Consistency with Chapter 85, Subdivision and Site Plan Review, as applicable.

Consistency with the area and yard requirements for permitted single-family detached and townhouse units contained in Tables 6 and 7 of this zone.[1] However, minimum lot frontage, width, depth and yard setback requirements shall not be regarded as inflexible. They shall be applied in a manner that will achieve implementation of an acceptable plan of development, as determined by the Planning Board.

The function and visual relationship between the planned village residential development and adjacent developments.

Sidewalks and pathways that are linked to off-site sidewalk and pathway networks. The applicant shall utilize the Township's Master Plan Pedestrian Circulation and Bikeway Plans in designing and constructing a comprehensive pedestrian and bicycle pathway network for the development.

Minimum two garage parking spaces for each single-family dwelling.

Minimum one garage parking space and one driveway parking space for each townhouse dwelling.

The treatment of side and rear walls of any building that abuts a public street or park, in terms of fenestration, building materials and colors, shall be similar to the treatment of the front facade.

All buildings shall be designed to convey a small-scale village character. Buildings included in the VR Village Residential I Zone shall contain the following design elements:

The front facades, as well as other street and public open space facing elevations of single-family and townhouse units, are dedicated to the public view and shall therefore reflect a traditional village character. Open and usable porches (minimum eight-foot depth), stoops, bay windows and/or other decorative architectural treatments are required and may encroach into building setback lines. The rear elevations of all structures shall have substantial architectural features to preclude flat and monotonous elevations. Compliance with these requirements shall be subject to planning staff review and approval by the Planning Board.

Garages shall be located to the rear of the principal building. Access to garages on corner lots shall be as cited in § 101-221F of this zone. The majority of garages shall be accessed off a rear alley. Windows are encouraged on garages to admit light and eliminate blank walls. Sufficient storage area to accommodate tools, auto accessories, trash/recyclable materials storage, lawn and garden maintenance equipment, etc., shall be provided in sizing the garage, so that an accessory storage structure will not be necessary. Individual bay overhead garage doors are required. Detached garages shall be offered as a permitted option on certain available single-family models.

All single-family and townhouse units are encouraged to have clearly defined front yards using landscaping, hedging or fencing, none of which shall exceed three feet in height.

Townhouse units shall be strategically located along a public or private open space area, as appropriate, to enhance the overall character and design of the planned village residential development. However, no garages serving such townhouse units shall directly face the public or private open space area. Where the rear of the townhouse unit is visible from an on-site or off-site street, or an open space area, such building elevations and yard areas shall be specially designed and treated to present a pleasant appearance from such vantage points.

Townhouse buildings shall consist of no more than five townhouse dwelling units in order to prevent establishing long and monotonous buildings. The massing of townhouse buildings shall be subject to review by the Planning Board.

All single-family and townhouse dwelling units shall have private outdoor space, which may include a deck, patio and/or terrace. Such outdoor space shall be enclosed, as appropriate, by a decorative wall or fence, evergreen hedge, or combination thereof.

Buildings shall be set back no greater than 25 feet from the Plainsboro Road right-of-way, with greater setbacks allowed where special conditions warrant, subject to the approval of the Planning Board.

Larger residential lots are encouraged at street intersections, and smaller residential lots are encouraged adjacent to parks or other open spaces.

The scale and massing of buildings on any given street shall be harmonious.

Special ground texture treatment shall be required for pedestrian crossings in streets and elsewhere, as appropriate, consistent with the brick sidewalk treatment planned for Schalks Crossing Road in the village center area. A special pedestrian/bike path design using concrete and brick shall be required along Plainsboro Road, consistent with the pathway design planned along Plainsboro Road immediately east of this zone.

Landscape details such as gates, walls, and benches shall be integrated into the overall design of public spaces.

All streets, alleys, sidewalks and pathways shall connect to other such facilities within and outside the village residential development, as appropriate. Dead-end streets are generally not permitted within a village residential development unless such condition is unavoidable, subject to Planning Board approval.

The applicant shall be required to submit a detailed traffic study showing the project's impact on the existing surrounding roadway network which includes, but is not necessarily limited to, the Plainsboro Road/Scudder's Mill Road intersection, the Plainsboro Road/Schalks Crossing Road intersection, the Scudder's Mill Road/Schalks Crossing Road intersection, and the Plainsboro Road/Dey Road intersection. A fair share determination of the development's contribution shall be assessed for any off-site improvements needed to maintain an acceptable level of service with review input from the Township Engineer.

Vehicular access to and from the village residential development shall be via no more than two roadway curb cuts onto Plainsboro Road as indicated on the Traffic Circulation Plan Element of the Master Plan. No driveways serving individual dwellings shall be provided along Plainsboro Road. The developer shall be required to provide a local street connection through the development between Plainsboro Road and the adjacent shopping center.

