Township of Plainsboro, NJ Article V R-200 Rural Zone Regulations

§ 101-25 Permitted uses.

In the R-200 Rural Zone no lot shall be used and no structure shall be erected, altered or occupied for any purpose except the following:

A. Detached single-family dwellings and the accessory structures and uses normally auxiliary thereto.

[Amended 7-14-2004 by Ord. No. 0-04-14]

B. All farm and agricultural activities, including nurseries, small animal and livestock raising, provided that:

(1) The keeping or raising of swine shall not be allowed except as a part of a general farming operation on a property of not less than five acres, and provided further that not more than 10 head plus one head additional for each three acres of area in excess of five acres shall be allowed in any case. No building, fenced run or other enclosure for the shelter of swine shall be closer to any front, side or rear property line or zone boundary than 200 feet.

(2) No building, any part of which is closer to any front or side property line than 90 feet or closer to any R-85 Residence or GB Business Zone boundary than 200 feet or closer to a dwelling on an adjoining premises than 200 feet, shall be erected or used for the shelter of more than 100 head of fowl of all kinds or more than two head of other farm livestock.

(3) No building for the shelter of fowl or farm livestock shall be closer to any side or rear property line than 30 feet or closer to a dwelling on an adjoining premises than 100 feet.

C. The sale of farm or dairy produce which has been raised on the farm from which it is to be sold and provided that any signs advertising such produce shall not exceed 20 square feet in aggregate area for any single establishment.

D. Parks and playgrounds.[1]

[1] Editor's Note: Ordinance No. 0-80-12, adopted 7-29-1980, provided for the deletion of former Subsections D, E, G, H, I, J, K, L, M and N of § 101-25 and provided for the relettering of former Subsection F to become this Subsection D. Also, Ord. No. 0-80-17, adopted 11-10-1980, provided for the deletion of former Subsection O.

E. In the R-200 Rural Zone, the following conditional uses will be allowed upon approval of the Planning Board as provided in this chapter:

[Added 7-29-1980 by Ord. No. 0-80-12]

(1) (Reserved)[2]

[2] Editor's Note: Former § 101-25E(1), regarding home occupations, was repealed 8-12-1998 by Ord. No. 0-98-19. See now § 101-13.5.

(2) (Reserved)[3]

[3] Editor's Note: Former § 101-25E(2), regarding professional offices, was repealed 8-12-1998 by Ord. No. 0-98-19. See now § 101-13.5.

(3) Eleemosynary, charitable and philanthropic institutions, hospitals, nursing homes, convalescent homes, churches, parochial and private schools and nursery schools, provided that

[Amended 12-10-1990 by Ord. No. 0-90-24]:

(a) Such uses shall be located on a major or minor arterial.

(b) A minimum lot area shall be five acres.

(c) All parking shall be on site and in accordance with the Site Plan Review Ordinance.[4]

[4] Editor's Note: See Ch. 85, Subdivision and Site Plan Review.

(d) All state, county and local licenses are obtained.

(4) (Reserved)[5]

[5] Editor’s Note: Former Subsection E(4), regarding necessary public utilities and services, was repealed 10-10-2018 by Ord. No. 18-13.

(5) Cemeteries.

(6) Volunteer first-aid and rescue-squad units and volunteer fire companies.

(7) Nonprofit membership clubs for outdoor sports having no nuisance factors.

(8) Camps for children owned or operated by tax-exempt eleemosynary organizations, such as the YMCA, YWCA and the Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts, provided that such camps shall be on lots of not less than 10 acres.

(9) Housing facilities for transient or migratory farm workers, provided that:

(a) They are located on the farm of an employing farmer.

(b) They are occupied only during that period of time when workers are engaged in agricultural pursuits.

(c) Nothing herein shall be deemed to permit the establishment of housing facilities for transient labor not engaged in activities of an agricultural nature.[6]

[6] Editor's Note: Former Subsection E(10), which immediately followed, regarding family day-care homes, added 12-10-1990 by Ord. No. 0-90-24, was repealed 11-10-2011 by Ord. No. 0-11-13.

F. Child-care centers subject to the following minimum standards:

[Added 12-10-1990 by Ord. No. 0-90-24]

(1) The applicant shall provide a statement setting forth all of the particulars on the use.

