[Amended 11-4-1998 by Ord. No. 1998-19; 12-5-2007 by Ord. No. 2007-030; 10-20-2021 by Ord. No. 2021-035; 9-21-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-036; 12-7-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-054]
A. All permitted fences shall be situated on a lot in such a manner that the finished side of the fence shall face adjacent properties. No fence shall be erected of barbed wire, topped with metal spikes, or constructed of any material or in any manner which may be dangerous to persons or animals, except that these provisions shall not apply to farms or where necessary for the keeping of farm animals as provided in §
500-90 and except further that fences permitted for commercial and industrial uses may be topped by a barbed wire protective barrier. Moreover, notwithstanding any other provisions of this section, retaining walls which are less than four feet in height, part of a larger project certified by an engineer, or on a site plan approved by the Township Engineer do not require a separate zoning or building permit application. Retaining walls which are four feet or over in height require both a zoning and building permit application. Any Township review of the submitted request shall consider the safety and aesthetic aspects of the proposed retaining wall.
B. On any lot in any residential district, the maximum permitted height
of a wall or fence is four feet in front yard areas and six feet in
side or rear yard areas except:
(1) A private, below-ground residential swimming pool area shall be surrounded by a fence at least four feet, but no more than six feet, in height. Swimming pool areas shall be located in rear or side areas only. See §
500-86 for additional standards.
(2) Corner lots may install a fence up to six feet in height on the secondary
street frontage, provided sight distance is not obstructed.
(3) A tennis court area, located in rear yard areas only, may be surrounded
by a nonopaque fence, a maximum of 15 feet in height. The fence shall
be set back from any lot line the distances required for accessory
buildings in the zoning district as specified.
(4) Buffer areas shall meet the requirements specified in this chapter.
(5) Off-street parking, loading, and driveway areas shall meet the requirements specified in §
500-73.
(6) Where necessary for the keeping of farm animals as provided for in §
500-90.
C. On any lot in any nonresidential district, no wall or fence shall
be erected or altered so that the wall or fence shall be over three
feet in height in the front yard areas and six feet in height in side
and rear yard areas.
D. Sight triangle easements shall be required at intersections, in addition
to the specified right-of-way width, in which no grading, planting
or structure shall be erected or maintained except for street signs,
fire hydrants, and light standards. The "sight triangle" shall be
defined as that area outside of the street right-of-way which is bounded
by the intersecting street lines and the straight line connecting
"sight points," one each located on the two intersecting street center
lines; arterial streets at 300 feet; collector streets at 200 feet;
and local streets at 90 feet. Where the intersecting streets are both
arterials, both collectors, or one arterial and one collector, two
overlapping sight triangles shall be required, formed by connecting
the "sight point" noted above with a "sight point" 90 feet on the
intersecting street. Such easement dedication shall be expressed on
the site plans as follows: "Sight triangle deeded for the purposes
provided for and expressed in the Land Development Ordinance."
E. In all zone districts, any walls must be located at least one foot
from any property line. Walls are prohibited from being placed within
any right-of-way.
An application for a permit shall provide documentation
that the intended use will comply with the performance standards enumerated
below. In the case of a structure being built where the future use
is not known, a construction permit may be issued with the condition
that no certificate of occupancy will be issued until such time as
the documentation is submitted with respect to the particular occupant.
A new application and a new certificate of occupancy shall be required
in the event of a change of any use of any structure.
A. Electrical and/or electronic devices. All electrical
or electronic devices shall be subject to the provisions of Public
Law 90-602, 90th Congress, HR 10790, dated October 18, 1968, entitled
"An Act for the Protection of Public Health and Safety from the Dangers
of Electronic Product Radiation." Radiation products as defined in
U.S. Department of Health and Welfare Publication No. (FDA) 75-8003
shall be so limited and controlled so that no measurable energy can
be recorded at any point beyond the property boundaries. The applicant,
upon request, shall produce certified data wherein measurements made
in accordance with the procedure and standards set forth in the U.S.
Department of Health and Welfare Publication No. (FDA) 75-8003 adequately
demonstrate compliance with the minimum standards established by the
Act. All other forms of electromagnetic radiation lying between 100
KHz and 10 GHz shall be restricted to the technical limits established
in the Federal Communications Commission's Rules and Regulations.
Additionally, electric or electronic equipment shall be shielded so
there is no interference with any radio or television reception at
the lot line, or beyond the operator's dwelling unit in the case of
multifamily dwellings, as a result of the operation of such equipment.
