In all developments where site plan approval
is required, landscaping shall be provided on all parts of the site
that are not covered by buildings or that are not to be used as parking
or loading spaces and parking aisles, driveways or other means of
circulation. Where a nonresidential use abuts a residential zone and
in off-street parking areas, landscaping shall be provided in accordance
with the following requirements. Landscaping includes living trees,
shrubs, grass, ground cover or any other living plant that would serve
the purpose contained herein and that would specifically appropriate
for the function as well as for local topographic and climatological
conditions and have growth habits which fit the circumstances, and
of different species to protect against disease attacking all trees.
A. The purpose of required landscaping improvements include:
(1) The enhancement of the appearance of buildings and
other development on a site through the addition of trees, shrubs,
grass and other living plantings.
(2) A reduction of any deleterious or nuisance effects
that a nonresidential use would exert on an abutting residential one
and/or that any more intensive use would have on a lesser one.
(3) The improvement of the appearance of on-site parking
and loading areas by buffering and screening them.
(4) The reduction of air pollution, glare and solar radiation
and the absorption of noise.
(5) The regulation of wind, assistance in flood control,
prevention of soil erosion and, generally, for the protection of any
site, the development on the site and its users, and the persons and
properties that adjoin such sites.
B. General design standards for landscaping. Landscaping
plans for all developments shall conform to the following design standards:
(1) Foundation plantings and yard areas. The yard areas
of a site that will be used for parking, loading, driveways, parking
aisles, paths, etc. shall be landscaped with shrubs, hedges, ground
cover and trees that are appropriate for the local environment, hardy
and will require little maintenance.
(2) Existing plantings. In all residential subdivisions
and development, the maximum number of existing trees as possible
shall be preserved. Existing healthy trees and existing plantings
on the site may be used in fulfilling the requirements contained herein.
(3) Berms, the mounding of soil on site, either natural
or man-made, may be used to achieve level changes of grade, provided
that said berms will be properly landscaped with turf or ground cover.
(4) Evergreen and deciduous shrubs shall have a minimum
height of three feet when planted and shall be varied. The height
of shrubs planted in a buffer area shall be measured from the ground
level around the base of the shrub to the topmost part of the shrub
after the shrub has been planted in the ground.
(5) Deciduous trees should have at least a two-inch caliper
at planting and evergreens should be at least four feet tall.
C. Buffer planting standards. Buffers may be landscaping,
berms or mounds that are utilized to minimize any adverse effects
or nuisances on a site and shall be provided in the following circumstances:
(1) Contiguous buffers shall be provided when a commercial,
industrial or other nonresidential development abuts a residential
zone in order to minimize the impact of the more intensive use on
the less intensive one. The buffer shall have an uninterrupted width
of 10 feet where it abuts the residential property.
(2) The developer shall provide plantings for the buffer
area that consist of mixed evergreen and deciduous trees, of which
at least 75% of those plantings shall be of evergreen varieties and
planted to form a screen at least six feet in height. Said landscaping
screen may be supplemented with evergreen shrubbery where the trees
do not screen the site from the ground to provide an uninterrupted
visual screen throughout the entire year within a period of two growing
seasons following the planting.
(3) Where an area required for a buffer contains existing
growth of evergreen and deciduous trees and shrubbery, but not enough
to provide a suitable screen as required above, the existing trees
and shrubbery may remain and can be supplemented by additional evergreen
plantings to provide the required effective landscape screen.
(4) Buffering shall be located at the perimeter of the
site to minimize glare from the headlights of vehicles, to minimize
noise, to shield the light from other structures, and the movement
of people and vehicles taking place on adjacent property and to shield
activities on the subject site from adjacent properties.
(5) In any residential zone, any development containing
parking areas having a capacity of more than four vehicles, loading
areas and garbage storage areas shall be screened from adjoining properties
by an evergreen landscaped strip at least five feet in width.
(6) The height of the landscaped screen shall be measured
in relation to the elevation of the edge of the parking or loading
area.
(7) A berm may be used as part of a landscaped buffer
screen, in which case the landscaping requirements may be reduced,
provided that a suitable and attractive visual screen will be ensured.
The berm shall not be less than 10 feet horizontally. The berm design
shall be approved by the town's Engineers.
(8) Within a buffer area, no structure shall be permitted
other than a sign, in accordance with the sign regulations of the
zone in which the property is located or a driveway serving the use
of the site.
D. Landscaping standards for parking lots. All parking
lots, whether principal or accessory uses of land, that contain 20
or more parking spaces, shall conform to the following standards for
landscaping to improve the appearance of the lot and the site and
to screen such lots from surrounding areas. Appropriate places for
landscaping include the perimeter, walkways, at the end of bays and
in specific planting islands distributed throughout the lots.
