Swedesboro City Zoning Code
ARTICLE VA
R-IH Residential-Inclusionary Housing Zone
§ 340-12.1 Uses; standards; design.
B.
Permitted accessory uses.
(1)
Common-use parking area.
(2)
Recreational use or facility, such as a swimming pool, tot lot, walking trails, tennis courts, sports or play area, dog park, and community building.
(3)
Signage.
(4)
Electric vehicle charging and service equipment.
(5)
Public water and public sewer utility infrastructure.
(6)
Home occupations in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.
(7)
Trash and recycling enclosures.
(8)
Outdoor seating accessory to permitted restaurant and brewery uses.
(9)
Any uses customarily accessory and incidental to a principal use.
C.
Site development standards. Deviations from this section shall require variance relief.
(1)
Minimum tract area prior to any proposed subdivision: 28 acres.
(2)
Maximum number of residential dwelling units: 139 units.
(3)
Minimum number of affordable residential dwelling units: 21 units.
(4)
Subdivision of lots for permitted uses and permitted community accessory uses (such as pump station, recreation, stormwater management) is permitted. Though the accessory use will become the primary use on the subdivided lot, it will remain a permitted use accessory to the development overall when owned by homeowners association, condominium association, or the Borough of Swedesboro.
(5)
Maximum building coverage: 30% of the developable area (excluding wetlands, floodplains and steep slopes).
(6)
Maximum tract coverage: 60% of the developable area (excluding wetlands, floodplains and steep slopes).
(7)
Minimum perimeter building setbacks: 40 feet along all existing public street lines and property lines.
(a)
No residential building shall be closer than 20 feet to a common-use parking area.
(8)
Townhouse bulk standards.
(a)
Minimum lot area: 1,600 square feet.
(b)
Minimum interior unit lot width: 20 feet.
(c)
Minimum exterior unit lot width: 30 feet.
(d)
Minimum lot depth: 80 feet.
(e)
Minimum front yard setback: 20 feet including building walls, porches, stoops, landings, stairs, and decks.
(f)
Minimum rear yard setback: 20 feet to building walls, excluding porches, stoops, landings, stairs, and decks, which max extend a maximum of 10 feet from the building.
(g)
Minimum side yard setback: zero feet interior lot/10 feet end lot.
(h)
Maximum lot coverage: 85% interior lot/75% end lot.
(9)
Stacked flats bulk standards.
(a)
Minimum lot area: 1,760 square feet.
(b)
Minimum lot width: 22 feet.
(c)
Minimum lot depth: 80 feet.
(d)
Minimum front yard setback: 20 feet including building walls, porches, stoops, landings, stairs, and decks.
(e)
Minimum rear yard setback: 20 feet to building walls, excluding porches, stoops, landings, stairs, and decks, which may extend a maximum of 10 feet from the building.
(f)
Minimum side yard setback: zero feet interior lot/10 feet end lot.
(g)
Maximum lot coverage: 75%.
(10)
Nonresidential use bulk standards.
(12)
Off-street parking.
(a)
Off-street parking shall be provided in accordance with the New Jersey Residential Site Improvement Standards (N.J.R.S.I.S), except that additional on-site guest parking will be provided.
[1]
For affordable units, at least one dedicated parking space shall be provided on site for each unit. Additional parking may be provided in common parking areas but must be located within 300 feet of the unit.
(b)
Parking for nonresidential uses shall be provided at a rate of one space per 200 square feet of gross floor area.
(c)
Off-street parking areas shall be curbed and paved with an appropriate all-weather asphalt, bituminous or cement paving, and shall be adequately illuminated at night, with exterior lighting arranged to protect adjoining residences or highways from direct glare or hazardous interference.
(d)
All off-street parking areas for more than 10 spaces shall be screened with evergreen shrubbery or trees not less than five feet in height when planted, or other suitable landscaping approved by the Planning Board, along all streets and adjacent property lines.
(e)
All parking areas and walkways and appurtenant passageways and driveways serving commercial, public, residential, recreational or other uses having common off-street parking and/or loading areas shall be adequately illuminated for security and safety purposes. The lighting plan in and around the parking areas shall provide for nonglare lights focused downward. The light intensity provided at ground level shall be indicated in footcandles on the submitted site plans and shall have a minimum of 0.5 footcandle throughout off-street parking areas.
(f)
No lighting shall shine directly or reflect into the window of residences, nor shall lighting shine or reflect onto streets and driveways in such a manner as to interfere with driver vision. The intensity of such light sources, light shielding, the direction and reflection of the lighting and similar characteristics shall be subject to the site plan approval by the Planning Board.
