Springfield Township
City Zoning Code

Such use shall be specifically authorized as a conditional use in the district within which the site is located.

For every conditional use, the Board shall make a specific finding, supported by evidence produced at a public hearing in the manner provided by law, that such use will not be detrimental to the character of the neighborhood.

For every conditional use, the Board shall determine that there is adequate and appropriate access for the estimated traffic from public streets and sidewalks so as to ensure public safety and to avoid traffic congestion.

For every conditional use, the Board shall determine that adequate parking and off-street truck loading spaces will be provided, in conformity with this chapter for the anticipated number of occupants, employees and patrons, and that the layout of the parking spaces, truck loading spaces and interior driveways is convenient and conducive to safe operation.

For every conditional use, the Board shall require suitable plantings and/or fencing along side and rear lot lines adjacent to residential uses or districts.

A conditional use shall be further subject to the applicable specific requirements set forth in Subsection 35-41.2.

No outdoor repair of motor vehicles and trucks shall be made in connection with any automobile service station or truck repair facility nor shall supplies, materials, or parts be stored outdoors, whether for sale, storage or waste.

Gasoline dispensing units and canopies shall be set back at least the average depth of all existing front yards within the same block, but in no case shall the setback of the dispensing units be less than 20 feet from the curbline(s) of the street(s) which abut the site. The dispensing units shall be so located that no vehicles can be serviced from any portion of the street or sidewalk. No mobile gasoline pump shall be used or operated on premises.

No automobile service station or public garage shall be erected or remodeled unless such structure shall provide for at least two separate washrooms, each having a wash basin and flush toilet.

All structures, including fuel pumps, car lifts and other service appliances or equipment, shall be located not less than 20 feet from any side or rear property line.

All motor vehicles awaiting repair or pickup shall be parked or stored on the site.

All unpaved areas shall be attractively landscaped with grass lawns, trees, shrubs or other appropriate vegetation.

The applicant shall submit a site plan in accordance with the requirements of Article IX.

The home occupation shall be clearly subordinate to the residential use.

The occupant conducting such home occupation shall reside on the premises.

No more than three people, including the occupant, at any one time shall be engaged in the home occupation.

No more than 25% of the total floor area of the dwelling is allowed to be devoted to the home occupation.

No outdoor storage is allowed.

No home occupation is permitted in multifamily buildings.

Any classes, lessons, tutoring or the like shall be limited to one student/client at a time.

No retail sales or rentals are permitted on the premises.

No personal services establishments are permitted.

Home occupations shall not create any off-site noise, odors, radiation, glare, radio interference, etc.

No toxic or hazardous materials that would constitute a danger to the environment or neighboring property shall be stored on the premises.

Home occupations shall be allowed no more than two nonpassenger vehicle deliveries per day, excluding U.S. Mail delivery.

Only one sign is permitted at no more than four square foot in size, and located at least 10 feet from the street line per § 35-31.

Adequate parking shall be provided and shall be screened from adjacent residential uses. Commercial vehicle parking shall be pursuant to Subsection 35-15.5c2.

The hours of operation of the home occupation shall be limited from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Any alteration to the dwelling for the home occupation shall maintain the residential character and appearance of the building.

Only one home occupation is permitted per lot.

The utility shall furnish proof to the Board that the proposed installation in the specific location proposed is necessary for the convenient and efficient operation of the public utility.

The design of any building in connection with such facility conforms to the general character of the area in which it is proposed and will not adversely affect the safe and comfortable enjoyment of property rights in the zone in which it is located.

Adequate and attractive buffering and safety devices shall be provided in conjunction with such use and sufficient landscaping, including trees, shrubs, lawns and other screening, shall be provided.

Motels shall be on a lot with a minimum of 200 feet of street frontage and must contain a minimum of 20 units of accommodation exclusive of a permanent on-site superintendent's living quarters. A minimum of eight units of accommodation may be constructed in any single building.

Each unit of accommodation shall contain a minimum floor area of 250 square feet.

