Hillside City Zoning Code

§ 188-65

Townhouses and condominium flats.

[Added 8-2-1988 by Ord. No. G-283-88]

Townhouse and condominium flats as defined below shall be permitted in Zones OC, RC, HC and LI, provided that the requirements for the same contained herein are met:

As used in this section, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:

CONDOMINIUM FLATS

Single-family occupancy dwelling units joined together by common horizontal and vertical structural elements and including patios, porches and garages. "Condominium flats" shall be arranged in building elements containing not more than 12 dwelling units. Not more than two such building elements may be attached in an architecturally harmonious configuration.

A single-family attached dwelling unit within a building structure containing more than three but not more than six single-family dwelling units, provided that each single dwelling unit is attached to other similar dwelling units by one or more party walls or portions thereof extending from the foundation to the roof.

Area and density requirements:

Minimum area. Each development shall have a minimum area of 30,000 square feet.

Maximum density. There shall be no more than 15 dwelling units per acre.

Maximum coverage. The total ground floor area of all buildings shall not exceed 355 of the lot area of the apartment development. The total area of all impervious surfaces, including buildings, shall not exceed 65% of the lot area of the apartment development.

Setback requirements. No principal building shall be located within 30 feet of a street right-of-way nor within 15 feet of any property line.

Distance between buildings. There shall be a minimum distance between dwelling structures of 30 feet plus 1/2 foot for each foot of opposite building wall length exceeding 51 feet up to a maximum of 75 feet between buildings. This provision shall apply to walls of the same building facing one another such as in a courtyard formed by a U-shaped building. Notwithstanding the foregoing, whenever a driveway is located between buildings, the minimum distance between building walls shall be 50 feet.

Building requirements.

Height. No building shall exceed a height of 40 feet. Main roofs shall have a minimum grade of five inches per foot.

Units per building.

No townhouse building shall contain less than three nor more than six dwelling units.

Condominium buildings may have up to 12 dwelling units per building structure.

No more than four dwelling units in an unbroken building line, with a setback of at least four feet, deemed to be a satisfactory break in the building line.

Vertical masonry fire walls shall be installed between all units to the roof rafters, and with the equivalent soundproofing to eight-inch-thick concrete blocks.

Floors and ceilings and partitions between apartment units shall be constructed so as to produce an airborne sound transmission loss of at least 50 decibels. Reasonable measures shall be taken in floor and ceiling construction to avoid disturbing levels of impact sound.

Each unit shall be a minimum of 17 feet wide.

Dwelling unit requirements.

Each dwelling unit shall contain as a minimum a separate living room, a separate bedroom, a separate bath and a kitchen, which kitchen facility shall be located separate and apart from other rooms in the unit with the exception of the dining area.

Minimum floor area. Each dwelling unit shall have a minimum floor area of 450 square feet, plus 150 square feet for each habitable room other than a living room, dining room or kitchen.

Each dwelling unit shall have two exterior exposures, with as least one window in each exposure.

Each dwelling unit shall have two means of access to the outside. These may consist of either two doorways or one doorway plus a sliding ground-floor window wall.

A space shall be provided for storage, utilities and location of washers, dryers, water heaters and heating units in each unit at least 50 square feet in size or as directed by other codes.

Off-street parking and internal roadways.

Parking spaces required. At least two off-street parking spaces shall be provided for each dwelling.

Each townhouse unit must contain a garage, minimum size 10 feet by 20 feet.

Condominium developments shall have at least 20% of the total required parking spaces enclosed within the principal buildings, attached to them or otherwise planned so as to avoid detached rows of multiple garages.

Townhouse and condominium developments must provide one additional space for every four dwelling units.

No parking is permitted within the required front yard or within a required buffer strip.

Parking space size. Each parking space shall have a minimum length of 20 feet (18 feet where curb over overhand is provided) and a minimum width of nine feet measured perpendicular to the axis of the length.

Parking aisle widths.

The provision of parking spaces shall also include adequate driveway and necessary turning areas for handling the vehicles for which provision is made. Parking areas shall be designed to permit each motor vehicle to proceed to and from the parking space provided it without requiring the moving of any other motor vehicles. Aisles providing access to parking spaces shall have the following minimum dimensions. Where the angle of parking is different on both sides of the aisle, the larger aisle width shall prevail.

