[Amended 9-27-1999 by Ord. No. 25-1999]
A. The following Zoning Board of Adjustment powers are vested in the
Planning Board in accordance with N.J.S.A. 40:55D-25c:
(1) Error or refusal. Hear and decide appeals where it is alleged by
the applicant that there is an error in any order, requirement, decision
or refusal made by a municipal official based on or made in the enforcement
of the zoning provisions of this chapter.
(2) Exceptions or interpretations. Hear and decide requests for interpretation
of the Zoning Map or the zoning provisions of this chapter or for
decisions upon other special questions upon which the Board is authorized
to pass by any zoning provisions of this chapter or by any duly adopted
Official Map.
(3) Granting of variance.
(a)
Where by reason of exceptional narrowness, shallowness or shape
of a specific piece of property, or by reason of exceptional topographic
conditions or physical features uniquely affecting a specific piece
of property, or by reason of an extraordinary and exceptional situation
uniquely affecting a specific piece of property or the structures
lawfully existing thereon, the strict application of any zoning regulation
of this chapter would result in peculiar and exceptional practical
difficulties to, or exceptional and undue hardship upon, the developer
of such property, grant, upon an application or an appeal relating
to such property, a variance from such strict application of such
regulation so as to relieve such difficulties or hardship;
(b)
Where in an application or appeal relating to a specific piece of property the purposes of this chapter would be advanced by a deviation from the zoning requirements and the benefits of the deviation would substantially outweigh any detriment, grant a variance to allow departure from regulations of this chapter; provided, however, that the fact that a proposed use is an inherently beneficial use shall not be dispositive of the decision on the variance under this subsection and provided that no variance from those departures enumerated in Subsection
A(4) of this section shall be granted under this subsection.
(4) In particular cases for special reasons, grant a variance to allow
departure from any zoning regulations of this chapter:
(a)
A use or principal structure in a district restricted against
such use or principal structure.
(b)
An expansion of a nonconforming use.
(c)
Deviation from a specification or standard pursuant to N.J.S.A.
40:55D-67 pertaining solely to a conditional use.
(d)
An increase in the permitted floor area ratio as defined in
N.J.S.A. 40:55D-4.
(e)
An increase in the permitted density as defined in N.J.S.A.
40:55D-4, except as applied to the required lot area for a lot or
lots for detached one- or two-dwelling-unit buildings, which lot or
lots either an isolated undersized lot or lots resulting from a minor
subdivision, or
(f)
A height of a principal structure which exceeds by 10 feet or
10% the maximum height permitted in the district for a principal structure.
[1]
A variance under this subsection shall be granted only by affirmative
vote of at least five members.
[2]
If an application development requests one or more variances
but not a variance for a purpose enumerated in Subsection D of this
section, the decision on the requested variance or variances shall
be rendered under Subsection C of this section.
(5) General provisions.
(a)
No variance or other relief may be granted under the terms of
this section, including a variance or other relief involving an inherently
beneficial use, without a showing that such variance or other relief
can be granted without substantial detriment to the public good and
will not substantially impair the intent and purpose of the zone plan
and zoning ordinance.
(b)
Any variance from the terms of this chapter hereinafter granted
after the effective date of Ordinance No. 2007-009 by the Planning
Board in connection with a final approval 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 two years from the entry of the
determination of the Board; 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 in the governing
body or to the court of competent jurisdiction until the termination
in any manner of such appeal or proceedings. For all variances granted
prior to the adoption of Ordinance No. 2007-009, the duration of the
period of approval and mandatory commencement of the permitted use
shall be extended for an additional 15 months from the date the variance
was granted, for a total of two years from the granting of the variance
to the expiration date. Any construction commenced within the two-year
period provided for in this section shall be complete within 24 months
of the issuance of the building permit unless otherwise extended in
accordance with the provisions of state statute. However, the running
of the period of limitation shall be tolled from the date of filing
of the appeal from the decision of the Board to the governing body
or to a court of competent jurisdiction, until the termination in
any manner of such appeal of proceeding.
[Amended 4-3-2007 by Ord.
