical Name | Common Name | Size | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Evergreen Trees (Buffer) | ||||
Ilex opaca | American Holly | 5-6 feet | B&B | |
Pinus strobus | White Pine | 5-6 feet | B&B | |
Pseudotsuga menziesii | Douglas Fir | 5-6 feet | B&B | |
Thuja occidentalis nigra | Dark American Arborvitae | 5-6 feet | B&B | |
Key | Botanical Name | Common Name | Size | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Shrubs | ||||
Asp | Azalea species | Flowering Azalea | 18-24 inches | Container |
IC | Ilex crenata hetzi | Hetz Holly | 18-24 inches | Container |
PC | Pyracantha coccinea "Rutgers" | Rutgers Firethorn | 15-18 inches | Container |
Rsp | Rhododendron species | Flowering Rhododendron | 2-2 1/2 feet | B&B |
C | Taxus cuspidata nana | Dwarf Japanese Yew | 18-24 inches | B&B |
VT | Viburnum tomentosum | Doublefile Viburnum | 2-3 feet | B&B |
Ilex glabra compacta | Compact Inkberry | 18-24 inches | B&B | |
Taxus media hatfield | Hatfield Yew | 2 1/2-3 feet | B&B | |
Viburnum dentatum | Arrowwood | 3-4 feet | B&B | |
Key | Botanical Name | Common Name | Size | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Ground Cover | ||||
CD | Cotoneaster dammeri "Skoogholm" | Christmas Carpet Cotoneaster | 15-18 inches, 18-24 inches on center | Container |
JC | Juniperus chinensis sargenti | Sargent Juniper | 15-18 inches, 18-24 inches on center | Container |
VM | Vinca minor "Lawn" | Periwinkle | 2 1/4-inch pots, 9 inches on center | |