A. 
No building or structure shall be erected and no existing building or structure shall be moved, altered, added to or enlarged, nor shall any land or building be designed, used or intended to be used, for any purpose or in any manner other than as specified among the uses listed as permitted, accessory or conditional in the district in which the building or land is located.
B. 
No building or structure shall be erected, reconstructed or structurally altered to exceed in height the limit designated for the district in which the building or structure is located.
C. 
No building or structure shall be erected, no existing buildings or structures shall be altered, enlarged or rebuilt, nor shall any open space surrounding any building be encroached upon or reduced in any manner, except in conformity to the yard, lot area and building location regulations designated in this chapter for the district in which the building or open space is located.
D. 
No yard or other open space provided for any building for the purpose of complying with the provisions of this chapter shall be considered as providing a yard or other open space for any other building on any other lot.
E. 
No land in a residential zone shall be used to fulfill open space, minimum area, minimum yard and setback requirements, parking or other similar requirements for uses in nonresidential zones.
F. 
The area or dimension of any lot, yard, parking area or other space shall not be reduced to less than the minimum required by this chapter, and if already less than the minimum required by this chapter, the area or dimension shall not be further reduced.
G. 
The maximum impervious surface coverage set forth in the Schedule of Zoning District Area, Yard and Building Requirements shall not be exceeded or, if already more than the maximum, shall not be further increased.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: The Schedule of Zoning District Area, Yard and Building Requirements is included at the end of this chapter.
[Amended 4-16-1996 by Ord. No. 96-657]
A. 
Nonconforming lot. Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, any existing nonconforming lot which is in single ownership, is not adjoining any vacant land, and is nonconforming due to space, width or area may be improved with a new structure or building or an addition to an existing building or structure as otherwise permitted by this chapter, provided that the minimum yard setbacks, floor area ratio, height and impervious coverage shall be as required in the Schedule of Zoning District Area, Yard and Building Requirements.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: The Schedule of Zoning District Area, Yard and Building Requirements is included at the end of this chapter.
B. 
Lot width. On regularly shaped lots, the minimum lot width of any lot shall be measured at the front lot line and required front yard setback line as required for the zone in which it is located and shall be maintained for a distance of not less than 40 feet to the rear of the required front yard setback line. Where lots front on culs-de-sac, the minimum lot width may be 65% of the required minimum or 50 feet, whichever is greater, measured on the arc of the right-of-way line.
C. 
Corner lots. The required front yard shall be maintained on both streets.
D. 
Through lots. A through lot shall be considered as having two street frontages, both of which shall be subject to the front yard requirements of this chapter. Where a lot is bounded on three or more sides by roads, the side opposite the front yard shall be considered the rear yard and the minimum rear yard setback shall be maintained. The remaining frontage shall be considered side yard, but the front yard setback shall be maintained for the side street.
E. 
Frontage upon a street. Every principal building shall be built upon a lot with the minimum required frontage upon an approved street which shall be improved in accordance with the street standards established by the Borough.
F. 
Number of buildings restricted. There shall not be more than one principal structure on each lot in the Residence A-1 through Residence A-6 Districts.
A. 
General application. No building or structure shall have a greater number of stories or greater height than permitted in the zone where the building or structure is located.
B. 
Permitted exceptions.
(1) 
Height limitations stipulated elsewhere in this chapter shall not apply to the following when attached to the principal structures: chimneys, flagpoles, private radio and telephone antennas, fire towers, tanks, water towers and standpipes. All freestanding structures shall be considered as accessory structures and shall meet the height requirements as set forth in the Schedule of Zoning District Area, Yard and Building Requirements, except that light poles and light standards shall not exceed 16 feet in height in any zone.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: The Schedule of Zoning District Area, Yard and Building Requirements is included as an attachment to this chapter.
(2) 
Mechanical appurtenances such as condensers, elevator penthouses, exhaust fans, air-conditioning equipment and other similar equipment are exempt from height restrictions, provided they do not extend more than 12 feet above the maximum height limitations, cover no more than 20% of the roof area, and are properly shielded by a parapet wall.
