No sign shall exceed 1.5 square feet in area for each one foot of linear width of the front building wall on which the sign is to be located, provided that no sign may exceed 85% of the front wall of the storefront that is occupied, and further provided that no sign shall exceed 150 square feet in total area. All signs shall be placed on the front area of the building or should the building have two patron entrances (i.e., front and rear), then such signage shall be permitted on up to two facades. Maximum text height shall be 2.0 feet.

Such signs shall advertise only such business as is conducted on the premises.

Such signs shall not project more than 18 inches from the building facade to which they are attached; provided, however, that where a sign extends more than three inches from the face of the wall, the bottom edge of the sign shall not be less than 10 feet from the ground or have a vertical dimension in excess of five feet.

No sign shall be higher than 25 feet from the ground.

Such signs may be internally lighted with nonglaring lights or may be illuminated by shielded floodlights and must be on and designed to be visible from the principal access frontage.

One additional identifying sign shall be permitted for a business which fronts on two or more streets; provided that the total permitted sign area is not increased.

A unified design theme shall be provided for the signage which integrates the architectural design, materials and colors of the primary structure, signs, awnings, landscaping and lighting fixtures.

One monument sign identifying the development shall be permitted per street frontage or site entrance roadway.

The total area of the monument sign, including sign face and support structure, shall be limited to 50 square feet.

The height of the sign shall not exceed a height of six feet above the grade.

The monument sign shall be set back a minimum of 10 feet from any property line.

Monument signs shall not obstruct sight triangles as required herein.

A unified design theme shall be provided for the monument sign which integrates the architectural design, materials and colors of the primary structure, signs, awnings, landscaping and lighting fixtures.

Buffering shall provide a year-round visual screen in order to minimize adverse impacts from a site on an adjacent property or from adjacent areas. It may consist of fencing, walls, evergreens, berms, boulders, mounds, or combinations thereof to achieve the stated objectives as approved by the Planning Board.

Where required, buffers shall be measured from property lines and street rights-of-way. Compliance shall be determined by the Planning Board, and any approvals required pursuant to this section shall be obtained at the time of site plan and subdivision review.

Irrigation shall be provided for all plantings in a manner appropriate for the specific plant species. A growth guarantee of two growing seasons shall be provided, and all dead or dying plants shall be replaced by the applicant, as required, to maintain the integrity of the site plan. Buffer areas shall be maintained and kept free of weeds, debris and rubbish.

Within any frontage buffer areas, sidewalks, underground linear utilities and site access drives shall only be permitted to cross said buffers, provided their placement is designed to minimize land disturbance within the buffer. Sidewalks shall be limited to cover no more than 25% of a frontage buffer as herein defined. Above- or below-ground stormwater detention systems are not permitted within required frontage buffer areas. Access drives shall cross buffer areas at a right angle or as close to a right angle as is practical to minimize land disturbance.

Frontage buffer areas shall be provided for all uses. Frontage buffers shall be shown on the landscape plan and planted with a mixture of deciduous and evergreen trees, shrubs, grasses and perennials, and incorporated with berms, boulders, mounds or combinations thereof so as to enhance the appearance of the site. The design of landscaped berms shall be of sufficient height to screen parked cars from motorists on adjacent right-of-ways. In addition to required street trees, frontage buffers shall require a minimum of 10 shrubs for every 30 feet of frontage. If a landscaped berm is provided, the berm shall be at least 2.5 feet higher than the finished elevation of the adjacent parking lot, and then the planting requirements may be reduced to five shrubs for every 35 feet of frontage. Frontage buffer plantings may be waived where existing natural growth is found to be sufficient for this purpose.

No buildings, structures, accessory structures, parking, driveways, loading areas or storage of materials shall be permitted in the frontage buffer, except as provided for herein.

Frontage buffers may not interfere with traffic sight distances, and shall not preclude a driver's view of retail stores or signs on a commercial site where such view, as determined by the Planning Board, is either necessary to the legitimate economic functions of the site or where traffic safety factors are involved.

Design of transition buffers. Arrangement of plantings in buffers shall provide maximum protection to adjacent properties and avoid damage to existing plant material. Possible arrangements include planting in parallel, serpentine or broken rows. If planted berms are used, the minimum top width shall be 4 feet, and the maximum side slope shall be 2:1.

Transition buffer planting specifications. Plant materials shall be sufficiently large and planted in such a fashion that a screen at least 6 feet in height shall be produced. All plantings shall be installed according to accepted horticultural standards. Such strips shall be planted with evergreens and deciduous trees as follows, subject to the approval or modification of the Planning Board:

Buffer dimensional requirements. Along any street right-of-way, there shall be a frontage buffer which is not less than 25 feet. Any transition buffer shall be 10% of lot width or lot depth but not less than 15 feet.

