Township of Knowlton, NJ Article 51 Standards for Golf Courses

[Added 6-14-1999 by Ord. No. 99-5[1]]

[1] Editor's Note: This ordinance also provided for the renumbering of former Art. 51, Validity; Repealer; When Effective, consisting of §§ 11-370 through 11-372, as Art. 52, §§ 11-372 through 11-374.

§ 11-370 Regulations governing golf courses as a conditional use in the Farmland Preservation Zone.

A. Golf courses. The following standards shall apply to all golf courses.

(1) A golf course shall have a minimum of 18 holes and 200 acres of contiguous property.

(2) A golf course shall have a clubhouse of not less than 5,000 square feet.

(3) The use of sludge and sludge derived products is prohibited.

§ 11-371 Design standards for golf courses.

The following criteria shall be considered design standards for site plans for golf courses pursuant to the New Jersey Municipal Land Use Law, as amended. All of these standards may not be achievable on every site plan; for this reason, each application shall be carefully considered on its merits and waivers may be granted where appropriate:

A. The design, operation and maintenance of a golf course shall be governed by the USGA's Environmental Principles For Golf Courses in the United States. The golf course shall be designed so as to be eligible to receive a USGA Course Rating and Slope Rating as defined in the USGA Handicap System. Putting greens shall be constructed following the USGA's Recommendation For A Method Of Putting Green Construction or by another method approved by the Planning Board.

B. The location of structures shall be selected so that sites do not include the crests of hills. "Hillcrest" shall be defined as those specifically identified on Appendix 5, Figure 1 in this volume.

C. The configuration of all roofs shall be of a pitched design or an alternative design approved by the Planning Board.

D. All facades of the structure shall be of a finished configuration. The finished configuration shall be of wood, brick or stone facing, solid brick or stone or some other acceptable durable material. No unimproved facades are allowed.

E. All structures shall be architecturally designed so as to be aesthetically in keeping with the surrounding area and as approved by the Planning Board. The location and placement of the building on the land shall be done in a manner to ensure, while meeting required setback side and rear line requirements, the best possible blending of land and building in keeping with the historic, rural character of Knowlton Township.

F. The exterior of accessory structures shall harmonize architecturally with and be constructed of materials of a like character to those used in principal structures.

G. All heating, ventilation and air-conditioning equipment shall be concealed from public view on all sides of the structure. Such equipment shall be acoustically screened to comply with applicable state and local noise level standards.

H. Disturbance of wooded areas. Where a golf course is proposed in an area of mature forest, no more than 25% of the mature trees may be removed.

I. Setback requirements.

(1) The minimum spacing between a fairway, green or tee and any lot line shall be 50 feet.

(2) The minimum spacing between any permitted accessory structure to a golf course and any lot line shall be 75 feet.

(3) The minimum spacing between a building and a natural watercourse course shall be 100 feet.

J. The maximum height of any structure shall be 35 feet.

K. The maximum square footage allowed for all structures on a single lot shall not exceed 1% of the total square footage of the lot, with a maximum size of any single structure to be no more than 20,000 square feet.

L. Lot frontage.

(1) A golf course is required to provide at least two safe and efficient access and egress points from one or more public roads. One of the two accesses may be provided only for emergency access. The two means of access and egress shall be connected internally and the curb cuts shall be spaced at least 200 feet apart. A golf course should be located in reasonable proximity to a collector street.

(2) Where a lot abuts an existing public street, the minimum lot frontage shall be 50 feet.

M. Deed restrictions. Site plans shall be required to provide appropriate deed restrictions. The legal instrument shall be drafted in general accordance with the recommendations and language contained in Appendix 4 of this chapter.

(1) Conservation easements shall be required for all waterways, wetland areas and required transition areas.

(2) Critical areas outside the area of disturbance shall contain conservation easements. These critical areas shall include slopes in excess of 35%, floodplains and open water bodies.

(3) All site plans shall contain a reference to any required conservation easement.

N. Landscaping.

(1) Existing vegetation shall be preserved in areas where disturbance is not necessary.

(2) Where landscaping is proposed, native species shall be included in the design.

(3) Where structures are located in woodlands, a treed area of at least 30 feet between structures and the roadway shall be retained.

O. Lighting. Since artificial lighting is often highly visible and adversely affects the rural character of an area, it is specifically discouraged, except for the specific categories listed below:

(1) Site lighting shall only be provided where warranted to address specific safety conditions.

(2) Where lighting is proposed along public roads or common driveways, locations and intensities shall be subject to approval by the Planning Board.

(3) In no case shall light spill be permitted onto any neighboring properties or public roadways.

P. Concrete engineered structures. In any development, some engineered structures are necessary for access and drainage. In order to accommodate the installation of infrastructure while reducing its impact, the following standards shall apply:

(1) Visible structures such as curbing, culverts, walls and outlet structures shall not be stark white.

(2) The use of dyed and textured concrete as well as the use of other natural materials is required to minimize the visual impact of these structures. Such concrete shall be of natural earth colors in the range of grays to browns.

Q. Guardrails. Guardrails shall be constructed of wood. They will be required with side slopes steeper than three to one and depths greater than nine feet.

R. One illuminated sign not exceeding 18 square feet shall be permitted, except that illuminated directional and traffic signs are permitted within the golf course provided that they are screened from the road and residential properties.

S. The required number of parking spaces shall be four spaces per hole. All parking spaces can be satisfied using grass paver blocks or similar semi-impervious building material. Parking areas shall be screened from view of all residential property and roads.

T. All interior roads and travel lanes shall be designed as not to create a dust nuisance onto adjacent property. The Planning Board may require interior roads and travel lanes to be paved to prevent dust nuisances on adjacent properties.

U. Parking areas and buildings shall be screened from view of residential properties and roads to the extent practical, except that a gatehouse may be visible from the road of a golf course.

V. Water quality protection.

(1) The golf course shall be designed using grasses and other plants that minimize, to the extent practical, the use of pesticides, fertilizers and water.

(2) A golf course shall have a suitable wash area for the cleaning of lawn mowers and equipment. The wash area shall be at least 300 feet from the bank at high water of any natural watercourse or body of water.

(3) No pesticide, herbicide or fertilizer shall be utilized within 300 feet from the bank at high water of any natural watercourse or body of water.

W. A golf course shall comply with all federal, state, county and local environmental and health regulations.

X. The conservation of water should be encouraged. The use of surface water, captured rainwater and recycled water is encouraged for irrigation purposes.

Y. Assurances shall be provided that any adverse impacts on groundwater or surface water quality resulting from the golf course will be mitigated by the owner. The applicant shall provide for the monitoring of water quality of the groundwater and surface water resources associated with the golf course. The monitoring program, including the timing and frequency of testing and the identification of chemical parameters to be tested, shall be established by the Planning Board at the time the Integrated Turf Management Plan and Integrated Pesticide and Pest Management Plan are approved as part of the conditional use application. The monitoring program shall be consistent with the guidelines established for monitoring plans by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), Bureau of Water Quality Analysis. The results and finding of any water quality monitoring shall be submitted by the owner to the township for monitoring purposes.

Z. The golf course shall make provisions for the travel and habitation of wildlife and shall provide for wildlife corridors and other wildlife utilization as may be accommodated by the site. Where appropriate wildlife habitat exists, the golf course shall be encouraged to register with the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program.