Source: https://ecode360.com/8266820
Timestamp: 2019-12-13 09:53:03
Document Index: 575037421

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 215', '§ 215', '§ 215', '§ 215', '§ 215', '§ 215', '§ 215', '§ 215', '§ 215', '§ 215', '§ 215', '§ 215', '§ 215', '§ 215', '§ 215', '§ 215', '§ 215', '§ 215', '§ 215', '§ 215', '§ 215', '§ 215', '§ 215', '§ 215', '§ 215', '§ 215', '§ 215', '§ 215', '§ 215', '§ 215', '§ 215', '§ 215', '§ 215', '§ 215', '§ 215', '§ 215', '§ 215', '§ 215', '§ 215', '§ 215', '§ 215', '§ 215', 'art 1', '§ 215', '§ 215', '§ 215', '§ 215', '§ 215', '§ 215', '§ 215', '§ 215', '§ 215', '§ 215', '§ 215', '§ 215']

City of Northfield, NJ General Provisions
Ch 215 Art V General Provisions
§ 215-25 Provisions of other ordinances.
§ 215-26 Application of regulations.
§ 215-27 Accessory buildings.
§ 215-27.1 Alternate energy sources.
§ 215-28 Appearance of dwellings with home professional office or home occupation.
§ 215-29 Appearance of nonresidential buildings.
§ 215-30 Animals and fowl.
§ 215-31 Boats and recreational vehicle storage and parking.
§ 215-32 Commercial vehicle storage.
§ 215-33 Contiguous lot ownership.
§ 215-34 Corner lots.
§ 215-35 Easements.
§ 215-36 Floodplain management.
§ 215-37 Frontage on improved street required.
§ 215-38 Height limitations.
§ 215-39 Historic structures.
§ 215-40 Lot depth within existing street patterns.
§ 215-40.1 Lots bordered by alley.
§ 215-41 Noncommercial radio and television antennas.
§ 215-42 Outdoor display of goods.
§ 215-43 Outdoor storage.
§ 215-44 Performance standards.
§ 215-44.1 Portable home storage units (PODS).
§ 215-45 Preservation of natural features.
§ 215-46 Principal buildings in residential zones.
§ 215-47 Property maintenance.
§ 215-48 Riparian grants.
§ 215-49 Sight triangles at intersections.
§ 215-50 Soil erosion and sediment control.
§ 215-51 Solid waste disposal.
§ 215-52 Solid waste storage.
§ 215-53 Tidal wetlands permit.
§ 215-54 Trailer storage.
§ 215-55 Underground utilities and essential services.
§ 215-56 Yard areas.
§ 215-56.01 Affordable housing set-aside.
Any restrictions or requirements with respect to buildings or land, which appear in other ordinances of the City or are established by law and which are greater than those set forth herein, shall take precedence over the provisions of this chapter.
Except as herein otherwise provided:
No building or structure shall be erected and no existing building shall be moved, structurally altered, added to or enlarged, nor shall any land or building be designed, used, or intended to be used, for any purpose or in any manner other than as specified among the uses hereinafter listed as permitted in the zone district in which such building or land is located and meeting the requirements as set forth in the schedule.[1] In the event of any such unlawful encroachment or reduction, such building shall be deemed to be in violation of the provisions of this chapter and the certificate of occupancy for such building shall thereupon become null and void.
Editor's Note: The Schedule of Yard, Area and Building Requirements is included at the end of this chapter.
No building shall be erected, no existing buildings shall be altered, enlarged or rebuilt, nor shall any open space surrounding any building be encroached upon or reduced in any manner, except in conformity to the yard, lot area, building location, percentage of lot coverage, off-street parking space, and such other regulations hereinafter designated in this chapter for the zone district in which such building or open space is located.
No subdivision may be approved unless each lot contained in said subdivision complies with all the requirements of the zone district in which said lot is located, or unless a variance has been granted therefrom.
No use shall be considered a permitted use or a conditional use in a zone district unless included as such in the particular zone district.
Unless otherwise specified in this chapter, accessory buildings shall conform to the following regulations as to their locations on the lot:
An accessory building attached to a principal building shall comply in all respects with the yard requirements of this chapter for the principal building. Detached accessory buildings shall be located in other than a front yard, and if located in a side or rear yard area, shall be set back at least 10 feet from all lot lines if not otherwise provided in the zone district regulations, except that utility sheds as defined herein may be located not less than three feet from any side or rear lot line.
Accessory buildings must be located on the same lot as the principal use to which they are accessory.
In any residential zone, no detached accessory structure shall be less than five feet from the principal building.
The purpose of this Alternate Energy Sources Section is to provide procedures, standards and regulations for small wind energy systems and solar energy systems and to protect the City of Northfield from the visual or other adverse impacts of these facilities, while encouraging their unobtrusive development to provide the benefits of alternative clean energy to the City of Northfield, its residents and business.
The primary purpose of a wind or solar energy system will be to provide power for the principal use of the property whereon said system is to be located and shall not be for the generation of power for commercial purposes, although this provision shall not be interpreted to prohibit the sale of excess power generated from time to time from a wind or solar energy system designed to meet the energy needs of the principal use. For the purposes of this subsection, the sale of excess power shall be limited so that in no event an energy system is generating more energy for sale than what is otherwise necessary to power the principal use on the property.
Small wind energy systems and solar energy systems permitted.
Small wind energy systems and solar energy systems are permitted accessory structures and uses within all zoning districts of the City of Northfield in connection with any principal use lawfully existing within such district. Any question of whether a particular use is permitted as an accessory use by the provisions of this section shall be determined by the Zoning Officer.
No small wind energy system or solar energy systems shall be established or constructed unless a zoning permit evidencing the compliance of such use or structure with the provisions of this section shall have first been issued. However, if any structure or use requires site plan approval, no such system may be established or constructed without the required site plan approval and a zoning permit.
