East Orange, NJ Zoning Overlays & Bonuses: Downtown Design Guide (2026)

Section 51-114A requires all TVD projects to provide "district enhancement improvements" unless the applicant demonstrates a design waiver is warranted for site limitations or existing improvements already in place. The nine required categories cover transit wayfinding signage, bicycle parking (one space per residential unit, three per 5,000 square feet nonresidential), sidewalk-oriented building entries, public plazas on lots over 20,000 square feet, street trees every 25 feet with cobblestone-paved tree wells, decorative streetlighting, public artwork space, street furniture, and architectural enhancements like awnings and blade signage.

Section 51-114B then sets minimum glazing requirements by wall type: ground-floor commercial street-facing walls need at least 75% transparent glazing between grade and the first-floor ceiling, dropping to 50% for a corner building's secondary facade, 25% for other street-facing front walls, and 15% for street-facing side or rear walls on corner or through-lot buildings. Subsection D adds architectural design guidelines banning mirrored glass at street level, aluminum or vinyl clapboard-style siding, and EIFS exterior finishing systems on any wall visible from a public street, while subsection E requires a unified streetscape plan with street trees no further than 35 feet apart on center.