Newark City Zoning Code
Chapter
41:14 Subdivision and Site Plan Design Standards
§ 41:14-1 Exceptions.
[Adopted 11-1-2023 by Ord. No. 6PSF-E, 11-01-2023]
Any deviation from a provision of this Chapter which is identified as a design standard shall require an exception as set forth in N.J.S.A. 40:55D-51 by the reviewing board from the specific design standard.
§ 41:14-2 Development Requirement and Standards.
[Adopted 11-1-2023 by Ord. No. 6PSF-E, 11-01-2023]
§ 41:14-2-1 General Design Standards.
[Adopted 11-1-2023 by Ord. No. 6PSF-E, 11-01-2023]
In reviewing any application for development, the Board shall consider the following standards.
1.
Design and Building Layout.
a.
The design and layout of buildings and parking areas shall be reviewed so as to provide an high-quality, urban, compact, and walkable design and layout. Particular attention shall be given to impact on surrounding development, contiguous and adjacent buildings and lands, and safety and fire protection.
2.
Circulation.
a.
Pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicular traffic movement within and adjacent to the site with particular emphasis on the provision and layout of pedestrian circulation from the public right-of-way to the development, parking areas, and off-street loading and unloading.
b.
The Central Planning Board shall ensure that parking spaces are usable and are safely and conveniently arranged. Access to the site from adjacent roads shall be appropriately designed using Complete Streets standards outlined in the "Urban Street Design Guide" by the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO).
c.
The site plan shall provide a safe and efficient circulation system for the movement of people, whether on foot or vehicle into, out of, and within the site. The circulation system shall have minimum adverse impact on surrounding areas and shall comply with the Complete Streets standards outlined in the "Urban Street Design Guide" by the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO).
d.
Particular attention shall be given to provide for safe emergency access for fire and police protection, vehicular and pedestrian circulation.
e.
Public open space for social meetings or recreation and play areas for children shall be located in a manner which provides security and visibility for those residents who use these spaces.
f.
The location of parking lots and refuse collection facilities shall not be sited so as to cause excessive foot travel to and from these uses or to conflict with private spaces within 200 feet of the farthest residence it serves.
g.
Unnecessary and/or excess lighting should be avoided, but lighting essential for security or safety should always be provided.
h.
The layout shall provide visual corridors, and sight lines to incorporate surrounding open space, recreational areas, historical landmarks, architectural or environmental attributes of the area to enhance design and environmental aspects of the site.
i.
Consideration shall be given to the situation of the site concerning nearby social services and community needs and shall not be inconsistent with the land use in that area.
3.
Storm Drainage and Public Utilities.
a.
Storm drainage, sanitary waste disposal, electrical service, water and gas supply shall be reviewed and considered. Particular emphasis shall be given to the adequacy of existing and proposed systems for improvement of utilities on-site, off-site, on-tract and off-tract to adequately carry storm water, run off, sewage, and to insure an adequate supply of water at sufficient pressure for potable, commercial, industrial or fire prevention uses.
4.
Garbage Disposal.
a.
Garbage disposal shall be adequate to prevent vermin and rodent infestation and efficient collection. All disposal systems shall comply with the requirements of the Revised General Ordinances of the City of Newark.
5.
Environmental Elements. The site plan shall be reviewed to assure the enhancement and protection of such environmental factors as trees, greenery, open spaces, water bodies, streams, ditches and culverts, air quality, soils, animal life and the abatement of noise and air pollution. An environmental impact statement shall be required upon request by the Director of Engineering.
§ 41:14-3 Streets.
[Adopted 11-1-2023 by Ord. No. 6PSF-E, 11-01-2023]
§ 41:14-3-1 Design Standards.
[Adopted 11-1-2023 by Ord. No. 6PSF-E, 11-01-2023]
1.
Right-of-Way Widths.
Arterial | Collector | Local |
|---|---|---|
80-130 feet | 60-80 feet | 50-70 feet |
The right-of-way for internal roads and alleys in multifamily, commercial, and industrial developments shall be determined on an individual basis, and shall in all cases be of sufficient width and design to provide access to fire equipment and service trucks.
2.
Pavement Widths.
Arterial | Collector | Local |
|---|---|---|
46-92 feet | 36-44 feet | 26-34 feet |
3.
Sidewalk Widths.
Arterial | Collector | Local |
|---|---|---|
8 feet or wider | 6-8 feet | 4-6 feet |
4.
Sidewalk Distance from Curb Face.
Arterial | Collector | Local |
|---|---|---|
min. 8 inches | min. 8 inches | min. 6 inches |
In some industrial and commercial areas, a buffer width of two feet may be stipulated. | ||
5.
Design Speed.
Arterial | Collector | Local |
|---|---|---|
35-46 mph | 25-35 mph | 25 mph |
6.
Stopping Sight Distance.
Arterial | Collector | Local |
|---|---|---|
min. 300 feet | min. 200 feet | min. 150 feet |
7.
Grades.
Arterial | Collector | Local |
|---|---|---|
max. 8% | max. 10% | max. 12% |
Maximum grade in itself is not a complete design control. It is also necessary to consider the length of a particular grade in relation to desirable vehicle operation.
For streets in commercial and industrial areas, gradient design should be less than 8%; desirably it should be less than 5%, with emphasis on still flatter gradients.
In order to provide for proper drainage the minimum grade that should be used for streets with outer curbs is 5%.
8.
Minimum Centerline Radius.
Arterial | Collector | Local |
|---|---|---|
500 feet | 300 feet | 200 feet |
9.
Cul-de-sac Turnaround.
a.
