Plainsboro City Zoning Code
ARTICLE XVIII
NB Neighborhood Business Zone
§ 101-180 Permitted uses.
In the NB Neighborhood Business Zone, no building or premises shall be used and no building shall be erected or altered which is arranged, intended or designed to be used except for one or more of the following uses, and all such uses shall be subject to the performance standards set forth in the Township's Site Plan Ordinance[1]:
A.
Stores and shops for the conduct of any retail business, excluding drive-in establishments.
B.
Personal service establishments (e.g., a tailor, barbershop or beauty salon).
C.
Offices for professional services, small commercial offices (e.g., realtors or travel agencies); and offices incidental to uses permitted in this subsection.
D.
Repair and servicing, indoor only, of any article for sale which is permitted in this district, except as otherwise indicated in this section.
E.
Building structures and uses owned or operated by the Township of Plainsboro for municipal purposes.
F.
Carpentry, electrical, masonry, plumbing and painting services, provided that all activities are conducted and all materials stored within a completely enclosed building and that only trucks incidental to the use, located on the premises, are permitted. Such trucks shall be parked in areas that are appropriately landscaped.
G.
Newspaper offices.
H.
Accessory uses and accessory buildings incidental to the above permitted uses and located on the same lot and within the same zoning district that permits the principal use.
I.
Mixed use structure with no more than two dwellings in conjunction with another permitted use.
J.
Detached single-family dwelling which meets the standards of the R-85 Residence Zone, Article VI.
K.
Family day-care homes, subject to the terms set forth in the family day-care home definition in § 101-1.
[Added 11-10-2011 by Ord. No. 0-11-13]
§ 101-181 Conditional uses.
§ 101-182 Prohibited uses.
Prohibited uses and buildings shall be any use not listed in §§ 101-180 and 101-181 above and specifically including the following:
A.
Nightclubs, neighborhood taverns, including drive-in and curb service establishments.
B.
Restaurants that occupy more than 25% of the total first floor area and restaurants located above the first floor.
C.
Funeral parlors.
D.
Banks.
E.
Savings and loan associations.
F.
Copy centers.
G.
Attended laundry and retail dry-cleaning services where cleaning is done on the premises.
H.
Hand or automatic self-service laundries.
I.
Outdoor overnight parking of trucks or other commercial vehicles.
J.
Activities and/or occupations that involve the covering, altering, finishing or assembling of goods for sale.
K.
Motor vehicle service stations and motor vehicle commercial garages.
L.
Motels or hotels.
M.
Retail liquor and wine stores and wholesale beverage establishments.
N.
Animal hospitals and kennels.
O.
Bowling alleys, billiard rooms or other places of indoor amusement or recreation.
P.
Theaters.
Q.
Car washes.
R.
Storage and wholesale business establishments in connection with permitted retail uses and warehousing of merchandise for retail sales within the district.
S.
Any industrial uses, including warehouses and storage yards.
T.
Adult bookstores.
§ 101-183 Minimum lot area.
The minimum lot area for all business and commercial uses in the Neighborhood Business Zone shall be 15,000 square feet.
§ 101-184 Minimum lot width.
The minimum lot width for all business and commercial uses in the Neighborhood Business Zone shall be 100 feet.
§ 101-185 Minimum lot depth.
The minimum lot depth for all business and commercial uses in the Neighborhood Business Zone shall be 150 feet.
§ 101-186 Minimum yards.
A.
Front yard. The minimum front yard for all business and commercial uses in the Neighborhood Business Zone shall be 25 feet.
B.
Rear yard. The minimum rear yard for all business and commercial uses shall be 50 feet.
C.
Side yards. There shall be two side yards, with a minimum of 20 feet each. A minimum side yard of five feet shall be permitted for a common property line located between two business or commercial uses, provided that structures on both properties are located at least 25 feet apart.
§ 101-187 Maximum lot coverage.
The maximum permitted lot coverage for all buildings or enclosed structures shall be 20%.
§ 101-188 Maximum improvement coverage.
The maximum improvement coverage for all business and commercial uses in the Neighborhood Business Zone shall be 60%.
§ 101-189 Maximum building height.
The maximum building height for all business and commercial uses in the Neighborhood Business Zone shall be 2 1/2 stories or 35 feet, whichever is less.
