East Windsor City Zoning Code
§ 20-16.5
Other Requirements.
[Amended 11-23-2021 by Ord. No. 2021-07; 11-12-2024 by Ord. No. 2024-10]
a.
Notwithstanding any provision of this chapter to the contrary, the following minimum front yard landscaped buffer setback areas shall be provided for developments within the HC zoning district in order to mitigate against the appearance of buildings and paved areas from the street and from abutting residential properties:
1.
A minimum 15-foot landscaped setback area shall be provided along any street, except that, for HC zoned lands west of Lanning Boulevard along Route 571, the minimum front yard landscaped setback shall be 75 feet along Route 571 and 50 feet along One Mile Road; and
2.
A minimum 25-foot landscaped buffer setback shall be provided along any property line which abuts a residential zoning district or any existing residential use.
b.
Driveways shall not be wider than 36 feet at any point and must be at least ten feet from any side lot line and 100 feet from intersecting street lines.
c.
Efforts shall be made to secure cross-access easements between adjoining commercial properties to provide convenient access.
d.
For properties zoned HC fronting Route 571 and east of One Mile Road, freestanding signs, except for directional signs, shall be ground-mounted on a solid base with no visible poles, columns or other upright supports. Freestanding signs shall not exceed eight feet in height and shall not be more than 100 square feet in size. This criterion shall apply to signs adjacent to Route 571 only. For lots in the HC Zone with additional frontage on Route 130 and Route 571, an additional freestanding sign is permitted for the Route 130 frontage in accordance with Subsection 20-5.16.8a, as applicable, subject to said Route 130 sign being no closer than 12 feet and no greater than 25 feet to the ROW of Route 130. Retail centers with frontage on Route 571 and Route 130 with a lot area of 10 acres or greater are exempt from the freestanding sign limitations in this section and shall comply with those referenced in Subsection 20-5.16.8a.
e.
Green building F.A.R. development bonus incentives.
1.
For applications within the HC Highway Commercial Zone and the CR Corridor Revitalization Zone only, the Planning Board may consider awarding a green building F.A.R. development bonus for use of a green development site design or green building improvements, to include such examples as green roofs, cool roof systems, roof-mounted solar systems, pervious paving. EV charging stations (in excess of state minimums), bike storage infrastructure, bike paths, stormwater infiltration systems above minimum required standards, improved biodiversity of open space and buffer area enhancements.
2.
Any green building F.A.R. development bonus shall be at the sole discretion of the Planning Board and shall not be subject to challenge or appeal by the Planning Board applicant or any other person.
3.
The maximum green building F.A.R. development bonus shall be up to 2.5% above the F.A.R. maximum percentage permitted in the zone.
4.
The green building F.A.R. development bonuses authorized in this section shall not supersede green building F.A.R. development bonuses provided in any other section of this chapter, or in any redevelopment plan adopted by the Township.
5.
The provision of an LEED certification or equivalent or the provision of green building strategies shall not obligate the Planning Board to approve a green building F.A.R. development bonus. Green building F.A.R. development bonuses authorized in this section are intended to be the maximum allowed for any application or project which includes green building component(s) and shall not be combined to exceed 2.5% above the F.A.R. maximum percentage permitted in the zone. When a green building F.A.R. development bonus results in a fractional number, the figure shall be rounded to the nearest whole number.
6.
Site plan requests for any green building F.A.R. bonus shall be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, based on the characteristics of individual sites as determined by the Planning Board. The provision of any green building component(s) and a request for any green building F.A.R. bonus shall be included in the development application and shall be part of the typical site plan review process where the environmental benefits are analyzed in conjunction with the proposed development and the characteristics of the site, as determined by the Planning Board.
7.
All green building development components shall adhere to the minimum approved/required standard for a period of no less than 10 years from the receipt of a final certificate of occupancy as demonstrated by an acceptable form of monitoring and annual performance reporting to be stipulated in a developer's agreement, or such other acceptable form of agreement, between the developer and the Township, and as otherwise provided in any condition(s) of site plan approval by the Planning Board.
8.
Penalties and enforcement for failure to comply with the minimum approved/required green building performance standard shall be addressed in a developer's agreement between the developer and the Township subsequent to site plan approval by the Planning Board.