(2) The lot upon which such use is proposed shall conform to the following requirements:

(a) Minimum lot area: three acres.

(b) Minimum lot frontage: 250 feet.

(c) Minimum lot width: 250 feet.

(d) Minimum lot depth: 250 feet.

(e) Minimum side yard setback: 50 feet each.

(f) Minimum rear yard setback: 50 feet

(g) Minimum front yard setback: 50 feet

(3) Accessory buildings shall be set back a minimum of 50 feet to side and rear property lines and other buildings.

(4) The maximum floor area ratio shall be .05, and the maximum impervious coverage shall be 25%.

(5) The maximum building height shall be 35 feet.

(6) Location of access driveways, landscaping, signage and general site plan design shall be compatible with the neighborhood in which the child-care center is to be located.

(7) The hours of operation shall be limited to 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

(8) Maneuvering room must be provided on site for parking and unloading/loading of children so as to preclude the necessity for backing out onto a public street. No unsafe conditions for pickup and drop-off of children shall be permitted. The child-care center shall not create any objectionable traffic conditions.

(9) Parking areas, pedestrian walkways or other exterior portions of the premises subject to use by child-care center occupants at night shall be illuminated to provide safe entrance to and egress from the center. Any site illumination shall not reflect over the property lines of the premises.

(10) There shall be a minimum of 30 square feet of usable activity indoor floor space for each child in centers that began operating prior to July 1, 1989, or began operation on or after July 1, 1989, and service fewer than 16 children. There shall be a minimum of 25 square feet of usable activity indoor floor space for each child in centers that began operating on or after July 1, 1989, and service 16 or more children. Areas for administrative use, bathrooms, hallways, storage and kitchen areas shall not be counted in calculation of minimum required indoor floor space.

(11) An outdoor play area shall be on the same lot as the child-care center. The areas shall be graded, well drained, completely fenced and not include driveways, parking areas or land and uses otherwise unsuitable. All outdoor play areas shall include sheltered play space.

(12) No part of any outdoor play area may be situated in the front yard.

(13) Storage facilities for movable outdoor play equipment shall be provided and such equipment shall be stored in these facilities when not in use.

(14) All outdoor play areas shall be screened from adjacent properties by a fence or wall at least six feet in height and screen plantings within a fifteen-foot setback area along all property lines. Outdoor areas located near or adjacent to hazardous areas determined by the Planning Board to be unsafe, including but not limited to streets, roads, driveways, parking lots, railroad tracks, swimming pools, rivers, streams, steep grades, open pits, high voltage lines or propane gas tanks, shall be fenced or otherwise protected by a natural or man-made barrier or enclosure.

(15) For children in attendance for three or more consecutive hours, the center shall provide a minimum of 150 square feet of net outdoor space. When more than five children are using such a space at one time, there shall be 30 square feet of net outdoor space for each additional child in addition to the required minimum of 150 square feet. If a center can demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Planning Board that it cannot meet the outdoor space requirement, the center shall provide, in addition to space for play rooms, a minimum of 150 square feet of net indoor floor space. When more than five children are using such space at one time, there shall be 30 square feet of net indoor floor space for each additional child in addition to the minimum of 150 square feet. The indoor floor space may be either on the site of the center or at another nearby indoor facility, such as a gymnasium, exercise room or other recreational facility.

(16) On-site dumpsters shall be adequately screened by fencing and plantings on all sides except for the area that must remain unobstructed to allow garbage pickup.

(17) Child-care centers shall provide one parking space per 400 feet of gross floor area, plus one additional parking space for every six children. Additional parking spaces may be required if deemed appropriate by the Planning Board.

(18) Dense landscape screening shall be provided along lot lines if required by the Planning Board.

(19) One freestanding sign not exceeding 12 square feet in area and two feet six inches in height as measured from the base of the sign is permitted. The sign shall be set back at least 25 feet from all street and property lines.

(20) Each child-care center shall be connected to public sewer and water facilities or alternate systems as may be approved by the Township Board of Health.

(21) The site shall be free from any hazards to the health, safety or well-being of the children.