B. Glare. No use shall produce a strong, dazzling light
or a reflection of a strong, dazzling light, or glare beyond its lot
lines. Exterior lighting shall be shielded, buffered, and directed
so that glare, direct light, or reflection shall not become a nuisance
to adjoining properties, adjoining dwelling units, adjoining districts,
or streets.
C. Heat. No use shall produce heat perceptible beyond
its lot lines. Further, no use shall be permitted which would cause
the temperature to rise or fall in any body of water.
D. Noise.
(1) Noise levels shall be designed and operated in accordance
with local regulations and those rules established by the New Jersey
State Department of Environmental Protection, as they are adopted
and amended.
(2) Measurements shall be made by a competent acoustical
engineer using equipment meeting the United States of America Standards
Institute Standard S 1.4 1961 or the latest revision thereof and S
2.22 or the latest revision. All measurements shall be made in at
least eight frequency bands.
(3) Ambient noise levels shall be made between the hours
of 8:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. for periods of at least one hour and on
three separate occasions during the period when the proposed use shall
be operated.
(4) The permitted noise level of the proposed use, measured
at the property line, shall not exceed the ambient noise levels in
each frequency band.
(5) The maximum continuous airborne sound set forth in
Title 7, Chapter 29, of the New Jersey Administrative Code shall not
be exceeded. Where standards are established and are more restrictive
than contained in this chapter, the more restrictive standards shall
be applicable.
E. Noxious odors. Odors due to nonagricultural operations
shall not be discernible at the lot line or beyond. Further, no open
burning shall be permitted in any zone.
F. Storage and waste disposal.
(1) No materials or wastes shall be deposited upon a lot
in such form or manner that they may be transferred off the lot by
natural causes or forces, nor shall any substance be deposited which
can contaminate an underground aquifer or otherwise render such underground
aquifer undesirable as a source of water supply or recreation, or
which will destroy aquatic life. All materials or wastes which might
cause fumes or dust or which constitute a fire hazard or which may
be edible or otherwise attractive to rodents or insects shall be stored
indoors and enclosed in appropriate containers adequate to eliminate
such hazards. This provision shall not apply to properly designated,
constructed, and maintained composting operations.
(2) No liquid waste shall be discharged into the public
sewage collection and disposal system unless the West Milford Municipal
Utilities Authority shall have first investigated the character and
volume of such wastes and shall have certified that it will accept
the discharge of such waste material into the system. The applicant
shall comply with any requirements of said officials, including the
pretreating of such wastes, the installation of processing methods,
separation or screening of wastes, control of pH and other method
of improving such wastes prior to discharge, as a condition of approval
of such facilities.
G. Ventilation. No use shall obstruct the natural ventilation
of adjacent uses nor contaminate the air with excessive heat or odor.
No air conditioners or exhaust fans shall be permitted to discharge
exhausted air unless set back from all property lines 10 feet or equipped
with baffles to deflect discharged air away from the adjacent use.
H. Vibration. There shall be no vibration which is discernible
to the human sense of feeling beyond the immediate lot.
I. Air pollution.
(1) No substance shall be emitted into the atmosphere
in quantities which are injurious to human, plant or animal life or
to property, or which will interfere reasonably with the comfortable
enjoyment of life and property anywhere in the Township. All provisions
of Title 7, Chapter 27 of the New Jersey Administrative Code, or the
regulations contained this section, whichever shall be the more stringent,
shall apply.
(2) In any nonresidential zone, no smoke, the shade or
appearance of which is darker than No. 1 on the Ringelmann Smoke Chart,
shall be emitted into the open air from any fuel-burning equipment;
provided, however, that smoke emitted during the clearing of a fire
box or the building of a new fire, the shade or appearance of which
is not darker than No. 2 on the Ringelmann Smoke Chart, may be permitted
for a period or periods aggregating no more than three minutes in
any 15 consecutive minutes. Smoke emissions from the combustion of
fuel in mobile sources and from stationary internal combustion engines
shall not exceed the limits set forth in Title 7, Chapter 27 of the
New Jersey Administrative Code.
J. No residential dwelling shall be located within 100
feet of the right-of-way of a high-tension electric power line. The
lot size for a residential use shall be increased if the Planning
Board finds that the area within the one-hundred-foot distance constrains
the lot so that inadequate outdoor living space results from the location
of the high-tension line right-of-way.
Unless otherwise defined in this chapter, no
more than one dwelling unit or principal building shall be permitted
on one lot.