(13)
Loading and unloading areas. Provisions shall be made for the off-street loading and unloading of trucks and other vehicles serving nonresidential uses. Such loading and unloading areas shall be so arranged that they may be used without blocking or otherwise interfering with the use of street, parking facilities or pedestrian ways.
(14)
Buffers and screening requirements.
D.
Design standards. Deviations from this section shall require design waiver relief.
(1)
Landscaping and buffers.
(a)
General buffer and screen composition and planting standards.
[1]
Buffers may be comprised of existing vegetation and natural features, proposed new or transplanted vegetation, fences, walls and/or earthen berms. When earthen berms are included in a buffer, a curvilinear or naturalistic arrangement is encouraged.
[2]
No structure, activity, storage of materials or parking of vehicles shall be permitted within a buffer area.
[3]
All buffer and/or screen plantings along external public roadways shall require an earthen berm as an integral part of the landscaping.
[4]
Native plant material shall be utilized to the greatest extent possible.
[5]
Up to 50% of the required shade trees may be substituted with ornamental trees at a ratio of two ornamental trees for each shade tree.
[6]
Plants shall be distributed throughout the entire length of buffers and screens but need not be evenly spaced.
[7]
Buffer and screen plantings shall be broken at points of vehicular and pedestrian access, outside of clear sight triangles.
[8]
The remainder of the buffer area shall be planted with ground covers, including lawn grasses or meadow plantings, as appropriate to the character of the site and adjacent lands.
[9]
Landscaping and earthen berms shall not be located above or within five feet of utility infrastructure, including but not limited to, water, storm, sanitary sewer, telephone, gas, and electric services.
(b)
Landscaping for parking lots, loading and vehicle storage areas.
[1]
A screen planting, earthen berm, fence, wall or combination thereof, no less than four feet in height, shall be provided between all off-street parking areas with 30 or more parking spaces and any lot line or street line. Such screen shall be capable of obscuring the glare of automobile headlights.
[2]
The last parking stall in a row shall be separated from drive aisles by a planting island.
[3]
All loading areas shall be landscaped and screened sufficiently to obscure the view of the parked vehicles and loading platforms from any public and private street throughout the year. Such screening shall be by an extension of the building, a fence, earthen berms, wall, planting or combination thereof and shall not be less than five feet in height at the time of planting, and eight feet in height at maturity.
[4]
To prevent conflicts with the opening and closing of automobile doors, and to reduce damage from automobile overhangs, all shrub plantings in parking lot islands and divider strips located adjacent to or abutting parking stalls shall be set back a minimum of one foot from the curb or edge of pavement.
[5]
Plantings required within the parking areas are exclusive of other planting requirements such as street trees, buffer and compensatory plantings.
(c)
Street trees.
[1]
Street trees shall be required along all existing or proposed public and private streets and are in addition to other required plantings.
[2]
Street trees shall be placed in a five-foot-wide planting strip located between the proposed sidewalk and curb to the greatest extent feasible. Street trees shall not be planted within sight triangles. Where the planting strip is not wide enough to accommodate street trees, the trees shall be planted three feet inside the sidewalk within a street tree easement.
[3]
Street trees shall comply with the size and spacing requirements in the table below. In the instance where driveways, sidewalks, or utilities conflict with street tree placement, trees may be relocated elsewhere on the property at the discretion of the Planning Board.
Tree Size (feet) | Planting Interval (feet) |
|---|---|
Large trees (40+) | 50 |
Medium-sized trees (30 to 40) | 40 |
Small trees (up to 30) | 30 |
[4]
A minimum of 50% of the proposed street trees shall be native to the region.
[5]
To prevent the total obliteration of sections of trees by disease or insect infestation, a variety of trees shall be used in each street tree planting. In general, no more than 20 trees in a row or in a cluster should be of the same species, unless otherwise approved.
[6]
Plantings shall not block, impede or interfere with the installation, safe use, operation or maintenance of roadways, sidewalks, sight easements, utilities, and lighting. Plantings shall not be of an invasive nature, weedy or brittle character, easily susceptible to pest infestations and/or diseases, or possess hazardous characteristics (bee-attracting, poisonous, thorny) when used in areas designated for sitting or play.
[7]
The street tree requirement may be waived where existing preserved vegetation is considered sufficient to meet these requirements and is reasonably assured of continued survival.