Each unit of accommodation shall include a minimum of two rooms, a bedroom and a separate bathroom which affords privacy to a person within said room and which is equipped with a toilet, a wash basin and a bathtub or shower, all properly connected to a water and sewer system.

Restaurants and conference facilities are only permitted as accessory uses to the principal motel use.

Exhausts, for all food preparation establishments regardless of whether they are classified as a restaurant under the terms of this chapter must be provided with a hood exhaust filtration system to eliminate nuisance odors, pursuant to the Uniform Construction Code and Township Ordinances under the direction and supervision of the Fire Subcode Official.

Off-street parking for the entire site shall be provided in accordance with Subsection 35-23.2 of this chapter except in those cases where appropriate documentation of existing parking levels indicate a lower parking need.

The Planning Board at its sole discretion may require additional on-site parking and buffering requirements on any restaurant offering live entertainment of any kind.

All restaurants and food preparation establishments shall be equipped with a grease trap.

Restaurants in the N-C Zone shall also meet the following requirements:

The school shall be limited to the preschool through high school grades.

The school shall provide adequate outdoor recreational space and activities, as determined by the approving authority, but no less than 30% of the lot area.

The use shall be limited to day schools only. No boarding schools shall be permitted.

The school shall have a minimum lot size of three (3) acres.

A minimum of fifteen percent (15%) of the unencumbered lot area shall be set aside for outdoor open space and recreational area.

A traffic impact assessment shall be provided to evaluate the potential impact of the school on traffic patterns, pedestrian and vehicle safety, off-street parking and loading and circulation patterns.

Wherever a private or parochial school use abuts a residential zone or an existing residential use, a fifteen-foot-wide landscaped buffer area, as defined in this chapter, shall be provided adjacent to the residential zone boundary or adjacent to any residential property or use. Such landscaped buffer area shall be suitably planted and maintained with landscape materials of such species and sizes, in a manner approved by the approving authority, as will preclude any detrimental effect upon the adjacent residence zone or adjacent residential property or use.

Permitted Location: Type of Structure. Freestanding telecommunications antennas are permitted in the 1-20 and 1-40 zones and municipal property in all zones subject to FAA requirements.

Proof of Need and Minimum Impact. The applicant shall be required to demonstrate that the development is the minimum necessary to provide adequate communications as may be authorized by the Federal Communications Commission. Included as part of this requirement, the applicant shall demonstrate at least, but not necessarily limited to the following:

Maximum Height. The height of antennas and related structures and equipment other than buildings, where permitted, shall be subject to the following height restrictions:

Required Yard Location and Minimum Setbacks. The following required locations and minimum setbacks shall apply:

Mitigation of Visual and Secured Impact. The base of the antenna support structure and any related structures and equipment shall be secured and screened from the street and adjacent properties in a manner acceptable to the Board. If deemed necessary by the Board to mitigate the visual impact of the antenna and related structures and equipment, the color, materials, and design of the entire antenna and related structures and equipment shall be required to be modified in appearance so as to blend in with the surrounding environment, as determined by the Board to be appropriate in the particular situation. The foregoing may include, but shall not necessarily be limited to, such modifications as special paint treatment, concealment through architectural means such as a bell tower, steeple, etc., or the use of camouflage through simulated foliage so as to appear as a tree.

May be Additional Principal Use on the Lot. Notwithstanding any provisions of this chapter to the contrary, a cellular telecommunications antenna or antennas are permitted on the same lot as any other permitted principal use or structure in the permitted zones.

Design for Future Co-Location. Any proposed cellular telecommunications antenna and related structures shall be designed structurally, electrically and in all respects, to accommodate both, the applicant's antennas and comparable antennas for at least two additional users if the antenna is over 100 feet high. The antennas and related structures shall be designed for future rearrangement of antennas and to accept antennas mounted at varying heights. If the foregoing design for co-location requires additional antenna installation or beyond that permitted above, the Board, in determining the acceptable design, shall balance the benefits and probability of co-location against any detriments resulting from such additional antenna height.

