Rumson City Zoning Code
§ 22-7.7
Yard Areas, Building Orientation, and Fenestration.
[Ord. 5/13/93 § 2; Ord. 10/16/97, § III; Ord. 5/19/05 § 7; Ord. 10/19/06 § 1; Ord. No. 08-015D § 1; Ord. No. 12-013D; Ord. No. 13-003D § 2; Ord. No. 14-011D § 4; Ord. No. 16-007D § 6; amended 12-15-2020 by Ord. No. 20-008D; 9-10-2024 by Ord. No. 24-009D]
a.
No yard or other open space provided around any building for the purpose of complying with the provisions of this chapter, shall be considered as providing a yard or open space for any other buildings, and no yard or other open space on one lot shall be considered as providing a yard or open space for a building on any other lot.
b.
All yards facing on a public street shall be considered front yards and shall conform to the minimum front yard requirements for the zone in which located except:
1.
Lots with frontage on more than one street, which are not corner lots, may have a front and rear yard designated by the owner subject to:
(a)
If the lot contains a principal structure, the front will be considered the direction the principal structure faces.
(b)
If the lot does not contain a principal structure and only one street frontage conforms to lot frontage requirements, the yard abutting the conforming street frontage will be considered the front yard.
2.
The designated rear yard of a lot with frontage on more than one street shall be considered a rear yard for the purposes of this chapter, except for the area within the depth of the required minimum front yard determined as follows:
c.
Every part of a required yard shall be open and unobstructed from its lowest level to the sky, except for the ordinary projections allowed by the State Uniform Construction Code including, but not limited to, sills, belt courses, chimneys, flues, buttresses, ornamental features, and eaves, provided, however, that none of the aforesaid projections shall project into the minimum required yards more than twenty-four (24") inches, unless otherwise permitted by this chapter.
d.
In the case of a corner lot, the yard most nearly opposite the front yard shall be considered a rear yard and the minimum rear yard requirement of the zone shall be maintained. A proposed principal building must be oriented to face, which means it must have its most prominent facade and principal entrance face, the front of the lot. The front of the lot, for the purpose of designating a rear yard and orienting the principal building, shall be:
e.
Each exterior face of a single-family dwelling shall include windows. The fenestrated portion of each elevation of a principal single-family dwelling building shall not be less than 4% of the area of the building face.
f.
Roofed, open-sided or unroofed porches, decks, patios or similar structures attached to, or within five (5') feet of, a principal building shall conform to the yard requirements for the principal building except:
1.
Roofed open-sided porches in the R-4, R-5 and R-6 Zone Districts may extend up to five (5') feet into the required front yard setback.
2.
Unroofed stoops or steps may extend up to three (3') feet into any required yard, provided the total area of such elements may not exceed 50 square feet in the R-4, R-5 and R-6 Zone Districts and 100 square feet in the other zone districts.
3.
Where the structure has no roof and does not extend more than one (1') foot above grade, it shall conform to the yard requirements for an accessory structure.
g.
In the R-4, R-5, R-6 and for single family uses in the POB, GB, and NB Zone Districts, any building facade substantially facing a side line with a height (or eave height) exceeding 1/2 the maximum height permitted and having a length in a single plane (or substantially parallel planes less than eighteen (18") inches apart) exceeding thirty-five (35') feet shall maintain a side yard setback, both one side and combined, two (2') feet greater than the minimum required for the applicable zone district.
h.
Intrusion into the required setback (yard) shall be measured from the face of the building foundation wall and be limited to:
1.
For chimneys, fireplaces, rain leaders, drains, and any other utility service component, two (2') feet.
2.
For bay windows and similar elements, provided that the area of any wall elevation occupied by such elements does not exceed the greater of 8% of the total area of the wall elevation or 50 square feet, two (2') feet.
3.
For eaves, soffits or other roof elements (excluding gutters), three (3') feet.
5.
For any other element of the building, one (1') foot.
6.
For emergency escape and egress windows, three feet with appropriately designed fall protection.
i.
Air-conditioning units must conform to the setback requirements for accessory structures.
j.
Above and below ground utility equipment, including but not limited to electrical transformers, CT cabinets, hot boxes and similar electrical and mechanical system components, must comply to the sound attenuation standards of subsection 22-7.22c,1. In addition, all units must conform to the design standards - landscaping of subsection 22-8.4, e, 2b and must be painted to blend with landscaping; maintenance access doors shall be oriented so as not to be visible from the street frontage. Zoning Officer approval required.
k.
Generators shall: 1) be provided with a sound attenuation enclosure properly designed by the generator manufacturer for both adequate airflow as well as significant sound reduction and shall have a critical muffler unless waived by the administrative officer (Zoning Officer) who may require certification of sound levels; 2) not be located between a principal structure (or the projection of the face of a principal structure) and any street; 3) conform to the minimum setback requirements for principal structures for all generators greater than 24 kW or conform to the minimum setback requirements for accessory structures for all generators 24 kW or smaller; and 4) be located entirely within 25 feet of the principal structure; or waived by the administrative officer (Zoning Officer) for an alternate location that meets the required accessory or principal setback (example: unit located by detached garage); and 5) be screened when viewed from immediately adjoining properties, public streets, and/or river frontages in accordance with Subsections 22-7.25 and 22-7.32.
l.
Permanently installed above ground utility equipment, including but not limited to air conditioners, irrigation pumps and wells, electrical transformers and water supply valves, shall be screened when viewed from immediately adjoining properties, public streets, and/or river frontages in accordance with subsections 22-7.25 and 22-7.32 unless waived by the administrative officer (Zoning Officer).