This chapter shall be known as and referred to as the "Zoning
Ordinance of the Township of Montague, Sussex County, New Jersey."
A.
The purposes of this chapter are to guide the appropriate use of
development of all lands in the township in a manner which will promote
the public health, safety, morals and general welfare; to secure safety
from fire, flood, panic and other natural and manmade disasters; to
provide adequate light, air and open space; to promote the establishment
of appropriate population densities and concentration that will contribute
to the well-being of persons, neighborhood, communities and preservation
of the environment; 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 township residents; 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 will
result in congestion or blight; to promote a desirable visual environment
through creative development techniques and good civic design and
arrangements; to promote the conservation of open space and valuable
natural resources; and to prevent urban sprawl and degradation of
the environment through improper use of land.
B.
It is also the 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 residents, commerce, trade, industry and other purposes,
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 other 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.