The foregoing requirements shall also include a letter of commitment by the applicant, submitted prior to any approval by the Board, to lease excess space on the facility to potential users. The letter shall commit the owner of the antenna and related structure and equipment, as well as any successor in interest.

Abandonment: Removal. Wireless telecommunications towers and equipment which are not operated for wireless telecommunications purposes for a continuous period of six months shall be considered abandoned and shall be removed by the owner, at the owner's expense. This removal shall occur within 90 days at the end of such six-month period of inactivity. If such wireless telecommunications tower is not removed within the ninety-day period, the municipality may remove the tower and its structures at the owner's expense. If the facility is to be retained, its owner shall provide proof that the facility will be reused within one year of such discontinuation. If the facility is not used within one year, a demolition permit shall be obtained and the facility removed. Upon removal, the site shall be cleaned, cleared, restored and revegetated to preconstruction conditions. To insure the removal of abandoned towers and related telecommunications facilities, the facility owner shall be responsible to post a bond at the time a construction permit is issued to cover the costs of tower removal and site restoration.

The site must be a minimum of five acres in area.

Used vehicles can only be sold or leased as an accessory to new vehicle sales and leasing.

Vehicle servicing shall be permitted as part of the vehicle sales and leasing facility, and shall be conducted within an enclosed building.

All areas devoted to parking and vehicle storage shall be suitably paved to the satisfaction of the approving authority.

Display lighting shall be shielded and located and maintained so as not to reflect glare onto surrounding or neighboring properties or public roads. Strings of exposed lights and lights of intermittent intensity are prohibited.

No servicing of vehicles is permitted on the premises of automobile rental only agencies.

All vehicles must be parked in marked parking spaces as approved on a plan submitted to the appropriate approving Board.

No tandem parking shall be permitted.

All massage establishments shall comply with the permit requirements of § 4-30. Noncompliance and/or violation of the permit requirements of § 4-30 and the requirements in this chapter shall result in denial or revocation of a zoning permit authorized under this Article VII.

Massage establishments shall be permitted as a conditional use in the H-C, G-C, and PUD (Commercial) Zoning Districts. Massage establishments shall also be permitted in the N-C Business District Zone, as long as the massage establishments do not share any property boundary with a residential property or school property.

Off-street parking shall be provided at the rate of one parking space per 200 square feet of gross floor area.

All massage establishments shall submit a site plan in accordance with the requirements of Article IX of this Chapter 35.

Prior to the operation of any cannabis business, a permit or license must be obtained from the State of New Jersey and from the Township for the applicable type(s) or class(es) of cannabis business. No cannabis business shall be permitted to operate unless it possesses all permits and licenses required by state and local law.

Cannabis businesses shall, at all times, comply with the terms and conditions of the permits or licenses issued by the State of New Jersey and the Township.

No cannabis establishment or alternative treatment center shall be housed in a vehicle or any movable or mobile structure.

In no case shall cannabis plants be visible from a public or private road, sidewalk, park or any public place.

Odor control devices and techniques shall be incorporated in all cannabis businesses to ensure that odors from cannabis are not detectable on-site. Cannabis businesses shall provide a sufficient odor absorbing ventilation and exhaust system so that odor generated inside the cannabis business that is distinctive to its operation is not detected outside of the facility, anywhere on adjacent property or public rights-of-way, on or about the exterior or interior common area walkways, hallways, breezeways, foyers, lobby areas, or any other areas available for use by common tenants or the visiting public, or within any other unit located inside the same building as the cannabis business. The ventilation system must be installed to meet ASHRAE62 Indoor Air Quality Standards and approved by the Township's Health Department and Construction Bureau, and may be subject to periodic inspection.

Outside generators and other mechanical equipment used for any kind of power supply, cooling, or ventilation shall be enclosed and have appropriate baffles, mufflers, and/or other noise reduction systems to mitigate noise pollution.