[Amended 2-20-2001 by Ord. No. 2001-725]
A. 
No portion of any building or other structure erected on any lot shall be nearer to the center of the street or streets which any such lot abuts than the average setback observed by existing buildings on the same side of the street between intersecting streets, or for a distance of 500 feet on each side of the lot if no intersecting street exists within that distance, except no building need be set back more than 100 feet. The average setback of existing buildings on through lots shall only be measured to the line of the street on which the building fronts and not to the line of the other street or streets which abut the lot. Where no buildings exist within the stipulated distance on each side of the lot, then the buildings shall be set back at least 50 feet from the center of the street on a lot which is 100 feet deep, plus one additional foot for each five feet by which the depth of the lot exceeds 100 feet, but no building need be set back more than 100 feet from the center of any street on which it abuts.
B. 
Required yards shall be open to the sky and unobstructed, except that parapets, windowsills, doorposts, rainwater leaders, cornices, eaves, bay windows, chimneys and similar ornamental or structural fixtures may project up to two feet into such yards.
C. 
No parking shall be permitted in any required front or side yard except in the driveway of the yard.
D. 
Uncovered steps only may project up to five feet into a required yard.
E. 
Central-air-conditioning equipment, barbecues or patios may be located within any side or rear yard but shall be not less than 10 feet from any property line.
[Amended 7-17-2018 by Ord. No. 2018-998]
F. 
Where any lot abuts a street right-of-way which is proposed to be widened as indicated on the Master Plan of the Borough or the Master Plan of Essex County, or by the state, setbacks shall be measured from the proposed right-of-way.
G. 
No junk, as defined in this chapter, shall be permitted in any yard.
In all park areas, the Borough reserves the right to use any part of the park areas for water supply purposes, including the right to prospect for water and to drill and operate wells, pump water and to erect and maintain pumping stations, well houses, reservoirs, basins, storage tanks, pipelines, conduits and other water supply facilities which may be necessary to obtain supplies of potable water for the residents of the Borough and other water customers. The Borough also reserves the right in park areas to erect, lay, maintain, operate, replace and repair sanitary sewers, storm sewers, drainage ditches and watercourses.
[Amended 2-21-1984 by Ord. No. 84-482]
A. 
No building shall be located within 50 feet of any property line.
B. 
Retail sales shall be restricted to members and their guests only.
C. 
Recreational facilities shall be located not less than 50 feet from any property line and shall be effectively screened from adjoining residential uses.
D. 
No public address system shall be permitted which is audible at any property line.
E. 
Such uses shall be subject to site plan review.
F. 
Lights, other than security lighting, shall not be located closer than 25 feet from any property line, and the maximum height shall not exceed 16 feet. The lighting shall be arranged in such a manner so as not to throw any direct glare on adjacent properties or constitute a nuisance to surrounding properties.
Home occupations other than professional home offices regulated elsewhere in this chapter as a conditional use are prohibited.
Security lighting shall be permitted in all zones as part of any principal permitted use, but only in accordance with the following regulations:
A. 
The maximum height of any security light shall not exceed 16 feet.
B. 
The maximum intensity of any single light shall not exceed five footcandles.
C. 
The lights shall be arranged in such a manner so as not to throw any direct glare on adjacent properties or constitute a nuisance to surrounding properties.
[Added 5-19-1998 by Ord. No. 98-688]
No auction sale shall be conducted on private residential property within the Borough of Essex Fells.
[Added 5-19-1998 by Ord. No. 98-688]
A. 
Private garage, yard, house, driveway and similar sales may be conducted on private residential property by the owner of the property on any day between the daylight hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Such sales shall be limited to one annually and shall be permitted indoors or outdoors. No sale may be longer than two days' duration.
B. 
A permit to conduct such sales shall be obtained from the Borough Clerk. Such sales shall be restricted to the personal property owned by the owner of the residential property.