(d)
Facade plantings. To break up long stretches of facade and provide a more comfortable pedestrian environment, plantings shall be placed along the sides of all buildings facing parking lots and street rights-of-way, according to the following standards:
[1]
Plantings are required for all sides of a residential building facing parking lots, private streets, or areas intended primarily for pedestrian use. Plantings are not required along the sides of buildings containing service or loading areas unless they also face parking areas.
[2]
Plantings are required for all sides of a residential building facing a street right-of-way.
[3]
Facade plantings should consist of a minimum of 50% evergreen material to ensure that landscaping is present during the late fall to early spring seasons.
(2)
Signage.
(b)
Freestanding signs illumination shall be arranged to light the sign and only featured landscaping surrounding the sign area. The illumination of featured landscaping around the sign will be permitted at the discretion of the Board.
(c)
All signage shall be coordinated, original, and aesthetically compatible. Signs shall be legible and dimensionally proportional.
(d)
Sign area is calculated by the smallest plane figure enclosing all design elements.
(e)
Signage shall be integrated into the overall architectural design of the building.
(f)
Horizontally oriented signage shall not protrude above the sill line of the second floor.
(g)
No sign shall project above the roof line.
(h)
Street and directional signage and street lighting should be aesthetically unified or complementary.
(i)
Parking area information signs shall be limited to those that provide information pertaining to direction, identification of parking area, identification of pedestrian and motorist exits, warnings about clearance, oncoming traffic, and parking rates and shall be easily readable. Parking area information signages shall not count toward the overall number of signs.
(j)
Low-lying landscaping shall be provided at the base of freestanding signs, and shall not conflict with sign messaging or sight triangles.
(3)
Pedestrian connectivity, sidewalks and curbing.
(a)
Sidewalks, a minimum of five feet in width, shall be provided along all roadway frontages throughout the site providing pedestrian connectivity.
(b)
Sidewalks shall be constructed of solid and durable materials, such as poured portland cement concrete, concrete pavers or stone, according to industry standards.
(c)
Curbing shall be constructed of either granite, concrete or Belgium block.
(d)
Intersections shall contain ADA accessible ramps.
(e)
Intersections shall contain crosswalks, which will serve as an extension of the sidewalk.
(f)
Crosswalks shall be a minimum of five feet in width and either be consistent with the color and material of the adjacent sidewalks.
(4)
Design standards for nonresidential uses.
(a)
In a restaurant or brewery, outdoor seating shall be provided.
(b)
Serving stations and a host podium may be located within an outdoor dining area. There shall be no outdoor cooking allowed.
(c)
Outdoor dining areas may have outdoor heaters, provided the same are in locations identified on the plan and subject to inspection by the Borough Zoning Officer and/or the Fire Department.
(d)
To the extent possible, all elements of the outdoor dining area shall be compatible with the architectural character of the building where the establishment is located.
(e)
Planters, posts with ropes, wrought iron railings, or other removable enclosures are encouraged.
(5)
Streets, utilities and mechanical equipment.
(a)
Roof-vent penetrations shall be located at least 10 feet from any exterior building face, if possible.
(b)
Bulkheads and/or mechanical equipment shall be enclosed on the roof, set back and housed in an enclosure utilizing the same material or comparable material as the rest of the building facades.
(c)
All utilities shall be buried underground unless site-specific constraints exist, in which case screening in the form of fencing, landscaping, or both shall be provided around such features.
(d)
Every effort shall be made to make utilities as visually unobtrusive as possible.
(e)
Manholes, meters and access panels shall be constructed of materials and styles consistent with established design theme and building design.
(f)
The developer shall coordinate all utility improvements with the responsible utility.
(6)
Street lighting.
(a)
Decorative light fixtures shall be mounted at a height not greater than 18 feet; the supporting light pole shall not exceed 20 feet in height.
(b)
Street lights shall be coordinated with other street furniture and street trees.
(c)
Street lights shall be mounted on fixtures which arc towards the ground plane.
(7)
Building and mechanical equipment, including but not limited to, HVAC, meters, grills, elevator cabinets, transformers, primary/backup generators and satellite dishes, should be located so as to be visually shielded or screened from public and private streets to the extent allowed by utility companies.
(8)
All common yard areas, open space, basins, wooded areas, and similarly situated open areas will be maintained by the homeowners' association or management entity, not individual property owners.
