Design Requirements and Land Use

If you are planning new construction or renovation in the City of Summit, New Jersey, you need to be aware of the design requirements set forth in the City of Summit Development Regulations. Not only will you likely need to obtain a variance through a process that involves an application and hearing with the Planning Board or Zoning Board in Summit, but you will also largely need to comply with the city’s design and performance requirements within the Development Regulations.

What are design requirements, and what do they specify? Our Summit land use lawyers can tell you more, and we can discuss your specific development plans with you to help give you the best chance of being able to develop or renovate the project you have in mind.

General Design Requirements

Under the Regulations, the design requirements “are intended to guide all development in the City of Summit in a manner that is harmonious and consistent with the existing character of the community, including the architectural styles, forms, massing, orientation and materials of existing buildings, structures and site configurations.”

The Regulations clarify that the design requirements are applicable “to all development in the City of Summit including, but not limited to, single and two-family, site plan and subdivision applications as applicable.” The requirements include particular design requirements for all of the following:

• Awnings and canopies;
• Driveways, gutters, and sidewalks;
• Easements;
• Exterior mechanical equipment;
• Fences, walls, and wall-like structures;
• Swimming pool fences;
• Hedges;
• Landscaping;
• Lighting;
• Nuisance elements (such as smoke, noise, and trespass lighting);
• Off-tract improvements;
• Parking and loading;
• Refuse storage and disposal;
• Signs; and
• Trees.

There are also additional design requirements related to vehicle and pedestrian traffic, utilities, and more. Each of the specific categories has particular requirements that will need to be adhered to in any development project.

Design Criteria for Specific Types of Buildings

It is also important to know that there are additional design criteria that apply to single and two-family dwellings, townhouses, multi-family developments, subdivisions, and mixed-use and non-residential development.

The design criteria include requirements for building form, height, roofs, facades, and much more. Before you undertake any plans for a new project in Summit, or the renovation of an existing building or site, it is important to seek advice about design criteria and the Development Regulations from a Summit land use lawyer.

Contact a Summit Land Use Attorney for Assistance 

Submitting an application for a variance to build or renovate, and going before the Summit Planning Board or Zoning Board, can be a complex and stressful process. While it is likely necessary for the project you want to initiate and complete, handling the matter alone can be difficult. One of the experienced Summit land use and zoning lawyers at Dempsey, Dempsey & Sheehan can speak with you today about your development or renovation plans, and we can guide you through the process for obtaining approval from the relevant body in Summit. We are committed to representing individuals and businesses in Summit with a wide range of land use matters, and we can speak with you today about your needs. Contact us to learn more about your options to get approval for your project and how we can assist you.

Source:

cityofsummit.org/188/Planning-Zoning