[Added 10-20-2009 by Ord. No. O-09-52]
A. Purpose. The purpose and intent of providing for the development of a multipurpose recreation and sports complex in the SED Zone is to address the year-round recreational needs of both adults and children.
B. Definitions. The following terms shall apply to a multipurpose recreation and sports complex:
HEALTH CLUB An establishment that provides exercise facilities such as running, jogging, aerobics, weight lifting, court sports, and swimming, as well as locker rooms, showers, massage rooms, saunas and related accessory uses such as pro shops that sell a variety of sports equipment and clothing.
MULTIPURPOSE RECREATION AND SPORTS COMPLEX A private members-only facility intended to provide both adults and children year-round health, fitness, athletic activities, and a sports academy to provide instruction, training and practice in such sports as baseball, soccer, football, softball, lacrosse, field hockey and swimming. The multipurpose recreation and sports complex shall provide for a wide variety of indoor and outdoor uses, with or without seating for spectators, and shall provide accommodations for a variety of individual and organized sports including but not limited to volleyball, handball, lacrosse, field hockey, softball, basketball, soccer, football and baseball facilities, including indoor batting cages and outdoor fields. Such a facility may also provide other regular organized sporting events, health and fitness club facilities, swimming pools, snack bar, and retail sales of related sports, health and fitness items, and other support facilities. All uses within the complex shall be nonmotorized.
C. Location. A multipurpose recreation and sports complex shall only be permitted within an SED Zone District. The multipurpose recreation and sports complex shall be serviced by public sewer and centralized water, located next to or within the Monmouth County's Western Monmouth Development Plan regional center expansion area, and having lot frontage along a local roadway.
D. General.
(1) In the SED Zone a multipurpose recreation and sports complex shall be located to assure the safety of the users of the on-site facilities from any other SED permitted land uses.
(2) Vehicular access to and from the development shall be limited to two driveway curb cuts along the frontage of a local roadway. One of the two curb cuts shall be designed as the main entrance/exit driveway with a landscaped center median island.
(3) Permitted uses on a development tract or property may include an outdoor pool club, a sports building and a health club. Principal buildings shall be oriented to relate to each other in a coherent manner. Acceptable design principles shall be employed in siting buildings, siting parking areas, and providing appropriate-scale pedestrian and bicycle amenities.
(4) A pool club shall include an outdoor pool and patio. There shall also be a children's pool. The pool patio shall have an adjacent open-air pavilion. Provision shall be made for picnic and play areas and a beach volleyball court. The pool area shall be designed to be covered with a structure to permit year-round use of the pool. Temporary bleacher seating may be set up in the patio area to facilitate competitive swimming events with spectators.
(5) A sports building shall have a minimum gross floor area of 60,000 square feet. The building shall contain playing surfaces or fields to include designated areas for teams, coaches and spectators within the sports building. The sports building shall meet the following criteria:
(a) Team and individual sports that may be played shall include, but not be limited to, soccer, lacrosse, field hockey, roller hockey, ice hockey, flag football, volleyball, basketball, badminton, weight lifting, roller skating, squash, handball, racquetball, track and field events and functionally similar sporting activities.
(b) The total building square footage may include combined playing surface(s), and coaches and spectator areas.
(c) Areas for personal fitness may include areas for weight training, aerobic conditioning, and other fitness development regimens.
(d) Offices for sports-related professional businesses may include offices for personal trainers, coaches, sports medical professionals, sports associations and functionally similar users.
(e) Ancillary support services may include front desk area, food service, sports retailers, sports-related entertainment, and an elevated enclosed pedestrian bridge to connect a principal building with another principal building that contains similar or complementary uses. The area associated with an elevated enclosed pedestrian bridge shall not be considered part of gross floor area for the purpose of calculating minimum off-street parking requirements.
(6) A health club building shall have a minimum gross floor area of 60,000 square feet. The building shall contain fitness equipment, an indoor pool and basketball court and an elevated track. The health club building shall meet the following criteria:
(a) A portion of total building square footage may be devoted to fitness equipment, offices, and ancillary support services.
