[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.