Rocky Hill City Zoning Code

Each overall development shall have a compatible architectural and landscaping theme with variations in design to provide attractiveness to the development. Each project shall specify how each of the following considerations has been incorporated in the overall plan: landscaping techniques; building orientation to the site and to other structures; topography; natural features such as wooded areas, drainage courses, soil conditions, and topographic relief; and building design features such as varying unit widths, staggering unit setbacks, providing different exterior materials, changing roof lines and roof designs, altering building heights and changing types of windows, shutters, doors, porches, colors and vertical or horizontal orientation of the facades, singularly or in combination.

The configuration of structures may be any alignment that meets the yard requirements and does not exceed the following overall or component building lengths: 1) 200 feet on one plane; 2) 340 feet on any angle; and 3) 500 feet along the center line. Any passageway between two structures which has a roof attached to both structures shall be included in calculating these lengths. Structures, as measured along the center line, shall provide one opening at ground level at least every 200 feet. This opening shall be a minimum of 15 feet in clear width and a minimum of 10 feet in clear height and located so that the floor level is at an elevation not more than eight inches above or below the finished grade of the adjoining ground. The configuration of townhouse structure may be any alignment that meets the yard requirements, but has not less than four nor more than eight units in one overall structure.

No dwelling unit shall have a living area lower than the finished grade along the front of the structure.

All required open space shall be improved for the purposes intended as shown on the plan.

No development shall exceed the density specified in the zoning provisions.

Recreational facilities within an apartment or townhouse development may be located either in the designated open space or within the yard areas of each structure, notwithstanding the fact that the recreational facilities may overlap imaginary yard lines used to establish the minimum distance between structures under this chapter. The specific location of any recreational facilities shall give consideration to the proximity of structures, type of recreational facility proposed, expected noise level and evening illumination which may create a possible nuisance for residents, and expected pedestrian and bicycle traffic across major interior roads or driveways.

Block length and width or acreage within bounding roads shall be such as to accommodate the size of lot required in the area by the zoning ordinance and to provide for convenient access, circulation control and safety of street traffic.

In blocks over 1,000 feet long, pedestrian walks 10 feet wide and extending from street to street and suitably paved may be required in locations deemed necessary by the Planning Board.

Block lengths. The distance between intersecting streets shall not be in excess of 1,200 feet unless the Planning Board, in its discretion, believes such requirement to be contrary to the best interests of the Borough.

For commercial, group housing or industrial use, block size shall be sufficient to meet all area and yard requirements for such use.

Buffer areas shall require site plan approval and are required along all lot lines and street lines which separate a nonresidential use from either an existing residential use or residential zoning district. Buffer areas shall be developed in an aesthetic manner for the primary purpose of screening view and reducing noise perception beyond the lot. Buffer widths shall be measured horizontally and perpendicularly to lot and street lines. No structure, activity, storage of materials, or parking of vehicles shall be permitted in a buffer area. The standards for the location and design of buffer areas are intended to provide flexibility in order to provide effective buffers. The location and design of buffers shall consider the use of the portion of the property being screened, the distance between the use and the adjoining property line, differences in elevations, the type of buffer such as dense planting, existing woods, a wall or fence, buffer height, buffer width, and other combination of man-made and natural features. The buffer shall be designed, planted, graded, landscaped and developed with the general guideline that the closer a use or activity is to a property line, or the more intense the use, the more effective the buffer area must be in obscuring light and vision and reducing noise beyond the lot.

A minimum of 1/2 of the periphery that requires a buffer shall have a buffer at least 15 feet wide which shall be designed, planted, graded, landscaped, and developed to obscure the activities of the site from the view. In addition, not more than 1/2 of the periphery that requires a buffer shall consist of at least two of the following: 1) fencing or walls in a landscaped area not less than 10 feet wide; 2) a landscaped berm at least five feet high; 3) a building with a setback of at least 200 feet with a grade of less than 20% where groups of plantings and trees are located within this area to enhance some architectural feature(s) of the structure as well as offer a break to large open areas, but with no other use permitted in this yard area; and 4) a parking area setback of at least 100 feet that is landscaped as required under the off-street parking provisions of this chapter. If in the judgment of the approving authority any of these alternate provisions will not provide sufficient buffers for the portion of the site proposed, the approving authority may require the site plan to be modified to show the extension of the fifteen-foot buffer area outlined above, require that the proposed alternatives be landscaped differently, or be relocated until, in the approving authority's judgment, they provide the desired buffering effect.

