Township of Stillwater, NJ Title and Purpose

It is the intent and purpose of this chapter:

To regulate land development and provide zoning regulations for the Township of Stillwater pursuant to the Municipal Land Use Law, N.J.S.A. 40:55D-1 et seq., as interpreted by decisional law.

To implement and give effect to the goals and objectives of the Master Plan for the Township of Stillwater, adopted February 17, 1999.

To give municipal effect to the purposes of the Municipal Land Use Law, N.J.S.A. 40:55D-1 et seq., which purposes are as follows:

(1)

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;

(2)

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

(3)

To provide adequate light, air and open space;

(4)

To ensure that the development of the municipality does not conflict with the development and general welfare of neighboring municipalities, the county and the state as a whole;

(5)

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;

(6)

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

(7)

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;

(8)

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;

(9)

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

(10)

To promote the conservation of historic sites and districts, open space, energy resources and valuable natural resources in the state and to prevent urban sprawl and degradation of the environment through improper use of land;

(11)

To encourage planned unit developments which incorporate the best features of design and relate the type, design and layout of residential, commercial, industrial and recreational development of a particular site;

(12)

To encourage senior citizen community housing construction;

(13)

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;

(14)

To promote utilization of renewable energy sources; and

(15)

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 preserve the features of the natural environment and to enhance the quality and character of the man-made environment in the Township of Stillwater;

To foster economic development and investment in appropriate locations and districts in the Township of Stillwater;

To preserve farmlands and historic landmarks in the Township of Stillwater;

To offer the citizens of Stillwater Township the best opportunities and protections associated with modern zoning and land-use planning, while making the municipal review and approval process more responsive to their needs and expectations.