Absecon City Zoning Code
ARTICLE XIV
HD Highway Development District
§ 224-82 Intent.
[1998 Code § 224-82]
A.
Intent. The purpose of the Highway Development District is to encourage development of hotels, entertainment and recreation facilities and professional offices with easy highway access and with sufficient controls.
B.
Regulations. The use, height and area regulations of Sections 224-82 to 224-88, inclusive, or those regulations set forth elsewhere in this chapter, where applicable to these sections, and general regulations of Article XVIII are the regulations in Highway Development District HD.
§ 224-83 Permitted uses.
[1997 Code § 224-83; Ord. No. 13-97; Ord. No. 15-2000]
A building or land shall be used only for the following purposes:
A.
Principal uses and buildings.
(1)
Mid-rise hotels.
(2)
Professional office buildings.
(3)
Restaurants and bars.
(4)
Restaurants, takeout and drive-in.
(5)
Theaters.
(6)
Recreation facilities.
(7)
Motels, provided the applicant can demonstrate that there is not adequate land area to develop at the site due to inability to purchase adjoining upland or NJDEP environmental regulations will not permit "hotel" development as defined by the zoning ordinance.
B.
Accessory uses. Any accessory use and building reasonably and customarily incidental to any of the principal uses permitted. They shall be understood to include:
(1)
Appropriate facilities for placement of trash and garbage and collection and removal thereof, provided that:
(a)
Said structure shall be completely enclosed and be so constructed that the structure will not be visible to the general public.
(b)
The structure meets with the approval of the Construction Official and the Board of Health and provides for recycling conforming to local county and state regulations.
(2)
Private swimming pools intended for use of hotel guests, provided that:
(a)
The edge of the pool shall conform to accessory use setbacks.
(b)
Adequate fencing with lock shall be provided to prevent unauthorized use. Such fencing shall surround the pool itself.
(c)
Pool lighting shall be designed and located to prevent glare on contiguous properties.
(d)
The pool shall comply with all local and State health standards.
(3)
Group auto garages when designed in conjunction with and intended exclusively for the use of hotel guests.
(4)
Tennis courts, mini-parks, tot-lots or other recreational amenities for use by hotel guests.
(5)
Coffee shops and restaurants, provided that such uses shall be located in the lobby area and shall comprise no more than 15% of the lobby level no more than 5,000 square feet, whichever is less.
§ 224-84 Area, yard and bulk requirements.
[1997 Code § 224-84]
Area and bulk requirements shall be as follows:
A.
Area and bulk requirements for hotels.
(1)
Lot size: 2.5 acres minimum.
(2)
Lot width: 300 feet minimum.
(3)
Lot depth: 400 feet minimum.
(4)
Lot coverage: 55% maximum of total upland and buffer area.
(5)
Front yard setback: 35 feet minimum.
(6)
Side yard setback: equal to the height of building.
(7)
Rear yard setback: to be determined during site plan review by the Planning Board.
(8)
Height: 70.0 feet above mean sea level datum [National Geodetic Vertical Datum (NGVD)].
(9)
Building length: 100 feet maximum.
(10)
Common open space. A minimum of 30% of the upland area shall be provided and maintained as open space. Such space may include playgrounds, pools, mini-parks and other recreational facilities intended for the use of registered guests but shall not include parking.
(11)
Hotel room size: per applicable state and local codes.
B.
Bulk requirements for sports, entertainment and recreational facilities. The following area and bulk standards are required for the development of sports, entertainment and recreational facilities:
(1)
Lot size.
(a)
Theaters (total seating capacity under 300 seats): 75,000 square feet.
(b)
Theaters (total seating capacity over 300 seats): 3.0 acres.
(c)
Outdoor sports facilities: 5.0 acres.
(d)
Indoor recreational facilities: 2.0 acres.
(e)
Restaurants: 30,000 square feet.
(f)
Restaurants, drive-in/takeout: 2.0 acres.
(2)
Lot width (minimum at street):
(a)
Theaters: 200 feet.
(b)
Recreation facilities: 200 feet.
(c)
Restaurants: 100 feet.
(d)
Restaurants, drive-in/takeout: 200 feet.
(e)
All other permitted uses: 100 feet.
(3)
Lot depth, all uses: 200 feet.
(4)
Lot coverage: 65% maximum impervious coverage.
(5)
Perimeter setbacks: 30 feet minimum for all yards for all buildings, principal and accessory, and all parking areas.
(6)
Height:
(a)
Restaurants: 1 1/2 stories; 25 feet maximum.
(b)
All other uses: 2 1/2 stories; 35 feet maximum.
(c)
Accessory uses: 2 1/2 stories; 35 feet maximum.
(7)
Dwelling unit size: per applicable state and local codes.
(8)
Building length:
(a)
Restaurants: 100 feet.
(b)
Theaters: 200 feet.
(c)
Recreational facilities: 150 feet.
(d)
All other uses: 100 feet.
(9)
Distance between buildings, all uses. All buildings within the development shall be separated from all others by a minimum of 30 feet at their closest point.