	Angle of Parking Space	1-Way Aisle (feet)	2-Way Aisle (feet)
	90°	Prohibited	24
	60°	18	20
	45°	15	20
	30°	12	18
	Parallel	12	18

Minimum width of circulation roadways shall be as follows:

One-way: eighteen feet.

Two-way: twenty-four feet.

Parking setbacks.

All off-street parking and loading areas, except for parking which is accessory to multifamily dwellings, shall be located a minimum of 10 feet from all buildings, street and property lines (except front yards).

No access drives or parking spaces shall be closer than 10 feet to a building, except where parking is under or within a building.

Access drives and parking areas shall be developed according to Township specifications for paving and curbs, as related to driveways and parking areas.

Surfacing. All parking and loading areas and access drives shall be paved as outlined below or the equivalent as determined by the Township Engineer and approved as part of the development application approval. All parking areas, regardless of size and location, shall be paved, drained and maintained.

Areas of ingress or egress, loading and unloading areas, major interior driveways or access 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 of not more than two inches compacted thickness and prepared and constructed in accordance with Division 3, § 2A, of the New Jersey State Department of Transportation Standard Specifications for Roads and Bridge Construction (1983) and amendments thereto. A minimum two-inch-thick compacted wearing surface of bituminous concrete (FABC) shall be constructed thereon in accordance with Division 3, § 10, of the aforesaid New Jersey State Department of Transportation specifications and amendments thereto.

Location of parking and loading.

No parking of vehicles shall be permitted in fire lanes, front yards, landscaped areas, aisles, buffer areas, sidewalks or turning areas.

The off-street parking facilities shall be on the same lot or parcel of land as the buildings they are intended to serve.

Lighting. All common areas such as walkways, access drives and parking areas shall be adequately illuminated. Ornamental-type fixtures shall be used wherever possible. Sufficient details should be shown on site plans.

Landscaping and screening.

A dense evergreen material, not less than four feet in height, shall be provided between the off-street parking areas and any lot line or street line. There shall be a minimum of one tree and five deciduous or coniferous shrubs for every 2,000 square feet of lot area.

Building design. Proposed structures shall be related harmoniously to the terrain and to existing buildings in the vicinity. Sufficient details of the proposed exterior finishes shall be shown on the building plans. If requested, sample materials and renderings shall be submitted for Township approval.

Trash and garbage. There shall be at least one trash and garbage pickup location provided by each building which shall be separated from the parking spaces by either a location within the building or in a pickup location outside the building which shall be a steel-like, totally enclosed container located in a manner to be obscured from view from parking areas, streets and adjacent residential uses or zoning district by a fence, wall, planting or combination of the three. If located within the building, the doorway may serve both loading and trash/garbage functions, and if located outside the building, it may be located adjacent to or within the general loading area(s), provided that the container in no way interferes with or restricts loading and unloading functions. All refuse containers must comply with requirements of the Federal Consumer Product Safety Commission. Suitable arrangements for private pickup of refuse must be made.

Site maintenance. All buildings, paved areas, landscaping and other site facilities and improvements shall be maintained at all times. Dead trees or shrubs shall be replaced by the owner or association. To comply with these provisions, any necessary replacements or repairs shall be made within 30 days of notification by the Township. The proposal addressing how common areas will be maintained (e.g., lawn maintenance, trimming trees and shrubbery, snow removal, trash pickup, etc.) shall be submitted with the site plan.

General provisions and requirements.

All electric, telephone and cable television lines are to be under ground.

Fire hydrants are to be provided on interior streets or driveways, as required by the Fire Department.

Sanitary and storm sewer calculations shall be submitted with the site plan.

Recycling.

Each individual unit should be designed to accommodate a week's accumulation of paper, glass, aluminum or other recyclable materials. This can be accomplished by allowing space under the sink areas or in a closet for a three-tier stacking unit or for five-gallon buckets. This would occupy only about three square feet of floor area and would give residents a convenient area for storing their recyclables.

A central location should be provided so that residents can drop off their source-separated recyclables for storage until collection occurs. A suggested location for these sites would be near the refuse receptacle units. These could be outdoor recycling bins located near the refuse units or in a common area of the condominium units, for example, near the laundry room. These storage areas should be easily accessible for the residents of the building to drop off their materials. They should also be planned with truck access in mind in order to facilitate loading of materials for delivery to markets. In a multistory building, a space provided on each floor will produce the highest participation rates. The bins should be clearly labeled, so it is obvious they are for recyclables and not trash.

It is also important that these storage areas be designed in compliance with local fire codes.

