[Amended 3-5-1979]
A. 
There is hereby established pursuant to c. 291, P.L. 1975, in the Borough a Planning Board of nine members consisting of the following four classes:
(1) 
Class I: the Mayor.
(2) 
Class II: one of the officials of the Borough other than a member of the Borough Council to be appointed by the Mayor; provided that if there is an Environmental Commission, the member of the Environmental Commission who is also a member of the Planning Board as required by N.J.S.A. 40:56A-1 shall be deemed to be the Class II Planning Board member if there is both a member of the Zoning Board of Adjustment and a member of the Board of Education among Class IV members.
(3) 
Class III: a member of the Borough Council to be appointed by it.
(4) 
Class IV: six other citizens of the Borough to be appointed by the Mayor. The members of Class IV shall hold no other Borough office, except that one member may be a member of the Zoning Board of Adjustment and one may be a member of the Board of Education. A member of the Environmental Commission who is also a member of the Planning Board as required by N.J.S.A. 40:56A-1 shall be a Class IV Planning Board member unless there be among the Class IV members of the Planning Board both a member of the Zoning Board of Adjustment and a member of the Board of Education, in which case the member of the Environmental Commission shall be deemed to be the Class II member of the Planning Board.
B. 
Alternate members.
[Amended 12-3-2001]
(1) 
There shall be two alternate members, who shall be municipal residents. Alternate members shall be appointed by the appointing authority for Class IV members, and shall meet the qualifications of Class IV members. Alternate members shall be designated at the time of appointment by the Mayor as "Alternate No. 1" and "Alternate No. 2." The terms of the alternate members shall be for two years, except that the terms of the alternate members shall be such that the term of not more than one alternate member shall expire in any one year; provided, however, that in no instance shall the terms of the alternate members first appointed exceed two years. A vacancy occurring otherwise than by expiration of term shall be filled by the appointing authority for the unexpired term only.
(2) 
No alternate member shall be permitted to act on any matter in which he/she has either directly or indirectly any personal or financial interest. An alternate member may, after public hearing if he/she requests one, be removed by the governing body for cause.
(3) 
Alternate members may participate in all matters but may not vote except in the absence or disqualification of a regular member of any class. Participation of alternate members shall not be deemed to increase the size of the Planning Board established by this chapter pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:55D-23. A vote shall not be delayed in order that a regular member may vote instead of an alternate member. In the event that a choice must be made as to which alternate member is to vote, Alternate No. 1 shall vote.
C. 
If the Planning Board lacks a quorum because any of its regular or alternate members are prohibited by N.J.S.A. 40:55D-23 or 40:55D-23.1 from acting on a matter due to the member's personal or financial interests therein, regular members of the Board of Adjustment shall be called upon to serve, for that matter only, as temporary members of the Planning Board in order of seniority of continuous service to the Board of Adjustment until there are the minimum number of members necessary to constitute a quorum to act upon the matter without any personal or financial interest therein, whether direct or indirect. If a choice has to be made between regular members of equal seniority, the Chair of the Board of Adjustment shall make the choice.
[Added 12-3-2001]
[Amended 3-5-1979]
A. 
The term of the member composing Class I shall correspond with his/her official tenure. The terms of the members composing Class II and Class III shall be for one year or terminate at the completion of their respective terms of office, whichever occurs first, except for a Class II member who is also a member of the Environmental Commission. The term of a Class II or a Class IV member who is also a member of the Environmental Commission shall be for three years or terminate at the completion of his/her term of office as a member of the Environmental Commission, whichever comes first.
B. 
The term of a Class IV member who is also a member of the Board of Adjustment or the Board of Education shall terminate whenever he/she is no longer a member of such other body or at the completion of his/her Class IV term, whichever occurs first.
C. 
The terms of all Class IV members first appointed pursuant to this chapter shall be so determined that to the greatest practicable extent the expiration of such term shall be evenly distributed over the first four years after their appointment as determined by resolution of the Borough Council, provided however, that no term of any member shall exceed four years and further provided that nothing herein shall affect the term of any present member of the Planning Board, all of whom shall continue in office until the completion of the term for which they were appointed. Thereafter all Class IV members shall be appointed for terms of four years except as otherwise herein provided. All terms shall run from January 1 of the year in which the appointment was made.