No. 2007-009]
(6) The Planning Board shall have such other powers as prescribed by
law, including, but not limited to, the following:
(a)
Direct issuance of a construction permit pursuant to N.J.S.A.
40:55D-34 for the construction of a building or structure within the
bed of a mapped street or public drainageway, flood control basin
or public area as shown on a duly adopted Official Map of the municipality
wherever one or more parcels of land within said bed cannot yield
a reasonable return to the owner unless a construction permit is granted.
The Board may grant such relief only by affirmative vote of a majority
of the full authorized membership of the Planning Board, ensuring
that such relief will tend to cause a minimum change of the Official
Map and will not significantly add to the cost of opening any proposed
street. The Board shall impose reasonable requirements as a condition
of granting the construction permit so as to promote the health, morals,
safety and general welfare of the public.
(b)
Direct issuance of a construction permit pursuant to N.J.S.A.
40:55D-36 for the construction of a building or structure on a lot
not abutting a street which is shown on a duly adopted Official Map
of the municipality or which is an existing state, county or municipal
street or highway; or a street shown upon a plat approved by the municipal
Planning Board; or a street on a plat duly filed in the office of
the county recording officer. The Board may grant such relief only
when the enforcement of the statute requirement that a building lot
abut a street would entail practical difficulty or unnecessary hardship,
or where the circumstances of the case do not require the building
or structure to abut a street. The Board shall impose requirements
or conditions that will provide adequate access for fire-fighting
equipment, ambulances and other necessary emergency vehicles for the
protection of the health and safety and that will protect any future
street layout on the Official Map or on the general circulation plan
element of the municipal Master Plan.
B. In addition to Zoning Board of Adjustment powers referenced in Subsection
A, the Planning Board shall have the following powers:
(1) Make, adopt and, from time to time, amend a Master Plan for the physical
development of the Borough, including any areas outside its boundaries
which, in the Board's judgment, bear essential relationship to the
planning of the Borough.
(2) Administer the provisions of land subdivision and site plan review
in accordance with the applicable provisions of this chapter.
(3) Participate in the preparation and review of programs or plans required
by state or federal law or regulation.
(4) Assemble data on a continuing basis as part of a continuous planning
process.
(5) Annually, at the request of the Borough Council, prepare a program
of municipal capital improvements projects projected over a term of
six years and recommend same to the Borough Council.
(6) Consider and make report to the Borough Council within 35 days after
referral as to any proposed development regulation submitted to it
and also pass upon other matters specifically referred to the Planning
Board by the Borough Council.
(7) The Planning Board shall have such other powers as prescribed by
law, including, but not limited to, the power to grant the following
variances, to the same extent and subject to the same restrictions
as a Zoning Board of Adjustment, when the Planning Board is reviewing
applications for approval of subdivision plats, site plans or conditional
uses:
(b)
Direction pursuant to §
225-36B(7) for issuance of a permit for a building or structure in the bed of a mapped street or public drainageway, flood control basin or public area; and
(c)
Direction for issuance of a permit for a building or structure
on a lot not abutting a street.
Any decision of the Planning Board when acting upon an application
for development and any decision of the Borough Council when acting
upon an appeal shall be given notice in the following manner:
A. A copy of the decision shall be mailed by the appropriate Borough
authority within 10 days of the date of decision to the applicant
or appellant, or, if represented, then to his attorney, without separate
charge. A copy of the decision shall also be mailed within 10 days
to any interested party who has requested it and who has paid the
fee prescribed by the Borough authority for such service.
B. A brief notice of every final decision shall be published in the
official newspaper of the Borough. Such publications shall be arranged
by the Secretary of the Planning Board or the Borough Clerk, as the
case may be, without separate charge to the applicant. The notice
shall be sent to the official newspaper for publication within 10
days of the date of any such decision.
C. A copy of the decision shall also be filed in the office of the Borough Clerk, who shall make a copy of such filed decision available to any interested party upon payment of a fee calculated in the same manner as those established for copies of other public documents in the Borough, as indicated in §
225-46 of this chapter.