Hillside City Zoning Code

§ 188-65

Townhouses and condominium flats.

[Added 8-2-1988 by Ord. No. G-283-88]

Townhouse and condominium flats as defined below shall be permitted in Zones OC, RC, HC and LI, provided that the requirements for the same contained herein are met:

As used in this section, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:

CONDOMINIUM FLATS

Single-family occupancy dwelling units joined together by common horizontal and vertical structural elements and including patios, porches and garages. "Condominium flats" shall be arranged in building elements containing not more than 12 dwelling units. Not more than two such building elements may be attached in an architecturally harmonious configuration.

A single-family attached dwelling unit within a building structure containing more than three but not more than six single-family dwelling units, provided that each single dwelling unit is attached to other similar dwelling units by one or more party walls or portions thereof extending from the foundation to the roof.

Area and density requirements:

Minimum area. Each development shall have a minimum area of 30,000 square feet.

Maximum density. There shall be no more than 15 dwelling units per acre.

Maximum coverage. The total ground floor area of all buildings shall not exceed 355 of the lot area of the apartment development. The total area of all impervious surfaces, including buildings, shall not exceed 65% of the lot area of the apartment development.

Setback requirements. No principal building shall be located within 30 feet of a street right-of-way nor within 15 feet of any property line.

Distance between buildings. There shall be a minimum distance between dwelling structures of 30 feet plus 1/2 foot for each foot of opposite building wall length exceeding 51 feet up to a maximum of 75 feet between buildings. This provision shall apply to walls of the same building facing one another such as in a courtyard formed by a U-shaped building. Notwithstanding the foregoing, whenever a driveway is located between buildings, the minimum distance between building walls shall be 50 feet.

Building requirements.

Height. No building shall exceed a height of 40 feet. Main roofs shall have a minimum grade of five inches per foot.

Units per building.

No townhouse building shall contain less than three nor more than six dwelling units.

Condominium buildings may have up to 12 dwelling units per building structure.

No more than four dwelling units in an unbroken building line, with a setback of at least four feet, deemed to be a satisfactory break in the building line.

Vertical masonry fire walls shall be installed between all units to the roof rafters, and with the equivalent soundproofing to eight-inch-thick concrete blocks.

Floors and ceilings and partitions between apartment units shall be constructed so as to produce an airborne sound transmission loss of at least 50 decibels. Reasonable measures shall be taken in floor and ceiling construction to avoid disturbing levels of impact sound.

Each unit shall be a minimum of 17 feet wide.

Dwelling unit requirements.

Each dwelling unit shall contain as a minimum a separate living room, a separate bedroom, a separate bath and a kitchen, which kitchen facility shall be located separate and apart from other rooms in the unit with the exception of the dining area.

Minimum floor area. Each dwelling unit shall have a minimum floor area of 450 square feet, plus 150 square feet for each habitable room other than a living room, dining room or kitchen.

Each dwelling unit shall have two exterior exposures, with as least one window in each exposure.

Each dwelling unit shall have two means of access to the outside. These may consist of either two doorways or one doorway plus a sliding ground-floor window wall.

A space shall be provided for storage, utilities and location of washers, dryers, water heaters and heating units in each unit at least 50 square feet in size or as directed by other codes.

Off-street parking and internal roadways.

Parking spaces required. At least two off-street parking spaces shall be provided for each dwelling.

Each townhouse unit must contain a garage, minimum size 10 feet by 20 feet.

Condominium developments shall have at least 20% of the total required parking spaces enclosed within the principal buildings, attached to them or otherwise planned so as to avoid detached rows of multiple garages.

Townhouse and condominium developments must provide one additional space for every four dwelling units.

No parking is permitted within the required front yard or within a required buffer strip.

Parking space size. Each parking space shall have a minimum length of 20 feet (18 feet where curb over overhand is provided) and a minimum width of nine feet measured perpendicular to the axis of the length.

Parking aisle widths.

The provision of parking spaces shall also include adequate driveway and necessary turning areas for handling the vehicles for which provision is made. Parking areas shall be designed to permit each motor vehicle to proceed to and from the parking space provided it without requiring the moving of any other motor vehicles. Aisles providing access to parking spaces shall have the following minimum dimensions. Where the angle of parking is different on both sides of the aisle, the larger aisle width shall prevail.

