Stafford Township City Zoning Code
§ 211-17.2
Rural Residential/Recreation Open Space Zone RA-5/ROS.
[Added 12-18-2007 by Ord. No. 2007-120]
The following shall apply in the Rural Residential/Recreation Open Space Zone (RA-5/ROS):
A.
Permitted uses shall be as follows:
(1)
All principal uses permitted in the Rural Residential (RA-5) Zone, with the exception of uses permitted by § 211-17.1A(2).
(2)
Open space/recreation open space tract.
(a)
Recreation open space mixed principal uses for recreation open space tracts shall include, at a minimum:
[1]
A golf course, which, for this use, shall mean a golf course consisting of a land area of 150 or more contiguous acres containing a full-sized professional course of at least 18 holes, together with the usual related golf course facilities and structures, including, at a minimum, clubhouse facilities;
[2]
A recreation open space tract shall include a one-hundred-fifty-acre minimum land area, which shall include a golf course land area dedication ("golf course dedication"). The applicant is also required to review the feasibility of dedicating a portion of upland adjacent to the lake for passive use by Township residents as a public park. In the event the applicant determines that such use and dedication is feasible, the applicant shall complete said dedication within 90 days of completion of the full lake; and
[3]
The golf course facilities and structures may also include, but need not be limited to, related golf course facilities, including offices; locker rooms; rest rooms; shower rooms; a pro shop; public, quasi-public and/or private dining areas; and meeting and conference rooms.
(b)
Recreation open space mixed principal uses for recreation open space tracts. Buildings, structures and lands may also include:
[1]
Retention or creation of ponds and lakes for aesthetic, active and passive recreational purposes, including, but not limited to:
[a]
Aquaculture;
[b]
Nonmotorized boating;
[c]
Fishing;
[d]
Swimming;
[e]
Picnic grounds;
[f]
Walks and trails; and
[g]
Open space and recreational uses and facilities.
[2]
Recreational structures and facilities, such as public, quasi-public and/or private and/or municipal parks, playgrounds and related recreational facilities, which may include, but not limited to:
[a]
Playing fields;
[b]
Courts: basketball, tennis, etc.;
[c]
Swimming pools;
[d]
Bathhouses;
[e]
Clubhouses/community buildings;
[f]
Garden plots;
[g]
Picnic grounds;
[h]
Walks and trails;
[i]
Tot lots;
[j]
Senior recreation facilities, shuffleboard courts; and
[k]
Related essential services.
(3)
Essential services.
B.
Required accessory uses shall be as follows:
(1)
Off-street parking.
(2)
Off-street loading for recreation and open space tracts only.
C.
Permitted accessory uses shall be as follows:
(1)
All accessory uses permitted in the RA-5 Zone.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See § 211-17.1, Environmentally Sensitive Rural Residential Zone (RA-5).
(2)
For golf courses and golf clubhouses, the permitted accessory uses shall be as follows:
(a)
Golf course cart storage facilities.
(b)
Buildings and structures for the maintenance or administration of the golf course and/or golf clubhouse.
(c)
Snack bar/rest room facilities.
(d)
Gatehouses.
(e)
Fences and walls.
(f)
Refreshment stands.
(g)
Storage sheds.
(h)
Swimming pools.
(i)
Tennis courts.
(j)
Practice greens, bunkers and driving ranges.
(k)
Golf schools.
(l)
A maximum of eight lodging units or residential villas, which shall be defined for purposes of this subsection to mean housing units, which have a separate private entrance for each unit and may be used, at the applicant's/owner's discretion, for the personal, private enjoyment use of the applicant/owner and/or for overnight occupancy of guests of the applicant/owner and/or patrons of any of the open space tract uses. No such lodging unit or residential villa shall be utilized for permanent occupancy or residence. No lodging unit or residential villa shall exceed 2,500 square feet in floor area or contain more than four bedrooms. Occupancy limits of lodging units and residential villas shall be determined by the Board. The maximum number of lodging units or residential villas permitted pursuant to this subsection shall be reduced proportionally if an owner of record, caretaker and/or golf professional unit is to be provided pursuant to Subsection C(2)(m) below.
(m)
One dwelling unit each for the owners of record, caretaker of record and/or golf professional. The Board, with input from appropriate officials and agencies, shall determine the appropriateness of the dwelling's location and the safety and adequacy of access to same.
(n)
Private helistops and heliports may be permitted as an accessory use subject to all of the following supplementary regulations:
[1]
The facility shall be located on the golf course lot to be used for the private purpose of:
[a]
The owner of the golf course;
[b]
The owner(s) of the residential villas (referenced as an accessory use); and
[c]
The occupants and/or persons conducting business with the owners/occupants of the golf course and/or residential villas.
[2]
The minimum setbacks of landing pads for private helistops and heliports shall be a minimum of 500 feet from any adjoining lot not owned by the applicant/helistop owner, except that a minimum setback may be reduced to a distance of no less than 200 feet when adjacent to the Garden State Parkway right-of-way line.
[3]
The area surrounding the helipad shall be secured with solid fencing to prevent entrance of unauthorized persons, with a minimum fence height of no less than four feet.