(1) At least 10% of a parking lot's gross area shall be
landscaped. The landscaping should be located at the perimeter, in
center islands, at the end of bays and along walkways.
(2) Landscaping in parking areas shall be designed not
to obstruct vision of the drivers of the vehicles nor endanger the
safety of pedestrians passing the lots.
(3) The primary landscaping materials used in parking
lots shall be a combination of flowering and decorative, evergreen
and deciduous trees. Shrubbery, hedges and other planting material
and earth berms may be used to complement the landscaping.
(4) Landscaping and planting shall be distributed throughout
the parking lots.
(5) On those sites where plant material exists on a parking
lot site prior to its development, such landscaping may be used if
it meets the requirements of this chapter.
(6) Peripheral landscaping shall be provided along any
side of a parking lot of 10 or more spaces.
(7) A landscaping strip at least five feet in width shall
be provided between the paved parking areas and abutting property
lines.
(8) The dimensions of any planting area or planting median
shall be sufficient to provide for the protection of the landscaping
materials planted therein and to ensure healthy growth.
(9) Landscaping facing the street shall be provided along
any side of a parking lot of 10 or more spaces that abuts the right-of-way
of any street, road or highway.
(10)
A hedge, wall, shrubs or other durable landscape
barrier of at least three feet in height shall extend the entire length
of the landscaping strip, excluding 25 feet on both sides of any driveway.
(11)
Ground cover shall consist of ivy, creeping
myrtle, pachysandra or wood chips, or other similar materials, at
least three inches deep.
(12)
All parking areas for 20 or more vehicles shall
contain grassed or landscaped island areas of at least eight feet
in width to separate rows of parking spaces. Said landscaped island
area shall contain a minimum of one shade tree for each 10 parking
spaces in the parking area.
(13)
Buffer screens around parking lots and loading
areas may be constructed of wood, cement or other fence material,
provided that not more than 25% of said fence is open. In such cases,
evergreens and deciduous trees and shrubs shall be planted inside
along the fence. Such landscaping may be omitted if it is the finding
of the Planning Board that the type of fence to be erected will be
effective as a screen and aesthetically compatible with attractive
adjoining structures.
(14)
The required height for a landscaping screen
shall be measured at the elevation of the land at the edge of the
adjacent area or structure to be buffered. In those cases where the
ground elevation of the location at which the screen is to be planted
is lower than the elevation of the edge of the adjacent area to be
buffered, the required height of the screen shall be increased in
an amount equal to the difference in elevation, or decreased in equal
amounts where the ground elevation of the location at which the screen
is to be planted is greater than that at the edge of the adjacent
area to be buffered, provided that in no case shall the required height
of any landscaping screen be reduced to less than four feet.
(15)
Sidewalks or other paved walkways shall be provided
from each parking space or area to the buildings which the parking
serves. Parking lots shall be designed as to minimize the crossing
of parking aisles. All pedestrian crosswalks shall be marked with
striping or other means to clearly identify them.
(16)
Grading areas for commercial, and industrial
uses of land that directly abut residential zones shall provide landscaped
buffer screening at least five feet wide on the perimeter of said
loading area.
E. Standards for new plantings of trees and shrubs.
(1) In all new developments, shade trees shall be planted
on each side of every street and in parking area islands and buffers,
where provided. All trees shall be one and 3/4 to two inches in diameter
and planted at intervals of not more than 50 feet. The shade trees
planted shall be alive at least one year after planting or be replaced.
(2) All trees should be of nursery stock of an approved
species grown under the same climatic conditions as at the location
of the development. They shall be of symmetrical growth, free of insects,
pests and disease, suitable for street use and durable under the maintenance
contemplated.
(3) All planting shall be done in the appropriate season
with plants in a dormant state and in conformance with good nursery
landscape practice.
(4) All planting strips within street rights-of-way shall
be finished, graded, properly prepared and seeded or sodded with lawn
grass in conformance with the certified soil erosion and sediment
control plan for the project.
(5) Planting holes must be a minimum of 12 inches larger
in diameter and six inches deeper than the soil ball or root mass,
excluding ground covers, and backfilled with a planting mixture incorporating
a minimum of 25% organic matter, by volume.
(6) Trees shall be staked in the following manner:
(a)
Two stakes shall be driven a minimum of two
feet into undisturbed soil outside the planting hole.
(b)
Stakes when driven must be 1/2 to 2/3 the height
of the tree measured from ground level.
(c)
Stakes shall be a minimum of two inches in diameter
at the thick end.
(d)
Stakes shall be placed in line with prevailing
winds.
(e)
Stakes shall be attached to the tree with twelve-gauge
galvanized wire covered with rubber or plastic hose. Where wire is
likely to come in contact with a tree trunk, an alternate may be any
of the commercially available materials designed for staking trees,
with the approval of the town's Engineers. The loop in contact with
the tree shall be loose enough to permit growth and prevent girdling
for two years but shall be tightly bound to the stake to prevent slipping.
