Manalapan Township City Zoning Code
§ 95-8.8
Circulation design requirements.
A.
The circulation system shall be designed to permit the convenient, safe, efficient and orderly movement of pedestrians and vehicles. Where appropriate, design shall consider access to public transportation facilities.
(1)
Off-street parking and loading space will be provided in an amount and location sufficient to eliminate problems and minimize the on-street curb parking of vehicles belonging to persons connected with, employed by, delivering to or from, or visiting the proposed use. Safe and adequate on-site pedestrian walk areas must be provided. The interior road network must provide safe access to all required off-street parking, loading and waste removal facilities for both on-site and off-site ingress and egress purposes.
(2)
Where goods, merchandise, materials, or equipment are delivered to, shipped from, or loaded at a use, an off-street loading area must be planned and provided in accordance with the following provisions to safely accommodate delivery, shipment, or loading operations:
(a)
The site plan application shall include a full description of the nature and extent of the loading and unloading operations to be undertaken at the use as well as the types of materials involved, including any materials which may be hazardous, toxic or have special handling considerations.
(b)
The site plan application shall identify the number and types of vehicles, including but not limited to flatbed trucks, tractor trailer trucks, tank trucks, and pickup trucks, that shall be loaded or unloaded, the duration of the loading or unloading operations, and the maximum number of vehicles by type expected to be loading or unloading at a loading or unloading area at one time.
(c)
The site plan shall clearly identify each and every area where loading and unloading operations will take place and each location where a forklift vehicle will enter or exit a building to assist in loading or unloading operations.
(d)
Loading or unloading areas must be of sufficient size and dimension to accommodate the numbers and types of vehicles that are likely to use and maneuver in the area given the nature of the use and its operation. The site plan shall clearly dimension the loading and unloading areas including the area required for vehicle maneuvering.
(e)
Loading and unloading areas shall be so located and designed so that vehicles can maneuver safely and without obstructing any public right-of-way, or any parking space, parking lot aisle, fire lane, vehicular circulation lane, or pedestrian path or sidewalk or pedestrian crossing.
(f)
No area allocated to loading and unloading may be used to satisfy the requirements for off-street parking or general vehicular or pedestrian circulation nor shall any required off-street parking area be used to satisfy the area requirements for loading and unloading.
(g)
Forklifts shall not load, unload or operate in an area designed for the general circulation of pedestrians or vehicles within a shopping center or retail use. Forklift operations within a shopping center or retail use shall be limited to loading or unloading areas which conform to these provisions.
B.
Streets shall be designed to meet the needs of present and future population. Streets shall have a simple and logical pattern, shall respect natural features and topography, and shall present an attractive streetscape.
(1)
The arrangement of streets shall conform to the Master Plan.
(2)
For streets not shown on the Master Plan or Official Map, the arrangement shall provide for the appropriate extension of or interconnection with existing streets.
(3)
Streets shall be classified in a street hierarchy system with design tailored to function.
C.
In conventional developments, pedestrian walks shall be placed parallel to the street, with exceptions permitted to preserve natural features or to provide visual interest. In planned developments, walks may be placed away from the road system, but they may also be required parallel to the street for safety reasons, as determined by the Planning Board.
D.
Traffic access and impact study required.
(1)
A traffic access and impact study shall be submitted whenever a proposed development generates 100 additional vehicle trips in the peak direction (inbound or outbound) during a site's peak traffic hours. In addition, the municipal agency, upon recommendation of its professional staff, may require submittal of traffic access and impact study for developments generating a lower number of peak hour trips under the following circumstances:
(a)
The existence of current traffic problems in the area.
(b)
The current or projected level of service of the roadway system adjacent to the development will be significantly impacted.
(c)
The ability of the roadway system to handle increased traffic or the feasibility of improving the roadway system to handle increased traffic needs to be determined.
(d)
Other specific problems or deficiencies that may be affected by the proposed development or affect the ability of the development to be satisfactorily accommodated.
(2)
A traffic access and impact study shall address all roads, ramps and intersections through which peak hour site traffic composes at least 5% of the existing capacity on an intersection approach, or roadway sections on which accident potential or residential traffic character may be significantly impacted.
(3)
The following shall be addressed by the traffic access and impact study:
(b)
Land uses:
[1]
Current land use, densities and occupancy in vicinity of site.
[2]
Approved development projects and planned completion dates, densities and land use types.
[3]
Anticipated development on other undeveloped parcels.
[4]
Municipal Master Plan and county and state plan recommendations.
[5]
Zoning in vicinity.
[6]
Absorption rates by type of development.
[7]
Current and future population and employment within the study area.
[8]
Current street system characteristics including cartway width, posted speed limits, prevailing operating speeds, parking availability, sight distances, safety hazards, right-of-way lanes, access control and signal control including signal timings.
[9]
Functional classification of roadways.
[10]
Planned circulation system in the study including improvements.
[11]
Public transportation availability.
[12]
Curb and off-site parking facilities.
[13]
Improvements needed to maintain a satisfactory level of service for the area.
[14]
Implementation, timing and funding of study area transportation improvements.
[15]
Obstacle to implementation of improvements.
E.
Level-of-service standard.
(1)
The present level of service for intersections and roadway segments within suburban and corridor development areas, as identified in the Township Master Plan, should be maintained and not allowed to deteriorate, provided that the minimum acceptable level is "D" as defined in the 1985 Highway Capacity Manual of the Transportation Research Board. Where existing levels of service are below the minimum acceptable level, the existing level of service should not be allowed to further deteriorate and consideration shall be given to cost-effective improvements and traffic management techniques which would improve the level of service.
(2)
The present level of service for intersections and roadway segments within rural development areas, as identified in the Township Master Plan, should be maintained provided the minimum acceptable level of service is "C." Where existing levels of service are below the minimum, the level should not be allowed to further deteriorate and consideration shall be given to cost-effective improvements and traffic management techniques to improve the level of service.
F.
Conformity with Access Management Code. Development design shall conform to the following:
(1)
The State Highway Access Management Code adopted by the Commissioner of Transportation pursuant to N.J.S.A. 27:7-91 with respect to state highways within the Township;
(2)
Conformity with any access management code adopted by the County of Monmouth under N.J.S.A. 27:16-1;
(3)
Conformity with any Township access management code adopted pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:67-1 with respect to municipal streets; and
(4)
A Township access management plan prepared pursuant to the revisions to N.J.S.A. 40:67-1.