It is required that a site plan be submitted to the Administrative Officer, under the procedures portion of the Development Ordinance, for every application for development, including a change of use from single family residential to any other use, except for subdivision or the development of a single family residential structure. A site plan will also not be required for the addition. deletion or relocation of doors and windows, or the construction or re-construction of the roofline of an entire building for non-residential uses, or the erection of canopies pursuant to Section 21-53.6, if, in the opinion of the Planning Administrator and Construction Code Official, the proposed changes will not be detrimental to the public health, safety, and general welfare. Site plans may be submitted separately as a preliminary site plan and final site plan or may be submitted as a combined preliminary and final site plan.
It is required that an application for subdivision approval be submitted to the administrative officer for any subdivision of land, as defined in the New Jersey Municipal Land Use Law.
a. Submission of Sketch Plat. The applicant shall submit a sketch plat to the administrative officer for the purpose of classification of all subdivision applications. Once classification has been determined by the Administrative Officer, the applicant shall be so advised and shall follow the appropriate procedures for filing as outlined in the procedures ordinance. This submittal may be waived by the administrative officer if the application clearly falls within the definition of either major subdivision or minor subdivision. The decision shall be final on any request for a waiver of this provision.
The following design standards shall apply to all site plan and subdivision development applications submitted to the administrative officer. The Municipal Agency may grant waivers from these requirements upon the submission of information reasonably necessary for the Municipal Agency to make an informed decision.
a. The developer shall regard the following requirements and principles of land development in the design of each development application or portion thereof. Prior to the granting of final approval, or as a condition of final approval, the subdivider shall have installed or, at the option of the Municipal Agency shall have furnished performance guarantees in accordance with the appropriate section of this chapter and N.J.S.A. 40:55D-53 for the ultimate installation or protection of the items required by this section.
b. The site plan or subdivision shall conform to design standards that will encourage good development patterns encouraging a coordinated, well-planned community with provisions for desirable services and circulation facilities. Furthermore, the site plan or subdivision shall conform to the proposals and conditions shown on the Official Map and the Master Plan of the Township of Ocean.
c. In addition to the standards set forth in this section, all subdivisions shall conform to the standards contained in Chapter VIII of this revision on Excavation and Construction in Public Streets where the provisions of that chapter and this chapter differ, those which provide for the highest standard of improvement and design shall govern.
a. Site Considerations. Natural site features such as: existing trees, streams, rock outcropping, etc. shall be preserved wherever possible. Whenever such natural features are absent or insufficient or have been destroyed during the development of the site, additional new plantings of a sufficient size as determined by the Municipal Agency shall be established to provide environmental protection to beautify the buildings and grounds, and to provide privacy, shade and the screening out of objectionable features created on the site.
Where there is a question as to the suitability of a lot or lots for their intended use due to factors such as rock formation, flood conditions, or similar circumstances, the Municipal Agency may, after adequate investigation, withhold favorable action on such lots.
b. Screening. Service areas, trash enclosures, recycling areas and enclosures, satellite dish antennas, parking areas, transformer compounds, and other strictly utilitarian improvements, shall be screened as fully as practicable. In general, it is intended that possible objectionable or unsightly features within a given development shall be screened from passing traffic or abutting residential properties.
c. Variety. In the case of a repetition of building designs, as in apartment house development, care shall be exercised to avoid monotony in the planting design by introducing sufficient variety in the planting layout to lend interest and aesthetic appeal. By the same token, excessive variety shall be avoided and all shall be represented as a balanced design with proper accent in the right places.
**Webmasters Note: According to the original document subsection d. is missing.
e. Protection of Area by Curbs or Bumpers. All buffers and landscaped areas shall be protected from adjacent parking areas by minimum 6" high concrete or belgian block curbs
f. Sodding. All lawn or grassed areas shall be sodded. Sod shall consist only of a mixture of blue grass, fescue, and perennial rye grass. A minimum of 25% of the mixture shall be bluegrass and a minimum of 25% of the mixture shall be fescue. Perennial rye grasses shall account for a maximum of 35% of the mixture.
g. Underground Sprinkler Systems Required. Underground sprinkler systems shall be required in all landscaped areas of commercial, office, and industrial developments. In order to provide for maximum water conservation, sprinkler systems shall be designed so that no water shall be directed on to impervious surfaces, and shall include automatic timing and metering mechanisms in order to insure that over-watering does not occur.
h. Buffer Planting Requirements. Planting in all required buffer areas shall consist of a minimum of two staggered rows of evergreen trees spaced 10' apart and planted 10' on center, except that in buffer areas less than 15' wide, a single row of evergreen trees planted 8' on center shall be required.