	Angle of Parking Space	1-Way Aisle (feet)	2-Way Aisle (feet)
	90°	Prohibited	24
	60°	18	20
	45°	15	20
	30°	12	18
	Parallel	12	18

Minimum width of circulation roadways shall be as follows:

One-way: eighteen feet.

Two-way: twenty-four feet.

Parking setbacks.

All off-street parking and loading areas, except for parking which is accessory to multifamily dwellings, shall be located a minimum of 10 feet from all buildings, street and property lines (except front yards).

No access drives or parking spaces shall be closer than 10 feet to a building, except where parking is under or within a building.

Access drives and parking areas shall be developed according to Township specifications for paving and curbs, as related to driveways and parking areas.

Surfacing. All parking and loading areas and access drives shall be paved as outlined below or the equivalent as determined by the Township Engineer and approved as part of the development application approval. All parking areas, regardless of size and location, shall be paved, drained and maintained.

Areas of ingress or egress, loading and unloading areas, major interior driveways or access 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 of not more than two inches compacted thickness and prepared and constructed in accordance with Division 3, § 2A, of the New Jersey State Department of Transportation Standard Specifications for Roads and Bridge Construction (1983) and amendments thereto. A minimum two-inch-thick compacted wearing surface of bituminous concrete (FABC) shall be constructed thereon in accordance with Division 3, § 10, of the aforesaid New Jersey State Department of Transportation specifications and amendments thereto.

Location of parking and loading.

No parking of vehicles shall be permitted in fire lanes, front yards, landscaped areas, aisles, buffer areas, sidewalks or turning areas.

The off-street parking facilities shall be on the same lot or parcel of land as the buildings they are intended to serve.

Lighting. All common areas such as walkways, access drives and parking areas shall be adequately illuminated. Ornamental-type fixtures shall be used wherever possible. Sufficient details should be shown on site plans.

Landscaping and screening.

A dense evergreen material, not less than four feet in height, shall be provided between the off-street parking areas and any lot line or street line. There shall be a minimum of one tree and five deciduous or coniferous shrubs for every 2,000 square feet of lot area.

Building design. Proposed structures shall be related harmoniously to the terrain and to existing buildings in the vicinity. Sufficient details of the proposed exterior finishes shall be shown on the building plans. If requested, sample materials and renderings shall be submitted for Township approval.

Trash and garbage. There shall be at least one trash and garbage pickup location provided by each building which shall be separated from the parking spaces by either a location within the building or in a pickup location outside the building which shall be a steel-like, totally enclosed container located in a manner to be obscured from view from parking areas, streets and adjacent residential uses or zoning district by a fence, wall, planting or combination of the three. If located within the building, the doorway may serve both loading and trash/garbage functions, and if located outside the building, it may be located adjacent to or within the general loading area(s), provided that the container in no way interferes with or restricts loading and unloading functions. All refuse containers must comply with requirements of the Federal Consumer Product Safety Commission. Suitable arrangements for private pickup of refuse must be made.

Site maintenance. All buildings, paved areas, landscaping and other site facilities and improvements shall be maintained at all times. Dead trees or shrubs shall be replaced by the owner or association. To comply with these provisions, any necessary replacements or repairs shall be made within 30 days of notification by the Township. The proposal addressing how common areas will be maintained (e.g., lawn maintenance, trimming trees and shrubbery, snow removal, trash pickup, etc.) shall be submitted with the site plan.

General provisions and requirements.

All electric, telephone and cable television lines are to be under ground.

Fire hydrants are to be provided on interior streets or driveways, as required by the Fire Department.

Sanitary and storm sewer calculations shall be submitted with the site plan.

Recycling.

Each individual unit should be designed to accommodate a week's accumulation of paper, glass, aluminum or other recyclable materials. This can be accomplished by allowing space under the sink areas or in a closet for a three-tier stacking unit or for five-gallon buckets. This would occupy only about three square feet of floor area and would give residents a convenient area for storing their recyclables.

A central location should be provided so that residents can drop off their source-separated recyclables for storage until collection occurs. A suggested location for these sites would be near the refuse receptacle units. These could be outdoor recycling bins located near the refuse units or in a common area of the condominium units, for example, near the laundry room. These storage areas should be easily accessible for the residents of the building to drop off their materials. They should also be planned with truck access in mind in order to facilitate loading of materials for delivery to markets. In a multistory building, a space provided on each floor will produce the highest participation rates. The bins should be clearly labeled, so it is obvious they are for recyclables and not trash.

It is also important that these storage areas be designed in compliance with local fire codes.