[Ord. No. 2015-20 § 10B-31]
Whenever an application for development to the Planning Board or Zoning Board of Adjustment is permitted or required by this chapter, it shall be in such form, submitted to the administrative officer in such number of copies, and accompanied by such maps, documents and materials as are prescribed by rule of the board and by this chapter.
[Ord. No. 2014-44; Ord. No. 2015-20 § 10B-32; Ord. No. 2015-37 § 2; Ord. No. 2016-26; Ord. No. 2017-53; amended 4-14-2025 by Ord. No. 2025-08]
(a) 
Each such application for development shall be accompanied by payment of an application fee, escrow deposit and inspection fee to the municipality. In addition, pursuant to N.J.A.C. 5:87-1.6(b), each application for development, including administrative waivers, shall pay an educational training fee in the amount of $30. The application fee/educational training fee and escrow deposits shall be provided in separate payment as follows:
Application and Escrow Fees
Application
Application Fee
Escrow Account
Administrative waiver [§ T10B-206(d)]
$325
$500
Classification of minor site plan
$400
$2,000
Conditional use
$375
$1,000
Education fee
$30
None
Issuance of a permit (other than provided for in this section)
$100
None
Modifications of approved site plan or subdivision
$400
$2,000
Preliminary major subdivision approval
$500 plus $25 per lot
$300 per lot for first 10 lots; $100 per lot thereafter. Minimum deposit of $3,000
Final major subdivision
$250
$1,000 plus $100 per lot
Preliminary major site plan approval involving a related application for preliminary major subdivision approval and/or preliminary cluster approval (subject to an additional fee as required by § T10B-216)
$500
$200 per acre or part thereof and $25 per dwelling. Minimum deposit of $3,000
Preliminary site plan approval not involving a related application for preliminary major subdivision approval and/or preliminary cluster approval
$25 per 1,000 square feet or part thereof of building construction
$150 per 1,000 square feet or part thereof of building construction. Minimum deposit of $4,000
Final site plan approval
$500
$2,500 plus $100 per 1,000 square feet of building (when not involving a cluster application)
Request for relief from condition of approval
$300
$2,000
Request for zone change
$1,500
$2,500
Review of § T10B-227-17 project site stormwater management submission requirements
None
$1,500 pursuant to § T10B-216
Request for Master Plan amendment
$1,000
$2,500
Residential cluster developments involving units with zero lot lines
$250 plus $10 per zero lot line unit
$50 per zero lot line unit. Minimum deposit of $2,500
Section T10B-53 list of property owners
$0.25 per name, or $10, whichever is greater
None
Section T10B-13(c) zoning variance relief
$200 per variance except for 1- and 2-family dwellings which shall be $150 for all variances sought
$750
Section T10B-13(d) zoning variance relief
$500
$1,500
Section T10B-53 public utility registration
Initial registration
$10
None
Annual registration
$5
None
Section T10B-63 publication charge
$50
None
Site plan concept review
$400
$100 per 1,000 square feet or part thereof of building construction. Minimum deposit of $2,500
Subdivision classification or minor subdivision
$400
$2,000
Subdivision concept review
$400
$100 per lot for first 10 lots; $75 per lot thereafter. Minimum deposit of $2,500
Waivers from design standards
$100
$500
Zoning relief or variance from official error, and Zoning Board interpretation on zoning regulation
$50
$250
Zoning permits:
Commercial
a.
Signs
$80
None
b.
Use inquiries/certifications
$100
None
c.
Any other nonresidential permits
$80
None
Residential
a.
1-2 family buildings
$500
None
b.
Additions/pools
$200
None
c.
Accessory structures
Up to 400 square feet
$60
None
400 square feet and greater
$200
None
d.
AC units
$60
None
e.
Flats (apartments)
$100
None
f.
Engineering review - small project
$300
$0
g.
Engineering review - large project
$1,250
$0
h.
Engineering review - land disturbance project > 5,000 square feet
$250
$0
i.