Additional planting materials and/or fencing may be required by the Municipal Agency to supplement the two rows of evergreen trees, but shall not replace them. The requirement for two rows of evergreen trees may be reduced by the Municipal Agency if substantial existing vegetation is located within the buffer area and the strict enforcement of this section would result in the loss or damage to the existing vegetation, or would be impractical as determined by the Municipal Agency.
1. All plants shall be specified and planted according to the following requirements :
(1) Where this Ordinance requires minimum tree size, the tree size shall be specified in an acceptable size range, showing the required minimum as the lower size in the range. Street trees required at a minimum 2 1/2" or 4" caliper shall be specified as 2 1/2" to 3" caliper or 4" to 4 1/2" caliper respectively. Evergreen trees required at a minimum 6' or 8' height shall be specified at 6' to 8' in height or 8' to 10' in height respectively.
(2) All trees shall be of a full and symmetrical growth habit at time of planting and at time of release from performance and maintenance bonds. Street trees shall begin branching at a minimum height of 8', but no higher than 12'. Evergreen trees shall be full and symmetrical, and of a sufficient density that they provide a significant visual screening effect.
(3) All plant materials shall be nursery grown stock, and shall comply with the minimum requirements of the American Association of Nurserymen as approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) unless otherwise specified in this Ordinance.
In all zones, for all site plans and subdivisions, the following provisions for trees and shrubs shall be included in addition to those provided in required buffer areas.
a. Trees
1. The applicant shall provide a Tree Location and Preservation Plan which shall locate all existing trees as provided below. Such tree preservation plan shall include:
(a) For all areas of the site where soil disturbance or development is to occur, and within 30' of any such area, the location, type, and caliper of all existing trees with a caliper of 6 inches or greater measured at a height of one foot above the root crown;
(b)For all other areas of the subject site, the general location of and general description of existing trees, or wooded areas containing existing trees with a caliper of 6 inches or greater measured at a height of one foot above the root crown;
(c) Which of the above trees are to be saved, and measures to be taken to insure the survival of the trees to be saved during and after construction, including the limits of regrading within the area of the root crown, protection of root systems during construction, suggested trimming and maintenance prior to construction;
(d) No tree with a caliper of 6 inches or greater measured at a height of one foot above the root crown, shall be removed from a site unless it is replaced with: a similar tree 4 inches in caliper one foot above the root crown; 2 trees with a minimum 2 1/2 inch caliper one foot above the root crown; a donation of $350 to the Township of Ocean Shade Tree fund.
(e) In the event that any tree, designated on an approved tree preservation plan to be preserved, dies or is removed within 2 years of the completion of construction, it shall be replaced by either: a similar tree 4 inches in caliper one foot above the root crown; or 2 trees with a minimum 2 1/2 inch caliper one foot above the root crown. Prior to replacement, the applicant shall submit a minor site plan application to the Municipal Agency for approval of the location of the new trees. The Municipal Agency may permit, in lieu of the replacement of the tree or trees, a donation of $350 to the Township of Ocean Shade Tree fund for each tree which has died or been removed.
2. In all residential, commercial and industrial developments, a minimum of 15 trees shall be provided for each acre of development, excluding required buffer areas.
No fewer than 30% of the trees shall be evergreen and no fewer than 30% of the trees shall be deciduous. Evergreen trees shall be a minimum height of 6' at planting. Deciduous trees shall have a minimum height of fifteen (15) feet at planting and a mature height of at least 30'. They shall be a minimum caliper of 2 1/2" measured at a height of 1' above the base of the tree at planting, except that a minimum of 2 deciduous trees per acre shall be not less than 4" caliper measured 1' above the base of the tree.
Existing trees, saved or replace as part of a tree preservation plan under paragraph 1.(d) above, may be included as part of the required trees, provided that the trees are not located in a required buffer area, and provided that, where the number of trees saved or replaced exceeds 15 per acre, the number of trees so saved is not reduced.
The number of trees provided shall be pro-rated for fractions of an acre, except that not less than one 4" caliper deciduous tree shall be provided on any site.
Deciduous trees that do not have a mature height of 30' or greater may be substituted for the deciduous trees which are required in the above paragraph provided that: two (2) of the smaller trees shall be required for each one (1) larger tree it replaces; and no more than five (5) deciduous trees per acre shall be substituted for in this manner.
No less than 30% of the required trees shall be planted in the required front yard. There shall be no requirement for the mix of deciduous and evergreen trees to be planted in a front yard.