A soil erosion and sediment control plan shall
be prepared by a licensed New Jersey professional engineer in accordance
with specifications for soil erosion and sediment control of the Hudson,
Essex and Passaic Soil Conservation District. The soil erosion and
sediment control plan shall be submitted to the District for certification
pursuant to N.J.S.A. 4:24-39 et seq. The Planning Board shall not
give approval to the preliminary application until receipt of the
certification.
No open space provided around any principal
building for the purposes of complying with the front, side, rear
or other yard provisions of this chapter shall be considered as providing
the yard provisions for another principal building.
[Amended 9-18-2013 by Ord. No. 2013-015; 2-3-2021 by Ord. No. 2021-002; 12-7-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-053; 10-4-2023 by Ord. No. 2023-027]
A. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter, farm animals
shall be housed and kept in a manner which will not constitute a public
nuisance.
B. A minimum tract for the keeping of farm animals shall be:
(1) One acre for the keeping of horses. The number of horses permitted
shall be determined by the size of the accessory structure(s) housing
the animals, using 100 square feet of roof area per animal as the
criteria for determining the number of horses permitted on the property.
A minimum of 32 square feet of roof area shall be required per animal.
(2) One acre for the keeping of cows, sheep, pigs, goats, llamas, alpacas,
ostriches, rheas, and emus. No more than one animal shall be kept
per acre of lot area.
(3) One acre for the keeping of poultry and fowl, except as provided in Subsection
B(5) of this section, except that there shall be allowed a maximum amount of 12 chicken hens allowed on lots of less than one acre. No more than 32 animals shall be kept per acre of lot area. Roosters are only permitted on lots of five acres or more.
(4) There shall be no minimum lot size for the keeping of rabbits. No
more than 25 rabbits shall be kept on lots of one acre or less and
no more than 75 rabbits shall be kept on lots of over one acre.
(5) The housing and keeping of all other farm animals, except those determined
by the Zoning Officer to be substantially similar to one or more farm
animals listed above, is prohibited.
(6) All poultry and livestock shelters shall be a minimum distance of
25 feet to any off-site residential structures.
C. No farm animals shall be kept unless they can be contained on the
property of their owner or the agent of their owner.
D. Any use for the keeping of farm animals prior to the adoption of
this chapter shall be considered nonconforming, provided that the
owner registers the use with the Township Zoning Officer within 90
days of the passage of this chapter.
E. The provisions of this section shall not apply to farms or commercial horse stables as defined in §
420-6, Definitions.
Whenever a legally occupied dwelling has been
rendered uninhabitable in the opinion of the Construction Officer
by fire, flood, lightning or any other disasters, the owner of that
dwelling may acquire a permit from the office of the Construction
Official for temporary housing facilities such as, but not limited
to, a mobile home, travel trailer or motor home. Any permit for temporary
housing issued under this provision shall be valid for a period of
six months from the date of issuance, and may be extended for additional
60 days if so warranted in the opinion of the Construction Official.
Such housing facilities shall be placed on the same lot as the dwelling
that has been rendered uninhabitable, provided the applicant acquires
the following: electric service, sewage disposal hookup, potable water
supply connection, and the installation of an approved heat and smoke
detector. Any temporary housing facility must be inspected by the
appropriate inspection agencies having jurisdiction in the Township
of West Milford prior to occupancy.
[Added 12-8-2021 by Ord. No. 2021-038]
A. Shipping
containers placed on any site shall comply with the provisions of
this section, except that portable moving containers/moving pods placed
on private property for no more than 30 days in any twelve-month period
shall not be regulated by this section.
B. Nonconforming
structures. Structures rendered nonconforming by this section may
obtain a certification pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:55D-68 that a use or
structure existed prior to the adoption of the section which rendered
the use or structure nonconforming by applying for a zoning permit,
subject to the following conditions:
(1) The applicant shall have the burden of proof that the structure existed
prior to the adoption of this section.
(2) The structural integrity of the existing container must receive approval
from the Construction Official or the Construction Official’s
Designee.
(3) The replacement of any existing shipping container must comply with
the Zoning Ordinance, including the limit of one shipping container
per every four acres in residential districts.
C. Temporary
shipping containers. Shipping containers under 200 square feet that
meet accessory structure setback requirements of the underlying zone
may be placed on any property for up to 180 days in one calendar year
beginning on the date of zoning permit approval.
D. Permit required. Placement of shipping containers in any zone district are required to submit a zoning permit application. Placement of a shipping container over 200 square feet will also require a building permit application. Shipping containers in commercial or industrial districts, or on farm-assessed properties, shall adhere to additional requirements set forth in §
500-91.1E.