Connection to storm sewer
$100
$0
(b) 
Each application for preservation plan approval, whether or not part of an application for development, shall be accompanied by payment of an application fee, escrow deposit and, to the extent otherwise provided, an inspection fee to the municipality.
Type of Structure or Application
Preservation Plan Application Fee
Escrow
Other Applicable Fees
Residential Structure (no variance)
$75
No Escrow Fees
None
Residential Structure - variance, use, conditional use, etc.
$75
All applicable
All applicable fees
Commercial Structure
$75
All applicable
All applicable fees
(c) 
The application fee as set forth hereinabove is a flat fee to cover direct administrative expenses and other than professional services and is nonrefundable. The escrow account as set forth hereinabove is established to cover the cost of professional services, including but not limited to engineering, professional planning, stenographic shorthand reporting, legal, landscape consulting by landscape architects or other professionals, if appropriate, and other expenses connected with the review of submitted materials, the related hearing process and follow-up thereto, including costs incurred during any review of a concept plan. The applicant shall execute an escrow agreement to authorize payment of said expenses.
Sums not utilized in the review process shall be returned to the applicant within a reasonable period of time after the Finance Officer certifies that all professional services to be paid by escrow funds have been completed and billed. Unless the applicant otherwise requests, unexpended escrow deposits for concept reviews shall be credited against deposits due upon the filing of an application for development. If additional fees or escrow funds are deemed necessary, the applicant shall be notified of the required additional amount and shall add such sum to the account as required by the Planning Board or Zoning Board of Adjustment. Payment shall be due from the applicant within 15 days of receipt of the notice. If at the time of the hearing, the applicant is in default of any required escrow payments or fees, the board of jurisdiction may deny the application. At the request of the applicant, the municipal finance officer shall provide the applicant with a statement of all escrow fees received, a list of amounts charged to the escrow account, and the amount of the current balance in the account. Whether or not specifically so stated, the current payment of all escrow fees which become due shall be a condition of the approval of any application.
Where applicable, no construction permit or certificate of occupancy shall be issued until all escrow charges have been paid. All escrow charges which are due and owing shall become a lien upon the premises with respect to which said charges are required and shall remain so until paid. Said overdue charges shall accrue the same interest from time to time as taxes upon real estate in the municipality. The municipality shall have the same remedies for the collection thereof with interest, cost and penalties as it has by law for the collection of taxes upon real estate. The applicant shall be responsible for all costs of collection of unpaid fees, including reasonable attorneys' fees. All escrow fees shall be administered by the municipality in accordance with the provisions of N.J.S.A. 40:55D-53.1.
Requests for waivers or modifications of application fees or escrow deposits shall be made to the Princeton Council and may be granted for good cause shown, such as, but not limited to, economic hardship, governmental relations, or in the interests of justice.
(d) 
In addition to the fees provided for herein, each applicant for development shall reimburse the municipality for all reasonable inspection fees required for inspections to be conducted pursuant to Section T10B-161(b). Prior to the issuance of any development permits, the developer shall deposit with the municipal treasurer, for placement in a special trust fund account, a sum equal to 5% of the amount of the performance guarantee estimate of the cost of improvements to be built in the development to be applied to payment of inspection costs. If the inspection costs exceed such fund, the developer shall deposit with the municipal treasurer additional sums upon notice from the administrative officer. The inspection fee shall in no case be less than $100. If the 5% of the amount of performance guarantee estimate of costs of improvement in the opinion of the municipality exceeds the anticipated reasonable inspection fees, the administrative officer shall adjust the deposit provided for hereinabove to reflect the anticipated inspection fees. The municipal treasurer shall return any balance of the inspection deposit to the developer upon expiration of the maintenance bond, together with the paid invoices for all expenses charged.
[Ord. No. 2015-20 § 10B-33]
If the Environmental Commission has prepared and submitted to the Planning Board an index of the natural resources of the municipality or region, the Planning Board shall make available to the Environmental Commission an informational copy of every application for development submitted to the Planning Board. Failure to do so shall not invalidate any hearing or proceeding.
