floor dwelling units shall be required to be constructed to conform with the technical design standards of the barrier free subcode. “Ground floor” means the first floor with a dwelling unit or portion of a dwelling unit, regardless of whether that floor is at grade. A building may have more than one ground floor.
b.
Notwithstanding the exemption for townhouse dwelling units in the barrier free subcode, the first floor of all townhouse dwelling units and of all other multifloor dwelling units that are attached to at least one other dwelling unit shall be subject to the technical design standards of the barrier free subcode and shall include the following features:
i.
An adaptable toilet and bathing facility on the first floor;
ii.
An adaptable kitchen on the first floor;
iii.
An interior accessible route of travel however an interior accessible route of travel shall not be required between stories;
iv.
An adaptable room that can be used as a bedroom, with a door, or the casing for the installation of a door that is compliant with the Barrier Free Subcode, on the first floor;
v.
If not all of the foregoing requirements in b.i. through b.iv. can be satisfied, then an interior accessible route of travel shall be provided between stories within an individual unit; and
vi.
An accessible entranceway as set forth in P.L. 2005, c. 350 (N.J.S.A. 52:27D-311a et seq.) and the Barrier Free Subcode, N.J.A.C. 5:23-7, or evidence that the municipality has collected funds from the developer sufficient to make 10% of the adaptable entrances in the development accessible:
(a)
Where a unit has been constructed with an adaptable entrance, upon the request of a disabled person who is purchasing or will reside in the dwelling unit, an accessible entrance shall be installed.
(b)
To this end, the builder of restricted units shall deposit funds within the Affordable Housing Trust Fund sufficient to install accessible entrances in 10% of the affordable units that have been constructed with adaptable entrances.
(c)
The funds deposited shall be expended for the sole purpose of making the adaptable entrance of an affordable unit accessible when requested to do so by a person with a disability who occupies or intends to occupy the unit and requires an accessible entrance.
(d)
The developer of the restricted units shall submit to the Construction Official a design plan and cost estimate for the conversion from adaptable to accessible entrances.
(e)
Once the Construction Official has determined that the design plan to convert the unit entrances from adaptable to accessible meets the requirements of the Barrier Free Subcode, N.J.A.C. 5:23-7, and that the cost estimate of such conversion is reasonable, payment shall be made to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund and earmarked appropriately.