Lincoln Park City Zoning Code
ARTICLE XIV
Garden Apartment Residential Zone
§ 28-14.1 Use regulations.
Within any GAR Garden Apartment Residential Zone, no premises, building, or structure shall be used and no building or structure shall be erected or altered to be used, in whole or in part, for any other than an apartment house or group of apartment houses known as garden apartments, subject to the following regulations:
A.
The maximum number of apartments shall be no more than 15 apartments per acre, including new on-site streets.
B.
The maximum building coverage of the garden apartment lot shall be no more than 17%.
C.
In any garden apartment building or group of garden apartment buildings there shall be a minimum of 80% of the apartments containing only one bedroom and there shall be a maximum of 20% of the apartments containing two bedrooms. Only one- and two-bedroom apartments shall be permitted.
D.
There shall be a minimum lot area of four acres for any garden apartment site, including any on-site streets.
E.
The number of dwelling units per building and the general plan of the building must be approved by the municipal agency.
F.
The maximum number of stories for any building shall be 2 1/2 and the maximum building height shall be 32 feet. Cellars shall be permitted, but the use of any cellar must be specified in detail in the site plan. No dwelling units shall be permitted in cellars or basements. A cellar is defined as that area below the first floor level when the first floor level is at ground level. A basement is defined as that area below first floor level when the first floor level is up to but not including four feet above ground level.[1]
H.
Each apartment unit in each apartment building shall contain separate bedrooms, separate bathroom, separate living room and separate kitchen facilities, which kitchen facilities shall be located separate and apart from other rooms. A bedroom shall be construed as any separate room other than a dining room, living room, kitchen or bathroom.
I.
The minimum floor area for each apartment unit shall be 598 square feet for one-bedroom apartments and 800 square feet for two-bedroom apartments.
J.
The floor plan of each garden apartment is to be approved by the municipal agency. The approved plan shall not be altered in any way without the consent of the municipal agency.
§ 28-14.2 Landscaping.
A.
All areas of a garden apartment development not used for the construction of buildings, roads, accessways, parking areas or sidewalks shall be fully landscaped and maintained according to the approved plan submitted with the site plan application. Any trees or shrubs existing in healthy natural state at the time the development was begun shall remain and be protected during construction, provided that such trees or shrubs are within areas designated as open space and not subject to excessive grading.
B.
Where a garden apartment development boundary line abuts a lot in a residential zone, there shall not be cut, uprooted, destroyed or taken away any existing trees, shrubbery or other planting within an area of 20 feet inside the boundary line of the garden apartment development without the express consent of the municipal agency at the time of preliminary site plan approval. If no adequate trees, shrubs or planting exists in said twenty-foot area in natural state before development, such area shall be provided with a satisfactory approved plan to provide a belt of evergreen screening within such 20 feet. Such screening shall have a minimum height of six feet at the time of planting.
§ 28-14.3 Interior roads.
All roads and other accessways within a garden apartment development shall be private roads constructed, paved, curbed and maintained to a right-of-way width of not less than 25 feet with a curbed radii of 20 feet. However all main entrance and exit roads must be a minimum of 30 feet wide. All such construction, paving, curbing and maintenance shall be completed in accordance with specifications set by the Department of Public Works and Utilities of the Borough. All interior roads and accessways shall be kept open for access by all emergency vehicles and the Department of Public Works and Utilities. Maintenance, cleaning and snow removal on all such roads shall be carried out by the management of the development according to the satisfaction of the Borough. Any failure on the part of the owner to comply shall result in the work being done by the Borough at the expense of the owner, and, to the extent permitted by law, such expenses shall become a lien against said property.
§ 28-14.4 Parking.
A.
No parking shall be permitted on any road or accessway within the garden apartment development. All parking shall be confined to the areas specifically designated on the site plan for that purpose. Parking spaces of 200 square feet with dimensions of nine feet by 20 feet shall be required to the extent of 1 1/2 parking spaces for each unit built. However, a garage shall constitute one parking space. Parking areas shall be paved and curbed and provided with adequate systems of stormwater drainage.