Landscaping shall be provided as part of the site plan and subdivision design. It shall be conceived as a total integrated plan for the entire site, integrating the various elements of the site design, preserving the particular identity of the site and creating a pleasing site character.

Landscaping may include plant materials such as trees, shrubs, ground cover, perennials, annuals and other materials such as rocks, water, sculpture, berms, art, walls, fences and paving materials.

Landscaping shall be provided in public areas, adjacent to buildings, in parking areas, and around the perimeter of sites.

Landscaping shall be provided to promote a desirable visual environment, to accentuate building design, define entranceways, screen parking and loading areas, mitigate adverse visual impacts and provide windbreaks for winter winds and summer cooling for buildings.

The impact of any proposed landscaping plan at various time intervals shall be considered.

Plants and other landscaping materials shall be selected in terms of aesthetic and functional considerations. The landscape design shall create visual diversity and contrast through variation in size, shape, texture and color. The selection of plants in terms of susceptibility to disease and insect damage, wind and ice damage, habitat (wet-site, drought, sun and shade tolerance), soil conditions, growth rate, longevity, root pattern, maintenance requirements, etc., shall be considered. Consideration shall be given to accenting site entrances and unique areas with special landscaping treatment. Flowerbed displays are encouraged.

Slope plantings. Landscaping areas of cuts and fills and/or terraces shall be sufficient to prevent erosion, and all roadway slopes steeper than one foot vertically to three feet horizontally shall be planted with ground covers appropriate for the purpose and soil conditions, water availability and environment.

Sight triangles. Landscaping within sight triangles shall not exceed a mature height of 30 inches. Shade trees shall be pruned up to an eight-foot branching height above grade.

In cases where natural features existing on site duplicate the planting requirements of this section, the landscape requirements may be waived by the Planning Board.

The use of indigenous/native plant material is to be encouraged to establish sustainable landscapes that blend with the natural environment.

All plant materials, planting practices and specifications shall be in accordance with the "American Standards for Nursery Stock" by the American Association of Nurserymen Standards.

The design standards are minimum requirements. The Township may request additional development features exceeding these standards if conditions warrant.

A landscape plan prepared by a certified landscape architect, certified by the New Jersey State Board of Landscape Architects, or other qualified individual, shall be submitted with each major site plan or major subdivision application.

In addition to the major site plan or subdivision submission requirements, the landscape plan shall include and identify the following information:

Topsoil preservation. No topsoil shall be removed from the site or used as fill. Topsoil moved during the course of construction shall be redistributed on all regraded surfaces so as to provide at least four inches of even cover to all disturbed areas of the development and shall be stabilized by seeding or planting. Additional topsoil shall be provided as directed by the Township Engineer. Surplus topsoil shall be removed only as directed by the Township Engineer. A soil erosion and sediment control plan shall be approved as part of the preliminary plat, in accordance with the provisions of the Township Ordinance.[1]

Removal of debris. All stumps and other tree parts, litter, brush, weeds, excess or scrap building materials or other debris shall be removed from the site and disposed of in accordance with the law. No tree stumps, portions of tree trunks or limbs shall be removed from the site if restricted by conservation easement.

Protection of existing plantings. Maximum effort should be made to save fine specimens (because of size or relative rarity). No building material, construction equipment or temporary soil deposits shall be placed within eight feet of shrubs or the dripline of trees designated to be retained on the preliminary and/or final plat. Protective barriers or tree wells shall be shown on the drawing and installed around each plant and/or group of plants that are to remain on the site. Barriers shall not be supported by the plants they are protecting, but shall be self-supporting. They shall be a minimum of four feet high and constructed of a durable material that will last until construction is completed. Snow fences and silt fences are examples of acceptable barriers. Chain link fence may be required for tree protection if warranted by site conditions and relative rarity of the plant. The grade of the land located along the dripline shall not be raised or lowered more than six inches unless compensated by welling retaining walls; and in no event shall the welling or retaining walls be less than six feet from the trunk of a tree. Any clearing within the dripline or within six feet of the trunk of a remaining tree must be done by hand.

Street trees shall be required for any subdivision, site plan or expansion of existing uses.

Street trees shall be installed within the right-of-way between the sidewalk and curb on both sides of all streets or as directed by the respective board or municipal agency. Where sidewalks are not required, street trees shall be located within the property line along a line five feet from and parallel to the street right-of-way line. The spacing of street trees shall be no farther than 40 feet on center. When trees are planted at predetermined intervals along streets, spacing shall depend on tree size, as follows:

The trees shall be planted so as not to interfere with utilities, roadways, sidewalks, sight easement or streetlights. Tree location, landscaping design and spacing plan shall be approved by the Planning Board as part of the site plan or subdivision process.

