Rockaway Township City Zoning Code

§ 54-30.33

RMF-8A Multifamily Residential District

[Ord. No. O-18-05, § 3]

Purpose. The purpose of this district is to encourage the production of low- and moderate-income housing units in conformance with the latest procedural and substantive rules for affordable housing, as determined by the courts or other applicable authority, by permitting an inclusionary multifamily development subject to the following regulations. This section is created in fulfillment of a settlement agreement by and between the Township of Rockaway, New Jersey, and Morris Commons, LLC.

Description. The RMF-8A District shall encompass Block 22401, Lots 3.06 and 3.07, on the Township of Rockaway Tax Map.

Permitted principal uses. The RMF-8A District shall permit multifamily residential use.

Permitted accessory uses. Accessory uses and structures permitted in the RMF-8A District are those uses and structures which are customarily incidental and subordinate to permitted multifamily use. Accessory uses and structures shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

Street furnishings, planters, streetlights, and exterior, garden-type, shade structures;

Fences and walls, which shall complement the architectural style, type, and design of the buildings and the overall project design;

Clubhouses;

Recreational facilities such as swimming pools, tennis courts, jogging paths, dog runs, and play lots; and

Parking lots serving the development.

Conditional uses: none.

Prohibited uses. Any use other than those uses specifically permitted above are prohibited.

Required conditions. The following requirements shall be complied with for all multifamily residential dwelling unit projects.

Minimum tract size. There shall be a minimum tract size of 45 acres.

Maximum permitted density. The maximum permitted density shall be 7.65 dwelling units per acre, provided that in no event shall the maximum number of dwelling units exceed 345 units.

Minimum setbacks. The following minimum setbacks shall apply:

Minimum front yard setback. No residential building or other building except as provided herein shall be closer than 100 feet to any street right-of-way line. A clubhouse serving the site shall be no closer than 50 feet from any street right-of-way line, and shall be designed with an appropriate architectural design that will complement the character of the overall architectural theme of the development and provide an enhanced visual amenity for the property.

Minimum side and rear yard. No building shall be closer than 110 feet to any side or rear tract boundary line.

Accessory building and structure setbacks.

Accessory buildings and structures shall be set back at least 50 feet from any tract boundary line, provided that jogging paths need not be set back more than four feet from any front lot line nor 25 feet from any other tract boundary line.

Irrespective of the requirement of Section 54-30.8A, accessory buildings and structures may be permitted in a front yard.

Minimum distance between buildings. No building shall be located closer than 40 feet to any other building.

Minimum parking setback. Parking areas shall be set back at least 60 feet to any adjoining residential property.

Minimum landscaping buffers:

Front yard: 50 feet.

Side or rear lot line: 50 feet, provided that where a natural vegetated buffer exists which serves to screen any adjoining residential use or zone, a determination can be made by the approving authority that such natural existing vegetated buffer is adequate for screening purposes.

Maximum height. The following maximum building heights shall apply:

Multifamily residential building: No multifamily residential building shall exceed four stories/60 feet. An additional five feet of building height may be added for decorative architectural elements, such as a parapet wall or cupola.

Clubhouse: No clubhouse building shall exceed two stories/35 feet.

Maximum units per structure. No multifamily structure shall contain more than 45 units.

Maximum multifamily building length: 235 feet.

Maximum building coverage. The maximum building coverage shall not exceed 15% of the total tract area.

Maximum impervious coverage. The maximum impervious coverage shall not exceed 35% of the total tract area.

Affordable housing.

A minimum of 40 units shall be set aside for very-low-, low- and moderate-income units. All affordable units are to be constructed on site and integrated among buildings throughout the development so that such buildings contain a mix of affordable and market-rate units.

All very-low-, low- and moderate-income housing units shall be in conformance with the requirements of the New Jersey Fair Housing Act, N.J.S.A. 52:27D-301 et seq. ("FHA"); applicable regulations of the New Jersey Council on Affordable Housing ("COAH"); applicable requirements of the Courts of the State of New Jersey; and all applicable regulations on affordability controls and other regulations of the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency ("NJHMFA"), including, without limitation, the Uniform Housing Affordability Controls, N.J.A.C. 5:80-26.1 et seq. ("UHAC").

Bedroom distribution of very-low-, low- and moderate-income housing units. The bedroom distribution of very-low-, low- and moderate-income units for affordable units constructed in the RMF-8A District shall be as follows:

No more than 20% of the very-low-, low- and moderate-income units shall be one-bedroom units.

At least 20% of the very-low-, low- and moderate-income units shall be three-bedroom units.

At least 30% of the very-low-, low- and moderate-income units shall be two-bedroom units.

Very-low-, low- and moderate-income unit split. At least 50% of the affordable units will be available to very-low-income and low-income households, and the remainder of such units will be available to moderate-income households as defined in the FHA and UHAC and other applicable statutes and regulations. A minimum of 13% of the affordable units will be made available to very-low-income households, defined as households earning 30% or less of the regional median income by household size.

Procedures regarding affirmative marketing of very-low-, low- and moderate-income units and other requirements of inclusionary development units are subject to and determined by UHAC and COAH rules or other rules determined appropriate by the court.

Signs in the RMF-8A District.

One freestanding sign shall be permitted at each vehicular entrance to the development, provided that there shall be no more than three such signs.

The area of each sign shall not exceed 50 square feet.

The height of each sign shall not exceed six feet.

All signs shall be set back at least 10 feet from any street right-of-way.

The sign shall be an identification sign only, limited to the name and address of the development on site.

The design of the sign shall be complementary to the architectural design of the buildings located on site, and shall be subject to the review and approval of the Planning Board.