In addition to all the use limitations applicable in the district in which a small wind energy system or solar system is located, no such system shall be permitted unless it complies with the following restrictions:
No sign, except as expressly authorized by this section or by § 215-113 shall be maintained in connection with an accessory use; and
No small wind energy system or solar energy system shall be constructed or established on any lot prior to the time of the substantial completion of the principal structure to which it is accessory. Agricultural uses are exempt from this provision.
Wind and solar energy systems shall only be permitted as an accessory use on the same lot as the principal use. All energy systems require approval from the Zoning Officer and Construction Office prior to installation. Applications for an energy system shall include information demonstrating compliance with the provisions of this subsection. In the event that the Zoning Officer or Construction Office does not believe the provisions of this subsection will be satisfied, an applicant may request a variance from the City of Northfield Planning Board.
Development requirements for small wind energy systems and solar energy systems.
Wind propellers and vertical style turbines are permitted in all residential and agricultural and preservation districts subject to the following requirements:
Minimum setbacks. All wind turbines shall be set back from all property lines a distance equal to 100% of the height of the structure including the blades.
Wind turbines shall not be permitted in a front yard setback or in front of any house.
Maximum height. Freestanding wind turbines shall not exceed a height of 80 feet, except that on lots of more than five acres, a maximum height of 200 feet is permitted. The maximum height shall include the height of the blades at its highest point.
Wind turbines shall be permitted as a rooftop installation.
Individualized wind turbines on residential properties shall have a name plate capacity of 10 kilowatts or less.
Maximum height. The maximum height for a wind turbine shall not exceed 200 feet, including the height of the blades at its highest point.
As a conditional use, wind turbines shall be permitted in a parking lot in front of a building if all tower setbacks can be satisfied by the area of the parking lot.
Between a residential use or zone, sound levels of the wind energy system shall not exceed 55 dBA at a common property line or 50 dBA to the closest occupied structure.
Wind turbines shall be designed with an automatic brake or other similar device to prevent over speeding and excessive pressure on the tower structure.
The blades on the wind energy system shall be constructed of a corrosion-resistant material.
Solar panels shall be permitted as a rooftop installation in any zoning district. They should be mounted as close as possible to the existing structure.
For residential structures, panels shall not extend above the ridge of the roof on which they are attached.
For commercial structures, the panels shall not extend above the ridge for sloped roofs and shall not protrude higher than 48 inches above a flat roof. All panels on flat roofs shall be screened from public view, unless it can be shown that the screening affects the performance of the panels. In no event shall the placement of the solar panels result in a height, including building and panels, greater than what is permitted in the zoning district in which they are located for the principal building.
All ground arrays shall be set back a distance of at least 50 feet from a front property line, at least 20 feet from a side property line and at least 20 feet from a rear property line in a residential zoning district, or in conformance with the bulk standards for accessory structures in commercial districts as provided herein.
Ground arrays shall not be permitted in a front yard setback or in front of a house.
Ground arrays shall be located so that any glare is directed away from an adjoining property that contains either a residential or nonresidential structure. If the ground arrays cannot be situated in such a way to avoid any glare on an adjoining property, which contains either a residential or nonresidential structure, then the applicant shall be required to install screening along the property lines to the satisfaction of the Zoning Officer.
Ground arrays shall be structures not included in the calculation of lot coverage.
A solar ground array in the style of a protective parking carport or decorative entrance canopy shall be conditionally permitted in the front of commercial buildings in RC and OP-B zones above existing paved parking areas. The installations that are retained to the footprint of the paved area will not add to the lot coverage calculations as long as the structure drains into the existing parking stormwater system. The design of the structure should be complimentary to the style of the existing building.
Wind and solar energy systems shall not be used for displaying any advertisement except for reasonable identification of the manufacturer or operator of the system. In no case shall any identification be visible from a property line or a public right-of-way.
All applications for a wind or solar energy system shall conform to all of the applicable regulations with respect to tree removal. An applicant shall locate a wind or solar energy system so that tree removal is minimized to the extent practical, to maintain a twenty-degree horizon from the base of the array to the tree line.
The installation of a grid interconnected wind or solar energy system is subject to all local and public utility requirements or any other entity supplying power to the area of interconnection.
The provisions of Article XI, Zoning District Regulations, of this chapter, shall not apply to wind and solar energy systems with regards to height. Wind and solar energy systems shall conform to the height restrictions provided in this subsection.
Permit; submission requirements for permit; permit expiration.
Permit. A zoning permit shall be required for the installation of a small wind energy system or solar energy systems. If any structure or use requires site plan approval, site plan approval and a zoning permit shall be required for the installation of a small wind energy system or solar energy systems.
Submission requirements for permit.
Application. Application to install a small wind energy system or solar energy system shall be made to the City of Northfield Zoning Office. Such application shall be made on the required application form and shall be signed by the applicant and shall specify:
The address of the property on which the system is to be located.
Such other information as may be prescribed by the City of Northfield Zoning Office.
Plot plan. The plot plan shall include the following:
Property lines and physical dimensions of the property;
Location, dimensions, and types of existing major structures on the property;
Location of the system;
The right-of-way of any public road that is contiguous with the property;
Any overhead utility lines;
Small wind energy system specifications (including manufacturer and model, rotor diameter, tower height, tower type -- freestanding or guyed) or solar energy system specifications (including manufacturer and model).
Fee. A fee of $50 shall be paid to the City Clerk c/o the City of Northfield Zoning Office prior to the issuance of the permit to install a small wind energy system and/or a solar energy system.
The small wind energy or solar energy system is not installed and functioning within 24 months from the date the permit is issued; or
The small wind energy or solar energy system is out of service or otherwise unused for a continuous eighteen-month period.
The Zoning Officer may issue a notice of abandonment to the owner. The notice shall be sent via regular and certified mail, return receipt requested to the owner of record.
