Dwelling units in a multi-family development, designed for the possible use by physically handicapped persons shall meet or exceed N.J. Uniform Construction Code minimum property standards and the additional requirements contained herein.

a. Each such dwelling unit shall be accessible from the nearest parking spaces by means of a walk uninterrupted by steps or abrupt changes in grade and shall have a width of not less than five feet (5') and a gradient of not more than one foot (1') in twelve feet (12') or an approved ramp. The parking spaces for the dwelling unit shall be reserved for the use of its occupants and be not less than twelve feet (12') wide and shall not be so situated as to require the handicapped to pass behind parked cars to reach the entrance way.

b. The Planning Board shall approve common buildings and facilities only if adequate provisions have been made for use by the physically handicapped and shall be guided in such judgement by the specifications for making buildings and facilities accessible to, and used by, the physically handicapped as set forth in N.J.A.C. 5:23 et seq., N.J. Barrier Free Design Regulations, promulgated by the Department of Community Affairs.

The commercial and office design standards contained below are intended to assist the Planning Board in the review of specific proposals.

a. Exterior materials may include brick, stone, anodized aluminum and baked enamel metal panels, precast concrete and similar materials, with appropriate texture and trim to prevent large undifferential facade of the same material. All historical buildings shall utilize exterior materials compatible with and of a type which will enhance the historical character of the structure.

b. All roof planes or caps meeting the exterior facade shall have overhangs or appropriate cornice and trim details.

c. All major entrances to buildings shall be properly identified with architectural elements such as recessed entrance ways, projected overhangs, and porticos.

d. Flat roof canopies on metal pipe columns shall not be used on commercial buildings.

e. Window and door openings shall include appropriate trim and either recesses or overhangs to promote a harmonious variety of light and shade on the facade of the building.

f. Buildings and structures used for functional purposes, such as warehouses, indoor sports facilities and manufacturing facilities, shall include appropriate landscaping adjacent to boundary facades in the public view.

g. The Planning Board shall approve common buildings and facilities only if adequate provisions have been made for use by the physically handicapped and shall be guided in such judgement by the specifications for making buildings and facilities accessible to, and used by, the physically handicapped as set forth in N.J.A.C. 5:23 et seq., N.J. Barrier Free Design Regulations, promulgated by the Department of Community Affairs.

a. A buffer is an area within a property or site, generally adjacent to and parallel with the property line, either consisting of natural existing vegetation or created by use of trees, shrubs, fences and/or berms, designed to continuously limit view of and/or sound from the site to adjacent properties. Buffering shall provide a year round visual screen.

Buffering shall be provided when the Planning Board determines that there is a need to shield the site from adjacent properties and to minimize adverse impacts such as incompatible land uses, noise, light, and traffic.

Where buffers are required, the buffer shall be at least four feet (4') wide and shall comply with the following standards:

1. Shrubs and trees required as buffer elements shall be comprised of a variety of species approved by the Shade Tree Commission and shall conform to the current American Standard for Nursery Stock sponsored by the American Association of Nurserymen, Inc.

2. Reserved.

3. Reserved.

4. A berm may be used as part of the landscaped buffer screen in which case the landscaping requirements may be reduced in minimum height and quantity, provided a suitable and attractive visual screen is maintained. The berm shall not be less than three feet (3') horizontally. The design shall be reviewed by the Planning Board Engineer and the Environmental Commission and/or Shade Tree Commission. (Ord. #94-16, Appx. A)

a. Walls and fences meeting Ordinance requirements may be erected where required for privacy, screening, separation, security or to serve other necessary functions.

Design and materials shall be functional and shall compliment the character, size, and type of the building. No fence or wall shall be so constructed or installed so as to constitute a hazard to traffic or safety.

When the effective operation of a building or structure, or equipment within a building or structure, necessitates placing machinery, motors, generators, or similar device for cooling, heating or generating purposes, outside or on top of a structure, they shall be screened from public view.

b. This screening shall consist of densely planted evergreen shrubs which shall grow not less than five feet (5') after one (1) growing season; or

1. A solid and uniform fence of sufficient height to properly screen said equipment;

2. A masonry wall of sufficient height to properly screen said equipment;

c. Extensions of parapet walls or mansard rooflines or structural or ornamental screens or baffles.

d. Any similar type of solid or uniform screening which will prevent exposure of such equipment to public view.