(b) A portion of total building square footage may be devoted to an indoor swimming pool, basketball facilities, and an elevated track.
(7) Application for a multipurpose recreation and sports complex shall require the submittal of a traffic study that will address traffic flow and off-street parking requirements. The traffic study shall be submitted with a site plan application and shall be sealed by a licensed traffic engineer.
E. Architectural design standards.
(1) The pool club building shall be designed to reflect a residential style with materials that include wood frame construction, cedar-look vinyl siding and Timberline-type asphalt shingles.
(2) The sports building shall be steel framed with insulated metal panel siding. The siding shall be articulated with horizontal bands in various colors. A three-to-five-foot-high decorative masonry band shall be provided at the base of the building to provide a durable surface along the grade. Horizontal bands of windows and translucent roof panels shall be provided to minimize the need for interior lighting during the daylight hours. The roof shall be sloping standing seam metal roof panels.
(3) The health club building shall be steel framed with insulated metal panel siding. The siding shall be articulated with horizontal bands in various colors. The banding will serve to break up the mass of some of the larger two-story wall elements. A three-to-five-foot-high decorative masonry band shall be provided at the base of the building to provide a durable surface along the grade. Horizontal bands of windows shall be provided to minimize the need for interior lighting during the daylight hours. Portions of the roof shall be flat with other sections comprised of sloping standing seam metal roof panels. Solar panels shall be installed on the flat roof in such a way that they will not be visible from the ground level.
(4) An elevated enclosed pedestrian bridge may be constructed to connect on-site principal buildings with one another.
(5) The health club building shall feature a distinctive architectural tower element feature that identifies the main entrance to this building.
(6) Mechanical equipment or other utility hardware on roofs, the ground, or mounted on buildings shall be screened from public view with materials harmonious with the building, or they shall be so located as not to be visible from any public ways.
(7) The applicant shall submit floor plans and architectural elevations for all buildings associated with the development of a multipurpose recreation and sports complex.
(1) Ownership and control. The property or tract shall be under one ownership or control by the applicant for purposes of obtaining all required development approvals and committing the tract to the regulations of a multipurpose recreation and sports complex.
(2) Minimum gross acreage: 40 acres.
(3) Minimum lot width: 350 feet.
(4) Minimum lot depth along a local roadway: 1,000 feet.
(5) Minimum lot frontage: 350 feet.
(6) Minimum front yard setback: 100 feet.
(8) Minimum distance between buildings over one story: 100 feet.
(10) Maximum impervious coverage: 50%.
(11) Maximum building coverage: 20%.
(12) Maximum principal building height:
(a) Pool club: 30 feet/one story.
(b) Health club equal to or over 60,000 square feet: 45 feet.
(c) Sports building equal to or over 60,000 square feet: 60 feet.
(13) Accessory buildings:
(b) Maximum height: 16 feet/one story.
(14) Principal building setbacks: buildings equal to or over 60 feet tall shall have a minimum one-hundred-fifty-foot setback from any property line.
G. Public sanitary sewer service. Public sanitary sewer service is required for development under the area, yard and building requirements of Subsection F of this section.
H. Landscape buffers and setbacks.
(1) Landscaping shall be provided approved by the reviewing board to provide shade, designate entrances, screen parking from roads, screen utility areas and provide aesthetic interest throughout the year.
(2) Decorative foundation landscaping shall be required on all street frontages and public view facades and is encouraged on the side and rear facades. A landscaped planting buffer is required between parking areas and buildings.
(3) A landscaped buffer of a minimum width of 50 feet shall be provided along any tract boundary, except where such boundary abuts a roadway frontage, public open space or lands to be dedicated as public or private open space, in which instance the required buffer shall be not less than 15 feet.
(4) Where parking is adjacent to a public right-of-way, a fifteen-foot-wide landscape buffer shall be provided between the edge of the right-of-way and the edge of the parking lot. The landscape buffer shall consist of one or a combination of the following:
(a) A solid wall or architectural fence of four feet in height; and
(b) Landscaping of at least one shrub every three linear feet in the form of an evergreen hedge three feet high; and
(c) Berms at least three feet high to be planted with ground cover, shrubs, and trees so as to provide a substantially solid screen five feet high.