§ 101-190 Off-street parking.
B.
There shall be a minimum front setback for off-street parking of 10 feet from the right-of-way of all streets abutting the property. This front setback area may contain a sidewalk and shall be landscaped with grass and shrubs.
C.
There shall be a minimum side yard and rear yard setback for all off-street parking of 10 feet.
D.
Curbing or curb stops shall be provided in all off-street parking areas and along all accessways.
E.
No parking area, access drive or aisle may be permitted closer than five feet to any permitted business or commercial structure.
F.
Off-street parking areas and accessways thereto shall be properly drained, and all such areas shall have a paved hard surface.
G.
All off-street parking areas and accessways shall be so arranged that cars and trucks may be turned on the lot so that it is not necessary to back into any roadway.
H.
Common or joint driveway access and parking to the rear of sites is encouraged.
§ 101-191 Off-street loading space.
Every structure erected, designed or altered for occupancy by any business uses as permitted in this article shall provide, at the side or rear of its lot, access and space for the loading of delivery trucks, which space shall have a paved hard surface and be accessible from a public or private roadway or other way to be used for such purposes.
§ 101-192 Maintenance of off-street parking and off-street loading areas.
A.
Every parcel of land hereafter used as an off-street parking or loading area shall be maintained in good condition, free of hazards and deterioration. All pavement areas, sidewalks, curbs, drainage facilities, lighting, bumpers, guardrails, markings, signs, bicycle parking devices, landscaping and other improvements shall be maintained in workable, safe and good condition.
B.
The governing body may authorize repairs for such improvements if, after proper notice, the owner fails to maintain such improvements and such conditions constitute a hazard to health and safety or where such improvements are governed by a development or other similar agreement.
§ 101-193 General design requirements.
A.
Solid waste.
(1)
Each permitted use shall provide an area for the orderly deposit and pickup of refuse which is concealed from the adjoining residential properties, customer parking areas and nearby roadways. This area shall be visually screened by a decorative wall or fence and landscaping. The overall design shall be in architectural harmony with the principal building and shall not be located within buffer areas.
B.
Storage.
(1)
All provisions and facilities for storage, other than pickup of refuse, shall be contained within a principal building.
C.
Environmental considerations.
D.
Building design and use.
(1)
The treatment of side and rear walls of any building in terms of building materials shall be similar to the treatment of the front facade and adjacent residential buildings.
(2)
The display of merchandise or nonpermanent uses and/or activities, e.g., picnic areas and vending machines, placed on the exterior premises of any building is prohibited.
E.
Landscaping.
(1)
Those portions of all front, side and rear yards not used for off-street parking, loading or unloading areas, and vehicular or pedestrian circulation, shall be planted with trees, shrubs, plants or grass lawns, or a combination thereof, and maintained in good condition.
(2)
All off-street parking, loading and unloading areas shall be bordered by landscaped areas containing trees, shrubs, and/or landscaped berms to shield automobiles from any nearby roadway or from any property used for residential purposes. Whenever feasible, the Planning Board shall require at least 10% of the total parking lot area be used for interior landscaping to include such things as trees and shrubs. Such interior landscaping shall be distributed throughout the parking lot in planting islands to provide the maximum shade and buffer from noise and glare.
(3)
Buffering shall be located within minimum yard setbacks. Buffer areas shall be located along the edge of parking lots and property lines that abut residentially zoned lots or uses to prevent any and all reflection of lights and to prevent windblown or other debris from being blown or transported to or be visible from the adjacent or neighboring residential premises. Buffering shall be located within a minimum ten-foot setback and be designed to reduce the impacts of noise, movement of people and vehicles, and to shield activities from adjacent properties and nearby roadways. Buffering shall consist of fencing, landscaped berms, evergreens, shrubs, bushes, deciduous trees, plants, or a combination thereof, and shall be installed to have an immediate positive impact.
F.
Lighting.
(1)
Adequate lighting shall be provided to ensure safe movement of persons and vehicles and for security purposes. Directional lights shall be arranged and shielded in such a manner as not to create a hazard or nuisance to adjoining residential properties or the traveling public. Spotlight-type fixtures attached to buildings and visible to the public shall not be permitted.