[Ord. No. 2015-20 § 10B-34]
(a) 
Each application for a conditional use shall include a request for any required site plan approval that is related thereto.
(b) 
The Planning Board shall have the power to review and approve or deny applications for conditional uses or site plans simultaneously with applications for subdivision approval without the developer being required to make further application to the Planning Board or the Planning Board being required to hold further hearings.
[Ord. No. 2015-20 § 10B-35]
Each application to the Planning Board for approval of a subdivision plat, site plan or conditional use shall include a request for any hardship or flexible "c" variance within the Board's jurisdiction and any special permit that is required in relation to such subdivision, site plan or conditional use.
[Ord. No. 2015-20 § 10B-37]
An application for development shall be complete for the purpose of commencing the applicable time period for action by a municipal agency when so certified by the administrative officer. In the event that the administrative officer does not certify the application to be complete within 45 days of the date of its submission, the application shall be deemed complete upon expiration of the forty-five-day period for the purposes of commencing the applicable time period unless (1) the application lacks information indicated on a checklist provided to the applicant pursuant to Section T10B-38 and (2) administrative officer has notified the applicant, in writing, of the deficiencies in the application within 45 days of submission of the application. The applicant may request that one or more of the submission requirements be waived, in which event the agency or its authorized committee shall grant or deny the request within 45 days. Nothing herein shall be construed as diminishing the applicant's obligation to prove in the application process that the applicant is entitled to approval of the application. The municipal agency may subsequently require correction of any information found to be in error and submission of additional documents as are reasonably necessary to make an informed decision as to whether the requirements necessary for approval of the application for development have been met. The application shall not be deemed incomplete for lack of any such additional information or any revision in the accompanying documents so required by the municipal agency.
[Ord. No. 2015-20 § 10B-38]
The checklists referred to in Section T10B-37 shall list the following applicable plans:
(a) 
For subdivision sketch plat (including minor subdivision), the information required by Section T10B-157.
(b) 
For preliminary plat of major subdivision, the information required by Section T10B-158.
(c) 
For final plat of major subdivision, the information required by Section T10B-159.
(d) 
For site plan classification (including minor site plan), the information required by Section T10B-207.1 in sketch plat form.
(e) 
For preliminary and final site plan, the information required by Sections T10B-230.
(f) 
For final site plan, the information required by Sections 17A-196 and 17A-197.
(g) 
For an application for development that requests a variance pursuant to Section T10B-13(c) or (d) or a special permit and that is not accompanied by a site plan, the following information in sketch plat form:
(1) 
The size, shape and location of buildings and their relationship to surrounding properties and buildings thereon and on both sides of adjacent streets;
(2) 
The location, layout and dimensions of parking and loading areas, with an indication of areas to be paved;
(3) 
All parking spaces, driveways and access points to public streets;
(4) 
All required setback lines;
(5) 
Rights-of-way and easements;
(6) 
Location and height of fences, retaining walls and railings;
(7) 
Key map showing entire project in its relationship to surrounding areas, roads and watercourses;
(8) 
Zone districts of subject property and adjacent properties;
(9) 
Legend comparing proposed site conditions with zoning requirements applicable to the property; and
(10) 
Floor plans showing existing conditions and proposed alterations.
In addition, the checklist shall also indicate that the information to be included in the required application form, the required application fee and the submission of a fire protection plan in accordance with the requirements of Division 14 of this article are necessary for a complete application. It shall also provide for proof that property taxes are current.
The administrative officer shall prepare such checklists and shall furnish the same to applicants together with the appropriate application form.
[Ord. No. 2015-20 § 10B-39]
If any application for development including an application for classification of the site plan or subdivision is found to be incomplete by the administrative officer or if it is not accompanied by the required fee, the applicant shall be so notified in writing of such fact and of the deficiencies by the administrative officer within 45 days after the submission of the application, and the application shall be deemed not properly submitted until the deficiencies are corrected. If notice is not given within such period, the application shall be deemed to have been properly submitted.