(7) Wrapping. Each tree shall be wrapped with an expandable
paper or cloth treated to last at least one year.
(a)
This wrap shall extend from the ground level
up the trunk to the first branches.
(b)
This wrap, to prevent sun scald, shall be attached
or fastened at each end with a material that will permit tree growth
without girdling.
(8) Saucer. A ring of packed soil shall be placed around
the finished planting hole of each tree.
(a)
The saucer shall be a minimum of six inches
higher than the finished grade.
(b)
Saucers placed on slopes shall be level at the
top and perpendicular to the tree trunk.
(9) Ground covers.
(a)
All planting beds must be ground covered, and
the type to used shall be noted on the site plan. Where mulches are
used, a layer of black four-milimeter polyethylene or its equivalent
must be used to reduce weed growth. The minimum required depth of
placement is four inches. An approved chemical pre-emergency nonselective
herbicide may be used in lieu of the polyethylene. The chemical to
be used must be specified on the site plan and used according to directions.
(b)
Ground covers are required in place of grass
in small, restricted areas such as tree and shrub planters.
(c)
Sod shall be used in place of seeding for more
rapid establishment and effect, except for areas exceeding two acres.
In any area exceeding two acres, at least two acres must be sodded,
the location of which is to be determined by the town's Engineers.
(d)
Ground cover areas and steep banks greater than
15% shall be planted with an approved ground cover and an approved
mulch.
(10)
Protection of existing trees and shrubs.
(a)
Trees designed to remain on the construction
site are to be protected with a physical barrier. The barrier shall
be installed before a tree removal permit will be granted and/or before
any excavation or construction is begun.
(b)
The grade of land located within six feet of
a tree shall not be raised or lowered more than six inches unless
compensated for by welling or retaining methods.
(c)
Tree wells are to be constructed around each
tree or group of trees before any grades are increased. Wells are
to be constructed of uncemented stone, block or any other suitable
material. This well should be of a minimum of three feet in diameter
for a four inches or less caliper tree from the tree trunk with the
construction starting at existing grade so as not to disturb roots
with foundation construction. For trees of more than four inches,
there shall be added one foot to the diameter for each inch caliper
measured 12 inches above the natural ground level.
(d)
Retaining wells shall be constructed around
each tree or group of trees immediately after the grade is lowered.
The retaining well is to be constructed of railroad ties, or any other
suitable material subject to approval by the town's Engineers.
(e)
Any cleaning within six feet of tree trunks
shall be done by hand. No equipment is to be placed over this area
and no building materials are to be attached against the tree or within
the area of the barrier.
(f)
No tree shall be used to support any scaffolding,
signs, temporary utility or any other device. Topsoil shall be stockpiled
in a location at least eight feet from any tree designated to remain.
F. Types of trees and shrubs for various uses. The following
is a list of types of trees and shrubs that are considered appropriate
for the northeastern portion of the United States in Urban Planning
and Design Criteria by DeChiara and Koppelman:
(1) Street trees.
(a)
Small trees (to be planted 30 feet on center):
[1]
Pyramidal European hornbeam.
(b)
Average trees (to be planted 40 feet on center):
(c)
Large trees (to be planted at least 50 feet
on center):
[1]
Green Mountain sugar maple.
(2) Shade trees for suburban homes.
(a)
Deciduous:
[6]
Panicled goldenrain tree.
(4) Trees for parking lots (resistant to motor exhaust
fumes):
(a)
Large trees:
[1]
Ailanthus (tree of heaven).
All streets shall have installed water mains
not less than six inches in diameter, in strict conformance with the
rules and regulations of the Hackensack Water Company, therein for
the entire length thereof if the subdivision is located within an
area that is served or will be served in the future by a water company,
unless the requirements hereof are expressly waived in whole or in
part by the Planning Board. Fire hydrant locations shall be subject
to the review of the Fire Chief and the town's Engineers.
Monuments shall be provided in the size, dimensions
and locations in accordance with the Map Filing Law (Chapter 141 of
the Laws of 1960) as follows: Monuments shall be of hard, durable material
at least three inches long. The top and bottom shall be a minimum
of four inches square. They shall be firmly set in the ground so as
to be visible at the following control points, provided that in lieu
of installation of the monuments, the town may accept a bond with
sufficient surety in a form and an amount to be determined by the
town's Engineers, conditioned upon the proper installation of said
monuments, upon the completion of the grading of the streets and roads,
shown on the map, to be located as follows:
A. At each intersection of the outside boundary of the
whole tract, with the right-of-way line of any side of an existing
street.