Rockaway Township City Zoning Code

§ 54-30.33

RMF-8A Multifamily Residential District

[Ord. No. O-18-05, § 3]

Purpose. The purpose of this district is to encourage the production of low- and moderate-income housing units in conformance with the latest procedural and substantive rules for affordable housing, as determined by the courts or other applicable authority, by permitting an inclusionary multifamily development subject to the following regulations. This section is created in fulfillment of a settlement agreement by and between the Township of Rockaway, New Jersey, and Morris Commons, LLC.

Description. The RMF-8A District shall encompass Block 22401, Lots 3.06 and 3.07, on the Township of Rockaway Tax Map.

Permitted principal uses. The RMF-8A District shall permit multifamily residential use.

Permitted accessory uses. Accessory uses and structures permitted in the RMF-8A District are those uses and structures which are customarily incidental and subordinate to permitted multifamily use. Accessory uses and structures shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

Street furnishings, planters, streetlights, and exterior, garden-type, shade structures;

Fences and walls, which shall complement the architectural style, type, and design of the buildings and the overall project design;

Clubhouses;

Recreational facilities such as swimming pools, tennis courts, jogging paths, dog runs, and play lots; and

Parking lots serving the development.

Conditional uses: none.

Prohibited uses. Any use other than those uses specifically permitted above are prohibited.

Required conditions. The following requirements shall be complied with for all multifamily residential dwelling unit projects.

Minimum tract size. There shall be a minimum tract size of 45 acres.

Maximum permitted density. The maximum permitted density shall be 7.65 dwelling units per acre, provided that in no event shall the maximum number of dwelling units exceed 345 units.

Minimum setbacks. The following minimum setbacks shall apply:

Minimum front yard setback. No residential building or other building except as provided herein shall be closer than 100 feet to any street right-of-way line. A clubhouse serving the site shall be no closer than 50 feet from any street right-of-way line, and shall be designed with an appropriate architectural design that will complement the character of the overall architectural theme of the development and provide an enhanced visual amenity for the property.

Minimum side and rear yard. No building shall be closer than 110 feet to any side or rear tract boundary line.

Accessory building and structure setbacks.

Accessory buildings and structures shall be set back at least 50 feet from any tract boundary line, provided that jogging paths need not be set back more than four feet from any front lot line nor 25 feet from any other tract boundary line.

Irrespective of the requirement of Section 54-30.8A, accessory buildings and structures may be permitted in a front yard.

Minimum distance between buildings. No building shall be located closer than 40 feet to any other building.

Minimum parking setback. Parking areas shall be set back at least 60 feet to any adjoining residential property.

Minimum landscaping buffers:

Front yard: 50 feet.

Side or rear lot line: 50 feet, provided that where a natural vegetated buffer exists which serves to screen any adjoining residential use or zone, a determination can be made by the approving authority that such natural existing vegetated buffer is adequate for screening purposes.

Maximum height. The following maximum building heights shall apply:

Multifamily residential building: No multifamily residential building shall exceed four stories/60 feet. An additional five feet of building height may be added for decorative architectural elements, such as a parapet wall or cupola.

Clubhouse: No clubhouse building shall exceed two stories/35 feet.

Maximum units per structure. No multifamily structure shall contain more than 45 units.

Maximum multifamily building length: 235 feet.

Maximum building coverage. The maximum building coverage shall not exceed 15% of the total tract area.

Maximum impervious coverage. The maximum impervious coverage shall not exceed 35% of the total tract area.

Affordable housing.

A minimum of 40 units shall be set aside for very-low-, low- and moderate-income units. All affordable units are to be constructed on site and integrated among buildings throughout the development so that such buildings contain a mix of affordable and market-rate units.

All very-low-, low- and moderate-income housing units shall be in conformance with the requirements of the New Jersey Fair Housing Act, N.J.S.A. 52:27D-301 et seq. ("FHA"); applicable regulations of the New Jersey Council on Affordable Housing ("COAH"); applicable requirements of the Courts of the State of New Jersey; and all applicable regulations on affordability controls and other regulations of the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency ("NJHMFA"), including, without limitation, the Uniform Housing Affordability Controls, N.J.A.C. 5:80-26.1 et seq. ("UHAC").

Bedroom distribution of very-low-, low- and moderate-income housing units. The bedroom distribution of very-low-, low- and moderate-income units for affordable units constructed in the RMF-8A District shall be as follows:

No more than 20% of the very-low-, low- and moderate-income units shall be one-bedroom units.

At least 20% of the very-low-, low- and moderate-income units shall be three-bedroom units.

At least 30% of the very-low-, low- and moderate-income units shall be two-bedroom units.

Very-low-, low- and moderate-income unit split. At least 50% of the affordable units will be available to very-low-income and low-income households, and the remainder of such units will be available to moderate-income households as defined in the FHA and UHAC and other applicable statutes and regulations. A minimum of 13% of the affordable units will be made available to very-low-income households, defined as households earning 30% or less of the regional median income by household size.

Procedures regarding affirmative marketing of very-low-, low- and moderate-income units and other requirements of inclusionary development units are subject to and determined by UHAC and COAH rules or other rules determined appropriate by the court.

Signs in the RMF-8A District.

One freestanding sign shall be permitted at each vehicular entrance to the development, provided that there shall be no more than three such signs.

The area of each sign shall not exceed 50 square feet.

The height of each sign shall not exceed six feet.

All signs shall be set back at least 10 feet from any street right-of-way.

The sign shall be an identification sign only, limited to the name and address of the development on site.

The design of the sign shall be complementary to the architectural design of the buildings located on site, and shall be subject to the review and approval of the Planning Board.