§ 224-85 Other regulations.
[1997 Code § 224-5]
A.
Other regulations: general.
(1)
All uses within this district shall be required to submit an impact statement as part of the site plan review process. The statement will include information called for in Article XX, Section 224-120R and additionally shall include the following for all uses:
(a)
A general lighting and graphics program.
(b)
Fire protection, police and other security systems.
(c)
A circulation and off-street parking plan.
(d)
A solid waste management recycling and disposal plan, including provisions for all waste resulting from on-site uses.
(e)
A landscaping, landscape maintenance and preservation plan, including existing natural features.
(f)
An off-street traffic survey showing the impact of the proposed facility on existing roadways.
(g)
An energy conservation program for operation.
(2)
Minimum elevation of all parking areas, drives and accessory use areas shall be elevation 7.5 mean sea level (NGVD).
(3)
First floor elevation of all principal structures shall be elevation 10.0 (NGVD) or the minimum floor elevation as established by the latest Flood Insurance Rate Map issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
B.
Other regulations: mid-rise construction (HD-1).
(1)
Uses on the first floor of structures shall be restricted to lobbies or other common areas, parking and permitted accessory uses.
(2)
Minimum roadway widths for ingress and egress lanes shall be:
(a)
One-way: 18 feet.
(b)
Two-way: 30 feet.
(3)
A perimeter roadway of 20 feet minimum width shall be provided around all sides of the structure for the purpose of emergency access. This roadway may also serve as the access road to exterior parking areas.
(4)
For all uses within this district there shall be one on-site, off-street loading area 14 feet wide by 35 feet long for each 10,000 square feet or each part thereof.
(5)
Areas in which mid-rise construction (HD-1) is permitted are designated as HD-1 on the Absecon City Zoning Map.
§ 224-86 Landscaping, buffers and fences.
[1997 Code § 224-86]
A.
All areas not covered by accessory uses, driveways or pedestrian walkways shall be landscaped. A complete site plan showing all proposed planting shall be reviewed and approved by the Planning Board.
B.
All perimeter setbacks shall have a buffer strip of 10 feet wide consisting of evergreens of four feet minimum height at planting placed in double alternating rows six feet on center in each row with smaller evergreens or other deciduous plant material in between. Buffer strips shall be set back 10 feet from property lines where they abut a street.
C.
All irregularly shaped areas in parking lots not used for parking shall be landscaped and bordered with brick or other natural materials. All parking lots for all uses shall have a landscaped buffer of four feet minimum width.
D.
All planting required shall be replaced and maintained regularly.
E.
Landscape design shall conform to landscape design criteria in Section 224-129 of this chapter.
F.
Fences or walls shall be permitted, provided that:
(1)
All perimeter fences and walls shall be placed within the property lines and shall be consistent in size, texture and design and shall be constructed by the developer.
(2)
No fence or wall shall be more than four feet from grade, excepting those immediately around swimming pools, which will be six feet.
(3)
Patio fences in townhouse development shall be in rear yards only and shall be consistent in size, texture and design.
§ 224-87 Parking.
[1997 Code § 224-87]
A.
For hotel and motel units, one parking space per rental unit, plus one space per employee, increased by 5%, shall be provided.
B.
Exterior parking areas will be located a minimum of 40 feet from the building in mid-rise construction and a minimum of 20 feet from restaurants, office buildings, indoor recreational facilities and theaters.
C.
For theaters, one parking space for four seats, plus one space per employee shall be provided.
D.
For indoor recreation facilities or outdoor uses, one space for every three persons that the facility was designed to accommodate, plus one space per employee shall be provided, subject to the review and approval of the Planning Board.
E.
For miniature golf courses, one space per 300 square feet of area shall be provided.
F.
For driving ranges, one space for each tee shall be provided.
G.
For principal and accessory buildings supporting recreation facilities, one parking space per 200 square feet of gross building area shall be provided.
H.
For recreational facilities incorporating more than one of the permitted uses, shared parking may be considered by the Planning Board, subject to the review of a parking study submitted by the applicant. At a minimum this parking capacity study shall review current requirements for the collective and individual recreational uses and facilities in other jurisdictions and include data from existing operating facilities similar to the uses proposed.
I.
Front wheel stops adjacent to sidewalks shall be concrete. Curbing in other parking areas may be wood or other natural materials.
J.
A three-foot minimum buffer shall be maintained between curb stops and pedestrian walks.
K.
Parking criteria and design shall conform to Article XX, Section 224-128.
§ 224-88 Lighting.
[1997 Code § 224-88]
Moderate lighting to ensure safe pedestrian and vehicular travel shall be provided, subject to Planning Board review as part of the site plan process. The following standards shall apply:
A.
The site plans shall include a lighting plan showing fixture or standard location, footcandle distribution, types of fixtures or standards and all else necessary for review by the Planning Board.
B.
The lighting plan shall conform to the standards in Article XX, Section 224-130 of this chapter.
