CITY OF TRENTON ZONING CODE UPDATE PUBLIC WORKSHOP JUNE 7, 2007
AGENDA CITY OF TRENTON ZONING CODE UPDATE Public Workshop Arthur Holland Middle School (Trenton High School West) 7-9 pm June 7, 2007 1) Introduction and Welcome 2) Presentation 3) Coffee Break 4) Break-Out Discussions by Ward 5) Wrap-up 2
I. INTRODUCTION In the summer of 2006 the City of Trenton s Division of Planning issued a request for proposals from consultants to assist in updating its Zoning Code, which includes the City s zoning and subdivision regulations. Trenton s Zoning Code regulates the City s land uses and explains what goes where in the City. The Zoning Code is accompanied by a Zoning Map that shows the boundaries of the City s zoning districts, which distinguish residential, commercial and industrial areas from one another. The purpose of the Zoning Code update is to streamline and modernize the existing code and make it a more user friendly document. As part of this effort, principles of smart growth, sustainable design and transit-oriented development will be incorporated into the code. The Zoning Map, which accompanies the code, will also be updated to reflect land use recommendations proposed in Trenton s official Land Use Plan, which is adopted by the Planning Board and serves as a policy guide for land use decision-making in the city. A steering committee composed of city, county, state and local representatives has been assembled to work with Planning staff and their consultant, BFJ Planning, to guide the Zoning Code update. The planning process includes periodic steering committee meetings and three public meetings. Once the committee has completed its work, the City Council will hold a public hearing on adoption of the recommended code changes. The public workshop held on June 7, 2007 was the second public meeting for the project. It began with a welcome from the City s Planning Director and Supervising Planner and a PowerPoint presentation by consultants BFJ Planning. The presentation was followed by break out discussions by ward where the public had the opportunity to review and discuss proposed changes to the zoning map. Following the break-out discussions, a representative from each break-out room reported their findings back to all participants and their comments were recorded, as discussed in Section IV of this report. 3
II. PRESENTATION BY BFJ PLANNING Below is a summary of BFJ Planning s presentation: 1) Project Overview and Goals The goal of the project is to update the Zoning Code to reflect the City s Land Use Plan. As part of this effort, the Zoning Map is also being updated to reflect neighborhood character in those places where zoning does not accurately reflect existing land use patterns and scale. The update will streamline the code to make it a more user-friendly document and ensure that it is consistent with state law. In addition, it will incorporate smart growth and sustainable development principles into the code. The project also includes the creation of a new Zoning Handbook that will be a citizens guide to the city s zoning. This handbook will explain in plain language how the code works and how to read and interpret the document. 2) Zoning Basics Zoning divides the city into sections reserved for different purposes, such as residential, commercial and industrial uses, keeping incompatible uses away from one another. Zoning is important because it tells us what can go where in the city and provides residents and developers with predictability. When you buy a house in a residential neighborhood, zoning assures you that a new industrial building will not be built next door. In addition to regulating uses, zoning also controls building size, height and how far a building must be set back from the street and from neighboring properties. It also provides site controls that describe requirements for landscaping, screening, fencing and curb cuts. New Jersey state law allows the city to designate certain areas that are in need of revitalization as Redevelopment Areas. State Redevelopment Area legislation includes economic development tools to assist with redevelopment. Land use controls that are provided in redevelopment area plans supersede the underlying zoning designation. Any updates to the Zoning Map proposed as part of this project will not change zoning designations in redevelopment areas. 3) Trenton s Zoning Districts Trenton has four basic types of zoning districts: Residential, mixed-use, business and industrial. Residential zones allow detached single family homes, semi-detached single family homes, and row houses. Mixed-use zones allow two-family structures, multi-family structures, and residential units over commercial uses and offices. Business zones allow offices, retail, restaurant and entertainment uses; and industrial zones allow manufacturing, warehouses and materials storage yards. 4) Who Administers Zoning? The Zoning Code and Map are adopted by the City Council. Two appointed boards administer the code: the Planning Board and the Zoning Board of Appeals. The Planning Board, which is composed of nine members, is often referred to as the board 4