A local street open at only
b.
y one end only should have a special turning area at the closed end. This turning area may be of "L," "T" or circular shape with dimensions as appropriate for the type of vehicle expected.
c.
The commonly used circular form should have a minimum curb radius of 35 feet in residential areas. Generally, cul-de-sacs should not be over 600 feet in length.
10.
Clearance to Obstructions.
a.
On all streets, a clearance of at least two feet shall be provided between the face of curb or edge of shoulder and obstructions, such as utility poles, lighting poles, and fire hydrants.
11.
Milling and Repaving.
a.
Milling and repaving, curb to curb, of the street at a project frontage shall be required if four or more adjacent gas, electric, water and/or sewer utility trenches are proposed.
b.
Milling and repaving, curb to curb, of the street for the entire block length, shall be required if six or more gas, electric, water and/or sewer utility trenches are proposed within the same tax block or within the tax blocks across from each other on the street.
§ 41:14-4 Intersection Design.
[Adopted 11-1-2023 by Ord. No. 6PSF-E, 11-01-2023]
§ 41:14-4-1 Design Standards.
[Adopted 11-1-2023 by Ord. No. 6PSF-E, 11-01-2023]
1.
Intersections should be designed with adequate corner sight distance and the area kept free of obstacles. The corner sight distance for arterial streets should be a minimum of 400 feet; for collector and local streets should be a minimum of 300 feet and 200 feet respectively.
2.
It is desirable for all intersections to meet approximately a 90° angle. Skewed intersections should be avoided, and in no case should the angle be less than 75°. At street intersections in residential areas the minimum radius of curb return should be 20 feet. In commercial and industrial areas, the curb return radius should be not less than 30 feet and, desirably, use should be made of a 3-centered curb of sufficient radii to accommodate the largest vehicles expected.
3.
Use of "T" intersections in residential subdivision is recommended. However, offsets of at least 100 feet between centerline should be provided. In the case of two collector street intersections this offset should be increased in order to allow for left turn storage between intersections.
4.
The intersection area and area where vehicles store while waiting to enter the intersection should be designed with a flat grade; the maximum grade on the approach leg should be 5%.
§ 41:14-5 Sidewalks.
[Adopted 11-1-2023 by Ord. No. 6PSF-E, 11-01-2023]
§ 41:14-5-1 Design Standards.
[Adopted 11-1-2023 by Ord. No. 6PSF-E, 11-01-2023]
1.
Sidewalks are an important element in the circulation pattern and shall be required for all development in the City of Newark.
2.
Sidewalks may be considered a part of the recreational system. Senior citizens use them for walking as do parents pushing carriages. Young children use sidewalks for skating and riding tricycles and other wheeled toys. Sidewalks shall generally meet the following requirements:
a.
Sidewalks shall connect the main entrance of each building with the street or with the interior road giving access to the building. Sidewalks shall be provided wherever needed to protect the safety of pedestrians. All new sidewalks shall comply with the City's Complete Streets Policy and the "Urban Street Design Guide" by the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO), shall match with the existing sidewalks, driveways and curb elevation within the public rights-of-way, and shall meet the requirements of the Director of Engineering.
b.
Pedestrian walks and sitting areas shall be surfaced so that they will be easily maintained and properly illuminated and shaded.
c.
The entire route or alignment of pedestrian walks shall be visible from a street or other public ways.
d.
A private pedestrian walk shall have a minimum paved width of five feet, and if dedicated to the City as a public walk shall have an easement with a minimum of eight feet.
e.
Handicap and bicycle ramps shall be designed into all sidewalk designs consistent with the approval of the Director of Engineering. Each intersection shall have its own ramp.
§ 41:14-6 Curbing.
[Adopted 11-1-2023 by Ord. No. 6PSF-E, 11-01-2023]
§ 41:14-6-1 Design Standards.
[Adopted 11-1-2023 by Ord. No. 6PSF-E, 11-01-2023]
§ 41:14-7 Street Lighting.
[Adopted 11-1-2023 by Ord. No. 6PSF-E, 11-01-2023]
§ 41:14-7-1 Design Standards.
[Adopted 11-1-2023 by Ord. No. 6PSF-E, 11-01-2023]
1.
Unnecessary lighting should be avoided, but lighting essential for security or safety should always be provided.
2.
The minimum level of illumination for residential areas should be within the range of 0.4 to 1.0 average maintained footcandle. For commercial or industrial areas, the minimum level of illumination should be within the range of 1.0 to 1.6 within the range of 3:1 to 4:1 where the average intensity is 0.6 footcandle or greater, and no worse than 6:1 where the intensity is lower than 0.6 footcandle.
§ 41:14-8 Traffic Control Devices.
[Adopted 11-1-2023 by Ord. No. 6PSF-E, 11-01-2023]
§ 41:14-8-1 Design Standards.
[Adopted 11-1-2023 by Ord. No. 6PSF-E, 11-01-2023]
1.
On the recommendation of the Director of Engineering, in order to facilitate the safe and efficient movement of traffic into and out of a site, the Central Planning Board or Board of Adjustment may require the installation of traffic control devices at designated locations on the site.
2.
Where required on the site, all devices must conform with the current manual on uniform traffic control devices. The pro-rated cost of the off-site improvements shall be borne by the developer.
§ 41:14-9 Additional Measures.
[Adopted 11-1-2023 by Ord. No. 6PSF-E, 11-01-2023]
§ 41:14-9-1 Design Standards.
[Adopted 11-1-2023 by Ord. No. 6PSF-E, 11-01-2023]
The Central Planning Board may require provisions of such additional measures as it deems necessary to protect public areas or neighborhood properties from adverse effects of the proposed development which would be harmful to health, safety, conservation of property values and general welfare.