3. Street Tree Plantings. For all development, street trees shall be required to be planted along all street frontage except in a C-1 zone. The minimum number of such trees shall total one tree for each 40' of frontage and shall not be located within the required sod area as described in this chapter. However, the Municipal Agency may waive the maximum spacing requirement and also permit the location of street trees within the required sod area in order to promote creative and aesthetically pleasing site design. Street trees shall meet the minimum size requirements of Paragraph 2 above and shall be counted towards meeting the minimum requirement of 15 trees per acre as required in this ordinance.
b. Shrubs. For residential dwellings, a minimum of one shrub shall be provided for each 50 sq. ft. or fraction thereof of building coverage. A minimum of 50% of all shrubs shall be evergreen. For the purpose of this paragraph, at least 50% of all shrubs shall have a mature height of not less than 30", and no shrub shall have a mature height of less than 18". All shrubs shall be in cans or balled and burlapped and shall have a minimum height or breadth of 18" at planting. Ground covers and plants with a mature height of less than 18" are permitted, but shall not be counted towards meeting the above minimum requirement.
a. General Design Considerations.
1. There shall be an adequate, safe and convenient arrangement of pedestrian circulation facilities, roadways, driveways, off-street parking and loading space.
2. Roads, pedestrian walks and open spaces shall be properly related to existing and proposed buildings and appropriately landscaped.
3. Buildings, parking areas and vehicular circulation shall be arranged so that pedestrian movement is not necessarily exposed to vehicular traffic.
4. Materials and design of paving, lighting fixtures, retaining walls, fences, curbs, benches, etc., shall be of good appearance and easily maintained.
5. The location and design of pedestrian walks should emphasize desirable views of new and existing development.
6. The maximum separation of private automobiles and service vehicles shall be provided through the use of separate service lanes, where reasonably possible.
7. Parking facilities shall be designed with careful regard to orderly arrangement, topography, landscaping, and ease of access, and shall be developed as an integral part of an overall site design.
b. Provision for Proper Drainage and Maintenance. All off-street parking, off-street loading, and service facilities shall be graded and drained so as to dispose of all surface water accumulation in a safe manner while preventing damage to abutting properties and/or public streets. Except for single-family uses, they shall be surfaced with asphaltic, bituminous cement or other properly bound pavement which will assure a surface resistant to erosion. All paved parking and loading areas and drives for other than single family residential uses shall be curbed with concrete or belgian block curbing, a minimum of 6" high. Such drainage and materials shall be installed as required by the Municipal Agency and as recommended by the Municipal Engineer. All such areas shall be at all times maintained at the expense of the owners thereof, in a clean, orderly and dust-free condition.
c. Separation from Walkways and Streets. All off-street parking, off-street loading, and service areas shall be separated from walkways, sidewalks, streets or alleys by curbing or other protective device where necessary as required by the Municipal Agency.
d. Private Walks Adjacent to Business Buildings. A walkway, if provided, adjacent to a business building shall be a minimum of four feet in width.
e. Size of Driveways.
1. A for all uses other than single family dwellings, a driveway, exclusive of curb re turn radii, shall be not less than 15 feet in width.
2. A curb return radius for a driveway at its entrance to a public street shall be a minimum of five feet for single-family residential uses and a minimum of 15 feet for all other uses.
3. For all uses other than single family residential uses, the maximum width of a driveway exclusive of curb return radii shall not exceed 30 feet. For single family uses, the maximum width of a driveway shall not exceed 20'.
f. Lighting. All outdoor lighting within the Township of ocean, including that for off- street parking areas, and appurtenant drives and pedestrian ways shall conform with the requirements of Section 21-46A
g. Size of Loading Spaces. All required loading spaces shall be at least 14 feet in width, 55 feet in length and have a minimum vertical clearance of 15 feet. Additional space for maneuvering, depending on the arrangement of the loading facilities, shall be provided. Reductions in the space size may be made for certain uses, if adequately demonstrated by the applicant, as determined by the Municipal Agency.
a. Subdivisions shall be served by paved public streets and all new streets shall be graded and provided with an all weather base and pavement with an adequate crown in keeping with Township specifications and standards.
b. The arrangement of streets shall be such as to provide for the appropriate continuous extension of existing, mapped or potential streets.
c. No subdivision showing reserve strips controlling access to another area, either developed or undeveloped, shall be approved except where control and disposal of land comprising such strips has been given to the governing body after recommendation by the planning board.
d. Subdivisions that adjoin or include streets that do not conform to widths as shown on the Master Plan, Official Map, or the street width requirements of this chapter, shall dedicate additional width along one or both sides of said road. If the subdivision is along one side only, one-half of the required extra width shall be dedicated unless there is sufficient area available within the subdivision to permit the complete additional dedication without creating nonconforming or substandard lots. This additional dedication may be required by the Municipal Agency as a condition of approval.