All buffer areas shall be planted and maintained with either grass or ground cover together with a screen of live shrubs or scattered planting of live trees, shrubs, or other plant material meeting the following requirements:

The purpose of this section is to provide a method of developing land to set aside desirable open spaces, common property, conservation areas, floodplains, school sites, recreation areas, and parks. The generation of these areas is brought about by permitting a reduction in lot sizes without increasing the number of lots.

Cluster developments may be approved in accordance with the following standards:

Any lands offered to the Borough shall meet the following requirements:

A fifteen-year storm curve shall be used in computing stormwater runoff from the drainage basin to determine the impact on the drainage system under consideration.

The pipe size determined to be adequate for the runoff computed shall be increased by at least one standard pipe size for the type of pipe being used in order to provide adequate allowance for the normal accumulation of sediment and debris in the storm drainage system. In no case shall the pipe size in a surface water drainage system be less than 15 inches in diameter.

Catch basins shall be located at all intersections and located in streets with inlet on both sides of the street at intervals of not more than 400 feet or such shorter distances as required to prevent the flow of surface water from exceeding 6.0 cubic feet per second at the catch basin inlet. Access manholes shall be placed at maximum five-hundred-foot intervals throughout the system and at pipe junctions where there are not catch basins.

Dished gutters shall be permitted only at intersections involving local streets. Dished gutters shall not be permitted on arterial or collector streets.

Storm drain pipes shall be of the size specified and laid to the exact lines and grades approved by the Municipal Engineer. Specifications for manholes, inlets and storm drains shall follow the 1961 State Highway Specifications, as amended.

For both major and minor developments, blocks and lots shall be graded to secure proper drainage away from all buildings and to prevent the collection of stormwater in pools and to avoid concentration of stormwater from each lot to adjacent lots.

Land subject to periodic or occasional flooding shall not be designed for residential occupancy nor for any other purpose which may endanger life or property or aggravate the flood hazard. Such land within lot shall be considered for open spaces, yards, or other similar uses in accordance with floodplain regulations.

Where a minor or major development is traversed by a watercourse, surface or underground drainage way or drainage system, channel, or stream, there shall be provided and dedicated a drainage right-of-way easement to the township conforming substantially with the lines of such watercourse, and such further width or construction, or both, as will be adequate to accommodate expected stormwater runoff in the future based upon reasonable growth potential in the township and, in addition thereto, a minimum of 15 feet beyond the bank top on at least one side for access to the drainage right-of-way and, in any event, meeting any minimum widths and locations shown on any adopted Official Map, or master plan or as required under § 80-52, Easements, in Article VI.

Easement of rights-of-way shall be required in accordance with § 80-52, Easements, in Article VI where storm drains are installed outside streets.

A description of the development which shall specify what is to be done and how it is to be done, during construction and operation, as well as a recital of alternative plans deemed practicable to achieve the objective.

An inventory of the following existing environmental conditions at the project site and an assessment of the probable impact of the development upon them shall be submitted: water supply; sewerage systems; topography; noise characteristics and levels; land use; aesthetics and history. Air and water quality shall be described with reference to standards promulgated by the Department of Environmental Protection of the State of New Jersey.

A listing shall be provided of the licenses, permits and approvals needed to be furnished by federal, state or county law and the status of these permits and approvals. The report shall include the conclusions and comments of these governmental agencies.

An evaluation shall be included of any adverse environmental impacts which cannot be avoided. Particular emphasis shall be placed upon air or water pollution, increase in noise, increase in sedimentation and siltation, increase in Borough services, and consequences to Borough tax structure.

The report shall include a description of steps to be taken to avoid or minimize adverse environmental impacts during construction and operation, including necessary maps, schedules and other explanatory data to clarify and explain the steps to be taken.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the approving authority may, at the request of an applicant, waive the requirement for all or part of an environmental impact report if sufficient evidence is submitted that the proposed development will have a slight or negligible environmental impact or upon a finding that the complete report need not be prepared in order to evaluate the environmental impact of a particular project.