B. At the intersection of the outside boundary of the
whole tract, with the right-of-way line on one side of a street being
established by the map under consideration.
C. At one corner formed by the intersection of the right-of-way
lines of any two streets at a T-type intersection.
D. At any two corners formed by the right-of-way lines
of any two streets in an X- or Y-type intersection.
E. If the right-of-way lines of two streets are connected by a curve at an intersection, monuments shall be as stipulated in Subsections
C and
D above at one of the following control points:
(1) The point of intersection of the prolongation of said
lines.
(2) The point of curvature of the connecting curve.
(3) The point of tangency of the connecting curve.
F. At the beginning and ending of all tangents on one
side of any street.
G. At the point of compound curvature or point of reversed
curvature where either curve has a radius equal to or greater than
100 feet. This requirement shall be applied to only one side of a
street and complete curve data shall be shown on both sides; namely,
radius, length of curve and subtended angle.
H. At intermediate points in the sidelines of a street
between adjacent street intersections in cases where the street deflects
from a straight line or the line of sight between the adjacent intersections
is obscured by a summit or other obstructions which are impractical
to remove.
I. In cases where it is impossible to set a monument
at any of the above designated points, a nearby reference monument
shall be set and its relation to the designated point shall be clearly
designated on the map.
J. In areas where permanency of monuments may be better
ensured by offsetting the monuments from the property line, the town's
Engineers may authorize such procedure, provided that proper instrument
sights may be obtained and complete offset data is recorded on the
map.
If there is an existing system available, culverts,
storm sewers and sanitary sewers shall be properly connected with
such an approved system and shall be adequate to serve present and
probable future development as determined by the town's Engineers.
No topsoil shall be removed from the site or
used as spoil. Topsoil moved during the course of construction shall
be redistributed to provide at least six inches to all areas of the
subdivision or development site. Topsoil protection and removal, and
soil erosion and sedimentation control shall be in accordance with
the requirements of Chapter 459 of the Laws of 1979.
Whenever a plan contains off-street parking
and loading areas, they shall be improved in accordance with the design
standards and improvements standards for drainage, curbs, lighting
and other relevant parts, as contained herein, and the following.
A. Surfacing shall be installed in accordance with the
standards of this chapter and shall be approved as part of the site
plan approval process. Areas of ingress and egress, loading and unloading,
major interior driveways, aisles and other areas likely to experience
similar heavy traffic shall be paved with not less than four inches
of compacted base course of plant-mixed bituminous stabilized base
course constructed in layers not more than two inches compacted thickness,
or equivalent, and a minimum of two-inch thick compacted wearing surface
of bituminous concrete (FABC), or equivalent. All shall be constructed
in accordance with the Standard Specifications of the New Jersey Department
of Transportation.
B. Catch basins serving parking areas shall be located
at the perimeter of all on-site paved areas or curbing.
C. Buffers shall be provided for parking and loading
areas for apartment, townhouse, commercial and industrial developments
to reduce the impact from adjoining streets and to separate them from
single-family residential zoning districts.
D. Curbing and wheel-blocks shall be provided for off-street
parking areas containing six or more spaces, and all off-street loading
areas shall have concrete curbing around the perimeter of the parking
and loading areas and along major interior driveways. Concrete wheel
blocks shall be located in conjunction with the overall drainage plan
for the site. Curbing installed at crosswalks and bikeways shall have
barrier-free curb ramps constructed in accordance with New Jersey
Department of Treasury's Barrier Free Design Regulations, pursuant
to Chapter 220, Public Laws 1975. The ramps shall be opposite each aisle and no less frequent
than one every 65 feet along the curb.
The Planning Board, when acting on applications
for preliminary or minor subdivision approval or preliminary site
plan approval, may grant such exceptions of the requirements as may
be reasonable and when the general purpose and intent of the provisions
of this chapter is impracticable or will exact undue hardship because
of peculiar conditions pertaining to the site under review; the waivers
sought by an applicant under this section shall be made in writing.
When approving or disapproving such applications for exceptions of
requirements of this chapter, the Planning Board shall make findings
setting forth the reasons on which the Board's actions had been based
and note them in minutes of the meeting.
All of the above improvements required herein
shall be subject to inspection and approval by the town's Engineers
who shall be notified by the developer at least 48 hours prior to
the start of construction. The cost of inspection shall be borne by
the applicant in the amount of 5% of the estimated construction cost
of the required improvements. No underground installation shall be
covered until inspected and approved. Inspection by the Town of West
New York of the installation of improvements and utilities by the
subdivider shall not subject the town to claims, suits or liability
of any kind that may at any time arise because of defects or negligence
during construction or at any time thereafter, it being recognized
that the responsibility to maintain safe conditions at all times during
construction and to provide proper utilities and improvements is upon
the subdivider, developer and contractor, if any.