Manchester Township
City Zoning Code
City Zoning Code
§ 245-29
Landscaping and buffer requirements for nonresidential zones.
A.
Total landscaped and natural vegetation area. Total landscaped and/or green area shall be a minimum of 30% of total lot area for the B-1, H-D, PB-1, POR-LI, PH-D, and WTO-P and permitted nonresidential development in the R-A, PR-A and WTR-A Zones. For development in the PB-1, POR-LI and PH-D and permitted nonresidential development in the R-A, PR-A and WTR-A Zones, the standards of § 245-32 of this chapter shall also apply.
[Amended 6-14-2016 by Ord. No. 10-012]
B.
Buffer area requirements.
(1)
Wherever the property line of an occupied lot in the above zones abuts a residential zone, a buffer area shall be established in accordance with the requirements below. Whenever existing vegetation of sufficient density and viability exists, as determined by the Planning Board Engineer, the buffer area requirements can be supplemented with new infill plantings. In residential zones, the required buffer shall only apply to nonresidential uses.
[Amended 6-14-2016 by Ord. No. 10-012; 11-14-2016 by Ord. No. 16-036; 2-13-2017 by Ord. No. 17-002; 11-13-2017 by Ord. No. 17-024]
Zone | Buffer Area Requirement (feet) |
|---|---|
O-P | 50 |
B-1 | 50 |
H-D | 50 |
OR-L | 150 |
R-A | 50 |
PR-A | 50 |
POR-L | 150 |
PH-D | 50 |
PB-1 | 50 |
WTR-A | 50 |
WTP-O | 50 |
(2)
The area of the buffer area shall be measured from the property line. Within said buffer area, no use, activity or sign shall be established other than the following:
(a)
Along lot lines other than street lines within said buffer area, a solid and continuous screen shall be planted and maintained. Said landscaping shall consist of massed evergreen and deciduous trees and shrubs of such species and size as will produce, within two growing seasons, a screen of at least eight feet in height. Such screen shall consist of a minimum of double row of staggered plant materials planted 10 feet on center and staggered or parallel, serpentine, or broken rows as approved by the municipal agency.
(b)
The landscape screen described above shall be located so as not to be closer than 10 feet from a street right-of-way line.
(c)
The required height of the landscape screen as required above shall be measured in relation to the elevation of the adjacent parking area. In such cases where the ground elevation of the location at which the screen is to be planted is less than the elevation of the edge of an adjacent parking area, the required height of the screen shall be increased in the amount equal to said difference in elevation.
(d)
Natural buffer areas are to be augmented by additional planting to meet minimum requirements of buffer areas.
(e)
The disturbed buffer area shall be graded and planted with grass, seed, chips or gravel and such other shrubbery or trees in accordance with approved plans. The entire area shall be attractively maintained by the owner and kept clean of all debris and rubbish.
(f)
In the event that any of the plantings, in accordance with the above requirements, do not live, they shall be replaced immediately by the owner, or if the season is not appropriate, in their next planting season.
C.
Residential buffers along arterial and collector roads. A landscaped buffer area with a minimum width of 50 feet shall be provided along any single-family residential reverse property line abutting a major collector or arterial roadway. Where buffers are required, yard setbacks shall be measured from the buffer strip limits farthest from the street right-of-way line. Where existing lots are less than 200 feet in depth or width where a buffer is required, a reduction in the required buffer area may be provided at the rate of one foot for each 2.5 feet of lot depth or width; provided, however that the required buffer shall not be less than 25 feet in width. The buffer area shall be protected by a conservation easement.