[Amended 11-26-2002 by Ord. No. 02-11]
A. Purpose.
(1) The purpose of the AH District is to create a realistic opportunity for affordable housing to be constructed in the Borough of Alpha in accordance with the rules set forth by COAH. Special standards and procedures applicable to the AH District only are set forth herein to expedite the production of the affordable housing.
(2) Any provision of this chapter or any other ordinance which is in conflict with this section and which imposes restrictions or limitations not otherwise required for health and safety, shall be inapplicable to the AH Zone.
B. Application procedures.
(1) The applicant shall submit all plans and documents to the Board for review and approval as required by Chapter
350, Subdivision of Land, Chapter
315, Site Plan Review, or any more recently enacted ordinance similarly entitled, as applicable. The Board shall distribute the plans to those agencies required by law to review and/or approve development plans and to all other municipal agencies which normally review development plans. The failure of a municipal agency to submit a report to the Board shall not extend the time for review and action by the Board.
(2) The technical advisors to the Board shall review the complete application for technical compliance and shall convey comments directly to the applicant's advisors in advance of the public hearing so that at the time of the public hearing the applicant will have had sufficient opportunity to resolve any technical problems associated with the submission. Daytime meetings shall be scheduled at the request of the applicant between the Board's technical advisors and the applicant's advisors for this purpose.
(3) The Board shall hold a public hearing in accordance with N.J.S.A. 40:55D-46 on the application. The Board shall take action on the application within 95 days from the date of submission of a complete application for preliminary or for simultaneous preliminary and final approval. If a subsequent final approval is sought, action on the final plan shall be taken by the Board within 30 days of the date a complete application is submitted.
(4) The applicant is encouraged to submit a concept plan for informal review by the Board pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:55D-10.1 prior to the preparation of a preliminary development plan.
(5) The development plans submitted shall contain all of the information required by ordinance for the preparation of a site plan and/or a subdivision, as applicable, except that the Board may exempt the applicant from the requirement to submit full environmental, traffic and community impact statements, provided that the applicant submits specific data requested by the Board to facilitate its review which shall include, as a minimum, wetlands and stream encroachment analyses, if applicable, intersection studies and school population projections.
C. Permitted uses.
(1) Principal uses.
(a) One-family detached dwellings at a net density not to exceed four dwelling units per acre.
(b) One-family attached dwellings, townhouses [as defined hereinafter at Subsection
H(2)], and twin (or side-by-side two-family) dwellings at a net density not to exceed six dwelling units per acre.
(c) Multifamily dwellings containing up to four dwelling units each at a net density not to exceed 12 dwelling units per acre.
(d) Senior citizen housing in any of the above-listed housing types.
(e) Public or private parks and playgrounds.
(f) Public or private recreation buildings and facilities.
(g) Public or private schools and day-care facilities.
(2) Accessory uses and structures.
(a) Garages and off-street parking facilities.
(b) Storage and maintenance buildings.
(c) Customary accessory structures approved as part of the site plan for the development, including fences, walls, lampposts, trellises and the like, and customary utility structures.
(d) Signs in accordance with Article
VII of this chapter.
D. Development, density and bulk requirements.
(1) Development requirements. Development in the AH Zone shall be served by public water and sewerage systems.
(2) Density. The permitted gross density of development on the tract shall not exceed 4.5 dwelling units per acre or 108 units, whichever is less.
(3) Setback requirements for townhouses and multifamily dwellings only:
(a) There shall be the following minimum distances between buildings:
[1] Windowless wall to windowless wall: 20 feet.
[2] Window wall to windowless wall: 25 feet.
[3] Window wall to window wall:
[c] End to end: 30 feet.
| Note: The Board may reduce the above distances by not more than 1/3 if there is an angle of 20° or more between buildings and if extensive landscaping or buffers are placed between buildings in the areas where the above distances are reduced. |
[4] Any building face to local street curbface or edge of pavement: 30 feet.
[5] Any building face to collector street curbface or edge of pavement: 40 feet.
[6] Any building face to arterial street curbface or edge of pavement: 50 feet.
[7] Any building face except garage face to common parking area: 12 feet.
[8] Garage face to common parking area: 20 feet.
| Note: Where a building abuts a parking lot (other than parallel parking), the above setbacks shall be measured excluding the parking spaces. |
(b) In no case shall a building or garage face be closer than 20 feet to any street right-of-way.
(4) Area and setback requirements for twin (or side-by-side two-family) dwellings and one-family attached dwellings only:
(a) Minimum lot area allocated: 3,200 square feet per unit.
(b) Minimum lot width allocated: 40 feet per unit.
(c) Minimum front yard: 20 feet.
(d) Minimum rear yard: 20 feet.
(e) Minimum distance between buildings: 25 feet end to end.