D. 
The terms of all alternate members shall be as set forth in § 28-1B.
[Amended 12-3-2001]
If a vacancy in any class shall occur otherwise than by expiration of term, it shall be filled by appointment as above provided for the unexpired term. Any member other than a Class I member, after a public hearing if he/she requests one, may be removed by the governing body for cause.
The Planning Board shall elect a Chair and Vice Chair from the members of Class IV and select a secretary who may be either a member of the Planning Board or a Borough employee designated by it.
There is hereby created the office of Planning Board Attorney. The Planning Board may annually appoint, fix the compensation of or agree upon the rate of compensation of the Planning Board Attorney who shall be an attorney other than the Borough Attorney.
The Planning Board may also employ or contract for the services of experts and other staff and services as it may deem necessary. The Board shall not, however, exceed, exclusive of gifts or grants, the amount appropriated by the Borough Council for its use.
The Planning Board is authorized to adopt bylaws governing its procedural operation. It shall also have the following powers and duties:
A. 
To make and adopt and from time to time amend a Master Plan for the physical development of the Borough including any areas outside its boundaries, which in the Board's judgment, bear essential relation to the planning of the Borough, in accordance with the provisions of N.J.S.A. 40:55D-28.
B. 
To administer the provisions of Chapter 186, Subdivision of Land, and Chapter 171, Site Plan Review, of the Borough in accordance with the provisions of said ordinances and the Municipal Land Use Law of 1975, N.J.S.A. 40:55D-1 et seq.
C. 
To participate in the preparation and review of programs or plans required of the Planning Board by state or federal law or regulations.
D. 
To assemble data on a continuing basis as part of a continuous planning process.
E. 
To annually prepare a program of municipal capital improvement projects projected over a term of six years, and amendments thereto, and recommend same to the Borough Council.
F. 
To consider and make report to the Borough Council within 35 days after referral as to any proposed development regulation submitted to it pursuant to the provisions of N.J.S.A. 40:55D-26(a), and also pass upon other matters specifically referred to the Planning Board by the Mayor and Borough Council, pursuant to the provisions of N.J.S.A. 40:55D-26(b).
G. 
Variances and permits.
(1) 
When reviewing applications for approval of subdivision plats, site plans, or conditional uses, to grant to the same extent and subject to the same restrictions as the Zoning Board of Adjustment:
(a) 
Variances pursuant to Subsection 57c of c. 291, Laws of New Jersey, 1975,[1] from lot area, lot dimensional, setback and yard requirements; provided that such relief from lot area requirements shall not be granted for more than one lot.
[1]
Editor's Note: See N.J.S.A. 40:55D-1 et seq.
(b) 
Direction pursuant to Section 23 of said act for issuance of permit for building or structure in the bed of a mapped street or public drainage way, flood control basin or public area reserved pursuant to Section 23 of said act.
(c) 
Direction pursuant to Section 27 of said act for issuance of a permit for a building or structure not related to a street.
(2) 
Whenever relief is requested pursuant to this subsection, notice of a hearing on the application for development shall include reference to the request for a variance or direction for issuance of a permit as the case may be.
H. 
To perform such other advisory duties as are assigned to it by ordinance or resolution of the Borough Council for the aid and assistance of the Borough Council or other agencies or officers.
[Added 12-5-2005 by Ord. No. 7-2005]
A. 
Findings. The Zoning Board of Adjustment was created by ordinance pursuant to the terms of N.J.S.A. 40:55D-69. The aforementioned statute mandates the creation of a Zoning Board of Adjustment upon the adoption of a zoning ordinance unless the municipality is eligible for the option provided by N.J.S.A. 49:55D-25c which allows the Planning Board to exercise the powers of the Zoning Board of Adjustment in a municipality having a population of 15,000. The population of the Borough of Hamburg is less than 15,000.
B. 
Authority of Planning Board to exercise powers of Board of Adjustment. The Planning Board shall hereafter exercise to the same extent and subject to the same restrictions all the powers granted by law to the Zoning Board of Adjustment. Except for applications for development, appeals or other matters pending before the Zoning Board of Adjustment at the date of the adoption of this section, said Board shall not hear, consider or decide any applications for development, appeals or other matters.
