This chapter may be known as the "Chesterfield
Land Development Ordinance (1998)."
The purposes of this chapter are to regulate
and establish the nature and extent of the uses of land and of the
buildings and structures thereon in an effort to secure the following:
A.
To encourage action that will 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.
B.
To secure safety from fire, flood, panic and other
natural and man-made disasters.
C.
To provide adequate light, air and open space.
D.
To ensure that the development of Chesterfield does
not conflict with the development and general welfare of neighboring
municipalities, the county and the state as a whole.
E.
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.
F.
To encourage the appropriate and efficient expenditure
of public funds by the coordination of public development with land
use policies.
G.
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.
H.
To protect environmentally critical areas from development
by preventing encroachment on sensitive areas such as wetlands, one-hundred-year
floodplains and steep slopes in excess of 15%.
I.
To ensure that development respects the conditions
of the site, including limited water supply and restricted potential
for wastewater disposal, which are the result of the soils and geology
native to the Township.
J.
To retain, through careful planning, open spaces and
the aesthetic beauty of the Township.
K.
To preserve farms and encourage agriculture and land
conservation and retain those enterprises which foster agricultural
activities.
L.
To identify and preserve historic structures, landmarks,
hamlets and villages; to require design standards for new and renovated
buildings that will respect the Township's history and rural character.
M.
To protect the Township's rural roads by restricting
more intense development and regional traffic to county and collector
roads. Planning for future development should recognize the constraints
of existing narrow roads with their vertical and horizontal curves,
which have limited capacity to handle increased traffic.
N.
To encourage alternative development concepts that
will prevent the destruction of open space, woodlands and critical
areas.
O.
To surround existing villages and hamlets with belts
of open space to preserve the identity of these places.
P.
To provide only limited local services as required
by the Township, since it does not need nor is it able to support
increased commercial services.
Q.
To provide affordable housing to reflect the community's
need to include people of all ages, economic segments and family sizes.
R.
To develop community recreation facilities which recognize
existing and future population centers, along with the needs and desires
of the residents.