The purposes are:

The flood hazard design elevation shall be determined on an individual basis based upon stream encroachment line data from the Division of Water Resources or, in the absence of that data, the flood elevation based on a one-hundred-year storm frequency. One or the other shall be delineated on the plat. In addition, the Municipal Engineer may, upon receipt of the application and with the consent of the landowner, determine the precise location of a floodway and flood fringe area by close inspection, field survey or other appropriate method and cause the same to be marked on the ground and on the plat, and notifying the owner, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Division of Water Resources, and the approving authority. The assistance of the United State Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Division of Water Resources may be sought to aid in delineating the flood hazard design elevation, except that where state or federal agencies have or will publish any reports which delineate the flood hazard design elevation or watercourse, said report shall be the officially delineated flood hazard area as if said report were published in this chapter.

Any lot containing a floodway portion of a drainage course and on which it is proposed to regrade and/or construct an improvement shall not be permitted unless the proposed use is permitted by this chapter, plat approval has been granted, and a floodway permit has been issued by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Division of Water Resources where required by state regulations.

Any lot containing a flood fringe portion of the flood hazard area and on which it is proposed to regrade and/or construct an improvement shall not be permitted unless the proposed use is permitted by this chapter and until plat approval has been granted.

The procedure for reviewing any proposed regrading and/or construction shall be the same as set forth for plat review. No application shall be approved and no permit granted until all zoning violations have either been corrected or a variance granted.

Permitted uses in a flood fringe portion of the flood hazard area shall be restricted to the following provided they are permitted uses in the district in which the flood fringe portion is located.

The applicant shall submit maps, reports, and other appropriate documents permitting the approving authority to evaluate whether the proposal has an inherent low flood damage potential; does not obstruct flood flows or increase flood heights and/or velocities; does not affect adversely the water-carrying capacity of any delineated floodway and/or channel; does not increase local runoff and erosion; does not unduly stress the natural environment of the floodplain or degrade the quality of surface water or the quality and quantity of groundwaters; does not require channel modification or relocation; does not require fill or the erection of structures; and does not include the storage of equipment and materials.

Prior to any action by the approving authority on a plat involving a floodway or flood fringe area, a public hearing shall be set and conducted by the approving authority. Notice of the hearing shall be as required under § 80-24, Public hearings and notice, in Article IV.

Upon reviewing the application, hearing the applicant's representation, hearing comments from the general public and other agencies to which the application was forwarded for comment, the approving authority shall deny, approve subject to conditions, or approve the application. Its conclusions shall be based on findings related to the above criteria.

Membership by all property owners, condominium owners, stockholders under a cooperative development and other owners of property or interest in the project shall be mandatory. Required membership and the responsibilities upon the members shall be in writing between the organization and each member in the form of a covenant with each agreeing to liability for his pro rata share of the organization's costs.

The organization shall be responsible for liability insurance, taxes, maintenance and any other obligations assumed by the organization, and shall hold the municipality harmless from any liability. The organization shall not be dissolved and shall not dispose of any open space or property by sale or otherwise, except to an organization conceived and established to own and maintain the open space or property for the benefit of such development, and thereafter such organization shall not be dissolved or dispose of any of its open space or property without first offering to dedicate the same to the municipality(s) wherein the land is located.

The assessment levied by the organization upon each member may become lien on each member's property. The organization shall be allowed to adjust the assessment to meet changing needs.

The organization shall clearly describe in its bylaws all the rights and obligations of each tenant and owner, including a copy of the covenant, model deeds, and Articles of Incorporation of the organization and the fact that every tenant and property owner shall have the right to use all common properties. These shall be set forth as a condition of approval and shall be submitted prior to the granting of final approval.