The owner shall have the right to respond to the notice of abandonment within 30 days from the notice receipt date.
If the owner provides the Zoning Officer with information demonstrating that the small wind energy system or solar energy system has not been abandoned, to the satisfaction of the Zoning Officer, the Zoning Officer shall withdraw the notice of abandonment and notify the owner that the notice has been withdrawn.
If the Zoning Officer determines that the small wind energy system or solar energy system has been abandoned, the owner shall remove the system at the owner's sole expense within six months after the owner receives the notice of abandonment.
If the system is not removed within six months of receipt of notice from the City of Northfield notifying the owner of such abandonment, the City may remove the system as set forth below.
When an owner of a wind or solar energy system has been notified to remove same and has not done so six months after receiving said notice, then the City may remove such system and place a lien upon the property for the cost of the removal. If removed by the owner, a demolition permit shall be obtained prior to the system being removed and the facility shall thereafter be removed. Upon removal, the site shall be cleaned, restored and revegetated to blend with the existing surrounding vegetation at the time of abandonment. This subsection shall not be construed to limit the City's right to exercise any other legal and/or equitable right the City may have pursuant to any other applicable law or regulation or rule, or under the common law.
Within any residential district, no building with a permitted home professional office or home occupation shall be constructed or altered so as to be inharmonious with the residential character of adjacent structures.
The types of construction not considered to be residential in character include storefront types of construction, garage doors (larger than needed for passenger vehicles or light commercial vehicles), and unfinished concrete blocks or cinder block wall surfaces.
The exterior elevations shall be arranged and outer walls on nonresidential buildings shall be faced with materials approved by the Planning Board in conjunction with site plan approval. The architecture of all buildings shall be compatible with structures on adjacent lands and in the neighborhood.
No person shall have or keep in his possession large farm animals, wild animals, small animals, rodents or fowl in accordance with Chapter 97, Animals, Article II, of the City Code.
The outdoor storage of an unoccupied recreational vehicle, motor home, travel trailer, camper or small boat shall be permitted on single-family properties, provided that:
Recreational vehicles, campers or small boats shall not exceed 28 feet in length and eight feet in width.
Only one such recreational vehicle and one small boat shall be permitted to be stored outdoors at any single-family residence.
No such vehicles stored in accordance with this section shall be occupied, and such vehicles shall not be provided with utility connections.
Permanent or temporary overnight occupancy or use of a travel trailer, motor home, boat or recreational vehicle is not permitted in any zone, except that, in emergency situations, such occupancy or use may be permitted by the City Council for a period not to exceed 60 days. For good cause shown, the Council may extend the period of occupancy.
Boat and boat trailer parking. The parking of boats and/or boat trailers shall be prohibited on any public street within the City of Northfield from October 1 through and including May 1 of each and every year. Between May 2 and September 30 of any year, it shall be lawful for any person to park a boat or boat trailer on any public street in the City of Northfield. The owner or operator of said boat or boat trailer must own or lease the property in front of which said boat or boat trailer is so parked. Any boat of 28 feet or less shall be permitted to park on site for extended periods of time, provided one on-site parking space remains for vehicle parking.
[Added 10-9-2012 by Ord. No. 9-2012[1]]
Editor's Note: This ordinance also amended the title of this section to include "and parking."
It shall be unlawful for any person to park on any public street in the City of Northfield any recreational vehicle, camper, motor home, or travel trailer for a continuous period of more than 48 hours in such places as parking is authorized. Additionally, the owner of said recreational vehicle, camper, motor home, or travel trailer must own or lease the property in front of which said recreational vehicle, camper, motor home, or travel trailer shall be permitted to park on site for extended periods of time, provided one on-site parking space remains for vehicle parking, provided it is not utilized for human habitation.
No commercial motor vehicle having a rated manufacturer's carrying capacity greater than 1 1/2 tons shall be parked or stored overnight on any occupied property which is primarily used for residential purposes or on any property in a residentially zoned area, except for vehicles engaged in construction parked or stored on an active construction site. This provision shall not apply to passenger automobiles with commercial motor vehicle registration.
[Amended 4-1-2017 by Ord. No. 4-2017]
Commercial vehicles, such as, any campers, travel, vacation or house trailer, vacation house, truck, half ton or larger in size, which is commercially registered; panel van; tractor; trailer, semitrailer; jitney; bus; or omnibus, plus commercial vehicles in excess of 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight (GVW) as rated by the manufacturer shall not be permitted to park on residential streets between 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.
[Amended 10-9-2012 by Ord. No. 9-2012[1]]
The aforementioned regulations for commercial vehicle storage shall not apply to vehicles located on and necessary to the operation of a farm.
Where two or more lots, created by the filing of a map pursuant to the Map Filing Law (N.J.S.A. 46:23-9.9 et seq.) prior to establishment of the Planning Board, have any contiguous lines and are in single ownership and one or more of the lots is nonconforming in any aspect, the lots involved shall be considered to be an undivided parcel for the purposes of this chapter and no portion of said parcel shall be conveyed or divided except through the filing of an approved subdivision in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.
On all corner lots, the depth of all yards abutting on streets shall not be less than the minimum front yard depth required on all adjoining interior lots fronting on such street. However, provisions of this section shall not apply so as to reduce the buildable width to less than 50% of any lot less than 100 feet in width. No corner lot setback shall, in any case, be less than 20 feet unless otherwise permitted in this chapter.
Where the corner lot abuts interior lots located in an adjoining zone district having lesser front setback requirements, buildings may assume the minimum front setback dimension of the adjoining zone district only if the adjoining zone is immediately adjacent and contiguous to the property and the proposed building is to be situated within 100 feet of said adjacent zone district.
Lot lines of corner lots that are coexistent with side lines of abutting lots shall be considered side lines.
Lot lines of corner lots that are coexistent with rear lines of adjoining lots shall be considered rear lines.
