Newark, NJ Landscaping Rules: Rainwater Harvesting (2026)

Section 41:6-2-44 governs Wholesale Trade, Warehousing and Distribution uses, including cold storage, bulk-break distribution, high-cube, last-mile and micro-fulfillment facilities, common in Newark given its port and logistics corridor. Item 2 requires at least 65% of the total Usable Roof Area of both principal and accessory structures to include a green roof, and item 3 requires a rainwater capture/harvesting system for irrigation of that green roof, onsite landscaping maintenance, and other non-potable uses. The same green roof plus rainwater harvesting pairing appears in the parallel conditional-use standards for truck terminals (Section 41:6-2-42) and for truck, tractor, trailer, and heavy vehicle parking or storage facilities (Section 41:6-2-43), both adopted in the same 2023 ordinance, making it a consistent citywide requirement across Newark's major industrial and logistics use categories rather than a one-off.

Warehousing facilities must also submit an Environmental Justice and Cumulative Impacts Statement Full Form for review by the Environmental Commission and Board, equip the site with electric vehicle charging infrastructure meeting the state model ordinance, use zero-emission yard trucks and spotter vehicles, and provide a 30-foot minimum landscape buffer of deciduous and evergreen trees where the site abuts a residential district. One shade tree is required per 35 feet of right-of-way frontage and one on-site tree per 25 feet of lot width along the primary frontage, though that planting requirement can be waived if NJDEP documentation shows site contamination prevents planting and 100% of the roof area is instead green roof.