(5) A development application shall include plans for water irrigation of all landscaping, buffering and lawn areas as determined necessary by the Planning Board. The approved irrigation plan shall be constructed, installed and maintained by the developer and/or subsequent owner.
(6) In order to reinforce a sense of place and for ecological benefit, a minimum of 50% of all plantings shall be species native to the region and a maximum of 50% of the plantings may be non-native, noninvasive species. Fertilization and maintenance of plantings shall be as ecologically sustainable as possible, by engaged organic methods and low-spray or no-spray and toxicity protocols wherever feasible.
I. Off-street parking and loading. Where practical, off-street parking areas shall be integrated into the design of a site to maximize accessibility while minimizing the negative impacts of large parking lots. The use of landscaping, berms, several smaller lots and architectural elements shall be encouraged to reduce the impacts of large parking lot design. Loading areas shall not be constructed facing any street. All loading areas shall be screened from visibility from neighboring property. The following standards shall apply:
(1) Off-street parking spaces shall be required to satisfy the dimensional requirements in § 188-107A, except that a parking space may be nine feet wide and 18 feet in length.
(2) Off-street loading areas shall be appropriately screened with architectural walls and landscaping.
(3) The interior of all parking lots shall be landscaped in accordance with the standards found in § 188-227G.
J. Sidewalks. Pedestrian linkages between buildings and between parking areas and buildings shall be part of a site plan submission. Pedestrian-oriented amenities such as walks, plazas and/or patios shall be incorporated into the site plan(s) where appropriate. Where required, sidewalks shall be at least five feet wide and located or approved by the approving authority except that sidewalks that abut parking spaces shall be at least six feet wide.
K. Site lighting. A combination of pole- and building-mounted lights shall be provided to satisfy Township standards and to provide a safe environment. Well designed soft lighting of the building exterior shall be permitted provided that the lighting complements the architecture. The lighting shall not draw inordinate attention to the building. Parking lot and roadway lighting shall be provided by freestanding fixtures designed to minimize glare to the street and adjacent properties. In all cases, site lighting shall be shielded and aimed so as to minimize adverse impacts associated with stray light, glare, overhead sky glow and light that falls beyond the boundaries of the property lines. Light poles shall be no taller than 25 feet as measured from the finished grade. The lighting plan shall take into consideration the hours of operation of the facility. Lights shall be designed so that they can be reduced or turned off when they are not necessary. A timer may be necessary to regulate the hours of operation. The type of light fixture and color of lamping shall be evaluated for their compatibility with the architecture and natural site characteristics.
L. Development standards. The minimum construction requirements for streets, roads, sidewalks, sewer facilities, utility use and drainage shall be in compliance with appropriate Howell Township regulations and ordinances.
M. Deed restrictions. Approval of a multipurpose recreation and sports complex shall be conditioned upon the submission, by the applicant to the approving board attorney, of restrictive covenants on the deeds to any and all portions of a tract so developed, to include the following provisions:
(1) Requiring the owner to, at all times, operate and maintain such lot or parts of the tract in good order and repair and in a clean and sanitary condition.
(2) Requiring that any cross-easements for parking areas, appurtenant ways, pedestrian accesses and utilities shall be adequately maintained.
(3) Establishing the provision for the long-term maintenance of all open lands and recreational facilities and uses. The responsibility for the cost of such maintenance shall be borne by the applicant.
N. Signage.
(1) Freestanding monument signs.
(a) A maximum of two freestanding monument signs shall be permitted along the local street frontage at each entrance to the tract, set back from the street right-of-way, driveway and lot lines at least 15 feet. These signs shall be located where they are visible from the adjacent street. They shall be monument-based and ground-mounted horizontally, and shall not be raised in the air on poles. They shall not be greater than 48 square feet in size, excluding the base, which shall be a maximum of two feet in height. The base of a monument sign shall be planted with shrubs and seasonal flowers. The sign shall be used to display the development's name.