The above requirements shall not be constructed to prevent an opening in any required screening for maintenance purposes. However, any such opening shall be made as inconspicuous as is possible so as not to present any unsightly display of said equipment to public view. (Ord. 94-16, Appx. A)

Elevated buildings on pilings shall provide architectural screening of the pilings from the street, alley and adjoining properties in a manner permitted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency Flood Hazard Regulations and the Ocean City Flood Hazard Ordinance.

The required architectural screening element shall be permanent and may be constructed of wood, vinyl, masonry or other suitable material compatible with the finish and architectural style of the building. (Ord. #02-36, 12)d

All development on tidal lagoons, navigable waterways, or other bodies of water, either existing or proposed, shall provide for bulkheading. In no case shall bank slopes, bulkhead, rip-rap, revetments, or other elements of bank stabilization be located within required minimum yard areas.

Bulkheads may be constructed of treated timber, reinforced concrete, marine alloy steel or other suitable material and a detailed design to be submitted by the developer in each case for review by the City Engineer, and approval by the United States Army Corps of Engineers and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, as may be necessary.

The Planning Board may consider waiver and/or modification of this requirement when necessary to preserve wetlands or other natural features, provided that minimum lot sizes may be maintained and that all development may be reasonably secure from erosion.

In Zoning Districts where bulk storage is a permitted accessory use, the following minimum requirements shall apply:

a. No bulk storage of material or equipment shall be permitted in any required front yard area.

b. No bulk storage of materials or equipment shall be permitted between any side or rear lot line and the required side or rear setback line.

c. All bulk storage areas shall be screened from public view by means of suitable fencing and/or evergreen plantings as required by the Planning Board. Where the property is adjacent to a residential zone or use, the screening shall meet the minimum requirements of Section 25-1700.5 of this Ordinance and a six foot (6') chain link fence or equivalent shall be provided.

No fence used to screen a bulk storage area shall be placed closer to any property line than the distance constituting the required front, side, or rear setbacks and all setback areas shall be landscaped in accordance with the requirements of Section 25-1700.30 of this Ordinance.

All service roads, driveways and bulk storage areas shall be paved with bituminous concrete or other surfacing material, as required by the Planning Board, which shall be of sufficient strength to handle the anticipated use.

In no instance shall on-site bulk storage of material exceed the height standards in the Zoning Ordinance for the zone in which it is located.

No heavy equipment shall be parked closer to the front property line than the required front setback as stipulated in Section 25300.12.4 of this Ordinance plus twenty feet (20'), except as same may be in transit to or from the site.

All grading, excavation or embankment construction shall be in accordance with the approved final plat and shall provide for the disposal of all storm water runoff and such groundwater seepage as may be encountered. All clearing, excavation and embankment construction shall be in accordance with the applicable requirements of the New Jersey Department of Transportation Standard Specifications. No excavated material may be removed from the site except in accordance with an approved final plat nor within the prior approval of the Planning Board Engineer. Where borrow excavation materials from off-site sources are required to complete the necessary grading, such material shall meet the requirements of the Standard Specifications for Borrow Excavation, Zone 3, and shall be subject to the approval of the Planning Board Engineer. All trees to be saved must have a snow fence erected at the drip line of the tree.

Materials which the Planning Board Engineer judges unsuitable for use in roadway embankment may be used for grading outside the roadway right-of-way or in building areas with the permission of the Planning Board Engineer and the Construction Official (for building areas). Any unsuitable material which cannot be satisfactorily utilized on the site shall be removed from the site and disposed of at places to be provided by the developer.

All construction layout and grading stakes shall be set by a licensed professional land surveyor employed by the developer or his contractor.

All rough grading must be completed prior to the construction of roadway subgrade. All sidewalk areas and slope areas must be fully graded prior to the construction of finished pavements.