Lot lines of corner lots that are coexistent with lot lines of adjoining corner lots shall be considered side lines.
Each street frontage of a corner lot shall conform to the minimum required frontage for a corner lot in the applicable zone district as specified in the Schedule of Yard, Area and Building Requirements.[1]
Editor's Note: The schedule is included at the end of this chapter.
Where applicable, the municipal agency shall require as a condition of subdivision or site plan approval that the owner convey to the City drainage easements, conservation easements, sight triangle easements and/or shade tree and utility easements.
Within a flood hazard area designated and regulated pursuant to Article XI, § 215-161, the following design standards shall apply to developments requiring a floodplain encroachment permit:
All new construction of substantial improvements shall be constructed by methods and practices that minimize flood damage.
New and replacement sanitary sewage systems shall be designed to minimize or eliminate infiltration of floodwaters into the system.
In reviewing subdivision applications, § 215-45, Preservation of natural features, and § 215-102, Lot requirements, may be applied.
Residential construction. New construction or substantial improvement of any residential structure shall have the lowest structural member, including basement, elevated one foot above the base flood elevation.
Nonresidential construction. New construction or substantial improvement of any commercial, industrial or other nonresidential structure shall either have the lowest structural member, including basement, elevated one foot above the base flood elevation or, together with attendant utility and sanitary facilities, be floodproofed so that below the base flood level the structure is watertight with walls substantially impermeable to the passage of water and with structural components having the capacity to resist hydrostatic and hydrodynamic loads and the effects of buoyancy. A registered professional engineer or architect shall certify that the standards of this subsection are satisfied.
Additional conditions. In areas of special flood hazard, any or all of the following measures may also be required:
Floodproofing, to include any or all of the following:
Installation of watertight doors, bulkheads, and shutters or similar devices.
Pumping facilities, or comparable measures, for the subsurface drainage system of buildings to relieve external foundation wall and basement flood pressures.
Location of all electrical equipment, circuits, and installed electrical appliances in a manner which will assure they are not subject to inundation and flooding.
Requirements of construction of dikes, levees and other protective measures.
All fill and other earth work must be established according to the Cape Atlantic Conservation District.
Floodways. Located within areas of special flood hazard established in § 215-161 are areas designated as floodways. Since the floodway is an extremely hazardous area due to the velocity of floodwaters which carry debris, potential projectiles, and erosion potential, the following provisions apply:
Encroachments, including fill, new construction, substantial improvements, and other development, are prohibited unless a technical evaluation demonstrates that encroachments shall not result in any increase in flood levels during the occurrence of the base flood discharge.
If Subsection G(1) is satisfied, all new construction and substantial improvements shall comply with all applicable flood hazard reduction provisions of this § 215-36.
The placement of any structure in a floodway is prohibited.
Design waivers. The Planning Board may grant waivers from the design standards of this section. In reviewing requests for waivers, the Board shall consider the following:
Waivers may be issued for new construction and substantial improvements to be erected on a lot of 1/2 acre or less in size contiguous to and surrounded by lots with existing structures constructed below the base flood level, provided the standards of this section have been fully considered. As the lot size increases beyond the 1/2 acre, the technical justification required for issuing the variance increases.
Waivers may be issued for the reconstruction, rehabilitation or restoration of structures listed on the National Register of Historic Places or the State Inventory of Historic Places without regard to the procedures set forth in the remainder of this section.
Waivers shall not be issued within any designated floodway if any increase in flood levels during the base flood discharge would result.
Waivers shall only be issued upon a determination that the waiver is the minimum necessary, considering the flood hazard, to afford relief.
Waivers shall only be issued upon:
A determination that failure to grant the waiver would result in exceptional hardship to the applicant.
A determination that the granting of a waiver will not result in increased flood heights, additional threats to public safety, extraordinary public expense, create nuisances, or conflict with existing local laws or ordinances.
Any applicant to whom a waiver is granted shall be given written notice that the structure will be permitted to be built with a lowest floor elevation below the base flood elevation and that the cost of flood insurance will be commensurate with the increased risk resulting from the reduced lowest floor elevation.
In reviewing a request for a waiver, the Planning Board may consider the following:
The need for a waterfront location and the availability of alternate locations not subject to flooding within the applicant's property.
The duration, rate of rise, effects of wave action, velocity, and sediment transport of floodwaters expected at the site.
The extent to which the water-carrying capacity of the floodway or channel would be disrupted.
The degree to which the proposed use would serve the general public health, safety, and welfare.
The degree to which any aspect of the food chain or plant, animal, fish or human life processes would be affected adversely within or beyond the proposed use area.
Whether the proposed use provides adequate facilities for the proper handling of litter, trash, refuse and sanitary and industrial wastes.
The degree to which the proposed activity would alter natural water flow or water temperature.
The degree to which archaeological or historic sites and structures are endangered or rare species of animals or plants and irreplaceable land types would be degraded or destroyed.
The degree to which the natural, scenic and aesthetic values at the proposed activity site could be retained.
Every principal building shall be built upon a lot with frontage upon a public street improved to meet the City requirements or for which such improvement has been guaranteed by the posting of a performance guarantee pursuant to this chapter unless relief has been granted under the provisions of N.J.S.A. 40:55D-36.
Where a building lot has frontage on a street, which the Master Plan or the Official Map of the City indicates is proposed for right-of-way widening, the required front yard setback shall be measured from such proposed right-of-way line.
No structure shall extend higher than the limit provided in each zone created hereunder for building height.
The height limitations created hereunder shall not apply to spires, belfries, cupolas or domes not used for human occupancy, or to parapets, walls or cornices extending not more than four feet above the building height limit.
The height limitations created hereunder shall apply to chimneys, ventilators, solar energy facilities, skylights, tanks, stair towers, elevator towers, and appurtenances usually carried above the roof line of a building, except that the same may exceed said height limitations by not more than 15 feet, except that skylights, heating and air-conditioning equipment and ventilators may exceed the height limitation by no more than 10 feet. Such features shall not exceed, in total coverage, 10% of the total roof area.
