Aberdeen Township City Zoning Code
§ 25-4.15
ARAH Age-Restricted Affordable Housing.
[Ord. No. 12-2002 § 3; Ord. No. 13-2010]
Editor's Note: Former subsection 25-4.15, TH Townhouse, previously codified herein and containing portions of Ordinance Nos. 6-1988 and 20-1992 was repealed in its entirety by Ordinance No. 19-1993.
a.
Purpose. The purpose of the "ARAH" Age-Restricted Affordable Housing zoning district is to provide affordable housing for senior citizen households in accordance with the "Housing Plan Element & Fair Share Plan" portion of the Aberdeen Township Master Plan and the "Substantive Rules" of the New Jersey Council On Affordable Housing (COAH).
b.
Principal Permitted Uses on the Land and in Buildings.
1.
Apartment dwelling units, age-restricted in accordance with the following requirements and limitations:
(a)
All dwelling units within an ARAH development shall be deed restricted for occupancy by households with at least one (1) person fifty-five (55) years of age or older and with no person less than nineteen (19) years of age, provided that visitors less than nineteen (19) years of age are permitted for no more than eight (8) weeks during any twelve (12) month time period.
(b)
The wording of the required deed restriction shall be submitted by the applicant to the Planning Board for review as part of the application for final subdivision approval, and the wording shall be reviewed, modified as necessary, and finally approved by the Township Council and incorporated within a developer's agreement between the developer and the Township Council as a condition of any final approval granted by the Planning Board for an age-restricted housing development.
(c)
The wording of the required deed restriction as finally approved by the Township Council shall be recited in the Master Deed and the Homeowners' Association bylaws, which also shall be reviewed and approved by the Township Council and Planning Board as a condition of any final approval granted by the Planning Board for an age-restricted housing development.
2.
Conservation areas, open spaces and common property.
3.
Recreational facilities.
4.
A Senior Citizen Center for Aberdeen Township, which shall contain at least six thousand (6,000) square feet of gross floor area unless a lesser size is approved for good cause shown by the applicant.
c.
Size of Tract. The minimum tract size shall be thirteen and one-half (13.5 ac) acres.
d.
Density and Number of Dwelling Units. The tract of land shall be developed at an overall tract density not exceeding fifteen (15) dwelling units per acre, rounded to the nearest whole number, provided that no less than one hundred ten (110) units shall be constructed as part of an ARAH development.
e.
COAH Affordable Housing Requirements. All of the dwelling units in an ARAH development shall be "very low," "low" and "moderate" income affordable units in accordance with all applicable requirements of the "Third Round Substantive Rules" of the New Jersey Council Of Affordable Housing (COAH) (N.J.A.C. 5:97, et seq.) and COAH's "Uniform Housing Affordability Controls" (N.J.A.C. 5:80, et seq.) shall apply. Regarding the minimum required one hundred ten (110) units, fifty-five (55) units shall be provided for "moderate" income households, thirty-seven (37) for "low" income households, and eighteen (18) for "very low" income households.
f.
Building Design Requirements.
1.
Each apartment building shall not exceed four and one-half (4 1/2) stories and seventy-one (71) feet in height measured from grade to the highest building ridge.
2.
Each building shall be constructed with elevators.
3.
All buildings within an ARAH development shall be totally covered by a true and complete gable, hip, gambrel or mansard roof, provided, however, that where roof mounted equipment is proposed for the operation of the building, a facade roof treatment exhibiting the appearance of such pitched roofs may be permitted and approved by the Planning Board during site plan review.
4.
All portions of all buildings shall be provided both heat alarms and smoke alarms and, except for any outside balconies and attics, all interior areas of all buildings shall have a "wet" fire suppression sprinkler system.
5.
Only the following structures may be erected above the actual height of a building, and such structures shall not exceed more than ten (10) feet above the actual height of the building:
6.
More than one (1) apartment building shall be permitted, provided that all buildings are separated by a distance of at least twenty (20) feet.
7.
All buildings shall be set back at least fifty (50) feet from all street right-of-way lines and fifteen (15) feet from all other property lines.
g.
Parking Requirements.
1.
Off-street parking shall be provided at the minimum ratio of one (1.0) space per apartment unit, in accordance with the allowances of the "Residential Site Improvement Standards."
2.
Parking spaces shall be nine feet by eighteen (9 x 18) feet in size.
3.
All parking areas and driveways shall be set back at least ten (10) feet from all property lines.
h.
Permitted Signs.
1.
An ARAH development shall be permitted one (1) ground-mounted monument-type sign identifying the name of the development at each public street access to the development. Each such sign shall not exceed ten (10) feet in height, shall be set back at least fifteen (15) feet from all street and property lines, and shall not exceed an area of fifty (50) square feet.
2.
Additionally, information and directional signs, each not more than three (3) feet in height and ten (10) square feet in area, shall be permitted, where appropriate and as approved by the Planning Board, in order to guide traffic to its intended destination in a safe and convenient manner.
i.