The Articles of Incorporation, covenants, bylaws, master deeds, and other legal instruments shall insure that control of the organization shall be transferred to the members based on a percentage of the dwelling units sold and/or occupied and shall clearly indicate that in the event such organization shall fail to maintain the common open space or common property in reasonable order and condition, the Borough may serve written notice upon such organization or upon the owner of the development setting forth the manner in which the organization has failed to maintain the common open space or common property in reasonable condition, and said notice shall include a demand that such deficiencies of maintenance be cured with 35 days thereof, and shall state the date and place of a hearing thereon which shall be held within 15 days of the notice. At such hearing, the designated Borough body or officer, as the case may be, may modify the term of the original notice as to deficiencies and may give a reasonable extension of time not to exceed 65 days within which they shall be cured. If the deficiencies set forth in the original notice or in the modification thereof shall not be cured within said 35 days or any permitted extension thereof, the Borough, in order to preserve the common open space and common property and maintain the same for a period of one year, may enter upon and maintain such land. Said entry and maintenance shall not vest in the public any rights to use the common open space and common property except when the same is voluntarily dedicated to the public by the owners. Before the expiration of said year, the Borough council shall upon its initiative or upon the request of the organization theretofore responsible for the maintenance of the common open space and common property call a public hearing upon 15 days' written notice to such organization and to the owners of the development, to be held by the council at which hearing such organization and the owners of the development shall show cause why such maintenance by the Borough shall not, at the election of the Borough, continue for a succeeding year. If the Borough council shall determine that such organization is ready and able to maintain said open space and property in reasonable condition, the Borough shall cease to maintain said open space and property at the end of said year. If the council shall determine such organization is not ready and able to maintain said open space and property in a reasonable condition, the Borough may, in its discretion, continue to maintain said open space and property during the next succeeding year, subject to a similar hearing and determination in each year thereafter. The decision of the council in any such case shall constitute a final administrative decision subject to judicial review.

The cost of such maintenance by the Borough shall be assessed pro-rate against the properties within the development that have a right of enjoyment of the common open space and common property in accordance with assessed value at the time of imposition of the lien, and shall become a lien and tax on said properties and be added to and be a part of the taxes to be levied and assessed thereon, and enforced and collected with interest by the same officers and in the same manner as other taxes.

Lot dimensions and area shall not be less than the requirements of the zoning provisions.

Insofar as is practical, side lot lines shall be either at right angles or radial to street lines.

Each lot must front upon an approved, paved street with a right-of-way of at least 50 feet.

Through lots with frontage on two streets will be permitted only under the following conditions;

Where extra width has either been dedicated or anticipated for widening of existing streets, zoning considerations shall begin at such new street line and all setbacks shall be measured from such line.

Two or more contiguous lots under the same ownership, regardless of whether or not each may have been approved as portions of a subdivision acquired by separate conveyance, or by other operation of law, and one or more of said lots should not conform with the minimum area and/or dimension requirements for the zone in which it is located, the contiguous lots shall be considered as a single lot and the provisions of this chapter shall hold.

Any nonconforming lot not meeting the definition of the previous subsection may have a building permit issued for a permitted use without an appeal for variance provided the building coverage is not exceeded and parking requirements are met, and provided further that the nonconforming lot abuts lots on either side that are developed and the nonconforming lot is the largest possible assemblage of contiguous land under the preceding subsection. Where the nonconforming lot abuts either a vacant lot or an oversized developed lot, the issuance of a building permit may be delayed until the approving authority determines the reasonableness of requiring the applicant to acquire additional land to reduce or eliminate the nonconformity. Where the resulting lot is still nonconforming, the yard and height provisions may be reduced to the same percentage the area of the undersized lot bears to the zone district requirements except that no side yard shall be less than half that required by the ordinance, or five feet, whichever is greater, and no building shall be required to have a height less than 12 feet.

Where there is a question as to the suitability of a lot or lots for their intended use due to factors such as rock formations, flood conditions or similar circumstances, the Planning Board may, after adequate investigation, withhold approval of such lots.

Abandonment. A nonconforming use shall be considered abandoned: 1) if it is terminated by the owner; 2) if a nonconforming use involving a structure is discontinued for 12 consecutive months; or 3) if a nonconforming use of land without structure(s) ceases for a period of six months. The subsequent use of the abandoned building, structure, and/or land shall be in conformity with this chapter.

Conversion to permitted use. Any nonconforming building, structure, or use may be changed to conform to this chapter, but shall not be changed back to a nonconforming status.