Freestanding, noncommercial radio and television antennas and flag poles may exceed the height limits created hereunder by not more than 15 feet.
All proposed applications for development for any lands which contain an historic building, place, or structure, established within the City, shall be referred to the City of Northfield Planning Board for certificate of appropriateness consideration prior to action on the application by the municipal agency or office. Proposed developments which contain a designated historic building, place, or structure in the City should be designed to accomplish the following goals and objectives:
The existing character and appearance of the historic building, place or structure should be preserved.
Wherever feasible, existing structures should be restored in lieu of new construction.
All proposed developments should be compatible and consistent with existing development and the concept of the historic structure in relation to the following:
Color scheme of buildings.
Size, type, color, and design of signs.
Scale of the use and structure.
Visual compatibility factors. Visual compatibility factors will be applied to historic structures.
No part of any structure allowed pursuant to this section shall be used directly or indirectly for any kind of advertising purposes.
Any building recognized as an historic building shall not be torn down without considerations as follows:
[Added 12-16-2008 by Ord. No. 17-2008]
Such building shall be advertised in the Press of Atlantic City for a period of 14 days for sale for the amount of $1 to any purchaser who would move the structure to another location at the purchaser's expense. Said purchaser shall have 35 days from the last date of advertisement referenced above to close and complete settlement on the historic structure. Thereafter, the purchaser shall be obligated to remove the historic building from the landowner's property within 35 days from the date of purchase. There will be no extensions of the above-referenced time lines required.
If the historic building is not purchased pursuant to Subsection F(1) referenced above, then the Cultural Committee/Northfield Historical Society may be allowed to remove any materials/artifacts suitable to be placed in the museum before the destruction of said building. This will be within the sole discretion of the property owner.
If the historic building is not purchased pursuant to Subsection F(1) referenced above, then, prior to demolition, the building shall be documented by an architectural historian, with photographs and historical descriptions, in report form. The report shall be submitted to the State, County and City Historical Society for their files. To adequately document the building, the exterior appearance and interior appearance and structural components shall be documented. The report must be approved by the Planning Board or Zoning Board prior to demolition.
Wherever the depth of lots is established by existing street patterns in any residential zone, the depth requirements of the zone shall be waived as long as all setback lines are maintained.
On a lot bordered by an alley, principal structures on such lot shall comply with the required rear setbacks on an alley. Accessory buildings on such lot, such as shed or utility structures, shall meet the requirements in the applicable zone district in which the lot is located, as specified in the schedule of yard, area, and building requirements.
Freestanding radio and television antennas shall only be placed in the rear yard area and shall be located no closer than 15 feet to any property line.
Freestanding antennas over 20 feet in height or antennas extending 20 feet above the point of attachment to a building shall be built to withstand winds of 100 miles per hour.
Retail and/or wholesale business uses shall not permanently display goods for sale, including motor vehicles, outdoors except in accordance with a site plan approved by the Planning Board.
Such outdoor displays shall only be permitted where the goods displayed are the merchandise of a business included within a structure located on the site, unless in accordance with a permit or other approval issued therefor by the City. Uses such as flea markets where two or more concessionaires, proprietors or businesses display goods for sale out of doors shall not be permitted in any zoning district within the City except in accordance with Subsection D below.
Temporary sales and outdoor display of goods may be permitted where the goods displayed are the merchandise of a business included within a structure located on the site. Such temporary sales and display shall be in accordance with a permit issued by the Zoning Officer. No business shall hold more than five such sales per year nor shall any one sale exceed one week in duration.
Temporary flea markets and sales operated by nonprofit groups such as churches may be permitted where the goods displayed are on a site which is already developed as a principal use of the nonprofit group. Such sales shall be in accordance with a permit issued by the Zoning Officer. No nonprofit group shall hold more than five such sales per year nor shall any one sale exceed one week in duration.
Coin-operated vending machines shall not be located further than two feet from a related business structure.
Goods for sale, displayed or stored outdoors, shall not be located closer than 25 feet to any street right-of-way or 15 feet to any side or rear line, except in conjunction with temporary sidewalk or other types of outdoor sales.
No nonresidential use, with the exception of farms, shall store materials of any kind outdoors in any district except in connection with the construction of a structure to be erected on the premises unless specifically permitted elsewhere in this chapter.
No front yard shall be used for the open storage of equipment and vehicles except for overnight parking of noncommercial vehicles. This provision shall not apply to boats or recreation vehicles. Furthermore, no equipment or vehicles shall be stored closer than five feet to a rear or side property line.
As a condition of approval and the continuance of any use, occupancy of any structure, and operation of any process or equipment, the applicant shall supply evidence, satisfactory to the municipal agency, or to its designated representative, that the proposed use, structure, process, or equipment will conform fully with all of the applicable performance standards.
As evidence of compliance, the municipal agency may require certification of tests by appropriate government agencies or by recognized testing laboratories, any costs thereof to be borne by the applicant.
The municipal agency may require that specific types of equipment, machinery, or devices be installed, or that specific operating procedures or methods be followed if the government agencies or testing laboratories examining the proposed operation shall determine that the use of such specific types of machinery, equipment, devices, procedures or methods is required in order to assure compliance with the applicable performance standards.
Permits and certificates required by other government agencies shall be submitted to the municipal agency as proof of compliance with applicable codes.
If appropriate permits, tests and certifications are not or cannot be provided by the applicant, then the municipal agency or administrative officer (Zoning Officer) may require that instruments and/or other devices, or professional reports or laboratory analysis be used to determine compliance with the following performance standards for an existing or proposed use, and the cost thereof shall be borne by the owner, applicant, or specific use in question.
Conditional permit. In the event a determination cannot be made at the time of application that a proposed use, process or piece of equipment will meet the standards established in this section, the municipal agency may issue or may recommend issuance of a conditional permit.