[4]
Passenger shelters may be permitted and shall not exceed 16 feet in height.
[5]
When appropriate, off-street parking may be required, with the amount of parking required to be determined during the site plan review process based upon the operations contemplated.
[6]
A private helistop/heliport shall be permitted only upon site plan review and approval by the appropriate board of jurisdiction. A written report detailing the proposed scope of operations shall be submitted in addition to the submission items required for a site plan application in general. Any change in the scope of operations or site plan layout shall be subject to an amended site plan approval.
[7]
The hours of operation shall be restricted to daylight hours (defined as the hours between sunrise and sunset), except that helicopter operations for medical or other emergencies are exempt from this restriction.
[8]
The owner/operator shall be required, as a condition of approval, to consent that the helistop may be used as needed for federal, state, county or municipal emergency services.
[9]
The facility shall meet all of the requirements of the New Jersey Division of Aeronautics Licensing of Aeronautical Facilities and shall be actively licensed by same.
[10]
The facility shall meet all of the requirements of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the New Jersey Office of Aviation (NJOA).
(3)
For uses permitted pursuant to § 211-17.2A(2)(a) and (b)[1] and [2], the permitted accessory uses shall be as follows:
(a)
Fences and walls; and
(b)
Storage sheds.
D.
Permitted signs shall be as follows:
(1)
All freestanding signs for uses permitted in accordance with § 211-17.2A(1) and (3) shall meet the following size, height and setback requirements:
(a)
Maximum area: four square feet.
(b)
Maximum area per side: two square feet.
(c)
Maximum height: 30 inches.
(d)
Minimum front yard setback: 10 feet.
(e)
Minimum side yard setback: six feet.
(2)
All commercial farms, farm markets and pick-your-own farm signage shall be in accordance with § 211-17.1E(2).
(3)
All freestanding signs for recreation and open space tracts visible from public roads shall meet the following size, height, setback and related requirements:
(a)
One identification sign for each permitted use being conducted on the premises.
(b)
All uses other than single-family dwellings may be permitted one lighted sign, which shall be so arranged as to reflect the light and any glare away from adjoining residential premises and away from adjoining streets. Illuminated signs shall comply with the National Electric Code. All exterior lighted signs shall be interior-lighted from the bottom, with said lights a maximum distance of six feet from the sign and of such design as to minimize sky glare.
(c)
Each golf course sign may have one double-sided to two-sided signs located at the entrance drive, with a maximum total sign area of 75 square feet, which shall be measured for area by using the face of only one side of the sign, with a maximum height of 20 feet and located a minimum of 25 feet from the side lot lines. Signs may be a part of an entranceway structure, having a maximum height of 10 feet.
(d)
All other freestanding signs shall meet the following size, height and setback requirements:
[1]
Maximum area: 75 square feet. Signs with two exposures shall be measured for area by using the face of only one side of the sign.
[2]
Maximum area per side: 75 square feet.
[3]
Maximum height: 10 feet.
[4]
Minimum front yard setback: 10 feet, which may be reduced if required to give reasonable public sight distance if public safety is not unduly impaired as determined by the Planning Board.
[5]
Minimum side yard setback: 25 feet.
(4)
Construction/excavation signs. One nonilluminated construction sign and one nonilluminated excavation sign, each not exceeding 40 square feet in area and a minimum of eight feet in height, denoting the names of the construction/excavation entities and future occupants may be placed on the tract to identify an active area of construction and/or excavation.
(5)
Direction signs.
(a)
Directional signs shall not exceed four square feet in area, and lettering shall not exceed six inches in height.
(b)
Such signs shall not be placed within five feet of the street right-of-way line or any property line but may be located within the minimum required sign setback of 20 feet.
(c)
Where directional signs are placed within a sight triangle area, they shall not exceed 30 inches in height from the finished grade directly below the sign to the top of the sign.
(6)
Ground signs.
(a)
Ground signs shall not exceed six feet in height, measured from the finished grade directly below the sign to the top of the sign.
(b)
The base of all ground signs shall be accented by landscaping.
(c)
One ground sign for each tract use shall be permitted for each street frontage upon which the site is located.
(d)
Each ground sign shall comply with the freestanding sign requirements of § 211-17.2D(1) above.
(7)
Government flags and historic markers. Any flag of the United States of America, the State of New Jersey, the County of Ocean, the Township of Stafford, any other governmental entity or any other religious or fraternal organization, and memorial or historic tablets, information as the name of a building, date of erection, special description or other material of historic interest, when cut into a masonry surface or constructed of bronze or other similar material, shall be permitted.
(8)
Holiday decoration signs. One holiday decoration sign, not exceeding 20 square feet in area, shall be permitted on a site where decorations customarily and commonly associated with any national, state, local or religious holiday are offered for sale.
(9)
Miscellaneous signs. The erection of signs, such as "No Trespassing" or "No Hunting" signs, shall be permitted, provided that these signs do not exceed two square feet.
