The purpose of these provisions is to provide minimal standards and restrictions for the design of new structures and improvements in conjunction with review and approval of subdivision plats and site plans. The necessity of adhering to these standards may only be waived pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:55D-51.
All subdivision, site plans and planned developments shall comply with the requirements established herein and the construction specifications. In reviewing the aforementioned types of land development, the approving board shall consider the following general requirements which are more specifically set forth in this chapter:
A. Pedestrian and vehicular traffic movement within and adjacent to the site with particular emphasis on the provision and layout of parking area, off-street loading and unloading, movement of people, goods and vehicles from access roads within the site, between buildings and between buildings and vehicles.
B. The approving board shall ensure that all parking spaces are usable and safely and conveniently arranged. Access to the site from adjacent roads shall be designed so as to interfere minimally with traffic flow on these roads and to permit vehicles a rapid and safe ingress and egress to the site.
C. The design layout of buildings and parking areas shall be reviewed so as to provide an aesthetically pleasing design and efficient arrangement. Particular attention shall be given to safety and fire protection, impact on surrounding development and contiguous and adjacent buildings and lands.
D. Adequate lighting shall be provided to ensure safe movement of persons and vehicles and for security purposes. Lighting standards shall be a type approved by the approving board. Lights shall be arranged so as to minimize glare and reflection on adjacent properties.
E. Buffering shall be located around the perimeter of the site to minimize headlights of vehicles, noise, light from structures, the movement of people, and vehicles, and to shield activities from adjacent properties when necessary. Buffering may consist of fencing, evergreens, shrubs, bushes, deciduous trees or combinations thereof to achieve the stated objectives.
F. Landscaping shall be provided as part of the overall site plan or subdivision design and integrated into building arrangements, topography, parking and buffering requirements. Landscaping may include trees, bushes, other ground cover, perennials, annuals, plants, sculpture, and other works of art.
G. Signs shall be designed so as to be aesthetically pleasing, harmonious with other signs on the site, and located so as to achieve their purpose without constituting hazards to vehicles and pedestrians.
H. Storm drainage, sanitary waste disposal, water supply and garbage disposal shall be reviewed and considered. Particular emphasis shall be given to the adequacy of existing systems, in view of the development proposed, and the need for improvements, both on-site and off-site, to adequately carry runoff and sewage, and to maintain an adequate supply of water at sufficient pressure and quality.
I. Garbage disposal shall be reviewed to ensure frequent collection, vermin and rodent protection, and aesthetic considerations. All systems shall meet Township specifications as to installation and construction.
J. Environmental elements relating to soil erosion, preservation of trees, protection of watercourses and resources, noise, topography, soil and animal life, air quality, floodplains, wetlands, preservation of trees and vegetation, coastal zones and groundwater resources shall be reviewed and the design of the plan shall minimize any adverse impact on these elements.
A. Streets.
(1) General.
(a) Streets, drives, parking and service areas shall provide safe and convenient access for users to buildings and structures and for service and emergency vehicles. Streets shall neither be so laid out as to encourage outside traffic to traverse the development on minor streets, nor occupy more land than is required to provide access, nor create unnecessary fragmentation of the development into smaller blocks. In general, block size shall be the maximum consistent with use and shape of the site and the convenience and safety of the occupants.
(b) The proposed street system shall conform to the standards set forth in the Schedule of Required Street Dimensions contained in Appendix I which is incorporated herein by reference and the proposals and conditions shown in the Master Plan.
(2) Hierarchy. In any major subdivision it shall be the duty of the approving board to classify proposed streets according to their types. In making a determination as to the classification of a particular street, the board shall take into consideration the provisions of the Master Plan and the existing and proposed conditions within the subdivision.