of permitted uses. This board reviews subdivision and site plan applications and bulk variances related to site plan applications. The Zoning Board of Appeals, which is composed of seven members, reviews applications for use variances and related subdivision and site plan applications, as well as bulk variances. 5) Proposed Zoning Map Changes Zoning Map changes are proposed in certain locations to reflect existing scale and character of the city s neighborhoods. For example, in the Island neighborhood a change in zone from RB to RB2 is proposed. The purpose of this change would be to protect the detached and semi-detached single-family character of this neighborhood. III. BREAK-OUT ROOM DISCUSSIONS Following the presentation there were break-out discussions on the proposed map changes. These discussions were organized by ward and each break-out room had maps of the changes proposed in each ward. During these discussion sessions, residents had the opportunity to talk with one another as well as City staff and their consultants about the proposed map changes and provide their input into on proposed changes. IV. WRAP-UP Following the break-out discussions, all participants reconvened in auditorium. A representative from each ward discussion summarized participants comments as follows: West Ward The southern end of Stuyvesant Avenue should be zoned as a mixed-use area. Maybe then the city could pull some needed business and professional service uses into this area, such as restaurants or franchise businesses. RB to RB2 on the Island is okay. RB to RB1 in Berkeley Square is okay. RB to RB2 for Cadwalader Place (Edgewood-Carteret) is okay. Stuyvesant should be changed from BB to MU. Hillcrest/Stuyvesant area should be kept RB or changed to MU, but not to BB. There should be an owner-occupied home office designation for West State Street and Berkeley Avenue. Why is there a BB zone on Stuyvesant Avenue? North Ward Cherry Street/St. Hedwick s should stay RB because properties are small and changes to RB2 would stifle any new development. RB to MU on New Willow Street is okay. 5
South Ward IA to PF aims to eliminate industrial development infringing on the wastewater treatment facility. This will help the City avoid development pressures that would be detrimental to the City and its residents. East Ward RB to RB2 aims to maintain the single home/semi-detached character and avoid overpopulation and congestion problems. I like moving from RB to RB2. It will contribute to keeping the character of the neighborhood by discouraging row homes. City-Wide Comments Is there any way in zoning procedure to discourage the conversion of buildings into churches? There are several instances where zone boundaries bisect individual lots. The zoning district designations are confusing and should be made more user-friendly. They are not logical. A more logical structure for residential zones might be: RA = RA Single family RB-1 = RA-1 Single family RB-1 = RB Semi-detached RB-2 = RB-1 Semi-detached RB = RB-2 Row homes V. NEXT STEPS Following the workshop the City and its consultants, working with the Steering Committee, will prepare proposed Zoning Map and text changes, taking into account comments received from the public. They will also finalize the Zoning Handbook, which is being developed as part of the project to serve as a user-friendly guide to the Zoning Code. Once the Zoning Map and text changes have been completed they will be presented to the public for comment and then presented to the City Council for adoption at a public hearing. 6
City of Trenton: Zoning Districts District Principal Permitted Uses Residence A (RA) Detached single-family dwelling units - Min. lot area: 6,000 sf Residence B-1 (RB1) Detached single-family dwelling units - Min. lot area: 4,000 sf Residence B-2 (RB2) Detached single-family dwelling units - Min. lot area: 4,000 sf Semidetached single-family dwelling units - Min. lot area: 2,500 sf/unit Home professional office with residency Residence B (RB) Detached single-family dwelling units - Min. lot area: 4,000 sf Semidetached single-family dwelling units - Min. lot area: 2,500 sf/unit Row house dwelling units - Min. lot area: 1,500 sf/unit Home professional office with residency Mixed Use (MU) Detached single-family dwelling units - Min. lot area: 4,000 sf Semidetached single-family dwelling units - Min. lot area: 2,500 sf/unit Two-family dwelling structures - Min. lot area: 2,500 sf/unit Row house dwelling units - Min. lot area: 1,500 sf/unit Multifamily dwelling structures & dwelling units located over permitted non-residential uses - Min. lot area: 2,000 sf/first 2 units & 500 sf/addt l unit Public facilities of the City of Trenton Doctor, lawyer or other professional offices - Min. lot area: 5,000 sf Offices or headquarters of a nonprofit or service organization Business A (BA) All uses permitted in residence & mixed use zones Retail sales and services Professional and business offices Restaurants Hotels of 100 rooms or more Theaters Multistory parking garages - Min. lot area for Business Use: 2,000 sf
Pedestrian Mall (PM) Permitted uses are the same as those in Business A. - Min. lot area for Business Use: 2,000 sf Street level use restricted to retail sales, restaurants and personal customer services. This district includes design standards for façade renovations, paint and metal finishes, awnings and canopies, marquees, and signage. Business B (BB) All uses permitted in the Business A district Retail Personal service shopping areas design for neighborhood shopping and business convenience. Surface parking lots Dance halls and skating rinks Bowling alleys Laundromats Industrial A (light manufacturing and heavy commercial) - Min. lot area for Business Use: 2,000 sf Commercial warehouses Lumber and building materials storage yards Repair and machine shops Bottling works and bakeries Wholesale markets Processes of assembly, manufacture or treatment - Min. lot area: 10,000 sf Industrial B (heavy manufacturing) All uses permitted in the Industrial A district All similar uses except those that constitute a nuisance due to smoke, odor, dust or noise Prohibited uses may supply the Planning Board with evidence that they will not create a nuisance. The PB may allow such uses if satisfied that special design of a structure or innovation in processes will prevent the use from being a nuisance. - Min lot area: 25,000 sf