A five-foot wide sidewalk shall be located on both sides of all interior streets. A minimum two-foot-wide grass strip is required between the sidewalk and the street. The proposed street types shall be consistent with the Residential Site Improvement Standards (RSIS) and reviewed and approved by the Planning Board.

On-street visitor parking shall be provided in the VR Village Residential I Zone to the satisfaction of the Planning Board.

Street trees shall be required along public streets as per § 85-24 of the Township Code.

To the greatest extent possible, all portions of the village residential development shall be linked via a sidewalk and pathway network as approved by the Planning Board. The village residential development shall be pedestrian-oriented, with a design that enables and encourages pedestrian and bicycle circulation, with linkages to the surrounding village area. The applicant shall utilize the Township's Master Plan Pedestrian Circulation and Bikeway Plans in developing a pedestrian and bicycle pathway network.

Those portions of individual lots not used for off-street parking, pedestrian circulation, patio or deck areas shall be planted with trees, shrubs, plants or grass and other suitable landscaping materials or a combination thereof and maintained in good condition.

Residential lot property lines that abut alley rights-of-way shall be separated by a six-foot-high fence to maximize rear yard privacy. Fences shall be placed on the residential lot no closer than one foot from the alley right-of-way. Alley rights-of-way shall be separated from adjacent outbound parcels by a minimum of a ten-foot-wide planted or fenced buffer.

No planting shall be permitted within the alley right-of-way.

Buffering shall be located within minimum yard setbacks. Buffer areas shall be located along the property lines of residential lots that abut parking lots or nonresidential uses to minimize reflection of lights and to minimize debris from being blown to or seen from residential properties. Buffering shall 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 decorative walls or fences, evergreen trees, ornamental trees, shrubs, or a combination thereof, and shall be installed to have an immediate positive impact. All buffered areas shall contain a minimum eight- to ten-foot-tall evergreen trees planted at an average of 10 trees per 100 linear feet; a minimum of three to three-and-one-half-inch caliper shade trees planted at an average of three per 100 linear feet; a minimum of eight- to ten-foot-tall ornamental trees planted at an average of 1.5 per 100 linear feet; and minimum three-foot-tall shrubs planted at an average of 55 per 100 linear feet. Actual spacing of the plantings shall be determined in each specific instance by the landscaping plan.

Landscaping shall provide for a variety and mixture of plant materials taking into consideration their susceptibility to disease, colors (by season), textures, shapes, blossoms, and foliage.

Detention basins, headwalls, outlet structures, concrete flow channels, riprap channels, and other drainage improvements shall be screened with plant materials and/or berms. Such drainage structures, as appropriate, shall be situated in the least visible location or, if visible, incorporated into the natural curves of the land. Detention basin embankments and the basin itself shall be extensively landscaped with wet site tolerant plant materials, with the intention of recreating a seasonal and high water wet ecosystem. The detention facility shall be sized to accommodate the future growth of vegetation planted in the basin.

Lighting shall be the minimum required for safety and shall be provided in the least intrusive manner. Traditional freestanding light fixtures shall be required along streets and pedestrian pathways. The style of the freestanding light fixtures used shall be consistent with the traditional styled streetlight fixtures planned for the village area along Schalks Crossing Road. The height of such fixtures shall be appropriate to its setting.

The source of the illumination for freestanding and building-mounted lights shall generally be shielded, and the style of the light and light standard shall be consistent with the architectural style of the proposed structure.

Spotlight-type fixtures attached to buildings and visible to the public are prohibited. Where lights along property lines will be visible from adjacent properties, the lights shall be appropriately shielded and/or the mounting heights will be reduced.

Sidewalks and pathways may be lit with low bollard-type standards, not to exceed four feet in height.

All proposed lighting plans shall be accompanied by a point-by-point plan indicating numerical illumination levels. The plan shall indicate the average, minimum, maximum and minimum to maximum illumination levels for maintained footcandles.

Decorative walls may be required by the Planning Board to compliment the style, type and design of a building based on its prominence along a public street or space.

Decorative walls or fences shall be constructed of durable, high-quality materials and shall display a high level of quality in finish and detail. Use of native fieldstone is encouraged. Gates in walls between streets and open areas may be necessary.

Plantings shall be considered as part of any wall or fence plan.

No hedge, wall or fence of any type shall be erected or maintained if it is deemed a safety hazard in obstructing the view of motorists.

A village-wide plan that shows the development proposed within the context of the overall Plainsboro village area.

A context plan which shows surrounding street, sidewalk, landscaping, and other connections and relationships between the proposed development and development in the immediate surrounding area.

A minimum of three precedent photo examples of buildings that are similar to the proposal. Precedent examples from outside the region are encouraged, but they should reflect an historic architectural style that relates to the proposed development.

A parcel plan which deals exclusively with the proposed development and includes, but is not limited to, illustrative sidewalk details, street trees and landscaping, lighting standards, benches and amenities, civic space (if appropriate), and pedestrian street crossing materials.