No cannabis businesses shall be located within 200 feet of any school; public playground, athletic field, or recreation/youth center; place of worship; or the S-60, S-75, S-120, AH-17, or M-R residential zoning districts. Distance shall be measured using a direct straight-line measurement from the nearest point of the property line of the site that contains the cannabis business to, as applicable: (i) the nearest point of the property line of the site that contains the school, place of worship, or public recreation/youth center; (ii) the nearest point on the boundary of the S-60, S-75, S-120, AH-17, or M-R residential zoning district; or (iii) the nearest developed portion of the public property constituting or serving the public playground or athletic field (e.g. parking area, fencing), as determined by the Township Administration upon the request of a prospective cannabis business applicant. The prohibitions of this subparagraph (k)(7) shall not prevent the siting or operation of a cannabis business (or the approval, issuance or renewal of a cannabis business license under Section 4-33 of the Township Code) if no school; public playground, athletic field, or recreation/youth center; place of worship; or S-60, S-75, S-120, AH-17, or M-R residential zoning district was located within 200 feet of the cannabis business on the date of the cannabis business's original application for such site, submitted in accordance with Section 4-33 of the Township Code.

A cannabis retailer shall not be located in or upon the same premises as a grocery store, delicatessen, indoor food market, or other store that engages in either the retail sale of food or in the licensed retail sale of alcoholic beverages. For purposes of this subparagraph, the "premises" of a cannabis retailer shall have the same meaning set forth in N.J.A.C. 17:30-1.2.

All cannabis businesses shall meet the security requirements set forth in Subsection 4-33.14 of the Township Code, as well as any additional security-related requirements imposed by state or local authorities.

Persons under the age of twenty-one (21) years shall not be allowed on the premises of a cannabis business and shall not be allowed to serve as a driver for a cannabis delivery service. A notice that no person under twenty-one (21) years of age is permitted to enter the premises shall be prominently displayed at all entrances to a cannabis business. For purposes of this subparagraph, the "premises" of a cannabis business shall have the same meaning set forth in N.J.A.C. 17:30-1.2.

The provisions of this paragraph k shall not apply to a cannabis delivery service based outside of the Township which makes deliveries of cannabis or related supplies to consumers located within the Township.

Except as expressly permitted by this paragraph k and Section 4-33 of the Township Code, any cannabis business activities, such as cultivation, manufacturing, processing, testing, dispensing, distribution and/or sale of cannabis or cannabis products, are expressly prohibited as land uses or otherwise in the Township.

Location:

Design Regulations:

Other Requirements.

Minimum lot area of three acres.

Minimum open space of 20% of the lot area.

Parking requirements are as stated in Subsection 35-23.2.

Wherever a quasi-public use abuts a residential zone or a residential use, a fifteen-foot-wide landscaped buffer area, as defined in this chapter, shall be provided adjacent to the residential zone boundary or adjacent to any residential property or use. Such landscaped buffer area shall be suitably planted and maintained with landscape materials of such species and sizes, in a manner approved by the approving authority, as will preclude any detrimental effect upon the adjacent residence zone or adjacent residential property or use.

The quasi-public use shall comply with all other requirements of the zoning district in which the use is to be located.

The facility shall be subject to site plan review and approval by the Planning Board in accordance with Article IX of the Township's Code.

The facility shall comply with the bulk requirements of the industrial zone wherein the property is located.

The maximum permitted lot size is two acres.

Parking shall be provided at 1.0 space per 350 square feet of gross floor area.

Off-street parking can be provided at an adjoining property subject to the Applicant providing a parking agreement with the property owner.

A pickup and drop off area with a queuing lane for vehicles shall be provided subject to review and approval by the Board Engineer.

Hours of operation are limited to between 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m.

A snack bar providing food services is permitted subject to all Township Health codes.

A 15-foot-wide buffer area, as defined in this chapter, shall be provided on the property adjacent to a residential zone or residential use. The landscape-buffer area shall be planted and maintained with landscape materials as approved by the Board.

No outdoor storage of equipment or materials shall be permitted.

Be used for residence or tenancy.

Have any sign, nameplate, display or advertising device of any kind whatsoever inscribed upon or attached to such structure.