Lighting Requirements.
1.
Lighting shall be minimal for security and safety purposes, and a point-by-point lighting plan shall be submitted indicating the location of the lighting fixtures, the direction of illumination, the wattage and footcandle levels of illumination for each fixture, and the details of the lighting poles and the luminaries.
2.
The lighting is to be provided by fixtures with a mounting height not higher than twenty-five (25) feet, measured from the ground level to the centerline of the light source.
3.
The lighting fixtures are to include non-glare lights with recessed lenses focused downward and with "cut-off" shields as appropriate in order to mitigate against adverse impacts upon adjacent and nearby properties, the safety of traffic along adjacent roadways and overhead skyglow.
4.
The light intensity provided at ground level shall be indicated in footcandles on the submitted plans and shall average not less than five-tenths (0.5) footcandles at intersections and three-tenths (0.3) footcandles elsewhere in the area to be illuminated, and shall average not more than one (1.0) footcandle throughout the area to be illuminated.
j.
Landscaping Requirements.
1.
The landscaping within an ARAH development shall be conceived as a total pattern throughout the tract, integrating the various elements of the architectural design of the buildings and creating an aesthetically pleasing environment.
2.
The landscaping shall include shade trees, decorative flowering trees, evergreen trees, shrubs and hedges, ground cover, perennials and annuals, and may include other materials such as rocks, sculpture, art, walls, fences and decorative brick or paving materials.
3.
The dollar amount expenditure for the landscaping shall not be less than the equivalent expenditure for the planting of at least twelve (12) shade trees per gross acre of the tract not covered by buildings and other impervious surfaces, and sufficient information shall be provided to the Planning Board to confirm this requirement.
4.
The minimum size of new plants at the time of planting shall be as follows:
(a)
Shade trees shall have a minimum caliper of two and one-half (2 1/2) inches measured six (6) inches from ground level, shall have a standing height of at least ten (10) feet and shall be balled and burlapped;
(b)
Decorative flowering trees shall have a minimum caliper of one and one-quarter (1 1/4) inches measure six (6) inches from ground level, shall have a standing height of at least six (6) feet and shall be balled and burlapped. Decorative flowering trees shall be well branched, with the branches starting not less than three (3) feet above the crown of the root system;
(c)
Evergreen trees shall be at least six (6) feet in height at time of planting and shall be balled and burlapped; and
(d)
Shrubs and hedges shall be at least eighteen to twenty-four (18—24) inches at time of planting, depending upon and appropriate to the species of plant.
5.
All plants shall be installed in accordance with the American Nurserymen Guide, latest edition.
6.
All plant material shall be guaranteed for at least two (2) years and a written copy of the guarantee executed between the developer and the nursery or landscape architect installing the plantings shall be reviewed by the attorney for the Planning Board prior to the Board granting any final approval.
k.
Recycling Requirements. An indoor or outdoor recycling area for the collection and storage of residentially-generated recyclable materials shall be provided as follows:
1.
The dimension of the recycling area shall be sufficient to accommodate recycling bins or containers which are of adequate size and number, and which are consistent with anticipated usage and with current methods of collection in the area in which the project is located. The dimensions of the recycling area and the bins or containers shall be consistent with the district recycling plan adopted pursuant to Section 3 of P.L. 1987, c. 102 (N.J.S.A. 13:1E-99.13), as amended.
2.
The recycling area shall be conveniently located for the residential disposition of source separated recyclable materials preferably near, but clearly separated from, a refuse dumpster.
3.
The recycling area shall be well lit and shall be safely and easily accessible by recycling personnel and vehicles. Collection vehicles shall be able to access the recycling area without interference from parked cars or other obstacles. Reasonable measures shall be taken to protect the recycling area, and the bins or containers placed therein, against theft of recyclable materials, bins or containers.
4.
The recycling area, and the bins or containers placed therein, shall be designed so as to provide protection against adverse environmental conditions which might render the collected materials unmarketable. Any bins or containers which are used for the collection of recyclable paper or cardboard, and which are located in an outdoor recycling area, shall be equipped with a lid, or otherwise covered so as to keep the paper or cardboard dry.
5.
Signs clearly identifying the recycling area and the materials accepted therein shall be posted adjacent to all points of access to the recycling area. Individual bins or containers shall be equipped with signs indicating the materials to be placed therein.
6.
Landscaping and/or fencing, at least six (6) feet in height, shall be provided around any outdoor recycling area and shall be provided in an aesthetically pleasing manner.
l.
Additional Requirements.
1.
An ARAH development shall be served by both public water and public sewerage facilities.
2.
An ARAH development shall provide on-site recreational amenities for the residents of the development.
3.
An ARAH development shall provide, at no cost to Aberdeen Township, a Senior Citizen Center for use by the residents of the Township.
4.
There shall be a maintenance staff on site every day, and all residents shall be provided with a telephone number to receive emergency services during the evening and overnight hours; the telephone number also shall be provided the Aberdeen Township Police Department and the Township Manager.