Borough of Chester, NJ Purpose and Scope

It is the intent and purpose of this chapter:

To encourage municipal action to guide the appropriate use or development of all lands in this state, in a manner which will promote the public health, safety, morals and general welfare.

To secure safety from fire, flood, panic and other natural and man-made disasters.

To provide adequate light, air and open space.

To ensure that the development of individual municipalities does not conflict with the development and general welfare of neighboring municipalities, the court and the state as a whole.

To promote the establishment of appropriate population densities and concentrations that will contribute to the well-being of persons, neighborhoods, communities and regions and preservation of the environment.

To encourage the appropriate and efficient expenditure of public funds by the coordination of public development with land use policies.

To provide sufficient space in appropriate locations for a variety of agricultural, residential, recreational, commercial and industrial uses and open space, both public and private, according to their respective environmental requirements in order to meet the needs of all New Jersey citizens.

To encourage the location and design of transportation routes which will promote the free flow of traffic while discouraging location of such facilities and routes which result in congestion or blight.

To promote a desirable visual environment through creative development techniques and good civic design and arrangements.

To promote the conservation of open space and valuable natural resources and to prevent urban sprawl and degradation of the environment through improper use of land.

To encourage development which incorporate the best features of design and relate the type, design and layout of residential, commercial, industrial and recreational development to the particular site.

To encourage senior citizen community housing construction.

To encourage coordination of the various public and private procedures and activities shaping land development with a view of lessening the cost of such development and to the more efficient use of land.

To promote the conservation of energy through the use of planning practices designed to reduce energy consumption and to provide for maximum utilization of renewable energy sources.

To promote the maximum practicable recovery and recycling of recyclable materials from municipal solid waste through the use of planning practices designed to incorporate the State Recycling Plan goals and to compliment municipal recycling programs.

To promote the goals and objectives of the Borough of Chester, through proper planning.

To assure the continuation and expansion of commercial and home agricultural pursuits by encouraging a positive agricultural business climate and protecting the farmer against onerous municipal regulations and private nuisance suits, where recognized methods and techniques of agricultural production are applied and are consistent with relevant federal and state law and nonthreatening to the public health and safety.