The conditional permit would be based on submission of evidence that the proposed use, process or equipment will meet the standards established herein after completion or installation and operation.
Within 30 days after a conditional permit is granted, a certificate of occupancy shall be applied for and satisfactory evidence submitted that all standards established by this section have been met.
Applicability and enforcement of performance standards.
Prior to construction and operation. Any application for a development or building permit for a use which shall be subject to performance standards shall be accompanied by submissions, attachments, certifications as required by this section, and a sworn statement filed by the owner of the subject property or the operator of the proposed use that said use will be operated in accordance with the performance standards set forth herein.
For existing structures. Any existing structure or use which is, after the effective date of this chapter, allowed to deteriorate or is modified so as to reduce its compliance with these standards will be deemed to be in noncompliance and to constitute a violation.
Termination of violation. All violations shall be terminated within 30 days of notice or shall be deemed a separate violation for each day following and subject to fines as set forth herein.
Violation inspection. Whenever, in the opinion of the Construction Official or administrative officer (Zoning Officer), there is a reasonable probability that any use or occupancy violates the regulations of this section, the official or officer is hereby empowered to employ a qualified technician or technicians to perform investigations, measurements and analyses to determine whether or not the regulations of this section are being violated. In the event that a violation is found to exist, the violator shall be liable for the reasonable fees of the technicians employed to perform such investigations, measurements, and analyses.
Performance standards established.
Impulsive sound in air which has an impulsive sound level in excess of 80 dBA.
National Warning System (NAWAS) signals or devices used to warn the community of attack or imminent public danger such as flooding or explosion. These systems are controlled by the New Jersey Civil Defense and Disaster Control Agency.
Rail operations.
Use of explosive devices. These are regulated by the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development under the 1960 Explosives Act (N.J.S.A. 21:1A-128 et seq.).[1]
Air pollution. No substance shall be emitted into the atmosphere in quantities which are injurious to human, plant or animal life or to property, or which will interfere unreasonably with the comfortable enjoyment of life and property anywhere in the municipality. All provisions of the New Jersey Air Pollution Control Code,[2] as amended and as augmented, and all the following provisions stated, whichever shall be more stringent, shall be complied with.
Odors. In any zone, no odorous material may be emitted into the atmosphere in quantities sufficient to be detected without instruments. Any process which may involve the creation or emission of any odors shall be provided with a secondary safeguard system, so that control will be maintained. Table 1 (Odor Thresholds in Air) in Part 1 (Odor Thresholds for 53 Commercial Chemicals) of "Research on Chemical Odors," copyrighted by the Manufacturing Chemists Association, Inc., Washington, D.C., shall be used as a guide in determining quantities of offensive odors.
Editor's Note: See N.J.S.A. 26:2C-1 et seq.; and N.J.A.C. 7:27-1.1 et seq.
Liquid waste. No liquid waste shall be stored outside or discharged into any watercourse, storm drain or sewage collection and disposal system, nor into any ground sump, any well or percolation area, except in accordance with plans approved by the City Public Works Department, Health Department, and City Engineer, and where required by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
Solid waste.[3] All uses in the City shall:
Assume full responsibility for adequate and regular collection and removal of all refuse, except when the City assumes the responsibility.
Not engage in any sanitary landfill operation on the property, except as may be permitted by other City codes and ordinances.
Editor's Note: See also Ch. 315, Solid Waste, of the City Code; and §§ 215-51 and 215-52 of this chapter.
Radiation. All use of materials, equipment or facilities which are or may be sources of radiation shall comply with all controls, standards and requirements of the United States Atomic Energy Act of 1965, as amended, and any codes, rules or regulations promulgated under such Act, as well as the New Jersey Radiation Protection Law, N.J.S.A. 26:2D-1 et seq., as amended, whichever is more stringent.
Fire and explosion hazards. All activities shall be carried on only in buildings classified as fireproof by the Building Code of the City, and as determined by the Fire Department. The operation shall be conducted in such a manner and with such precautions against fire and explosion hazards as to produce no explosion hazard as determined by the New Jersey Inspection Bureau of Fire Prevention to a use on an adjacent property and must conform to the rules and regulations of the most recent adopted edition of the Fire Prevention Code of the National Board of Fire Underwriters and the City of Northfield Fire Department. No lot may be used for the storage of bulk oil or gasoline above the ground.
Vibration. There shall be no vibration which shall be discernible to the human sense of feeling beyond the boundaries of the lot on which the source is located. At no point on or beyond the boundary of any lot shall the maximum ground-transmitted steady-state or impact vibration caused by any use or activity (except those not directly under the control of the property user) exceed a particle velocity of 0.10 inch per second for impact vibrations. Particle velocity is to be determined by the formula 6.2AF, where F is the frequency of the vibration in cycles per second and A is the maximum single amplitude displacement of the vibration in inches. For the purpose of measuring vibrations, a three-component measuring system shall be used. For the purpose of this chapter, steady-state vibrations are vibrations which are continuous, or vibrations in discrete impulses more frequent than 100 per minute. Discrete impulses which do not exceed 100 per minute shall be considered impact vibrations.
Electrical/Electronic interference. There shall be no electrical/electronic interference that:
Adversely affects at any point the operation of any equipment other than that belonging to the creator of such interference; or
Heat. Every use and activity shall be so operated that it does not raise the ambient temperatures more than 2° C. at or beyond the boundary of any lot line.
Fire-resistant construction. All new construction and additions shall be fire-resistant construction in accordance with the requirements of the State Uniform Construction Code.
It shall be unlawful to place a portable home storage unit (PODS) on any property, including in any right-of-way, within the City of Northfield for any purpose without first securing a portable home storage unit (PODS) permit.
