[Ord. 430, 7/16/2008; as amended by Ord. 438, 8/19/2009]
In addition to the general purposes as listed in §
27-102, the following specific community development objectives, identified from a review of the 1962 Township Comprehensive Master Plan, the Land Use Plan updated in 1974-1975, and the 2004 Richland-Middlesex Joint Comprehensive Plan, relative to land use, density of population and location and functions of streets and other community facilities and utilities, have been established as the basis upon which the regulations of this chapter are established:
A. Richland Township is a moderately growing community evolving from
a rural to a suburban township but with limited opportunities for
new commercial and industrial development.
B. Most growth and intense development has occurred along or in close
proximity to Route 8 and to some extent along major roads intersecting
or crossing Route 8.
C. Public utilities and services are available in the more heavily developed
areas in the southern part of the Township and are expanding outward,
but portions of the Township will remain beyond the systems' reach.
D. Environmentally critical areas, including steep hillsides, floodplains
and large wooded areas, should be protected from development that
does not respect the natural amenities or fails to maintain the openness
of stream valleys and wooded slopes, since such areas enhance the
character and quality of life in the Township.
E. The rate and location of residential growth should be controlled
by encouraging higher densities in areas with easy access to Route
8 and with connection to public water supply and sewage disposal systems;
and, conversely, lowest densities should be established in areas remote
from good highway access or public utilities.
F. A variety of residential densities and housing types should be encouraged
to accommodate the changing lifestyles, age groupings and economic
capabilities of present and future residents.
G. A balance, for taxing purposes, of residential uses, commercial uses
and light industrial uses should be established in order to spread
the impact of an expanding demand for local services.
H. Highway commercial growth should be encouraged to fill in undeveloped
or incompatibly developed highway frontage already zoned for commercial
use. Neighborhood commercial areas should be located at strategic
crossroads and be limited to stores catering to the residents' day-to-day
needs.
I. Light industrial areas should have good access to either good roads,
railway sidings, or both, and should be so located as to have a minimum
impact on adjacent or nearby residential areas.