City of Northfield - Procedures | Requirements for Major and Minor Subdivisions and Site Plans

Requirements for Major and Minor Subdivisions and Site Plans

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§ 215-168: Requirements for major and minor subdivisions and site plans.

Application review procedure. Every application to the City for approval of a major subdivision, minor subdivision, or any site plan that requires the removal of trees of DPM of eight inches or greater shall be accompanied by a tree preservation plan. This plan is for City consideration; approval in conjunction with subdivision or site plan approval does not constitute a permit for tree removal. Subsequent tree removal and protection permit applications are to be made for each right-of-way (ROW, meaning a street or similar path offering ingress to or egress from the lots of the development), for each easement, and for each lot of the subdivision or site, or group thereof, as each applicable, as each lot or group is to be developed. Said applications shall conform to the plan as approved and may be grouped as desired by the applicant in accordance with the approved plan, as one permit application, except that the clearing of each lot or group of lots within a subdivision shall take place on an individual basis separate from ROW clearing, and clearing for areas outside of the residential lot areas, requiring a separate permit application. The plan shall include a map, at a scale no finer than one inch equals 30 feet, prepared by either a land surveyor, or a professional engineer or planner licensed by the State of New Jersey, and shall include:

(1)

The boundary and acreage of the site and all block and lot numbers as shown on the Tax Map of the City;

(2)

The location and identity of all trees of DPM of eight inches or greater.

(3)

Specified proposals for replanting or replacements, if applicable.

(4)

The location of streams and watercourses.

(5)

The location of slopes with grades steeper than 15% from which trees are to be removed.

(6)

Areas noted where tree removal is necessary due to grade changes. Areas shall be shaded and noted accordingly.

Permit application procedure.

(1)

Application form. The application form shall be available from the Office of the City Zoning Officer and shall include the following information:

(a)

Name and address of the applicant for the permit, status of legal entity (individual, partnership, corporation of this or any other state);

(b)

Status of the applicant with respect to land (owner, lessee, tenant, purchaser, under contract, etc.) and, if other than the owner of the property, an accompaniment providing the owner's written consent;

(c)

Address of the property (street and number) and block and lot number;

(d)

A list of all trees, deciduous or coniferous, to be removed with a DPM equal to or greater than eight inches, identified by size and species, including total number of each species to be removed;

(e)

Purpose for tree removal (construction, street or roadway, driveway, utility easement, recreation areas, patio, parking lot, etc.);

(f)

Other information the applicant deems necessary in order effectively to process and decide such application; and

(g)

Claims for exemptions and provisions for supporting information. Where a highly desirable specimen tree is worthy of preservation, an applicant may submit a variance application to the Planning/Zoning Board without cost to provide flexibility for relocating a structure outside of the building envelope.

(2)

Landscape plan. The following information shall be provided on a landscape plan prepared in accordance with this article:

(a)

Location of tree canopy within the property boundaries. "Tree canopy" is defined to include any deciduous or coniferous species existing at the time of application with a DPM of four inches or greater.

(b)

Location and identification by size and species of individual trees as listed in Subsection B(1)(d) for removal, plus those trees of DPM of eight inches or greater within the area of development/limit of disturbance which are to be preserved.

(c)

Clear labeling of the entire area intended for tree removal/protection.

(d)

Limit of disturbance line.

(e)

Areas reserved for topsoil stockpiling and storage of construction equipment.

(f)

Identification of proposed structures, utility lines, waste lines, septic fields (if applicable) and fuel storage tanks (if applicable). The landscape plan is to accompany the submission of the application.

(3)

Submission. The application and landscape plan are to be filed with the Office of the City Zoning Officer and the Office of the City Planning/Zoning Board for each ROW, for each easement, and for each individual lot or group of lots in the subdivision or on the site plan, as applicable.

Clearing requirements.

(1)

Design requirements.

(a)

Only those trees necessary to permit the construction of buildings, structures, streets, driveways, infrastructure, and other authorized improvements shall be removed. Existing vegetation shall be preserved to the greatest extent feasible. Trees located beyond 10 feet of a building foundation or driveway shall be preserved, unless an exception is granted.

(b)

Existing tree canopy clearing.

[1]

For residential development, no more of the existing tree canopy within the property boundaries shall be removed beyond the limits in this subsection. Existing tree canopy comprised of the remaining lot area shall be noted for preservation. The permitted clearing limits for residential development shall be either 10% greater than the allowable site coverage, or 10% less than the open space requirement, expressed as a percentage of site area, whichever is greater. The Planning/Zoning Board will also consider the extent to which the proposed landscaping plan ameliorates the impact of the tree clearing and determine whether additional landscaping requirements may be necessary at the time of site plan or subdivision review.

[2]

For commercial development, tree protection shall be determined on a case-by-case basis, upon review of the applicant's tree removal and preservation plan, in accordance with the requirements of this article and the quality of landscaping proposed with the development. The combination of selective tree clearing and quality of landscaping will be considered by the Planning Board, evaluating each proposal on the basis of its appearance to the community as a commercial development.