In order to obtain a permit to place a portable home storage unit (PODS) on any property within the City of Northfield, the applicant must file a completed application form with the City of Northfield Zoning Office. Applications and permits will be issued by the City of Northfield Zoning Office.
The completed application form will also be examined by the City of Northfield Police Department, which will make all final determinations pertaining to safety.
The permit shall be displayed in a conspicuous position on the property on which the portable home storage unit (PODS) is located during the period the portable home storage unit (PODS) is on the property.
Permits, if granted, will be granted for a period of 60 days. On or before the expiration of the sixty-day period, but after the permit is issued, the permittee may seek one extension of the permit for up to an additional 60 days, by filing a complete application form with the City of Northfield Zoning Office. Applications for an extension will be issued by the City of Northfield Zoning Office.
Restrictions on portable home storage unit (PODS).
Portable home storage units (PODS) are prohibited from being placed in streets, in rights-of-way or in front yards of any property.
Portable home storage units (PODS) must be kept on paved off-street surfaces.
If a property does not have a paved off-street surface, but has a nonpaved driveway, the portable home storage unit (PODS) must be kept on the nonpaved driveway.
If a property does not have paved off-street surface or a nonpaved driveway, the portable home storage unit (PODS) must still be placed on an off-street surface. This off-street surface may not be located in a front yard of a property.
Application. Application for permission to place a portable home storage unit (PODS) on any property within the City of Northfield shall be made to the City of Northfield Zoning Office. Such application shall be made on the required application form and shall be signed by the applicant and shall specify:
The address of the property on which the portable home storage unit (PODS) is to be located.
The estimated time the portable home storage unit (PODS) is to remain on the property.
The diagram must indicate, at a minimum, all structures and buildings on the premises, parking lots on the premises, rights-of-way in/near the premises, and the proposed location of the portable home storage unit (PODS).
The diagram must indicate other information as may be prescribed by the City of Northfield Zoning Office.
The diagrams do not require the engagement of a design professional in order to satisfy this submission requirement.
Fee. A fee of $50 shall be paid to the City Clerk c/o the City of Northfield Zoning Office prior to the issuance of the permit to place a portable home storage unit (PODS) on any property within the City of Northfield.
Submission requirement for extension of permit.
Application. Application to extend the length of permit shall be made to the City of Northfield Zoning Office. Such application shall be made on the required application form and shall be signed by the applicant and shall specify:
The address of the property on which the portable home storage unit (PODS) is located.
The estimated additional time the portable home storage unit (PODS) is to remain on the property.
Fee. A fee of $25 shall be paid to the City Clerk c/o the City of Northfield Zoning Office prior to when any permit under this § 215-44.1 is extended.
If the permittee proposes to change the location of the portable home storage unit (PODS), the permittee must file for a new permit, not for an extension of the permit, and must comply with the submission requirements for a permit, as set forth in Subsection C(1) of this § 215-44.1.
Violations; penalties. Any person violating any part of this § 215-44.1 shall be subject to a fine not exceeding $1,000 or imprisonment for 60 days, or both.
Wherever feasible, all of the following shall be preserved in their natural state:
Floodway areas as defined by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, Federal Insurance Program Flood Insurance Rate Map; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; or by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
Areas containing a substantial number of significant trees as determined by the municipal agency.
Existing watercourses, ponds, marshes and swamps via the municipal stormwater rules at N.J.A.C. 7:8.
Wetlands as defined by the New Jersey Wetlands Act of 1970 (N.J.S.A. 13:9A-1 et seq.) and delineated on wetlands maps prepared by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
Wetlands as defined by the NJDEP Coastal Management Development Policies and contained in the New Jersey Administrative Code.
Steep slopes in excess of 15%.
Flora and fauna on the New Jersey and/or federal endangered species list.
No lot in a residential zone shall contain more than one principal building.
§ 215-47 Property maintenance. [1]
It is the intent of this section to assure that the public health, safety, and welfare are not impaired by the neglected maintenance of buildings and property. It is further intended to assure that site improvements required by a municipal agency are properly maintained and operable. It shall be the administrative officer's responsibility to enforce this section where property conditions pose a hazard to the public or where a property owner fails to maintain a required site improvement. It shall be the responsibility of every property owner, tenant, developer and applicant to maintain, in a safe and orderly condition, all buildings and land in the City which he or she owns, uses, occupies or has maintenance responsibility for in accordance with the following regulations.
Maintenance of all land uses within the City shall include, but is not limited to, the following:
All plantings and ground cover shall be regularly watered and cut. All dead plant materials shall be removed or replaced (If such plantings are required under this chapter, they shall be replaced only.). All lawn or other nonpaved areas shall be kept trimmed and free from weeds and other noxious growth.
All land uses for which development (site plan or subdivision) approval is granted subsequent to the adoption of this chapter or for which site plan or subdivision approval was previously granted under regulations heretofore in effect shall be required to maintain all structures and improvements shown on the approved site plan or subdivision plan in a safe and orderly condition. In addition to the maintenance responsibilities specified in Subsection A above, additional maintenance responsibilities shall include, but are not limited to, the following:
All ground cover and paintings within screening and landscaping areas shown on an approved site plan or subdivision shall be regularly maintained. When plant material shown on an approved site plan or subdivision dies, it shall be replaced within the first 30 days of the next planting season.
Failure of the responsible property owner, tenant, developer and/or applicant to maintain property in accordance with the provisions of this section shall be a violation of this chapter subject to the penalties prescribed in § 215-13 of this chapter.
Editor's Note: See also Ch. 268, Property Maintenance, of the City Code.
Whenever a person acquires title to the land under water adjacent to his property by virtue of a riparian grant from the State of New Jersey, then the grant area shall automatically be zoned the same as the upland property adjacent to the grant; provided, however, that any part of this grant not filled, graded and stabilized pursuant to a valid construction permit shall not be applicable to meeting the minimum lot area for the governing zone.