(a) Arterial roadways. This class of roadway is primarily intended to form an interconnected system serving lengthy trips and linking major traffic generators. The first and most important function of arterial roadways is to carry traffic and provision of access to adjoining property is relegated to a secondary function and is minimized. With traffic volumes exceeding 10,000 trips per day, noise levels will normally exceed 65 decibels and with truck traffic can increase to 80 decibels or more; any residential units should therefore be set back at least 100 feet. Arterial roadways shall be assigned to one of the following three subclasses based on the volume of traffic they are intended to carry and shall satisfy the following standards in addition to those otherwise set forth in this chapter:
[1] Major arterials. This class of arterial roadway is intended to carry 25,000 to 40,000 trips per day. Traffic turning onto and off these road can reduce capacity and access points should be restricted as much as possible.
[2] Minor arterials. This class of arterial roadway is intended to carry 15,000 to 25,000 trips per day.
[3] Light arterials. This class of arterial roadway is intended to carry 10,000 to 15,000 trips per day.
(b) Collector roadways. Collector roadways differ from arterials in that they should not form an interconnected system. They should simply carry traffic to the arterials and should not form linkages and interconnections which would accommodate through-traffic which is unrelated to the uses which adjoin them. This class of street is intended to siphon traffic from local streets before their capacity is exceeded and the two functions of traffic movement and property access are of equal importance. Traffic on collector roadways should be given priority over local streets and not interrupted by sharp turns or stop signs. On-street parking is undesirable and should be avoided where possible. This class of collector roadway is intended to carry up to 10,000 trips per day.
(c) Local roadways. Local roadways differ from other roadways in that they are not intended to carry any through-traffic whatsoever. The intended function of this class of roadway is to provide direct access to adjoining properties; traffic capacity is of only secondary importance.
(3) Alignment.
(a) General.
[1] Roads shall be related appropriately to the topography. Local roads shall be curved wherever possible to avoid conformity of lot appearance. All streets shall be arranged so as many of the building sites as possible are at, or above, the grade of the streets. Grades of streets shall conform as closely as possible to the original topography. A combination of steep grades and curves shall be avoided. Specific standards are contained in the design standards of these regulations.
[2] All streets shall be properly integrated with the existing and proposed system of thoroughfares and dedicated rights-of-way established in the Master Plan. All thoroughfares shall be properly related to special traffic generators such as industries, business districts, schools, churches, and shopping centers; to population densities; and to the pattern of existing and proposed land uses.
[3] Local roadways shall be laid out to conform as closely as possible to the topography, to discourage use by through traffic, to permit efficient drainage and utility systems, and to require the minimum number of streets necessary to provide convenient and safe access to property.
[4] The rigid rectangular gridiron street pattern is discouraged and the use of curvilinear streets, culs-de-sac, or U-shaped streets shall be encouraged where such use will result in a more desirable layout.
[5] In business and industrial developments, the streets and other accessways shall be planned in connection with the grouping of buildings, location of rail facilities, and the provisions of alleys, truck loading and maneuvering areas, and walks and parking areas so as to minimize conflict of movement between the various types of traffic, including pedestrian traffic.
(b) Access limitations.
[1] In the case of subdivisions or site plans abutting major or minor arterials, one of the following shall be required in the discretion of the approving board:
[a] A marginal access road shall be provided along the arterial and shall be separated from it by a raised divider strip at least eight feet in width;
[b] The frontage shall be reversed so that the lots contiguous to such arterials will front on an internal street, with a planted buffer strip at least 50 feet in width, provided along the arterial road; or
[c] Such other means of separating through and local traffic and of providing a suitable buffer shall be provided, as the approving board may determine to be appropriate.
[2] Vehicular access into and out of a planned development shall be provided in accordance with the following schedule:
[a] Class I PD: At least one major arterial and one minor arterial, or two minor arterials.
[b] Class II PD: At least two major arterials.
[3] All planned developments shall have two points of access which are ready for use at such time certificates of occupancy are issued for the planned development. A temporary access point may be constructed to meet the requirements of this section until such time as a permanent access point can be constructed. Access points shall be designed to encourage smooth traffic flow with controlled turning movements and minimum hazards to vehicular or pedestrian traffic. Merging, turnout lanes and traffic dividers shall be provided where existing or anticipated heavy flows indicate they are needed. [Amended 4-23-2001 by Ord. No. 17-01]
[4] In no case shall streets within a planned development connect to streets outside the development in such a way as to encourage use of minor streets for through traffic.