(f) Twin (or side-by-side two-family) dwellings and one-family attached dwellings need not be located on subdivided individual lots, provided that said units shall be designed to be subdividable in conformance with the above standards. Plans shall be submitted demonstrating that such a subdivision is feasible. Such demonstration shall be in the form of a drawing showing all potential lot lines and lot dimensions and setbacks.
(5) Area and setback requirements, one-family dwellings:
(a) Lot area. No individual lot shall contain less than 6,000 square feet nor have a lot width of less than 60 feet and a lot depth of less than 100 feet.
(b) Building setbacks:
[2] Rear yard: 35 feet. A deck is permitted to be constructed within the required rear yard, provided its width is less than or equal to 1/3 of the lot width, and its setback from the rear lot line is at least 20 feet.
[3] Side yards: 10 feet each.
[4] Where individual lots are not being subdivided, yards shall be created for each building such that a subdivision could occur and all lots and buildings would conform to the area and setback requirements set forth herein. Plans shall be submitted demonstrating that such a subdivision is feasible. Such demonstration shall be in the form of a drawing showing all potential lot lines and lot dimensions and setbacks.
(6) Coverage. The maximum coverage by buildings in the portion of the tract used to compute the net density shall not exceed 25%. The maximum coverage by all impervious surfaces, including buildings, shall not exceed 60%.
(7) Buffer areas. No building, driveway or parking area shall be located within 50 feet of any tract boundary line, except that this requirement shall not apply to a tract boundary abutting an existing railroad right-of-way or publicly owned land. Buildings may be located at distances less than 50 feet, but not less than the required setback, provided that a buffer consisting of plantings, berms or fences is provided between the building and the tract boundary line.
(8) Building height. No building shall exceed 2.5 stories in height, nor shall any building exceed 35 feet in height.
(9) Minimum floor area for individual units:
(a) One bedroom: 550 square feet.
(b) Two bedroom: 660 square feet.
(c) Three bedroom: 850 square feet.
E. Parking requirements.
(1) Parking shall be provided for all residential uses in accordance with the Residential Site Improvement Standards (N.J.A.C. 5:21).
(2) Parking spaces in common parking areas shall be located within 250 feet of the dwelling unit served.
(3) All required parking shall be provided off-street, except that nothing herein shall be construed to prohibit additional nonrequired, on-street parallel parking spaces, provided the street width is appropriately designed.
F. Affordable housing requirements. Affordable housing units are required to be constructed in accordance with the following:
(1) Number. All developments in the AH Zone shall be required to provide affordable housing at the rate in accordance with the following:
| Housing Type | Rate |
|---|
| One-family dwelling | 15% |
| All other housing types: | |
| | Sale units | 20% |
| | Rental units | 15% |
| If the percentage of affordable housing units required to be provided yields a fraction of 0.5 or more, the number shall be rounded up to the next whole number. |
(2) Types and locations of affordable housing units. The affordable housing units shall reflect at least two of the housing types represented in the development as a whole (for example, townhouses and one-family dwellings), unless only one type of market-priced housing unit is constructed. The locations of all affordable housing units shall be designated on the site plan.
(3) Phasing. In each inclusionary development, affordable housing shall be constructed in accordance with the following phasing schedule:
| Percentage of Total Market Housing Unit Certificates of Occupancy | Minimum Percentage of Affordable Housing Unit Certificates of Occupancy |
|---|
| 25% | 0% |
| 25% plus 1 unit | 10% |
| 50% | 50% |
| 75% | 75% |
| 90% | 100% |
| 100% | 100% |
(4) Affordability requirements. The affordable housing units constructed shall comply in all respects with the requirements of the Borough's Affordable Housing Ordinance and COAH's Substantive Rules (N.J.A.C. 5:93-1 et seq.)
(5) Administration and marketing costs. The developer shall assume all of the costs of administering the terms of the Affordable Housing Ordinance (through a third-party affordable housing administration agency selected by the Borough) as well as the costs of implementing the Affirmative Marketing Plan for the affordable housing units in the development.
(6) Condominium and homeowners' association fees. Condominium and homeowners' association fees shall be fairly assessed based on the square footage of units for both market and affordable housing units of the same type. The rate for all condominium and homeowners' association fees for the affordable housing units shall be 100% of the rate for the market units of the same type, and this rate shall be reflected in the computation of the affordable sales prices.
(7) Subsidies. Government subsidies may be used at the discretion of the applicant to fulfill the requirements of this section. The lack of said subsidies shall in no way alter or diminish the affordable housing requirements of this section.
(8) Approvals to run with the land. Any development for which site plan approval has been approved shall be considered a single development for purposes of this section, regardless of whether parts or sections are sold or otherwise disposed of to person or legal entities other than the one which received approval. All approvals and conditions of approval shall run with the land. Any tracts or parcels sold shall include documentation satisfactory to the Planning Board Attorney setting forth the requirements for the provision of low- and moderate-income housing units.
