Township of Plainsboro, NJ Article X Standards and Other Provisions for Site Plan Review

§ 85-43 Standards.

The standards noted above and elsewhere in this chapter shall be for the general purpose of:

A. Enhancing the neighborhood.

B. Providing adequate access and off-street parking and loading facilities for employees and visitors.

C. Providing fencing and/or landscaping where reasonably necessary for safety and/or screening purposes.

D. Preventing uses which may or may tend to endanger life or property or create hazards from fire, explosion, radiation or produce objectionable smoke, heat, glare, vibration or noise, whether or not any of such hazards are confined to the property shown on the site plan.

E. Requiring that all raw materials, fuel, goods in process, finished goods, machinery and equipment shall be housed.

F. Prohibiting the emission of noxious, toxic or corrosive fuels, gases or odors or the exhaust of waste into air or dust or other substances.

G. Providing off-street parking and loading areas appropriately designed to minimize traffic circulation problems. Off-street loading spaces shall be located so that no vehicle waiting to be loaded or unloaded, maneuvering into a space or parked in a space shall interfere with any parking space, sidewalk, street, fire lane, driveway, aisle or other loading space.

H. In the event a particular development is to be constructed in stages or sections, a site plan for each particular stage or section shall be required for the issuance of each building permit.

§ 85-43.1 Criteria to be considered.

[Added 9-14-1981 by Ord. No. 0-81-21]

In reviewing site plan applications for soil disturbance, the Planning Board shall consider the following criteria:

A. Any proposed soil disturbance shall be done in a manner which will minimize erosion and sedimentation damage and other adverse consequences.

B. Wherever feasible, natural vegetation shall be retained and protected.

C. The extent of the disturbed area and the duration of its exposure shall be kept within practical geographic and time limits.

D. Either temporary seeding, mulching or other suitable stabilization measures shall be used to protect exposed critical areas during land-soil disturbance.

E. Drainage provisions shall accommodate any increased water runoff resulting from modified soil and surface conditions during and after the land or soil disturbance.

F. Water runoff shall be minimized and retained on site wherever possible to facilitate groundwater recharge and to mitigate possible downstream damage.

G. Sediment shall be retained on site to the maximum extent feasible.

H. Necessary diversions and sedimentation basins and similar required preventative measures shall be installed prior to any on-site land or soil disturbance.

I. Compliance with minimum standards and specifications contained in Standards for Soil Erosion and Sediment Control in New Jersey and approval of the Soil Conservation Service prior to actual soil disturbance.

J. Prevention and control of dust and mud on the premises in question, as well as on abutting lands.

K. Preservation of soil fertility and the resulting ability of the affected area to support plant and tree growth by preservation of adequate topsoil.

L. Maintenance of necessary lateral support and grades of abutting lands, structures and other improvements.

M. Prevention of pits and declivities which are hazardous or which provide insect breeding locations.

N. Physical characteristics and limitations of the remaining soil for uses to which the land may lawfully be put.

O. Drainage provisions to accommodate any increased runoff resulting from such soil disturbance activity.

P. The manner of disturbance and/or transportation will not adversely affect the public health, safety and general environmental welfare of the Township.

Q. The amount of soil to be disturbed is the minimum amount necessary consistent with proper development of the site.

§ 85-44 Parking requirements.

A. Except as otherwise provided in the regulations applicable to PCD Planned Unit Developments and PMUD Planned Unit Developments contained in the Zoning Ordinance,[1] the following minimum parking requirements shall apply:

Minimum Number of Parking Spaces
Use	Number of Parking Spaces
Airport	1 space/400 square feet GFA for office
Assembly operations	1 space/800 square feet GFA
Auto sales	1 space/300 square feet show- room area and sales office
Bar	1 space/2 seats
Bowling alley	4 spaces/alley
Car wash	10 spaces/washing lane
Cemetery	1 space/400 square feet GFA for office
Church	1 space/3 seats
Community center	Minimum 20, plus spaces for offices as outlined below
Doctor's/dentist's office in home	1 space/200 square feet GFA, but not less than 6
Dwelling unit	2
Farm	2
Fiduciary institutions	1 space/250 square feet GFA
Finishing operations	1 space/800 square feet GFA
Golf course	4 spaces/hole
Gymnasium	To be determined at site plan review
Home occupation	Minimum 2, plus 2/employee
Hospital	1.5 spaces/bed
Industrial	1 space/800 square feet GFA
Library	1 space/300 square feet GFA
Lumberyard	1 space/5,000 square feet gross yard area
Manufacturing	1 space/800 square feet GFA
Medical center	1 space/150 square feet GFA; minimum of 10 spaces
Mines	To be determined at site plan review
Mortuary	10 spaces/viewing room and chapel, minimum 30 spaces
Museum	1 space/600 square feet
Neighborhood convenience center	Same as shopping center
Nightclub	1 space/3 seats
Offices	1 space/300 square feet GFA
Park	As approved on site plan
Pilot plants	1 space/800 square feet GFA
Pool (community)	1 space/15 square feet water surface area
Quarries	To be determined at site plan review
Receiving	1 space/5,000 square feet GFA
Research	1 space/1,000 square feet GFA
Restaurant	1 space/3 seats; 1 space/30 square feet GFA in quick food establishments
Retail store	1 space/150 square feet GFA
School: Elementary	1.2 spaces/classroom, but not less than 1/teacher and staff
Intermediate	1.5 spaces/classroom, but not less than 1/teacher and staff
Secondary	2.5 spaces/classroom, but not less than 2/teacher and staff
Service station	4 spaces/bay and work area
Shipping	1 space/5,000 square feet GFA
Shopping center	5.5 spaces/1,000 square feet GFA*, excluding theaters
Storage areas	1 space/5,000 square feet GFA
Tennis courts	3 spaces/court
Theater	1 space/3 seats; 1/4 seats in shopping center
Truck sales	1 space/300 square feet showroom area and sales office
Utilities	1 space
Veterinarian hospital	6 spaces/examining room or doctor, whichever is greater
Warehouse	1 space/5,000 square feet GFA

*Maximum 20% of GFA can be office use without additional parking for the office use. Office use above 20% shall require parking at the appropriate scale.

GFA = gross floor area.

[1] Editor's Note: See Ch. 101, Zoning, Arts. XI and XII.

B. Dimensions.

[Amended 6-9-1980 by Ord. No. 0-80-6; 9-11-2002 by Ord. No. 0-02-15]

(1) Parking spaces and access aisle dimensions shall be adequate to accommodate anticipated volumes, types of vehicles and vehicle turnover. Generally, off-street parking spaces and access aisles shall be dimensioned in accordance with the following schedule, with permitted waivers, as conditions warrant.

Angle of Parking Space	Access Aisle Width With 9-foot Parking Space (feet)
90	24
60	20
45	15
30	12
Parallel	18

(2) Each parking space shall be a minimum of nine feet in width by 18 feet in length. Alternatively, parking spaces may be reduced to 16 feet in length where vehicles overhang landscaped areas or expanded pedestrian walkways by a minimum of two feet, subject to Board approval. With the exception of preexisting painted parking spaces, all new parking spaces shall be delineated using hairpin striping. Each hairpin stripe separating adjacent parking spaces shall include two parallel, four-inch-wide white traffic-painted stripes placed two feet apart straddling the imaginary line that defines each nine-foot-wide parking space. All parking areas shall be provided with permanent and durable curbing to assist in orderly parking and separate pedestrian walkways from vehicular traffic, unless alternative treatment is warranted and approved by waiver by the Board. If walkways or curbed landscaped areas are not provided adjacent to parking spaces, front-wheel stops (staked-, black-, or rubber-type only) or alternative treatment may be provided, subject to Board approval.

(3) Handicapped parking shall be provided in accordance with the standards of the U. S. Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board requirements pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act, and shall be subject to the review and approval of the Township Construction Code Official.

(4) A parking space that abuts a fixed object such as a wall or column, whether within a structure or not, shall have a minimum width of 10 feet.

C. The number of parking spaces for each use shall be determined by the number of dwelling units, the amount of gross floor area as defined in this chapter or such other measure as noted above. Where a particular function contains more than one use, the minimum parking requirements shall be the sum of the component parts. Where an applicant can demonstrate that fewer parking spaces would be required, the Planning Board may allow a lower number, provided the applicant shows on the site plan how the required additional spaces could be added if necessary.

§ 85-45 Certificates of occupancy.

A. No certificate of occupancy shall be issued until all terms of the final approval of the site plan have been met, including furnishing as-built plans prepared by a licensed land surveyor or professional engineer showing finished floor elevations, site evaluation at property corners and sufficient intermediate points to indicate surface water runoff. In addition, all utility service connections are to be shown on such plans as well as all setback distances to the buildings.

B. The Construction Official may grant a temporary certificate of occupancy for a specified period of time not exceeding six months if weather or other conditions beyond the control of the applicant prevent compliance with the conditions of final approval of the site plan. The Construction Official shall notify the Planning Board of the issuance of the temporary certificate of occupancy and its date of expiration.