Unless more stringent regulations are provided by other provisions of this chapter, at the intersection of two or more streets, no hedge, fence, screening strip or wall higher than 30 inches above curb level, nor any obstruction to vision, other than a post not exceeding one foot in diameter, shall be permitted on any lot within the triangular area of sight easement as delineated in § 215-93C.
Sight triangle areas shall be maintained, trimmed or cleared in order to maintain sight distance as required herein.
§ 215-50 Soil erosion and sediment control. [1]
A developer applying for site plan or subdivision approval pursuant to Article VI of this chapter may be required to submit a soil erosion and sediment control plan as is required by the Cape Atlantic Conservation District. In determining whether an applicant should be required to submit said plan, the municipal agency shall consider the applicable state regulations, the extent of land disturbance existing and proposed, the topography of the site and size of the proposed structure and/or building.
Soil erosion and sediment control plans shall be reviewed and certified by the Cape Atlantic Conservation District for conformance with the New Jersey State Standards for Soil Erosion and Sediment Control.
The municipal agency may seek the assistance of the Cape Atlantic Conservation District in the review of such plans and may deem as approved those plans which have been reviewed and certified by the Cape Atlantic Conservation District.
Editor's Note: See also Ch. 308, Soil Removal.
§ 215-51 Solid waste disposal. [1]
The dumping of refuse, waste material, or other substances is prohibited in all districts within the municipality.
Editor's Note: See also Ch. 315, Solid Waste, of the City Code.
§ 215-52 Solid waste storage. [1]
Solid waste, if stored outdoors, shall be placed in metal or plastic receptacles with tight-fitting covers.
Such receptacles shall not be stored or placed within any front yard area prior to the time at which solid wastes are permitted to be placed at the curblines for collection. Such receptacles may be stored in either a rear or side yard area, but if stored within a side yard area, they shall be screened from view of adjoining properties and street areas with planting or fencing. Solid wastes which are to be picked up shall conform to the requirements established by the Department of Public Works for garbage and trash collection.
All applicants with wetlands on site are required to obtain a wetlands delineation and letter of interpretation (LOI) from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. This applies to both saltwater and freshwater wetlands.
No building, structure or use shall be permitted within areas defined as wetlands by the New Jersey Wetlands Act of 1970 and delineated on the wetlands maps prepared by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, except in accordance with a permit issued under the Act.
There shall be no trailers located within the City of Northfield for the purpose of storage of materials, residential use or any other use not specifically permitted herein.
For construction purposes only, when being used in conjunction with the construction of any residential, commercial or industrial building within the City of Northfield, there shall be allowed the use of not more than one trailer for each trade working on site plus one for a construction office; provided, however, that prior to the placement of any such trailer within the City of Northfield, the person causing the trailer to be located on the property within the municipality shall apply to the Construction Official for a trailer permit. The fee for said permit shall allow the holder thereof to have no more than one trailer to be used solely in conjunction with construction, for a period of not more than three months. The holder of such permit may apply to the Construction Official for such additional extensions of three-month periods as may be required to complete construction, so long as construction is ongoing on the site where the trailer is located. The fee for each such extension application shall be $10.
A temporary certificate of occupancy shall be required for the use of a trailer in conjunction with a construction project; provided, however, that in each case there must be a specific finding by the Construction Official that said trailer is necessary for the operation of the construction and is in compliance with the provisions of this chapter. All trailers must meet all other local, federal and state requirements.
This restriction is intended to be all-inclusive and includes, but is not limited to, trailers on or off wheels, and all trailers whether or not subject to regulations under the motor vehicle laws of the State of New Jersey.
A nonmotorized transport vehicle or storage trailer may not be parked on any public street for more than five consecutive days, except for active construction sites. (See § 215-32). Additionally, the nonmotorized transport vehicle or storage trailer can only be parked in front of a property owned or leased by the user of said vehicle.
The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to customary underground essential services as defined in § 215-5, except that all facilities such as pumping stations, repeater stations and electric substations, which require a building above ground or any other aboveground appurtenance of any type more than 40 feet high, shall require approval as a conditional use subject to the provisions of this chapter.
No yard or other space provided around any building for the purpose of complying with the provisions of this chapter shall be considered as providing a yard or open space for any other buildings, and no yard or other open space on one lot shall be considered as providing a yard or open space for a building on any other lot.
All yards facing on a public street shall be considered front yards and shall conform to the minimum front yard requirements for the zone in which it is located, except as follows: Where principal buildings exist to either side of a building lot in a residential zone, the front depth may be reduced to the average front yard depth of adjacent principal structures but in no case reduced to less than 20 feet.
Every part of a required yard shall be open and unobstructed from its lowest level to the sky, except for the ordinary projections allowed by the State Uniform Construction Code, including, but not limited to, sills, belt courses, chimneys, flues, buttresses, ornamental features, and eaves; provided, however, that none of the aforesaid projections shall project into the minimum required yards more than 24 inches, unless otherwise permitted by this chapter. Unroofed entrance porches or terraces, which do not rise above the height of the floor level of the ground floor, may extend into any yard, providing the total area of all such porches, which extend into such yards, does not exceed 100 square feet. The maximum front yard setback to said deck/porch shall be 18 feet, the minimum rear setback shall be 15 feet, and the minimum side yard setback shall be three feet.
Yard irregularities. The designation of front, side and rear yards due to unusual building and lot configurations shall be based upon factors including, but not limited to:
Building orientation, facade, and entrances.
Orientation of adjacent structures and properties.
Street address number, if established.
Proposed usages of building.
[Added 9-25-2018 by Ord. No. 7-2018]
A mandatory affordable housing set-aside is required for all new multifamily residential developments of five units or more. The set-aside for rental developments shall be 15%, and the set-aside for for-sale developments shall be 20%. The provisions of this section shall not apply to residential expansions, additions, renovations, replacement, or any other type of residential development that does not result in a net increase in the number of dwellings of five or more.