[Amended 12-21-2020 by Ord. No. 2020-26; 12-16-2024 by Ord. No. 2024-41]
A. 
A Zoning Board of Adjustment is hereby established pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:55D-69 et seq. consisting of seven residents of the Township of Verona appointed by the governing body to serve for terms of four years from January 1 of the year of their appointment. The terms of the members first appointed shall be so determined that to the greatest practicable extent the expiration of such terms shall be distributed evenly over the first four years after their appointment, provided that the initial term of no member shall exceed four years. Thereafter, the term of each member shall be for four years. Nothing in this chapter shall, however, be construed to affect the term of any present member of the Zoning Board of Adjustment, all of whom shall continue in office until the completion of the term for which they were appointed.
B. 
No member of the Zoning Board of Adjustment may hold any elective office or position under the municipality.
C. 
A vacancy occurring otherwise than by expiration of term shall be filled for the unexpired term only.
D. 
In addition to the aforesaid membership, the governing body may appoint two alternate members. They shall be designated as "Alternate No. 1" and "Alternate No. 2" by the governing body. The term of each alternate member first appointed shall be until July 1, 1988, and July 1, 1989, respectively. Thereafter, the term of each alternate shall be for a period of two years.
E. 
If the Board of Adjustment lacks a quorum because any of its regular or alternate members is prohibited by N.J.S.A. 40:55D-69 from acting on a matter due to the member's personal or financial interest therein, Class IV members of the Planning Board shall be called upon to serve, for that matter only, as temporary members of the Board of Adjustment. The Class IV members of the Planning Board shall be called upon to serve in order of seniority of continuous service to the Planning Board until there are the minimum number of members necessary to constitute a quorum to act upon the matter without any personal or financial interest therein, whether direct or indirect. If a choice has to be made between Class IV members of equal seniority, the Chair of the Planning Board shall make the choice.
The Board of Adjustment shall elect a Chairman and Vice Chairman from its members and shall also select a Secretary who may be either a Board member or another municipal employee.
There is hereby created the office of Attorney to the Zoning Board of Adjustment. The Zoning Board of Adjustment may annually appoint, fix the compensation of or agree upon the rate of compensation of the Zoning Board of Adjustment Attorney, who shall be an attorney other than the Municipal Attorney.
The Zoning Board of Adjustment may also employ or contract for and fix the compensation of such experts and other staff and services as it may deem necessary. The Board shall not authorize expenditures which exceed, exclusive of gifts or grants, the amount appropriated by the governing body for its use.
The Board shall adopt such rules and regulations as may be necessary to carry into effect the provisions and purposes of this chapter. In this issuance of subpoenas, administration of oaths and taking of testimony, the provisions of the County and Municipal Investigations Law of 1953 (N.J.S.A. 2A:67A-1 et seq.) shall apply.
A. 
The powers of the Zoning Board of Adjustment shall be in accordance with N.J.S.A. 40:55D-69 et seq. and amendments and supplements thereto and with the provisions of this chapter.
B. 
It is further the intent of this chapter to confer upon the Zoning Board of Adjustment as full and complete powers as may lawfully be conferred upon such Board, including, not by way of limitation, the authority in connection with any case, action or proceeding before the Board to interpret and construe the provisions of this chapter, or any term, clause, sentence or word hereof and the Zoning Map, in accordance with the general rules of construction applicable to legislative enactments.
C. 
The Board may, in appropriate cases and subject to appropriate conditions and safeguards, grant variances from the terms of this chapter in accordance with the general or specific rules contained herein and with the general rules hereby laid down that equity shall be done in cases where the strict construction of the provisions of this chapter would work undue hardship. The powers and duties of the Board having been delegated to and imposed upon it by statute, the Board shall in all cases follow the provisions applicable to it in said P.L. 1975, c. 291,[1] or subsequent statutes in such case made and provided, and it shall from time to time furnish to any person requesting the same a copy of its rules and information as to how appeals or applications may properly be filed with the Board for its decision thereon.