B.
Furthermore, each parking space is to be properly marked by lines and assigned to specific apartment units, at least one parking space to each apartment. Such marking is to be properly maintained and policed at all times. No parking area may be placed closer than 20 feet to a building. Parking areas may be constructed to the rear, side and front of a building, but only provided that the area is adequately serviced by a roadway and not to be considered a part of such roadway. The parking plan must be approved by the municipal agency.
§ 28-14.5 Streets.
A.
All traffic ingress and egress to the garden apartment site must be from an arterial street and not from a minor street. Such ingress and egress shall be in accord with the approved site plan.
B.
Main entrance width, curbed radii, and traffic control shall be approved by the municipal agency and shall remain consistent with the existing arterial traffic.
§ 28-14.6 Sidewalks.
A.
Concrete sidewalks constructed in accordance with the Borough's specification ordinance to a paved width of not less than four feet shall be provided:
B.
Sidewalks, with the exception of those leading to and from building entrances and exits, shall not be placed closer to a building than 10 feet but may be placed in landscaped areas or within required yard setback areas.
§ 28-14.7 Garages.
Garages shall not be allowed as separate structures but may be built under the apartment structure as hereinafter provided:
§ 28-14.8 Construction.
The outside walls of all buildings shall be of brick or stone, as approved by the municipal agency and in accordance with the New Jersey State Uniform Construction Code. Interior walls separating dwelling units shall be constructed with fire-resistant material meeting building standards.
§ 28-14.9 Buildings.
All principal buildings shall:
A.
Provide not less than two exterior exposures for each unit, each of which shall be properly pierced so as to provide through ventilation or cross ventilation for each unit.
B.
Have television antenna equipment built into the building to eliminate individual antenna being erected upon the roof. This subsection shall not apply to a common antenna tower.
C.
Not allow any air-conditioning unit to project more than two inches from the face of the wall of the building in which it is installed.
D.
Provide, in the basement area, no less than 600 cubic feet of storage space for each garden apartment unit in the building, to be apart from garage space requirements.
E.
Provide, in an enclosed basement area, laundry facilities for the exclusive use of the occupants of the building. No outside clothes lines or clothes hanging facilities or devices shall be provided or allowed.
§ 28-14.10 Garbage and waste disposal facilities.
Garbage and waste disposal facilities are to be maintained, and all garbage, waste and litter shall be removed at the expense of the management of the garden apartment development. Furthermore, such disposal systems shall come under the jurisdiction of the Health Department and be policed under Chapter 316, Littering, of the Borough Code. Such facilities must be shown on the site plan and approved by the municipal agency.
§ 28-14.11 Utilities.
A.
There shall not be permitted overhead telephone and electric transmission and service lines.
B.
The installation of the water system shall be subject to the approval of the Division of Water and Sewers.
C.
The installation of the sanitary sewer system shall be subject to the written approval of the Borough Engineer and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
§ 28-14.12 Lighting.
A.
Streetlighting shall be in accordance with the specifications set forth in the ordinance of the Borough. Such lighting is to be installed at the time of construction and must be approved by the municipal agency.
B.
Reasonable yard lighting shall be provided to illuminate the parking lots, walkways, driveways and premises at night. Such lighting arrangement should be shown on the site plan and must be approved by the municipal agency.
§ 28-14.13 General requirements.
A.
A sign identifying an apartment project and located at the entrances to such project and limited to 32 square feet shall be permitted. The design, location, lighting, landscaping and maintenance of such sign shall be in accordance with the specifications and conditions determined by the municipal agency in accordance with Article XXI, Signs, of this chapter.
B.
Recreational equipment should not be located in the front yard.
C.
All principal and accessory buildings and parts thereof should be constructed in accordance with the requirements of the New Jersey State Uniform Construction Code.
D.
All living rooms and bedrooms should have at least standard-sized windows to provide adequate light and ventilation. Exhaust fans should not be substituted for windows in these rooms.
E.
Access drives shall be at least 100 feet from any street intersections.