[5] Within a planned development, vehicular access to local roadways from off-street parking and service areas may be directly to the local roadway; provided that the parking stalls are offset from the cartway by a minimum of 13 feet. Vehicular access to other streets from off-street parking and service areas shall be combined, located and controlled so as to channel traffic from and to those areas conveniently, safely, and in a manner which minimizes marginal traffic friction and promotes free traffic flow.
(c) Extensions.
[1] Proposed streets shall be extended to the boundary lines of the tract to be subdivided, unless prevented by topography or other physical conditions, or unless in the opinion of the approving board such extension is not necessary or desirable for the coordination of the layout of the subdivision with the existing layout or the most advantageous future development on adjacent tracks.
[2] The arrangement of streets shall provide for the continuation of principal streets between adjacent properties when such continuation is necessary for convenient movement of traffic, effective fire protection, efficient provision of utilities, and where such continuation is in accordance with the Master Plan. If the adjacent property is undeveloped and the street must be a dead-end street, the right-of-way shall, except where reserved, be extended to the property line.
[3] A temporary cul-de-sac turnaround, and/or a T- or L-shape turnaround shall be provided on all dead-end streets, with the notation on the subdivision plat that land outside the normal street right-of-way shall revert to the abettors whenever the street is continued. The approving board may limit the length of dead-end streets in accordance with the design standards of these regulations.
[4] Where a street does not extend to the boundary of the subdivision and its continuation is not required by the approving board for access to adjoining property, its terminus shall not be nearer to such boundary than 50 feet. However, the approving board may require the reservation of an appropriate easement to accommodate drainage facilities, pedestrian traffic, or utilities. A cul-de-sac turnaround shall be provided at the end of a permanent dead-end street in accordance with the construction standards and specifications. For greater convenience to traffic and more effective police and fire protection, permanent dead-end streets shall, in general, be limited in length at the discretion of the approving board.
[1] No more than two streets shall cross the same point. Street intersections shall be at right angles wherever possible, and intersections of less than 60, measured at the center line of streets, shall not be permitted.
[2] Two streets which do not cross at the same points shall be offset (center line intersection) by at least 150 feet.
[3] The approach of any collector roadway to any intersection of another collector roadway or arterial roadway shall follow a straight line course within 100 feet of the intersection.
(e) Blocks and lots.
[1] Blocks shall have sufficient width to provide for two tiers of lots of appropriate depths. Exceptions to this prescribed block width shall be permitted in blocks adjacent to major roadways, railroads, or waterways.
[2] The lengths, widths, and shapes of blocks shall be such as are appropriate for the locality and the type of development contemplated, but block lengths in residential areas shall not exceed 1,200 feet nor be less than 400 feet in length.
[3] Looped streets shall be preferred to stub or cul-de-sac streets and no dead-end street shall exceed a length of 700 feet, unless turnaround areas are provided at a rate of one for each 600 linear feet.
[4] The approving board may require the reservation of an easement through the block to accommodate utilities, drainage facilities, or pedestrian traffic.
(f) Sight triangles.
[1] Easements for sight at roadway intersections, in the shape of triangles and in a form approved by the approving board attorney, shall be dedicated to cover the area bounded by the right-of-way lines and a straight line connecting "sight points" on the street center lines which sight easement dimensions shall be determined in accordance with the Transportation and Traffic Engineering Handbook (Latest Edition). Within these sight easements, planting shall be restricted to low-spreading varieties of plants and shrubs of not more than 18 inches in height at maturity or trees with the lowest branches 10 feet above the ground or higher.
[2] Proper sight distance should be provided at the intersections of ingress and egress of nonresidential driveways, or driveways which serve parking lots or residential groups of four or more dwelling units, by establishing sight triangles in accordance with the current Township standard specifications. Within these sight triangles, plantings should be restricted to low spreading varieties of plants and shrubs of not more than 18 inches in height at maturity.
(4) Profile.
(a) Right-of-way.
