402A "AR"
AGRICULTURAL RESIDENTIAL ZONE
402A.1 Permitted
Principal Uses ‑ AR Zone.
One of the following:
402A.1.1 Farm (see section 200 for definition of
farm) and agricultural uses, including crops, nurseries, poultry, small animals
and livestock raising and training, including outdoor parking of farm vehicles
and equipment.
402A.1.2 Detached single‑family dwelling
units.
402A.1.3 Public and private open space and
parks.
402A.2 Accessory
Uses ‑ AR Zone.
402A.2.1 Private residential swimming pools,
tennis courts, and other usual recreation facilities that do not create a
nuisance factor as regulated in section 600.
402A.2.2 Residential tool sheds, garages and
storage buildings not to exceed the height of the principal structure and as
regulated in section 600.
402A.2.3 Off‑street parking.
402A.2.4 Fences and walls as regulated in
section 600.
402A.2.5 Signs as regulated in section 1100.
402A.2.6 Outdoor barbecue structures.
402A.2.7 Essential services.
402A.2.8 Farm storage sheds and barns.
402A.2.9 The sale and processing of agricultural
products, the majority of which are raised or grown on the farm or same farming
operation on which the accessory sale or processing is conducted.
402A.2.10 Home occupations as regulated in section
603.
402A.3 Conditional
Uses ‑ AR Zone.
(subject to regulations set forth in section
500.)
402A.3.1 Public
and private day schools of elementary and/or high school grades licensed by the
State of
402A.3.2 Churches and houses of worship.
402A.3.3 Cemeteries.
402A.3.4 Home occupations.
402A.3.5 Hospitals.
402A.3.6 Shelters, community residences.
402A.3.7 Social Clubs, lodges and fraternal
organizations having no "nuisance factor."
402A.3.8 Public utilities.
402A.3.10 ECHO housing.
402A.3.11 Previously
converted agricultural buildings such as barns, wagon sheds and chicken coops
for storage and warehousing prior to the effective date of this ordinance.
402A.3.12 Agricultural
commercial villages to provide a concentration of agricultural services and
retail village atmosphere.
402A.4
402A.5 Area
and Yard Requirements ‑ AR Zone.
402A.5.1 Tracts
of land less than 40 acres in size at the time of adoption of this ordinance:
a. Minimum
Lot Size.................................................. 6
acres
b. Minimum
Lot Circle............................................... 350
feet
c. Maximum
Floor Area Ratio Per Building Lot.......... 0.04
d. Minimum
Setback from Street Line........................ 75
feet
e. Minimum
Setback from Side or Rear Line.............. 40
feet
f. Minimum
Frontage on a Street............................... 50
feet
g. Circumference of the minimum lot circle may not be more than 150
feet from the street right‑of‑way.
h. Each lot shall have a minimum 75,000 square feet of contiguous
useable land. This standard is established to provide a minimum area on each
lot to support a residence, accessory buildings and structures, useable yard
area and adequate space for on‑site wells and septic systems and space
for future replacement system.
402A.5.2 Tracts
of land 40 acres or greater in size at the time of the adoption of this
ordinance, and tracts of land 30 acres or greater in size at the time of the
adoption of this ordinance and located adjacent to land which has been deed
restricted for farmland or open space preservation, shall develop as one and
one‑half (1.5) acre Open Space Clusters, and tracts of land 30 acres or
greater in size but less than 40 acres and not located adjacent to land which
has been deed restricted for farmland or open space preservation may elect to
develop as one and one‑half (1.5) acre Open Space Clusters with the
following requirements:
a. Minimum Tract Area............................................... 40/30 acres
b. Minimum Open Space Set‑aside............................. 70% of
tract
c. Minimum Residential Lot Size.................................. 65,000
sq.ft
d. Minimum Lot Circle................................................ 200 feet
e. Maximum Floor Area Ratio Per Bldg. Lot............... .12
f. Minimum Front Yard Setback.................................. 60
feet
g. Minimum Rear Yard Setback.................................. 35
feet
h. Minimum Side Yard Setback.................................. 35
feet
i. Minimum Frontage on a Street................................ 50
feet
j. Circumference of the minimum lot circle may not be more than 125
feet from the street right‑of‑way.
k. Each building lot shall have a minimum of 65,000 square feet of
contiguous useable land. This standard is established to provide a minimum area
on each lot to support a residence, accessory buildings and structures, useable
yard area and adequate space for on‑site wells and septic systems and
space for future replacement system.
