Plainfield, NJ Zoning Overlays & Bonuses: Downtown Design Guide (2026)
Key Facts
- Applies to
- TODD/CBD, TODD/NAHD, TODD/CLAD and TODD/PD zones
- Wall materials
- 85 percent brick, stone or cultured stone
- Ground floor glass
- No less than 60 percent of the façade
- Drive-through windows
- Prohibited
- Tall buildings
- Fifth floor and above set back at least 12 feet
- Historic review
- TODD/NAHD also goes to the Historic Preservation Commission
Summary
In the City of Plainfield, New Jersey, new downtown buildings in the TODD/CBD, TODD/NAHD, TODD/CLAD and TODD/PD zones must meet the architectural standards in § 17:11-20. Brick, stone or cultured stone covers 85 percent of exterior walls, glass curtain walls and drive-through windows are banned, and ground floors need clear glass over at least 60 percent of the façade.
§ 17:11-20. Architectural design standards in the TODD/CBD, NAHD, CLAD, and PD Zones. ... A. New buildings shall be oriented to the front yard and relate to public rights-of-way or plazas, both functionally and visually. The primary orientation of a building shall not be towards a parking lot. B. Fire escapes shall be prohibited on the front façade of any building. ... 4. Drive-through windows are prohibited due to the essential purpose of the TODD Zones to enhance pedestrian access and reduce vehicular conflicts. 5. Ground floors of buildings in the TODD/CBD, NAHD, CLAD and PD Zones shall be designed to accommodate permitted use other than residential uses. This design shall include placing entry doors at grade with no elevated stoop, having clear glass windows comprising no less than sixty percent (60%) of the ground floor façade and interior ceiling clear heights no less than fourteen (14) feet. ... 3. No glass curtain walls shall be permitted. ... 2. A minimum of eighty-five percent (85%) of exterior walls, excluding windows, doors, and other openings, shall be faced with brick, stone or cultured stone.
Full Breakdown
The Plainfield City Council created the Transit Oriented Development Downtown Zones (TODD) by Ordinance MC 2012-20 on November 26, 2012, within a one-quarter (1/4) mile distance of the downtown Plainfield train station. Section 17:11-20 of the Land Use Ordinance sets the building design standards for four of those zones: TODD/CBD, TODD/NAHD, TODD/CLAD and TODD/PD.
Orientation and street wall. New buildings face the front yard and relate to the public right-of-way or plaza, and a building's primary orientation is never toward a parking lot. Fire escapes are prohibited on a front façade. Street facades need continuous frontage, which is met when 80 percent or more of the façade is built to the right-of-way line. A midblock access to parking is no wider than 30 feet and no narrower than 15 feet, with at least 16 feet of height.
Ground floor. Entry doors sit at grade with no elevated stoop, clear glass covers no less than 60 percent of the ground floor façade, and interior clear ceiling heights are no less than 14 feet. The ground floor next to a right-of-way is designed for a permitted use to a minimum depth of 25 feet. Security grilles must be at least 60 percent open, and solid rolling service doors are not permitted.
Upper floors and materials. A building taller than four stories is set back at least 12 feet from the fifth floor up. Windows are vertical with a minimum four-inch inset. Ground floor walls are faced with brick, stone or cultured stone, and a minimum of 85 percent of all exterior walls are faced the same way, with 15 percent in noncombustible materials such as stucco or EIFS. Windows and glazing run from 30 percent to 70 percent of each front yard building elevation. Unpainted or galvanized metal is barred as a building material.
Color and historic review. Fluorescent colors are prohibited, and so are dark, heat absorbing roof colors. In the TODD/NAHD, each building and separate leased space at grade has a functioning primary entry inset at least three feet, with entries no more than 70 feet apart, and development also goes to the Historic Preservation Commission.
Violations & Fines
Section 17:11-20 prints no fine of its own. The Zoning Officer enforces Chapter 17 under § 17:1-20 and denies permits for plans that break it, and § 17:1-23 sets the penalty at not more than $1,500 for the first ten days after the initial summons and not more than $75 per day after that, at the court's discretion. An applicant who cannot meet a design standard because of peculiar conditions of the land asks the approving authority for a waiver under § 17:11-2.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are drive-through windows allowed in downtown Plainfield?
What must the exterior walls of a downtown building be made of?
Do buildings in the TODD/TD transition zone follow these standards?
How tall can a downtown Plainfield building rise before it steps back?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Plainfield
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