(10)
Nameplate signs. One nameplate sign and one designated parking space sign may be located on the tract for each separate legal owner, occupant or tenant of each separate building area or use on the tract, which sign may provide the name and address, or both, and shall not exceed two square feet in area.[2]
[2]
Editor's Note: Former Subsection D(11), regarding special event signs, which immediately followed, was repealed 6-21-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-21.
E.
Conditional uses. The following uses shall be permitted as conditional uses in the RA-5/ROS Zone:
(1)
Soil removal/resource extraction, subject to the requirements of § 211-35Q.
(2)
Soil removal/resource extraction processing, subject to the requirements of § 211-35Q.
(3)
Forestry and tree harvesting, subject to the requirements of § 211-17.1D(2).
F.
Area, yard and building requirements for uses permitted in accordance with § 211-17.2A(1) shall be in accordance with § 211-17.1F.
G.
Area, yard and building requirements and procedural standards for open space/recreation open space tracts shall be as follows:
(1)
The minimum lot area shall be 150 contiguous acres, which shall include a golf course dedication and land dedication as defined in § 211-17.2A(2)(a)[2].
(2)
In accordance with N.J.S.A. 40:55D-52b, since a recreation open space tract site plan application includes a minimum of 150 or more acres, the Planning Board may grant the preliminary/final site plan/subdivision rights referred to in N.J.S.A. 40:55D-52 for a period of time longer than two years, and such longer time period may be proposed by the applicant and approved by the Planning Board in accordance with the standards set forth in N.J.S.A. 40:55D-52b.
(3)
No building or structure, other than entrance gatehouses, signs, walls, fences, berms, landscaping buffers and water features, shall be located within 200 feet of an existing public road.
(4)
All lands set aside and dedicated to the Township of Stafford for open space, as required in § 211-17.2A(2)(a)[2], shall be developed with active and passive recreation facilities, with the golf course dedication area being developed by the applicant/owner and/or its agents and the land dedication area being developed by the land dedication donee subject to approval by the land dedication donor to ensure no adverse impact on the golf course dedication area.
(5)
Internal roadways utilized by the public shall be constructed in accordance with the standards for public streets.
(6)
Outdoor lighting. All parking, loading and unloading areas and walkways thereto and appurtenant passageways and driveways serving commercial uses open to the public shall be illuminated adequately during the hours between sunset and sunrise when the use is in operation. The lighting plan in and around the parking areas shall provide for nonglare, color-corrected lights focused downward. The light intensity provided at ground level shall be a minimum of 0.3 footcandle anywhere in the areas to be illuminated, shall average a minimum of 0.5 footcandle over the entire area, and shall be provided by fixtures with a maximum mounting height of 25 feet measured from the ground level to the center line of the light source or the height of the building, if attached, whichever is lower, and spacing not to exceed five times the mounting height. Any other outdoor lighting, such as building and sidewalk illumination and driveways with ornamental light, shall be shown on the lighting plan in sufficient detail to allow determination of the effects to adjacent properties, traffic safety and overhead sky glow. No light shall shine directly into windows of off-site buildings or unto streets and driveways in such a manner as to interfere with or distract driver vision. To achieve these requirements, the intensity of such light sources, light shielding and similar characteristics shall be subject to site plan approval.
(7)
The required minimum setbacks of the golf course clubhouse and clubhouse parking from the perimeter of the recreation open space tract shall be:
(a)
Golf course clubhouse:
[1]
Front yard: 200 feet;
[2]
Side yard: 200 feet; and
[3]
Rear yard: 200 feet.
(b)
Parking.
[1]
Golf course parking:
[a]
Front yard: 200 feet;
[b]
Side yard: 200 feet; and
[c]
Rear yard: 200 feet.
[2]
The number and design of spaces for parking for the golf course shall be acceptable to the Planning Board and, in any and all events, be no less than two per hole.
(8)
The height of the golf clubhouse building shall not exceed 35 feet exclusive of a cupola; provided, however, for every additional 10 feet of setback from residential properties not owned by the applicant/owner, the minimum height may be increased one foot up to a maximum height of 45 feet and three stories, which maximum height and story limitation shall not include the basement area.
(9)
The height of any other proposed structure and recreational building shall not exceed 35 feet; provided, however, for every additional 10 feet of setback from residential properties not owned by the applicant/owner, the minimum height may be increased one foot up to a maximum height of 45 feet and three stories, which maximum height and story limitation shall not include the basement area.
(10)
Setback from public streets. All buildings, parking areas and other aboveground improvements, with the exception of access drives or access roadways, landscaping and screening areas and golf course land and water features, shall be set back a minimum of 200 feet from the right-of-way of all existing public streets.
(11)
Setback from other property lines. All buildings, parking areas and other aboveground improvements regulated under § 211-17.2A(2)(a)[1], [2] and [3] and (b)[1] and [2] above shall be set back a minimum of 200 feet from the perimeter of the recreation open space tract where adjacent to properties zoned for residential use which are not owned by the tract owner or related tract applicant/owner entity.
(12)
No existing local public street shall be utilized to provide access to a recreation open space tract development or any permitted conditional use.