1. A minimum 50-foot wide buffer shall be provided between residential
uses and any land utilized for agricultural purposes. This buffer area shall be
deed restricted from development and shall contain at a minimum a staggered
double row of evergreen plantings, 5 feet in height or equivalent as approved
by the planning board.
m. The open space parcel shall contain a minimum of 70% of the gross
tract area which shall contain a minimum of 65% of the Unconstrained Tract
Area. The Unconstrained Tract Area shall be defined as the area of the tract
that does not contain flood plains, wetlands, 90% of the slopes between 15% and
25% and all slopes greater than 25%, easements (excluding sight triangles), and
right‑of‑way areas. The stormwater management system for the
proposed subdivision may be located in the open space parcel; however, the land
area of any detention or retention basin(s) shall not be counted toward the
minimum area requirements in this section.
n. The open space parcel shall contain a minimum lot circle of 500
feet.
O. Rights‑of‑way
or cartways of any existing or proposed public or private streets shall not be
included in the calculation of the minimum required open space area.
402A.5.3 Lots
within the AR zone that were approved as Agricultural Cluster subdivisions
under previous agricultural cluster requirements, prior to the adoption of this
ordinance, shall be permitted to continue as approved.
§402A.6 Open
Space Regulation ‑ AR Zone
§402A.6.1 Open
space in one-and-one half (1.5)-acre cluster developments shall be permanently
deed restricted from further development and shall be utilized either for agriculture,
conservation/passive open space or recreation as approved by the Township's
approving authority and shall be subject to the following regulations:
a. At the time of subdivision
application for mandatory or voluntary cluster developments under Section
402A.5.2 the applicant shall designate whether the proposed open space shall be
owned and maintained by an open space organization or be offered for acceptance
by the Township or other governmental agency. If the open space is not to be
dedicated to the Township or other governmental agency, then the developer
shall provide for an organization or trust to own and maintain the open space
for the benefit of owners or residents of the development. Documents
establishing and governing the open space organization or trust shall be in a
form that is consistent with §609 of the Readington Township Land Development
Ordinance and the Municipal Land Use Law, N.J.S.A.
40:55D‑43.
b. It
is the intent of this ordinance to preserve open space and farmland within
c. New
agricultural construction (e.g. barns, shelters and greenhouses) shall not
result in a F.A.R. of greater than 4% nor an impervious surface coverage in
excess of 10% of the total acreage of the preserved open space parcel. New
agricultural construction must be placed a minimum of two hundred (200) feet
from the property line.
d. The
deed of the open space parcel shall state that the non‑wooded portions of
the parcel which are not farmed in a given year must be mowed once each year
between July 1 and October 1 to keep the land open. This shall be the
responsibility of the owner of the parcel. If the parcel is not mowed, the
Township may have it mowed and shall bill the owner for the cost. The Deed to
be recorded establishing the open space parcel shall contain a covenant that
the Township shall be reimbursed for any expenses upon failure of the owner to
adequately maintain the non‑wooded portions of the parcel, pursuant to
the provisions of §609.4 of the Land Development Ordinance and the Municipal
Land Use Law, N.J.S.A. 40:55D‑43.
e. The
deed of any single family dwelling sold as part of a cluster development under this section shall contain a
notification that the Township zoning ordinance specifically includes farming
as a permitted use in the AR zone and that the open space in the development
may be deed‑restricted for farming use. Furthermore, the developer and/or
landowner who plans to sell the dwellings referenced above shall inform
prospective purchasers in writing of the protection the Township ordinance
conveys to agricultural operations.
f. The set‑aside of common open space shall comply with
section 610.
402A.7 Minimum Off‑Street Parking ‑
AR Zone. Each individual use shall provide parking spaces according to
the following minimum provisions. No parking area or driveway shall be located
within fifteen (15) feet of any property line, except where common driveways
are approved by the Board.
402A.7.1 Dwelling
units shall provide parking spaces in accordance with the Residential Site
Improvement Standards N.J.A.C. 5:21‑4.14
402A.7.2 Farm
stands shall provide a minimum area for parking to accommodate two (2) parking
spaces for customers plus one for each employee at maximum shift if not
residing on the premises.