A.
The purposes of this chapter are to:
(1)
Guide the appropriate use and development of all lands in the Township in a manner which will promote the public health, safety, morals and general welfare.
(2)
Secure safety from fire, flood, panic and other natural and man-made disasters.
(3)
Provide adequate light, air and open space and to ensure a safe adequate potable water supply and the environmentally safe discharge of sewerage waste into the ground.
(4)
Promote the establishment of appropriate population densities and concentrations that will contribute to the well-being of persons, neighborhoods and communities and the preservation of the environment.
(5)
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 Township residents.
(6)
Encourage the location and design of transportation routes which will promote the free flow of traffic while discouraging the location of such facilities and routes which will result in congestion or blight.
(7)
Promote a desirable visual environment through creative development techniques and good civil design and arrangement.
(8)
Promote the conservation of open space and valuable natural resources and prevent urban sprawl and degradation of the environment through improper use of land.
(9)
It is the intention of the Township of Stillwater to encourage and support farm activities consistent with the right to farm in the State of New Jersey.
B.
It is the further purpose of this chapter to state as clearly and simply as possible the intended requirements, to encourage wide understanding of its meaning and to avoid costly technical and legal problems. For the purposes hereinabove mentioned, this chapter designates, regulates and restricts the location and use of buildings and structures and land for residences, commerce, trade, industry and other purposes and the height and number of stories and size of buildings and other structures hereafter erected or altered; regulates and determines the sizes of yards and open spaces; and regulates and limits the density of population. In order to effect its purpose, this chapter divides the Township into zoning districts of such number, shape and area as may be deemed the best to carry out the purposes of this chapter.