To preserve the integrity of pavements, embankments and excavations for streets or roadways shall be provided with slopes no steeper than one foot (1') vertical rise for every three feet (3') of horizontal distance.

Such slopes shall be suitably planted with perennial grasses or other ground cover plantings in accordance with the plans approved by the Planning Board or the Cape Atlantic Soil Conservation Service, where applicable.

In areas where excavations or embankments would extend significantly beyond road rights-of-way, thereby causing disruption to the natural environment of the development, the Planning Board may, upon the application of the developer, consider or may upon its own initiative, direct the use of terraces, retaining walls, crib walls or other means of maintaining roadway slopes.

a. In any event, the entire roadway right-of-way shall be fully graded and any retaining walls, crib walls or terraces shall be located outside of the roadway right-of-way and their maintenance shall be the responsibility of the owner of the property on which they are constructed.

b. The developer shall make suitable provisions in the instruments transferring to any property containing such terraces, retaining walls or crib walls and shall provide a copy thereof to the Planning Board and the City Clerk.

c. All graded areas within or outside of the roadway right-of-way shall be neatly graded; topsoiled, fertilized and seeded to establish a stand of perennial grasses.

Top of slopes in excavations and the toe of slopes in embankment areas shall not extend beyond the right-of-way line or, where provided, the exterior line of the six foot (6) wide shade tree and utility easement required herein.

Lots shall be graded to secure proper drainage and to prevent the collection of storm water. Said grading shall be performed in a manner which will minimize the damage to or destruction of trees growing on the land. Topsoil shall be provided and/or redistributed on the surface as cover and shall be stabilized by seeding or planting. Grading plans shall have been submitted with the preliminary and final plats, and any departure from these plans must be approved in accordance with the requirements of this Ordinance for the modification of improvements. Grading shall be designed to prevent or minimize drainage to structures or improvements when major storms, exceeding the design basis of the storm drainage system, occur.

a. Wherever possible, the land shall be graded so that the storm water from each lot shall drain directly to the street or alley. If it is impossible to drain directly to the street or alley, it shall be drained to a system of interior yard drainage designed in accordance with the standards for drainage facilities and suitable drainage easements shall be provided.

b. Unless otherwise required by the Standard Specifications, all tree stumps, masonry and other obstructions shall be removed to a depth of two feet (2') below finished grade.

c. The minimum slope for lawns shall be three-fourths of one percent (3/4%) and for smooth hard-finished surfaces, other than roadways, four-tenths of one percent (4/10%).

d. The maximum grade for lawns within five feet (5) of a building shall be ten percent (10%) and for lawns more than five feet (5') from a building, twenty-five percent (25%).

e. Retaining walls installed in slope control areas shall be constructed of heavy treated timber or logs, reinforced concrete, other reinforced masonry or of other construction acceptable to the Planning Board Engineer and adequately designed and detailed on the final plat to carry all earth pressures, including any surcharges. The height of retaining walls shall not exceed one-third (1/3) of the horizontal distance from the foundation wall of any building to the face of the retaining wall. Should the City adopt, subsequently to this Ordinance, standard details for such construction, the same shall govern.

f. The developer shall take all necessary precautions to prevent any siltation of streams during construction. Such provisions may include, but are not limited to, construction and maintenance of siltation basins or holding ponds, and division beans through the course of construction. (Ord. #04-13, § 10)

All concrete used in any subdivision or site improvement shall be prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Standard Specifications for the various classes of concrete used, except that the twenty-eight (28) day compressive strength of the concrete used shall not be less than the following:

Unless specific written permission is obtained from the City Engineer to the contrary, only concrete obtained from dry-batched redimixed trucks shall be allowed.

Curbing shall be constructed on both sides of- all streets shown on all major subdivisions and shall be required on minor subdivisions in accordance with the standards prescribed for the requirements of sidewalks in the case of minor subdivisions.

Any existing pavements damaged by curb construction shall be repaired to the standards herein and/or as shown on the final plat.

Where one (1) side of the development boundary is along an existing street, the curb and/or curb and gutter shall be constructed only on a development side.