Maintenance may be made to a nonconforming use, structure, or lot provided the maintenance work does not change the use, expand the building or the functional use of the building, increase the area of a lot used for nonconforming purpose, or increase the nonconformity in any manner.

Nonconforming lots and structures (see § 80-60, Lots, in Article VI). Any existing structure on a lot nonconforming as to area, frontage, width or depth, or an existing structure on a lot which violates any yard requirements, may have additions to the principal building, including porches and decks, and or construct an accessory building without an appeal for a variance, provided the total permitted building coverage is not exceeded and the accessory building and/or the addition to the principal building do not violate any other requirements of this chapter.

Restoration and repairs.

Sale. Any nonconforming use, structure or lot may be sold and continue to function in the same nonconforming manner.

Existing land uses not conforming to the standards pertaining to the Airport Safety Zone.

Essential off-site and off-tract improvements.

Advisable off-site and off-tract improvements. Where the approving authority finds that off-site and off-tract improvements would be advisable, although not essential as set forth above, and that the improvements would promote the objectives of this chapter and can be most appropriately in connection with the development, and particularly where the off-site and off-tract improvements would be required to be made as a local improvement by the Borough with the costs thereof to be assessed against all properties specially benefited thereby (including the property of the developer), then the provisions of this Subsection B shall apply as follows:

General provisions for off-street parking.

Access to and from lots. Drives shall be limited to a maximum of two to any street, and be at least 50 feet from any property line.

Access to parking and loading spaces. Individual parking and loading spaces shall be served by on-site aisles designed to permit each motor vehicle to proceed to and from each parking and loading space without requiring the moving of any other motor vehicle. Where the angle of parking is different on both sides of the aisle, the larger aisle width shall prevail.

Buffers. Parking and loading areas for commercial and industrial uses shall be buffered from adjoining streets, existing residential use, or any residential zoning district in a manner meeting the objectives of the buffer section of this chapter.

Curbing. In an effort to reduce the concentration of stormwater runoff and promote sheet flow, the Borough will consider the elimination of curbing on the exterior of parking lots. However, curbing may be required around loading areas to separate them from major interior driveways and from parking. Curbing may also be installed within the parking or loading areas to define segments of the parking or loading areas and to create landscape areas. Curbing shall also be installed around buildings and to provide safe pedestrian access. Concrete wheel blocks may be located within designated parking or loading spaces. All curbing shall be located in conjunction with an overall drainage plan. Curbing installed at locations requiring pedestrian access over the curbing shall be designed to have ramps from the street grade to the sidewalk. The breaks shall be either opposite each aisle or no less frequent than one every 65 feet along the curb.

Dimensions.

Drainage. All parking and loading areas shall have drainage facilities installed in accordance with good engineering practice as approved by the Municipal Engineer and in accordance with § 80-51, Drainage, of Article VI of this chapter.

Landscaping in parking and loading areas shall be shown on the natural resources portion of the site plan. Trees shall be staggered and/or spaced so as not to interfere with driver vision, have branches no lower than six feet, and placed at the rate of at least one tree for every 20 parking spaces. All areas between the parking area and the building shall be landscaped with trees, shrubs and ground cover. Any plantings which do not live shall be replaced within one year or one season. A majority of the parking areas for more than 50 cars shall be obscured from streets by buildings, landscaped berms, natural ground elevation, or plantings, singularly or in combination.

Minimum loading requirements. In all districts for every building, or part thereof, hereafter erected, which is to be occupied by manufacturing, retail or wholesale store or warehouse, office or other use similarly requiring the receipt and distribution in vehicles of materials or merchandise, there shall be provided and maintained on the same premises with such building off-street loading spaces in relation to floor area as follows:

Minimum parking requirements. The number of off-street parking spaces for each use shall be based on the minimum off-street parking requirements identified for each zoning district in Article VII or current Residential Site Improvement Standards (RSIS), whichever may apply. Where a particular function contains more than one use, the total parking requirements shall be the sum of the component parts.

Joint parking facilities. Persons developing property in the Business or Industrial Zones may meet the required parking provisions of this section by participation in a joint parking program of two or more business uses, provided plans for such a joint program have been approved by the Planning Board and further provided that the area of the parking facilities equals the sum of the parking area requirements of each use participating therein.