[1] The right-of-way of a roadway shall be measured from lot line to lot line and shall be sufficiently wide to contain the cartway, curbs, shoulders, sidewalks, graded areas, utilities and shade trees.
[2] The right-of-way width of a new street that is a continuation of an existing street shall in no case be continued at a width less than the existing street.
(b) Cartway width.
[1] In order to provide for streets of suitable location, width, and improvement to accommodate prospective traffic and afford satisfactory access to police, firefighting, snow removal, sanitation, and road maintenance equipment, and to coordinate roads so as to compose a convenient system and avoid undue hardships to adjoining properties, the design standards for roads, set out in the aforesaid Schedule of Required Street Dimensions, are hereby required. In utilizing said schedule, road classification shall be as determined by the approving board based upon the standards hereinbefore set forth.
[2] Where a nonresidential collector roadway or a collector roadway serving more than 100 dwelling units intersects with another collector roadway or arterial roadway, both the right-of-way and the pavement shall be widened by 24 feet for a distance of 200 feet back from the intersection of the center lines of both roadways.
(c) Pavement. Street pavement thickness shall vary by street hierarchy, subgrade properties and pavement type as set forth in the construction specifications.
(d) Shoulders, curbs and gutters.
[1] Curbing shall be required for drainage purposes, safety, and delineation and protection of pavement edge.
[2] Curbs shall be constructed according to the specifications set forth in the construction specifications.
[3] Curbing shall be designed to provide a ramp for bicycle and/or wheelchairs.
[4] Curbing shall be provided along both sides of all subdivision streets and adjacent to the edge of all aisles, drives, and off-street parking areas.
[5] Shoulders and/or drainage swales shall be required instead of curbs when:
[a] Shoulders are required by CAFRA;
[b] Soil and/or topography make the use of shoulders and/or drainage swales preferable; or
[c] It is in the best interest of the community to preserve its character by using shoulders and/or drainage swales instead of curbs.
[6] Shoulder requirements shall vary according to street hierarchy and intensity of development.
[7] Curb construction. Any project approved for development by the Township Planning Board or Zoning Board of Adjustment, after the effective date of this Subsection A(4)(d)[7], shall comply with the following curb construction requirements: [Added 6-23-2003 by Ord. No. 25-03]
[a] All curbs, where required, shall be granite curb, also known as "Belgian block" on all designated local residential streets in the Township of Old Bridge.
[b] Construction of granite or Belgian block curbing shall conform to and be in accordance with the current specifications of the Residential Site Improvement Standards, N.J.A.C. 5:21-4.17, and as may be modified from time to time.
(e) Shade trees areas.
[1] All developments shall be provided with street trees planted at the following intervals:
[a] Large trees (maturity height of 40 feet or greater): average of 50 feet with a maximum spacing no greater than 70 feet.
[b] Small to medium trees: average of 40 feet with maximum spacing no greater than 50 feet.
[2] Shade trees shall generally be located within an area outside the right-of-way on both sides of and parallel to the street. The trees shall be planted so as not to interfere with utilities, roadways, sidewalks, sight easements, or streetlights.
[3] Shade tree areas shall be planted with grass, ground cover, or treated with other suitable cover material.
[4] Shade trees may be clustered to provide for a better aesthetic environment, provided the total number of trees is not less than would have been provided in Subsection A(4)(e)[1][a] and [b] above.
(f) Access.
[1] Only one point of ingress and egress may be allowed on each tract, except where the tract has a road frontage of at least 200 feet.
[2] No driveway shall be located closer than 50 feet from the sidelines of the intersection of two streets.
[3] No more than two driveways of not less than 20 feet or more than 30 feet in width for means of ingress and egress for any parking area shall be permitted for each 300 feet of frontage upon a public street. No driveway shall be located closer than 100 feet from the intersection of two streets and acceleration and deceleration lanes shall be provided. The angle of any intersection shall not be less than 60.
[4] Access to residential units shall be from local roadways where possible. Where access is from a collector or arterial roadway, on-site turnarounds or other means shall be provided to allow for head-on access.
(5) Signs.