G. Common open space and common elements.
(1) A minimum of 20% of the portion of the tract utilized in the computation of the net density for multifamily, one-family attached, twin or townhouse dwellings shall be designated as common open space which may consist of conservation area, public use area, open space area, recreation area and/or other common open space. Up to 25% of the designated common open space may consist of natural or man-made water bodies. The common open space area shall exclude private patios and yards and any area located between a building and street or common parking area.
(2) All property owners and/or tenants of the units within the portion of the tract yielding the common open space shall have the right to use the common open space and any recreational facilities located on it.
(3) Appropriate facilities for recreation and outdoor entertainment shall be provided within the common open space.
(4) Common open space and other open space may be deeded to the municipality, if accepted by the governing body.
(5) All common open space or other open space not accepted by the municipality and all common elements in the development shall be deeded to an open space organization established to own and maintain the common elements as provided at N.J.S.A. 40:55D-43. The open space organization documents shall be submitted to the Board Attorney for review and approval.
H. Engineering and construction design standards. The standards for engineering and construction of the project shall be governed by the Residential Site Improvement Standards and by the provisions of this section.
(1) Lighting.
(a) Streetlighting shall be provided at all street intersections and along all collector and local streets, parking areas and anywhere else deemed necessary for safety reasons.
(b) Any outdoor lighting such as building and sidewalk illumination, driveways with no adjacent parking, the lighting of signs, and ornamental lighting shall be shown on the lighting plan in sufficient detail to allow a determination of the effects upon adjacent properties, roads, and traffic safety from glare, reflection and overhead sky glow in order to recommend steps needed to minimize these impacts.
(c) The average intensity of lighting permitted on roadways shall be as follows:
| Street Classification | Location | Minimum Footcandles |
|---|
| Local streets | Except intersections | 0.2 |
| | Intersections | 2.0 |
| Collector streets | Except intersections | 0.4 |
| | Intersections | 3.0 |
(2) Additional townhouse and multifamily dwelling design requirements.
(a) No townhouse building shall contain more than eight townhouse dwelling units, and no multifamily dwelling shall contain more than four dwelling units.
(b) No building shall exceed a length of 180 feet.
(c) Each dwelling unit shall have at least two exterior exposures with at least two windows in each exposure; alternatively, each dwelling unit shall be designed in conformance with the Uniform Construction Code such that either 8% of the floor area of all habitable rooms shall be in windows or the maximum depth of the unit shall not exceed 22 feet.
(d) No room within a dwelling unit intended for human habitation shall be located in a cellar, basement or attic except that a cellar or basement may contain a family room or recreation room.
(e) Accessory buildings shall meet the property line setbacks of the principal buildings.
(f) The maximum height of an accessory building shall be 16 feet, except that recreational buildings and facilities shall be governed by the height limitations for principal buildings.
(g) Garages may be built into the principal structure or separately constructed as hereinafter provided. Each garage space shall be at least 10 feet in width and 20 feet in depth. Each group of attached garages shall have a joint capacity of not more than eight automobiles which shall be arranged in a row. There shall be a minimum distance of 10 feet between structures.
(h) All buildings shall be serviced by CATV facilities.
(i) Laundry facilities may be provided in each unit or in each building. Outside clothes drying is prohibited.
(j) One or more completely enclosed but unroofed structures for the collection and storage of solid waste and recyclables shall be provided. No garbage, recyclables or other refuse shall be stored or collected except in such approved structures.
(k) In addition to storage areas contained within the dwelling unit, a minimum of 250 cubic feet of storage space shall be provided for each dwelling unit, which private lockable storage space shall be located at ground level and shall be directly accessible from the outside of the building for purposes of storing bicycles, perambulators and similar outdoor equipment.
(l) Screening and fencing shall be provided as needed to shield parking areas and other common facilities from the view of adjoining properties and streets.
(3) Landscaping. Provisions shall be made for the preservation of existing trees and natural features to the extent possible. All disturbed areas shall be landscaped. Landscaping shall be provided as follows:
(a) Shade trees shall be planted along all streets and in common parking areas. Such trees shall be a minimum of two inches in caliper at time of planting, shall be native to the area, and shall be planted a minimum of 50 feet on center along both sides of all streets and common parking areas. The Planning Board shall approve the choice of plantings.
(b) As a minimum standard, common areas and yards shall be planted at the following rates per dwelling unit:
[1] One conifer, six feet to eight feet high at time of planting;
[2] One deciduous tree, 1.5 to two inches in caliper; and
[3] Ten shrubs, 15 to 18 inches high at time of planting.
(c) Buffer areas shall be left in a natural state wherever trees and shrubbery exist which are outside the limits of disturbance; otherwise, buffer areas shall be planted with conifers, six feet to eight feet high at time of planting, eight feet on center at the rate of one tree per 400 square feet of buffer area.
(d) All disturbed areas shall be planted in grass or ground cover.
(e) All plantings shall be of nursery stock, balled and burlapped, healthy and free of disease, and guaranteed for at least two growing seasons.