(c)

Landscape standards may be waived by the Planning/Zoning Board when trees and/or shrub masses are preserved and/or relocated on-site that duplicate or essentially duplicate the landscape requirements contained in this section. Existing trees and/or shrub masses preserved within wetlands, wetland transition areas, or other use-restricted areas are excluded.

(d)

Any appropriate City reviewing authority shall have the option of requiring a conservation easement to protect any or all trees or tree canopy areas to remain on site.

(e)

A healthy historic tree, or an endangered species or specimen tree, shall be preserved to an extent reasonably possible by the modification of lot development plans. If such modifications requires a variance, a variance application may be made to the appropriate agency without cost.

(2)

Site protection.

(a)

Tree protection measures and the limit-of-disturbance line shown on the landscape plan shall be provided in the field with snow fencing or other durable material and verified by a designated representative of the Office of the City Zoning Officer prior to soil disturbance. For purposes of enforcement, the designated representative of the City shall be the City of Northfield Zoning Officer or his designee.

(b)

Protective barriers shall not be supported by the plants they are protecting, but shall be self-supporting. Barriers shall be a minimum of four feet high and last until construction is complete.

(c)

Chain-link fence may be required for tree protection if warranted by site conditions and relative rarity of the plant.

(d)

Snow fencing used for tree protection shall be firmly secured along the dripline, but not less than six feet from the trunk.

(e)

The grade of the land located within the dripline shall not be raised or lowered more than six inches unless compensated by welling or retaining wall methods, and in no event shall welling or retaining wall methods be less than six feet from the trunk of a tree.

(f)

No soil stockpiling, storage of building materials, construction equipment or vehicles shall be permitted within the dripline or within six feet of any existing tree to be preserved, whichever is greater.

(g)

No equipment shall be operated within six feet of any tree protected by this article, nor shall such equipment be operated at any time in such a manner as to break, tear, bruise, decorticate, or otherwise injure any living or dormant tree. Any clearing within the dripline, or within six feet of the trunk of a remaining tree, whichever is greater, shall be done by hand-operated equipment. Excavating operations within four feet of any tree require a separate permit from the Office of the City Zoning Officer.

(h)

Parasitic growth, such as clinging vines, are to be removed from all trees noted for preservation and which are to be protected as required herein. Such removal is an ancillary requirement of the granting of a clearance permit.

(3)

Inspections and approvals. Inspections after application submittals and approvals for clearing, for obtaining building permits, and for granting certificates of occupancy (COs) are as given in § 215-174.

Tree care and plantings.

(1)

Tree replacement and reforestation.

(a)

Where clearing and/or construction on the site results in accidental or deliberate removal or severe damage which will eventually result in the death of any tree noted for preservation, the developer shall replace the tree(s) in accordance with the following table in accordance with its approved subdivision or site plan:

	DPM of Existing Tree Removed (inches)	Minimum Number of Replacement Trees¹
	Less than 8	0
	8 to less than 12	2
	12 to less than 18	4
	18 to less than 24	6
	24 to less than 30	8
	30 to less than 36	10
	Equal to or greater than 36	12²

	NOTES:
	¹	Replacement trees shall be located on site.
	²	Additional tree for each inch of DPM greater than 36.

(b)

All trees required for planting by this Subsection D shall be of a hardwood deciduous species indigenous to the area of a minimum 2 1/2 inch caliper, unless alternatives are granted by the appropriate approving authority such as the Planning/Zoning Board, or the Office of the City Zoning Officer on a case-by-case basis.

(2)

Damage assessment. When a tree noted for preservation has been inadvertently damaged during construction, the developer or owner shall take immediate steps to preclude resultant tree death. Such steps shall include staking, bark painting, and deep root fertilization and/or pruning under direction of a licensed arborist. However, where the City authority determines after field investigation that a large specimen tree has sustained significant damage such that there is doubt concerning its chances for long-term survival, the provisions of Subsection D(1)(b) apply.

(3)

Pollution recovery. For every residential, commercial, or industrial site development, the plan shall include the addition of one tree for every four parking spaces.

(4)

Bonding for tree replacements. The developer or property owner shall post a bond of $200 per replacement tree, at the time of requesting a CO, if such replacements are not installed. A conditional CO may be issued pending such replacements. Conditional COs will be made final COs upon full replacement installation with return of bond money, or after one year if no replacements are installed, with forfeiture of bond money to the Tree Bank Fund of § 215-170B.

(5)

City option. If the City should decide that the applicant will not be required to replace the required trees on his site, the City may require the applicant to contribute $200 per tree not replaced, which monies shall be deposited into the Tree Bank Fund of § 215-170B.

Tree removal requirements for cluster and planned development. The standards and procedures of this § 215-168 and its subsections shall be followed for cluster and planned development, except for Subsection C(1)(b).

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City of Northfield, NJ

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