It is the intent of the Atlantic City Race Course redevelopment
plan (the "redevelopment plan") to promote the advancement of community
interests through the expansion and improvement of nonresidential,
residential and recreational facilities and to promote physical development
that will be conducive to the social and economical improvement of
the Township of Hamilton. More specifically, this redevelopment plan
is intended to:
A. Improve and abate the present conditions of deterioration in commercial
properties, public services and facilities;
B. Ameliorate and correct decay in a timely and concerted effort of
responsible public bodies to promote redevelopment which would not
otherwise occur solely by private effort;
C. To provide a mechanism for the orderly planning and private development,
redevelopment and/or rehabilitation of the project area consistent
with certain municipal objectives and public policy goals as stated
herein;
D. To be consistent with the recommendation in the 2006 Master Plan
Reexamination Report that development in this area should include
mixed uses, including the opportunity for a hotel, regional and pedestrian
commercial uses and a variety of residential uses;
E. To insure that residential development in this area provides an appropriate
number of dwelling units that are affordable to low- and moderate-income
households pursuant to the state law and the Township's affordable
housing compliance plan.
F. To facilitate the transfer of the privately owned and maintained
section of Leipzig Avenue to public ownership by Atlantic County.
All redevelopment activities in the designated area shall be
carried out in compliance with all applicable federal, state and Township
laws and regulations. The redevelopment plan for the Atlantic City
Race Course Rehabilitation Area shall include the following:
A. Planning and implementation.
(1) Designate the Township Committee as the redevelopment agency for
the project area.
(2) Designate the Planning Board as the review agency for all applications
relating to this plan.
(3) To work cooperatively with the landowners in development of a plan
that achieves the redevelopment goals.
(4) To designate Greenwood ACRA, Inc., the property owner, as the redeveloper
of the subject parcels.
(5) Enter into agreements with the redeveloper as allowed by law, to
effectuate the implementation of this plan.
(6) Encourage the Planning Board to conduct expedited reviews of the
redevelopment projects the cost of which are to be borne by the redeveloper.
(7) To work with the designated redeveloper on applications for grants,
low-interest loans and other forms of technical, financial or other
assistance to implement the redevelopment plan with public, private
and nonprofit entities as needed.
B. Infrastructure.
(1) Coordinate with local service providers to insure that the project
area has adequate utility capacity (including, but not limited to,
sanitary sewers, potable water, storm sewers, electric, natural gas,
telecommunications and cable service) to meet the service needs of
the proposed mixed-use development.
(2) Encourage the use of alternate energy technologies in the redevelopment
area, including, but not limited to, solar, geothermal, etc.
(3) Coordinate with New Jersey Department of Transportation, Atlantic
County, regional transportation agencies and the redeveloper to ensure
that the surrounding road network and traffic control measures are
adequate to provide safe access/egress to the redevelopment sites.
(4) The removal and cleanup of any hazardous wastes or materials that
may be found on site or within the buildings.
The redevelopment plan will implement existing property zoning
as currently set forth in the Township of Hamilton Land Development
Ordinance with no changes to the zoning standards for the Planned
Village Development Zone. The redevelopment plan proposes minor additions
to permitted and accessory uses in the Recreational Commercial Zone
as well as changes to the area and bulk standards applicable in that
district.
A. Current zoning/Zoning Map. The project area occupies two zoning districts
currently shown on the Zoning Map of Hamilton Township: Recreational
Commercial (RC) and Planned Village Development (PVD). The current
zoning boundaries and zoning designations are unchanged.
B. Planned Village Development Zoning District. The zoning standards for the Planned Village Development Zone as outlined under §§
203-242 through
203-260 of the Hamilton Township Land Development Ordinance shall apply to that portion of the project area located
within that zoning district without exception.
C. Recreation Commercial Zoning District. The following zoning standards
shall apply to that portion of the project area located in the Recreational
Commercial District:
(1) Permitted uses.