(22) The child-care center, including any outdoor play space provided, shall be so located and designed that there shall be no objectionable impacts on adjacent or nearby properties due to noise, activity, visual or other objectionable conditions. The Board may require such special treatment in the way of design, screening of buildings, planting and parking areas, signs or other requirements as it shall deem necessary to protect adjacent and nearby properties.

(23) All child-care centers must be licensed by the New Jersey Department of Human Services.

G. Family day-care homes, subject to the terms set forth in the family day-care home definition in § 101-1.

[Added 11-10-2011 by Ord. No. 0-11-13[7]]

[7] Editor's Note: This ordinance also redesignated former Subsection G as Subsection H.

H. Home occupations and professional offices, subject to the standards found in § 101-13.5.

[Added 8-12-1998 by Ord. No. 0-98-19]

I. Necessary public utilities and services pursuant to § 101-13.6.

[Added 10-10-2018 by Ord. No. 18-13]

§ 101-26 Maximum building height.

Except for structures for agricultural uses, such as silos or water towers, or for permitted public utility uses, such as towers and power lines, or for common decorative features of public or quasi-public structures, such as church steeples and cupolas, no structure shall exceed 2 1/2 stories or 35 feet in height.

§ 101-27 Minimum floor area.

No residential structure shall be erected in the R-200 Rural Zone which has a habitable floor area of less than 750 square feet exclusive of porches, garages or cellars, except as provided elsewhere in this chapter for converted single-family dwellings.

§ 101-28 Side and rear yards.

A. No habitable structure shall be erected closer to any side property line than 20 feet or closer to any rear property line than 50 feet.

B. No auxiliary or accessory structure used for the storage of hay or other highly flammable material shall be closer to any front, rear or side property line than 90 feet.

§ 101-29 Front yards.

There shall be a minimum distance of 60 feet between any structure or building and the center line of any public street or the center line of any private road, easement or way which is used, owned or otherwise accessible to two or more properties or property owners by means of deed covenant, easement, past usage or mutual agreement and which is the sole or principal means of access to two or more properties in separate ownership, provided that no setback shall in any case be less than 40 feet when measured from the front property line.

§ 101-30 Minimum lot area.

A. There shall be provided a minimum area of 35,250 square feet for each single-family dwelling unit, except that where any lot boundary is coterminous with the center line of any street or road, such area shall be exclusive of the right-of-way.

B. If there shall be constructed more than one single-family dwelling unit on any lot or parcel in single ownership, the provisions of this article regarding front yard setbacks and side and rear yards shall govern, provided that each single-family dwelling shall be separated from any other dwelling or dwellings on the same lot by not less than 40 feet and that such parcel shall contain a minimum area of 35,250 square feet for each dwelling constructed thereon, except that the provisions set forth elsewhere in this article for converted single-family dwellings shall apply to the establishment of such converted dwellings in all cases.

§ 101-31 Minimum lot frontage.

In the R-200 Rural Zone the minimum lot frontage shall be 200 feet.

§ 101-31.1 Cluster residential development regulations.

[Added 11-11-1985 by Ord. No. 0-85-24]

Existing cluster residential development lots within the R-200 Zone established before June 17, 1985, shall hereinafter be regulated by the following standards:

A. Fifteen thousand square feet shall be the minimum lot area for a residential lot.

B. The minimum lot frontage shall not be less than 100 feet, unless a lot adjoins a cul-de-sac or is on a curved roadway alignment, in which case the minimum lot width of 100 feet shall be measured at the front setback line.

C. The front setback when measured from the front property line shall not be less than 40 feet.

D. The minimum side yard shall not be less than 15 feet.

E. The minimum rear yard shall not be less than 30 feet.

F. The land area which would otherwise be required for house lots but which is not so used under the permitted lot-size-reduction provisions of this section shall be devoted instead to common open space.

G. The tract to be subdivided shall be not less than 50 acres in area.

H. The average lot area shall not be less than 25,000 square feet, and no lot area shall be less than 15,000 square feet.

I. No less than 20% (less existing and proposed public road rights-of-way) shall be devoted to common open space.

J. Within the subdivision, primary or arterial streets shall be 60 feet in width and local streets should be 50 feet in width.

K. The subdivision shall be serviced by public water and sewer systems.