Scotch Plains City Zoning Code
§ 23-3.10
B-1A Office and Research and Multifamily Residence Zone.
a.
Permitted primary uses.
1.
Townhouse developments at a density of not over 12 units per acre, including recreation and parking facilities for the exclusive use of residents and their guests.
2.
Garden apartments of a density of not over 12 units per acre, including recreation and parking facilities for the exclusive use of residents and their guests.
3.
Office buildings for executive, engineering, and administrative purposes.
4.
Scientific or research laboratories devoted to research, design and/or experimentation and processing and fabricating incidental thereto, provided no materials or finished products shall be manufactured, processed or fabricated on said premises for sale, except such as are incidental to said laboratory, research, design or experimentation conducted on the premises.
5.
Municipal parks, playgrounds, buildings and uses deemed appropriate and necessary by the Township Council.
6.
The depositing of leaves or other vegetation and composting of same by the Township, its agents, or any person, firm, or corporation acting for or on behalf of the Township pursuant to a written agreement with the Township.
d.
Other provisions and requirements.
1.
Off-street parking space shall be provided as follows:
(a)
Townhouses and garden apartments shall be provided with not fewer than two off-street parking spaces for each dwelling unit, and such spaces shall be located in close proximity to the unit for which they are intended.
(1)
All off-street parking shall be located behind the required front building setback line.
(2)
No parking spaces shall be located closer than five feet to a townhouse or garden apartment structure, except where parking spaces are located in the building.
(3)
No parking space shall be provided within 30 feet of the edge of pavement of any access roadway.
(b)
For office buildings, one off-street parking space shall be provided for each 200 square feet of gross floor area.
(c)
For laboratories and research uses, at least one off-street parking space shall be provided for each employee and visitor on the maximum work shift provided at no time shall the use result in parking on a public street for any reason. The burden of proof for establishing and always providing an adequate amount of required off-street parking area shall be upon the original applicant for the building permit and certificate of occupancy and subsequent owner, occupier or user of the premises.
2.
For townhouse developments, not more than six dwelling units shall be located in a single structure.
3.
For garden apartment projects, not more than 16 dwelling units shall be located in a single structure, and there shall be a setback in the building facade of at least four feet for not over each eight units.
4.
No apartment unit shall be located in a basement or cellar.
5.
Separate exterior front entrances shall be provided to each townhouse and garden apartment unit. Individual rear entrances shall also be provided for every townhouse unit, but may be combined in garden apartments to serve more than a single unit, provided that such rear entryway is not from a common foyer or hallway with a front entryway.
6.
A resident superintendent shall be provided in any garden apartment development with more than 25 dwelling units.
7.
For townhouse and garden apartment buildings, the minimum distance between buildings from front to front or end to end shall be 20 feet. The minimum distance front to side shall be 20 feet, and the front facade of a building shall not overlap the side wall of an adjoining building by more than eight feet. The nearest point of any individual townhouse or garden apartment building shall be a minimum of 30 feet from edge of pavement of any access roadway. Interior courts shall be at least 30 feet wide, and shall be no longer than twice their width. Accessory garages shall be a minimum of 30 feet from the townhouse and apartment building unless located within such buildings.
8.
For townhouse developments and garden apartments, at least 30% of the site area shall consist of landscaped open space exclusive of building area, parking areas, and access drives. At least 10% of the site area (which may be included in the foregoing 30%) must be common open space developed for active or passive recreation of residents of the townhouse or garden apartment complex, including play areas, sitting areas, swimming pools, patios and the like.
9.
Wherever a use permitted in the zone is on a lot which abuts a residence zone, or wherever a nonresidential use in this zone is on a lot which abuts an existing or potential residential use in this zone, a twenty-foot-wide landscaped buffer area shall be provided adjacent to the residence zone or residential use lot line in a manner approved by the approving authority. Such buffer area shall be suitably planted and maintained with landscape materials of such species and sizes so as to form an effective visual screen.