(a) Design and placement of traffic signs shall follow the requirements specified in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways (Latest Edition), published by the US Department of Transportation and adopted by the DOT.
(b) At least two street name signs shall be placed at each four-way street intersection and one at each T-intersection. Signs shall be installed under light standards and free of visual obstruction. The design of street name signs should be of a style appropriate to the community, of a uniform size and color, and erected in accordance with local traffic safety standards. Site information signs shall follow a design theme related and complementary to other elements of the overall site design.
(6) Names.
(a) Street names and development names shall not duplicate or nearly duplicate the names of existing streets or developments in the Township or surrounding communities.
(b) The continuation of an existing street shall have the same name.
B. Sidewalks and bikeways.
(1) Pedestrian and cyclist ways within a PD and cluster development.
(a) Designated walkways shall form a logical, safe and convenient system for pedestrian access to all dwelling units, project facilities and principal off-site pedestrian destinations. Where appropriate, pedestrian pathways and bikeways may replace sidewalks.
(b) Walking distance in the open between dwelling units and parking spaces, delivery areas and trash and garbage storage areas intended for use of occupants shall be minimized.
(c) Walkways to be used by substantial numbers of children as play areas or routes to school or other destinations shall be so located and safeguarded as to minimize contacts with automotive traffic. If substantial bicycle traffic is anticipated, bicycle paths shall be incorporated in the circulation system.
(d) Major roadway crossings shall be held to a minimum on the walkways, and shall be located, designed and appropriately marked for safety. Walkways may be combined with other easements and used by emergency or service vehicles, but shall not be used by other automotive traffic.
(e) Routes for pedestrians and cyclists entering or leaving the PD or cluster development shall be arranged to provide safe and convenient access. Pedestrian crossings at edges of the PD shall be safely located, marked and controlled, and fences on other barriers may be used to restrict crossings where there is substantial exposure of pedestrians to automotive traffic at PD access points. Bicycle and/or bridle paths, if provided, shall be coordinated with the pedestrian walkway system so that bicycle, equestrian, and street crossings are combined wherever feasible.
(2) Bikeways.
(a) Separate bicycle paths shall be required when such paths have been specified as part of the Master Plan.
(b) Bicycle lanes, where required, shall be placed in the outside lane of a roadway, adjacent to the curb or shoulder. When on-street parking is permitted, the bicycle lane shall be between the parking lane and the outer lane of moving vehicles. Lanes shall be delineated with markings, preferably striping. Raised reflectors or curbs shall not be used.
(c) Bikeways shall be constructed according to the specifications set forth in the construction specifications.
(3) Sidewalks.
(a) Sidewalks shall be constructed along streets whether public or private in accordance with the Schedule of Required Sidewalks set forth in Appendix J hereof and incorporated herein by reference.
(b) Sidewalks in conventional developments shall be placed in the right-of-way, parallel to the street. In commercial and more intensely developed residential areas, sidewalks may abut the curb.
(c) In planned developments, sidewalks may be located away from the road system to link dwelling units with other dwelling units, the street, and on-site activity centers such as parking areas and recreational areas. They may also be required parallel to the street for safety and other reasons.
(d) Pedestrianway easements at least 10 feet wide may be required by the approving board through the center of blocks more than 600 feet long to provide circulation or access to schools, playgrounds, shopping, or other community facilities.
(e) Sidewalk width shall be four feet, except that:
[1] Wider widths may be required in the discretion of the approving board near pedestrian generators and employment centers; and
[2] Where sidewalks abut the curb and cars overhang the sidewalk, widths shall be six feet.
(f) Sidewalks and graded areas shall be constructed according to the specifications set forth in the construction specifications.
(g) One-family dwellings less than 500 feet distant from an existing sidewalk on the same side of the street shall be required to have a sidewalk constructed along the entire street frontage prior to the issuance of a certificate of occupancy.
(h) The approving board may require easements of a suitable width to facilitate pedestrian access from public or private streets, to schools, parks, playgrounds, or other nearby streets. Such easements shall be indicated on the final plan of the subdivision or site plan.