Under no circumstances shall the off-street parking facilities provided for in this section be used for the storage of vehicles for a period longer than 30 days.

Location of parking and loading areas.

No sign other than entrance, exit and condition of use signs shall be maintained; provided, however, said sign shall not be larger than two square feet in area for parking areas up to 100 parking spaces and not larger than four square feet in area for parking areas containing more than 100 parking spaces.

Fire and explosion hazards. All activities shall be carried on only in structures which conform to the standards of the National Board of Fire Underwriters or the Borough Building Code or Fire Ordinance, whichever is more restrictive. All operations shall be carried on and all combustible raw materials, fuels, liquids and finished products shall be stored in accordance with the standards of said Board of Fire Underwriters.

Radioactivity. Any business or industrial activity which emits dangerous radioactivity at any point is prohibited.

Smoke. There shall be no emission at any point, from any chimney or otherwise, of visible grey smoke of a shade darker than No. 1 on the Ringlemann Smoke Chart as published by the U.S. Bureau of Mines (Powers Micro-Ringlemann Chart, McGraw Hill Publishing Co., 1954 may be used), except that visible grey smoke of a shade no darker than No. 2 on said chart may be emitted for not more than four minutes in any 30 minutes. These provisions applicable to visible grey smoke shall also apply to visible smoke of a different color but with an equivalent apparent opacity.

Fly ash, dust, fumes, vapors, gases. There shall be no emission which can cause any damage to health, to animals or vegetation, or other forms of property, or which can cause any excessive soiling at any point. Emission from any chimney or otherwise of any solid or liquid particles in concentrations exceeding 0.2 grains per cubic foot of the conveying gas or air at point is prohibited. For measurement of the amount of particles in gases resulting from combustion, correction shall be applied to a standard stack temperature of 500° F. and 50% excess air.

Liquid or solid wastes.

Noise. There shall be no noise defined as follows:

Vibration. There shall be no vibration which is discernible to the human sense of feeling beyond the immediate site on which such use is conducted.

Odors. There shall be no emission of odorous gases or other odorous matter in such use.

Glare. There shall be no direct or sky-reflected glare exceeding 0.5 footcandles measurable beyond the property line of the lot occupied by such use. This regulation shall not apply to lights used at the entrance or exits of service drives.

Appearance. Every building shall be faced on all exterior walls with a veneer material as approved by the Planning Board.

The developer shall arrange with the servicing utility for the underground installation of the utilities distribution supply lines and service connections in accordance with the provisions of the applicable standard terms and conditions incorporated as a part of its tariff as the same are then on file with the State of New Jersey Board of Public Utility Commissioners.

The developer shall submit to the approving authority, prior to the granting of final approval, a written instrument from each serving utility which shall evidence full compliance or intended full compliance with the provisions of this section; provided, however, lots which abut existing streets where overhead electric or telephone distribution supply lines and service connections have heretofore been installed may be supplied with electric and telephone service from those overhead lines, but the service connections from the utilities overhead lines shall be installed underground. In the case of existing overhead utilities, should a road widening, or an extension of service, or other such condition occur as a result of the development and necessitate the replacement, relocation or extension of such utilities, such replacement, relocation or extension shall be underground.

Where natural foliage is not sufficient to provide year-round screening of any utility apparatus appearing above the surface of the ground, other than utility poles, the applicant shall provide sufficient live screening to conceal such apparatus year-round.

On any lot where by reason of soil conditions, rock formations, wooded area, or other special condition of land, the applicant deems it a hardship to comply with the provisions of this section, the developer may apply to the approving authority for an exception from the terms of this section in accordance with the procedure and provisions of § 80-13, Exceptions, in Article IV. Where overhead lines are permitted as an exception, the alignments and pole locations shall be carefully routed to avoid locations along horizons, avoid the clearing of swaths through treed areas by selective cutting and a staggered alignment, by planting trees in open areas at key locations to minimize the views of the poles and alignments, by following rear lot lines and other interior locations, and similar design and location considerations to lessen the visual impact of overhead lines.

Any installation under this section to be performed by a servicing utility shall be exempt from requiring performance guarantees, but shall be subject to inspection and certification by the Municipal Engineer.