Street tree type. Tree type may vary depending on the overall effect desired. Depending upon the length of the street, more than one variety of street tree should be provided to create biodiversity and reduce the problems associated with a monoculture planting. Trees shall be planted in groupings of similar varieties. Trees of similar form, height and character along a roadway shall be used to promote uniformity and allow for a smooth visual transition between species.

Tree selection shall be based upon on-site conditions and tree suitability to those conditions. The following tree list shall be used as a guide for the selection of street trees.

All trees shall have a minimum caliper of 2.5 to three inches measured six inches from grade in accordance with standards established by the American Association of Nurserymen. Trees shall be nursery-grown, free of disease, substantially uniform in size and shape and have straight trunks. The minimum branch height at planting shall be six feet, except where planting is on a sight triangle, in which case no branches shall be below eight feet.

Trees shall be properly planted and firmly supported with two or three guy wires attached to stakes. Pieces of rubber hose shall be used under the wires where they are attached to the trees. Wires and stakes shall be removed by the applicant after one year.

Where a natural growth of shade trees exists on a building lot, the Engineering Department may determine whether such natural growth satisfies the intent of this chapter and, if so, the owner may not be required to provide any additional street trees.

Building form and mass. All buildings should relate harmoniously to the site's natural features and other on-site buildings, as well as other structures in the vicinity that have a visual relationship and orientation to the proposed buildings. Such features should be incorporated into the design of building form and mass, and assist in the determination of building orientation in order to preserve visual access to natural or man-made community focal points.

Large horizontal buildings, i.e., buildings with a linear dimension of more than 100 feet, should be broken into segments having vertical orientation. A visual and/or physical break should be provided minimally every 50 feet linear feet. Offsets consisting of a break in the linear plan of the building of a minimum 2.5 feet shall be required. Related architectural elements which preclude a continuous uninterrupted facade building length may also be utilized to achieve a break in the linear dimension of the building walls in place of an offset if determined by the approving authority to achieve the same purpose. All building foundations shall be appropriately landscaped.

The relationship between the width and height of the front elevations of adjacent buildings shall be considered in the construction or alteration of a building.

Buildings with expansive blank walls are prohibited. Appropriate facade treatments should be imposed to ensure that such buildings are integrated with the rest of the development.

New buildings are encouraged to incorporate such building elements as entrances, corners, graphic panels, display windows, etc., as a means to provide a visually attractive environment.

Cornices, awnings, canopies, flagpoles, signage and other ornamental features should be encouraged as a means to enhance the visual environment. Such features may be permitted to project over pedestrian sidewalks, with a minimum vertical clearance of 8.5 feet, to within three feet of a curb.

Exterior-mounted mechanical and electrical equipment exposed to the public view shall be architecturally screened. Roof-mounted equipment and projections should be painted the same color as the roof and, where possible, located to the rear of the building, away from the public view.

A human scale of development should be achieved at grade and along street frontages through the use of such elements as windows, doors, columns, awnings and canopies.

Multitenant buildings shall provide varied storefronts and such elements as noted above for all ground floor tenants. Upper floors shall be coordinated with ground floors through common materials and colors.

Design emphasis should be placed on primary building entrances. They should be vertical in character, particularly when there is the need to provide contrast with a long linear building footprint, and such details as piers, columns, and framing should be utilized to reinforce verticality.

Side and rear elevations should receive architectural treatments comparable to front facades when public access or public parking is provided next to the buildings.

Rhythms that carry through a block such as storefront patterns, window spacing, entrances, canopies or awnings, etc., should be incorporated into facades.

A variety of materials may be appropriate. Masonry, which works well at the base of a building, can vary in size, color and texture, and enables the provision of a decorative pattern or band. Above 12 feet, it can be substituted with other suitable materials.

The use of fabric or metal canopies is to be encouraged, especially over storefronts, at entrances or over display windows.

Integration of large-scale graphics, where appropriate, into the facade is encouraged.

The use of creative lighting schemes to highlight building facades and related areas of a site shall be encouraged. The use of traditional-style lanterns and similar fixtures also shall be encouraged. Exterior neon lights and lighting generating glare and unnecessary night-glow impacts shall be prohibited.

Whenever possible, light poles should be integrated into landscaped islands.

The use of street furniture (benches, tables, trash receptacles, etc.) shall be encouraged throughout the development, provided the materials used are consistent with the overall concept of the building design.

Sidewalks should have a width of at least six feet along main pedestrian streets where active pedestrian corridors are located and active pedestrian movements are encouraged, and located along building frontages so as to tie the various buildings together. Wider sidewalks may be designed for special places such as plazas or courts.