(9)
Improvement standards. All private and public streets, both internal and external, including grading and paving, driveways, parking areas, sidewalks, curbs, gutters, streetlighting, shade trees, water mains, water systems, culverts, storm sewers, sanitary sewers, pumping stations, drainage structures, stormwater management facilities, recreational facilities, and any such other improvements as may be found to be necessary in the public interest, shall be installed at the expense of the developer, provided that such standards may be modified by the Planning Board on recommendation by the Borough Engineer. Such improvements shall be completed to the satisfaction of the Mayor and Borough Council before a certificate of occupancy may be issued. The installation of all required improvements affecting the public interest shall be subject to the inspection and approval of the Borough Engineer.
(10)
Sewer and water. No application for a permit shall be considered unless such building or project can be served by the Borough sewer and water system. The installation of public water, sewerage and drainage facilities shall be in accordance with the specifications of the appropriate governmental authorities. Such improvements shall be made at the sole expense of the developer. All townhouse units to be sold in single ownership or in condominium ownership shall each have individual water and sewer service lines and shall have individual meters.
(11)
Underground utilities. All telephone and electric transmission service lines connecting individual buildings of the site with the street transmission lines, and between buildings on the site, shall be installed underground. Each residential building shall contain a single concealed master television antenna or cable television service.
(12)
Air conditioning. Air conditioning shall be installed in each residential building, either as a central system or as individual units, provided that each dwelling unit shall have individual air-conditioning controls. There shall be no window-installed units, and all exterior equipment relating to a central system shall be suitably enclosed or screened and located on the roof.
(13)
Heating. Each dwelling unit which is heated by a central heating source shall have a separate thermostat to control heat.
(14)
Laundry facilities. Adequate laundry facilities consisting of automatic washing and clothes drying machines in a laundry room shall be provided or a washer and dryer shall be installed in each dwelling unit, or hookup provision made for the installation of such facilities.
(15)
Refuse disposal. Provision for the disposal and storage of refuse shall be made within each dwelling unit.
(16)
Storage space. A minimum of 180 cubic feet of storage space for such items as bicycles, tires, lawn care equipment and items of dead storage shall be provided for each dwelling unit.
(17)
Affordable housing requirements. All affordable units will be constructed in accordance with any developer's agreement entered into between the Borough of Swedesboro and the developer of any project constructed in this zone. In addition, said affordable units will be constructed in accordance with Chapter 68, Affordable Housing, the Borough's Housing Element and Fair Share Plan, the Fair Housing Act (FHA), the Uniform Housing Affordability Controls (N.J.A.C. 5:80-26.1 et seq.) (UHAC) and applicable Council on Affordable Housing (COAH) regulations. Affordable units will be properly affirmatively marketed, administered and deed restricted. Said units will also have proper income distributions, bedroom mixes, will be integrated throughout the market-rate units, and will be phased in accordance with N.J.A.C. 5:93-5.6(d).
(18)
Architectural standards.
(a)
In order to encourage an attractive building arrangement, variations in the setback or alignment of buildings erected on the same frontage or attached to other buildings shall be provided, parallel arrangement of buildings shall be avoided, and desirable variations in such things as the facade, construction and rooflines of buildings and single-family attached units or townhouses shall be encouraged. Individuality in buildings shall be achieved also by use of varying external materials, colors, landscape elements and other design details. Exterior walls shall not be of exposed cinder block or EIFS.
(b)
No two residential buildings shall be attached in a straight, unbroken row, and townhouses or townhouse-type buildings shall be designed with two-foot visible offsets or setbacks or with variations in building alignment and orientation. No single structure shall contain more than eight townhouse units.
(c)
All structures shall be situated with proper consideration of their relationship to other buildings in terms of light, air, usable open space, access to public and private rights-of-way, off-street parking, height, bulk, and street alignment.
(d)
Building designs shall incorporate modulation and articulation, including changes in textures, materials, colors, as well as massing reveals in order to create visual intrigue and pedestrian-scaled facades.
(e)
Window placement shall be utilized to help articulate the building's aesthetics and designed to create depth and offsets of the walls. The pitch of hipped or gabled roofs, over structures other than stoops, porches or balconies must be at a minimum slope of 8:12.
(f)
Dormers shall light habitable spaces, be placed flush with or a minimum of three inches from side building walls, and have shed roofs with a minimum slope of 3:12 or hipped with a slope to match the principal roof.
(g)
Roof and wall penetrations, except stucco or brick chimneys, shall be concealed from public view to the maximum extent possible. If visible, they shall be painted to match the color of the roof or wall.
(h)
All hipped or gabled roofs must have eaves.
(i)
Eaves shall be continuous unless overhanging a balcony or porch.
(j)
Overhang of eaves must be a minimum of two feet from the building face.
(k)
Cornices are required on buildings with flat roofs. They shall include a projection beyond the building face.