[1]
Editor's Note: See N.J.S.A. 40:55D-1 et seq.
A. 
Appeals to the Board of Adjustment may be taken by any person aggrieved or by an officer, department, board or bureau of the municipality affected by any decision of the administrative officer. Each appeal shall be taken within the 20 days prescribed by the statute by filing a notice of appeal with the officer from whom the appeal was taken, together with three copies of said notice, with the Secretary of the Board of Adjustment. Said notice of appeal shall specify the grounds for said appeal. The officer from whom the appeal is taken shall forthwith transmit to the Board all the papers constituting the record upon which the action appealed from was taken.
B. 
An appeal stays all proceedings in furtherance of the action in respect of which the decision appealed from was made unless the officer from whom the appeal is taken certifies to the Board of Adjustment after the notice of appeal shall have been filed with him that, by reason of facts stated in the certificate, a stay would, in his opinion, cause imminent peril of life or property. In such case, proceedings shall not be stayed otherwise than by a restraining order which may be granted by the Board of Adjustment or by the Superior Court of New Jersey on an application or notice to the officer from whom the appeal is taken and on due cause shown.
In exercising the above-mentioned power, the Board of Adjustment may, in conformity with the provisions of P.L. 1975, c. 291,[1] or amendments thereto or subsequent statutes applying, reverse or affirm, wholly or partly, or may modify the order, requirement, decision or determination appealed from and make such other requirement, decision or determination as ought to be made and to that end have all the powers of the administrative officer from whom the appeal was taken.
[1]
Editor's Note: See N.J.S.A. 40:55D-1 et seq.
Any variance from the terms of this chapter hereafter granted by the Board of Adjustment permitting the erection or alteration of any structure or structures or permitting a specified use of any premises shall expire by limitation unless such construction or alteration shall have been actually commenced on each and every structure permitted by said variance or unless such permitted use has actually been commenced within nine months from the date of entry of the judgment or determination of the Board of Adjustment; except, however, that the running of the period of limitation herein provided shall be tolled from the date of filing an appeal from the decision of the Board of Adjustment to the governing body or to a court of competent jurisdiction until the termination in any manner of such appeal or proceeding.
The Board of Adjustment shall have such powers as are granted by law to:
A. 
To hear and decide appeals where it is alleged by the appellant that there is error in any order, requirement, decision or refusal made by an administrative officer based on or made in the enforcement of Chapter 150, Zoning.
B. 
To hear and decide requests for interpretation of the Zoning Map or Ordinance or for decisions upon other special questions upon which the Board is authorized to pass in accordance with this chapter or in accordance with the Municipal Land Use Law.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See N.J.S.A. 40:55D-1 et seq.
C. 
To grant variances pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:55D-70, as amended.
The Zoning Board of Adjustment shall, in addition to the powers specified in § 55-21, have power given by law to:
A. 
Direct issuance of a permit pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:55D-34 for a building or structure in the bed of a mapped street or public drainageway, flood control basin or public area reserved on the Official Map.
B. 
Direct issuance of a permit pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:55D-36 for a building or structure not related to a street.
C. 
Grant to the same extent and subject to the same restrictions as the Planning Board, subdivision or site plan approval pursuant to Article 6 of P.L. 1975, c. 291,[1] or conditional use approval pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:55D-67 whenever the Board is reviewing an application for approval of a use variance pursuant to § 55-21C of this chapter.
[1]
Editor's Note: See N.J.S.A. 40:55D-37 et seq.
A. 
The Board of Adjustment shall render its decision not later than 120 days after the date an appeal is taken from the decision of an administrative officer or after the date of the submission of a complete application for development to the Board pursuant to the provisions of N.J.S.A. 40:55D-70b.
B. 
Failure of the Board to render a decision within such one-hundred-twenty-day period or within such further time as may be consented to by the applicant shall constitute a decision favorable to the applicant.