e. The right-of-way width shall be measured from lot line to lot line. Right-of-way width and pavement width shall not be less than the following unless otherwise indicated on the Master Plan or Official Map:
*The Municipal Agency may require a paved width of up to 36' for minor streets in areas of the Township where the prevailing paved width is 36'.
f. The pavement width of streets and the quality of surfacing and base materials shall adhere to the minimum standards set forth by the Township, County or State when said paving concerns roads under their jurisdiction and where such standards exist. Roads specifically serving industrial areas shall adhere to Township standards designed for the development of industrial uses and shall be sufficient to handle projected traffic and heavy trucking.
g. Street intersections shall be as nearly at right angles as is possible and in no case shall be less than 60 degrees. No more than two streets shall meet or intersect at any one point and the centerlines of both intersecting streets shall pass through a common point. Measuring from this common point, two intersections shall be spaced at a minimum of 150 feet. The block corners at intersections shall be rounded at the curb line with a curve having a radius of 20 feet. No shrubbery, signs, trees, monuments or other visual obstructions over two and one-half feet in height, measured from the top of the curb directly opposite the object or planting, shall be permitted within the following sight triangles measured from the centerline, point of intersection:
Street or specimen shade trees are permitted within this triangle provided they are trimmed to a point at least eight feet above the maximum elevation of the road surface within the triangle.
h. Where streets have a reverse curve, a tangent of at least 100 feet in length between curves shall be required.
1. No street shall have a minimum grade of less than three-fourths of one percent which shall be defined to mean a vertical rise of 0.75 feet for each 100 feet of horizontal distance. No street shall have a maximum grade of more than eight percent, which shall be defined to mean a vertical rise of eight feet for each 100 feet of horizontal distance. The maximum grade may be exceeded in exceptional cases to preserve unique topographical features as determined by the Municipal Agency.
j. All changes in grade where the grade differential is one percent or greater shall be connected by vertical curves of sufficient radius to provide a smooth transition and proper sight distance, but not so great as to create drainage problems. Sight distance shall be at least:
1. 600 feet for arterial streets.
2. 400 feet for collector streets.
3. 250 feet for minor streets.
k. The use of cul-de-sac streets shall be discouraged. When they are deemed necessary by the Municipal Agency, they shall be located so that they drain toward their entrances where practicable. The total length of the cul-de-sac shall be determined by good planning and engineering design and approved by the Municipal Agency. They shall provide a minimum turnaround radius of 50 feet which shall be tangent to the right side of the street where practicable.
l. All driveways and other off-street parking areas shall have driveway aprons in accordance with Chapter VIII of the Revised General Ordinances of the Township of Ocean on excavation and construction in public streets. Driveways resulting in the elimination of curbing along Township streets shall be prohibited.
m. Cul-de-sacs, limited service or minor streets shall not intersect with major or secondary arterial roads. Driveway to single family dwellings shall not open on arterial roads.
n. Street Names and Traffic Control Signs
1. No street shall have a name which will duplicate or so nearly duplicate the name of an existing street that confusion results. The continuation of an existing street shall have the same name as the street of which it is a continuation. Curbline streets shall change their names only at street intersections or in accordance with the appropriate provisions of this chapter. The Municipal Agency shall have the right to approve or name streets within the proposed subdivision.
2. Street name signs meeting Township specifications as to size, material and location shall be installed at the intersection of all streets and at such places on curvilinear streets as noted below:
(a) At street intersections.
(b) When two roads intersecting at right angles are connected by a curve.
(c) At the peak of the curve connecting two parallel streets when the length of the streets exceeds the length of the loop.
3. Where traffic control signs are required or permitted under the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, the proper Township, County or State office shall be informed of the proposed installation so that necessary action may be taken to legitimize such installation.
4. All street name and traffic control signs shall be installed free of visual obstructions.
Subdivisions abutting major or secondary arterial streets shall provide a marginal service road or reverse frontage with a buffer strip for planting, or some other means of separating through and local traffic as the Municipal Agency may deem appropriate. Minor streets shall not intersect collector streets at intervals more frequent than 500 feet whenever practical in the opinion of the municipal agency.
The minimum requirement for the surface of any street shall be in accordance with Chapter VIII of the Revised General Ordinances on Excavation and Construction in Public Streets.
a. The length, width or acreage of blocks shall be determined with due regard to the limitations and opportunities of topography and shall be such as to be sufficient to meet all the area, yard, and parking requirements for the proposed uses as expressed in the Zoning Ordinance as well as providing for convenient access, circulation control and safety to street traffic.
b. Side lot lines shall be at right angles to straight streets and radial to curved streets.