The developer shall construct facilities in such a manner as to provide adequate sewerage within the development to transport all sewage from each lot and the total development to the existing collection and treatment system.

Any sanitary sewer collection system shall be adequate to handle all present and probable future development. Alignments outside streets shall require easements or rights-of-way in accordance with § 80-52, Easements, in Article VI.

Definitions. As used in this section, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:

Signs permitted by district: regulations therefor.

Prohibited signs. No signs other than those set forth in Subsection B are permitted in the Borough of Rocky Hill. In addition, the following signs are specifically prohibited except as otherwise permitted herein:

Additional standards governing signs.

Administration. No sign shall be constructed or displayed unless a building permit shall have first been obtained from the Construction Official, except that building permits shall not be required for temporary signs. No freestanding sign other than a temporary sign shall be permitted until a site plan showing the location and size of the proposed freestanding sign is approved.

Regulation. No building permit shall be issued for any application requiring either site plan or major subdivision approval until such approval has been given by the approving authority, including review and approval of the soil erosion and sediment control plan.

Data required.

Review and approval. Erosion and sediment control plans shall be reviewed by the Municipal Engineer and the approving authority and certified and approved as part of subdivision, site plan, or variance approvals when in conformance with the standards for soil erosion and sediment control. The approving authority may seek the assistance of the County Soil Conservation District in the review of such plans.

General design principles. Control measures shall apply to all aspects of the proposed land disturbance and shall be in operation during all stages of the disturbance activity. The following principles shall apply to the soil erosion and sediment control plan:

Maintenance. All necessary erosion and sediment control measures installed under this section shall be adequately maintained for one year after completion of the approved plan or until such measures are permanently stabilized as determined by the Municipal Engineer, whichever is larger. The Municipal Engineer shall give the applicant, upon the applicant's request, certification of this determination.

Exemptions. The following activities are specifically exempt from the soil erosion and sediment control provisions:

All development shall be served by paved streets with an all weather base and pavement with an adequate crown. The arrangement of streets not shown on the Master Plan or Official Map shall be such as to provide for the appropriate extension of existing streets, conform with the topography as far as practicable, and allow for continued extension into adjoining undeveloped tracts.

Minor streets shall be so designed as to discourage through traffic.

The right-of-way width shall be measured from lot line to lot line and shall be not less than 50 feet.

No street grade shall be less than 1%. No street grade shall be greater than 10% except where the topography of the land to be subdivided is such as to make it impossible; otherwise, to develop such land the Planning Board may, in its discretion, approve grades in excess of 10% but in no case shall any grade exceed a grade of 15%.

The entire street right-of-way of all new streets shall be graded and in addition in those areas where the right-of-way is on fill, the grading shall be extended two feet beyond the right-of-way on either side as necessary; and a slope with a ratio of 1-1/2:1 shall be established except where it is in rock, in which case the slope can be graded according to standard practice. These determinations shall be made in accordance with the recommendations of the Borough Engineer.

Street intersections shall be as nearly at right angles as is possible and in no case shall be less than 60°. The block corners at intersections shall be rounded at the property line with a curve having a radius of not less than 25 feet.

Street jogs with center line offsets of less than 125 feet shall be prohibited.

When connecting street lines deflect from each other at any one point by more than 10° and not more than 45°, they shall be connected by a curve with a radius of not less than 100 feet, in accordance with recommendations of the Borough Engineer.

All changes in grade shall be connected by vertical curves of sufficient radius to provide a smooth transition and proper sight distance.

Dead-end streets shall not be permitted unless given special permission by the Board and, if so permitted, shall provide a turnaround at the closed end with a radius of not less than 50 feet.

No street shall have a name which will duplicate or so nearly duplicate as to be confused with the names of existing streets. The continuation of an existing street shall have the same name.

Sidewalks shall be located no closer than six inches from the property line so as to allow sufficient space for the installation of monuments as required.

The base course and wearing course of all new streets included in the subdivision or that portion on which final approval is being requested shall be installed in accordance with the current road specifications of the Borough of Rocky Hill. The width of all streets shall be in accordance with the residential site improvement standards.