C. 
Abolishment of Board of Adjustment; discharge of members. The Zoning Board of Adjustment shall be abolished upon the conclusion of all applications for development, appeals and other matters which were pending before it on the date of the adoption of this section, and all members, officers and employees shall be discharged from their position, offices or employment.
D. 
Restrictions on Class I and Class III members of Planning Board. Class I and Class III members of the Planning Board shall not participate in the consideration of any application for development which involve relief pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:55D-70d.
E. 
Effective date of repeal. That part or parts of any other ordinance of the municipality establishing or granting power or authority to the Zoning Board of Adjustment is hereby repealed, which repeal shall be effective on the date of the abolition of said Board as provided in § 28-7.1C.
A. 
Minor subdivisions. Minor subdivision approvals shall be granted or denied within 45 days of the date of submission of a complete application to the Planning Board or within such further time as may be consented to by the applicant. Approval of a minor subdivision shall expire 190 days from the date of the Planning Board approval unless within such period a plat in conformity with such approval and the provisions of the Map Filing Law or a deed clearly describing the approved minor subdivision, is filed by the developer with the County Recording Officer, the Borough Engineer and Borough Tax Assessor. Any such plat or deed must be signed by the Chair and secretary of the Planning Board before it will be accepted for filing by the County Recording Officer.
B. 
Preliminary approval, major subdivisions. Upon submission of a complete application for a subdivision of 10 or fewer lots, the Planning Board shall grant or deny preliminary approval within 45 days of the date of such submission or within such further time as may be consented to by the developer. Upon submission of a complete application for a subdivision of more than 10 lots the Planning Board shall grant or deny preliminary approval within 95 days of the date of such submission or within such further time as may be consented to by the developer. Otherwise the Planning Board shall be deemed to have granted preliminary approval for the subdivision.
C. 
Ancillary powers. Whenever the Planning Board is called upon to exercise its ancillary powers before the granting of a variance as set forth in § 28-7G, the Planning Board shall grant or deny approval of the application within 95 days after submission by the developer of a complete application or within such further time as may be consented to by the applicant. Failure of the Planning Board to act within the period prescribed shall constitute approval of the application and a certificate of the administrative officer as to the failure of the Planning Board to act shall be issued on request of the applicant.
D. 
Final approval. Application for final subdivision approval shall be granted or denied within 45 days of submission of a complete application or within such further time as may be consented to by the applicant. Final approval of a major subdivision shall expire 95 days from the date of signing of the plat unless within such period the plat shall have been duly filed by the developer with the County Recording Officer. The Planning Board may, for good cause shown, extend the period for recording for an additional period not to exceed 190 days from the date of signing of the plat.
[Amended 11-5-2007 by Ord. No. 10-2007]
Applications for development shall be filed with the Secretary of the Planning Board at least 21 days before the date of hearing and in accordance with the requirements of the General Submission Checklist set forth on the attached schedule.[1] The applicant shall obtain all necessary forms from the Secretary of the Land Use Board.
[1]
Editor's Note: The General Submission Checklist is included at the end of this chapter.
The Mayor may appoint one or more persons as a citizens advisory committee to assist or collaborate with the Planning Board in its duties, but such person or persons shall have no power to vote or take other action required of the Board. Such person or persons shall serve at the pleasure of the Mayor.
Whenever the Environmental Commission has prepared and submitted to the Planning Board an index of the natural resources of the Borough, the Planning Board shall make available to the Environmental Commission an informational copy of every application for development to the Planning Board. Failure of the Planning Board to make such informational copy available to the Environmental Commission shall not invalidate any hearing or proceeding.
[Added 6-1-2009 by Ord. No. 07-2009]
The Historic Preservation Commission shall receive a copy of the application. The Land Use Board shall forward to the Historic Preservation Commission a copy of any application for development at least 21 days before conducting any hearing thereon.
The Board shall adopt such rules and regulations as may be necessary to carry into effect the provisions and purposes of this chapter. In the issuance of subpoenas, administration of oaths and taking of testimony, the provisions of the County and Municipal Investigations Law of 1953 (N.J.S.A. 2A:67A-1 et seq.) shall apply.