(a)
All uses shown in §
203-58A as permitted in the RC District.
(b)
Institutional uses, excluding cemeteries, law enforcement facilities
and military facilities.
(c)
Hotels and conference center hotels.
(2) Accessory uses.
(a)
All accessory uses permitted in the RC zone as shown in §
203-58B.
(b)
In the project area, accessory renewable energy facilities may
be sized to exceed the energy needs of the principal use and may make
the excess electric energy generated available to other uses in and
adjacent to the rehabilitation area.
(3) Area and bulk requirements. Within the project area, the following
area and bulk standards shall supersede those applicable to the RC
District listed on the Table of Lot Requirements for Commercial Districts:
|
Area and Bulk Standards
|
---|
|
Requirement
|
District RC
|
---|
|
Maximum height
|
|
|
Principal structure
|
|
|
|
Stories
|
5
|
|
|
|
Feet
|
65
|
|
|
Accessory structure
|
|
|
|
Feet
|
30
|
|
|
Hotels
|
235 feet, provided that the hotel is linked to the existing
grandstand structure, otherwise the height shall not exceed 120 feet.
|
|
Lot requirements
|
|
|
Minimum lot area
|
5 acres
|
|
|
Minimum width
|
200
|
|
Maximum coverage of lot by impermeable surface (percent)
|
80%
|
|
Minimum yard requirements
|
|
|
|
Front yard setback (feet)
|
50
|
|
|
Side yard setback (feet)
|
30 each side
|
|
|
Rear yard setback (feet)
|
35
|
|
Marginal access road
|
Required
|
|
Open landscaped area (minimum) (percent)
|
25%
|
|
Building length (maximum) (feet)
|
—
|
|
Maximum impervious coverage of the project area
|
60%
|
D. Other standards. Except as amended above, all other standards for site development established in the Land Use and Development Ordinance (Chapter
203 of the Township Code) shall be applicable to development undertaken pursuant to this redevelopment plan except where those standards are superseded by the New Jersey Residential Site Improvement Standards (N.J.A.C. 5:21-1 et seq.).
E. Additional building controls. Unless otherwise specified in this
redevelopment plan, all land use, building limit and other controls
contained herein are not a substitute for any requirements, controls
or regulations established by any applicable state or federal agency
which, by law, supersede or constitute additional controls to those
contained herein.
F. Underground utility lines. Utility distribution lines and infrastructure
(either existing or, where reasonably feasible, new) for all systems
shall be placed underground wherever permissible by governing public
utility companies and building codes. Utility easements shall comply
with Township requirements established at the time of site plan approval.
Relocation and/or replacement of utility lines and expense related
thereto shall be addressed by the redeveloper.
Attached to this article is a concept plan depicting how development
of the subject parcels may appear upon completion of the redevelopment
project. It must be stressed that these plans are conceptual only
and not to be deemed in any way to be binding on the redeveloper.
The completed development may be different based on market demands
and/or review comments received from the Planning Board and Pinelands
Commission.
The project area is owned in its entirety by the Greenwood ACRA,
Inc., and acquisition of additional property is not necessary to effectuate
this plan.
All provisions of this redevelopment plan, including all building
controls, regulations and/or restrictions imposed, shall be applicable
to all real property and improvements within the Atlantic City Race
Course area in need of rehabilitation.
Because this article provides specialized regulations for housing
types, land uses, subdivision improvements, street standards, site
planning, and building design within the redevelopment area, the standards
and requirements of this article supersede and replace all conflicting
provisions in the Hamilton Township Developmental Ordinance. All ordinances
of the Township of Hamilton that are inconsistent with the provisions
of this article are superseded by the provisions of this article.
If any section, subsection, sentence, clause or phase of this
article is for any reason held to be unconstitutional or invalid,
such decision shall not affect the remaining portions of this article.
This article shall take effect upon final passage, approval,
filing with the Atlantic County Planning Board, approval by the Pinelands
Commission, and publication as required by law.