(b) A freestanding monument sign may be lit with an external spot or floodlighting, halo-lit or with back-lit letters. A ground-mounted light shall be arranged so that the light source is screened from direct view by passersby, and so that the light is directed against the sign and does not shine into adjacent property or blind motorists and pedestrians. Halo-lit or back-lit letters are highly encouraged for the monument signs. Such signs convey a subtle and attractive appearance and are very legible under moderate ambient lighting conditions. Face-illuminated letters are not appropriate for this type of signage.
(2) Wall-mounted signs.
(a) A pool club shall be permitted to have one halo-lit or back-lit wall-mounted sign to be no greater than 40 square feet in size.
(b) A sports building shall be permitted to have two halo-lit or back-lit wall-mounted signs, each to be no greater than 360 square feet in size.
(c) A health club building shall be permitted to have one halo-lit or back-lit wall-mounted sign to be no greater than 180 square feet in size. This maximum amount of signage may be divided between two signs to be mounted on two different faces of a tower element.
(d) Signs shall be mounted so that the method of installation is concealed.
(e) Sign colors shall be compatible with the colors of the building facade.
(3) Back-lighting shall illuminate the letters, characters, or graphics of a sign but not its background.
(4) Additionally, information and directional signs, each not more than three feet in height and 10 square feet in area, shall be permitted, where appropriate and as approved by the Board, in order to guide pedestrian and vehicular traffic to its intended destination in a safe and convenient manner.
(5) Where individual letter signs face nearby residences, a low level of brightness shall be maintained.
O. To the extent feasible, development of a multipurpose recreation and sports complex shall follow the guidelines of the U.S. Green Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).
[Added 10-19-2015 by Ord. No. 0-15-40]
A. Purpose. The purpose and intent of the RMLD-2 District is to provide for the development of a one-hundred-percent affordable project not to exceed 72 multifamily units.
B. Permitted uses.
(1) Principal uses: multifamily dwellings.
(2) Accessory uses:
(b) Off-street parking facilities.
(c) Utility structures.
(3) Conditional uses: none.
C. Tract requirements.
(1) Ownership and control. The tract shall be under one ownership or control by the applicant for purposes of obtaining all required development approvals and committing the tract to the regulations of the RMLD-2 District.
(2) Maximum tract density: 6.0 dwelling units per gross acre but not to exceed a total of 72 residential units.
(3) Minimum tract area: 10 acres.
(4) Minimum tract frontage: 200 linear feet.
(5) Minimum tract perimeter landscaping: 50 feet from the street line and 30 feet from all other property lines, which may include fencing in addition to vegetative screening. All other buffer or similar requirements set forth in this chapter or § 188-34 that are otherwise applicable to residential zones shall not apply to the RMLD-2 District.
(6) Minimum tract open space: 25%.
Minimum building setback from all other property lines 50 feet from the street lines; 30 feet from all other property lines
Maximum lot coverage
Buildings 15%
Impervious 25%
Minimum distance between buildings 50 feet
Maximum building height 35 feet
Maximum stories 2.5 stories
Maximum number of units per building 32
E. Minimum parking requirements. Parking spaces shall be provided in accordance with the requirements of the New Jersey Residential Site Improvement Standards (RSIS). Garden apartment ratios shall be utilized in determining the minimum required number of off-street parking spaces. Off-street parking spaces may be provided in surface parking lots or underneath residential buildings.
F. Dedication of open space. Open space on the tract may be maintained by the owner, a tenant association, or condominium association, or may be dedicated to the Township of Howell as determined by the Planning Board. The area of such dedicated open space shall continue to be considered as part of the tract area for purposes of compliance with the RMLD-1 Zone bulk regulations.
G. Relationships to other sections this chapter. Where the regulations of the RMLD-1 Zone conflict with any other regulations of this chapter, the regulations contained in this section for the RMLD-2 Zone shall apply.