E. Residential
districts. Permanent shipping containers over 200 square feet are
prohibited in residential districts. Upon submission and approval
of a zoning permit application, a shipping container under 200 square
feet may be used as permanent storage but must adhere to the following
standards:
(1) Shipping containers shall meet accessory building area and bulk requirements
of the underlying zone district. If the shipping container is in any
yard that is adjacent to another residential property, or visible
from any street, the container must either be screened or improved
with cladding or siding.
(2) No more than one shipping container per every four acres shall be
placed on a residential property.
F. Commercial
districts and industrial districts.
(1) Shipping containers must adhere to the accessory building area and
bulk requirements of the underlying zone district.
(2) Shipping containers shall not be used for storage of hazardous material (as defined in §
420-6) and may not be used as dwelling units, commercial sales or service, or other use types.
(3) Shipping containers may not be stacked.
(4) Screening or buffering must be implemented if a shipping container
is within 50 feet of any residential use or district or visible from
any public street.
[Added 8-15-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-038]
A. The purpose of this section is to establish guidelines for siting
permanent emergency standby generators to ensure their safe operation
and prevent a nuisance to neighboring properties. This section shall
apply to residential uses.
B. As used in this section, the following terms shall have the meanings
indicated:
EMERGENCY
Loss of power due to a power outage outside of the owner's
control.
EMERGENCY STANDBY GENERATOR
A fuel-powered generator which is permanently connected to
the electrical system of a structure and primarily operates in the
event of a power outage in order to provide backup power. In the event
of a power outage emergency standby generators automatically turn
on, or are switched on by the owner and supply power. Once utility
power is restored, the generator automatically transfers the electrical
load back to the utilities or is manually switched off and power is
turned back to the utilities. Emergency standby generators are also
operated occasionally for maintenance purposes.
PORTABLE GENERATOR
Is not permanently connected to a building's electrical
system, uses a self-contained fuel source and is portable for storage.
Portable generators shall be outside when they are being utilized
in the event of a power outage emergency or occasionally for maintenance
purposes, and are not required to obtain approval pursuant to this
section.
C. Siting and placement requirements for all generators.
(1)
Emergency standby generators shall be considered minor accessory structures if 25 kW or less and must adhere to the requirements for minor accessory structures as set forth in §
500-92.1C. If the generator is larger than 25 kW, standard accessory structure standards apply.
[Amended 11-2-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-047]
(2)
Generator placement must adhere to manufacturer guidelines.
D. Permits.
(1)
All applicants for an emergency standby generator must submit
a zoning permit application. The application must include a site drawing
on a raised-seal survey showing the proposed location of the standby
generator and associated setbacks to all adjacent property lines.
Noise in decibels based on distance from the unit must also be provided.
(2)
Residential and nonresidential applicants for an emergency standby
generator with a maximum energy output of more than 25 kW shall submit
an application for a minor site plan with the Planning Board, unless
the generator is proposed in conjunction with a major site plan application.
E. Time of use regulations.
(1)
Unlimited use during an emergency.
(2)
Exercise of the generator is permitted as required for maintenance,
but not more than once a week, on weekdays, between the hours of 10:00
a.m. and 5:00 p.m. and not to exceed 30 minutes at a time.
F. Screening.
(1)
Screening of the unit is required, if visible from any right-of-way
or adjacent properties.
(2)
Natural screening shall be used wherever possible.
(3)
If, due to the characteristics of the given lot, natural screening is not possible, fences conforming to §
500-68 are permitted.
G. Noise attenuation.
(1)
Generator operating sound output may not exceed the New Jersey
Noise Control Act (N.J.S.A. 13:1G-1) as measured from the closest
property line.
(2)
Sound attenuation enclosures, screening and landscaping may
be used to minimize noise on adjacent properties and bring noise output
into compliance with the standards of the New Jersey Noise Control
Act (N.J.S.A. 13:1G-1).
H. Fuel storage.
(1)
If a generator is utilizing diesel fuel, the fuel storage tank
shall be double-walled.
I. Regulatory compliance.
(1)
Emergency standby generators shall be installed and operated
in accordance with manufacturer's requirements as well as all
federal, state and local codes, whichever is most stringent.
J. Application fee. Every application for the installation of a permanent
standby generator shall be accompanied by a fee of $40, which shall
be separate from and in addition to any other zoning and building
permit fees.
K. Violations and penalties. Any person, firm, corporation or entity
which shall violate any provision of this section shall, upon conviction,
be subject to a fine not exceeding $500, and each day that such violation
continues shall be deemed a separate offense.
[Added 12-7-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-050]
A. Definitions.
For the purpose of this section, the following definitions shall apply:
OUTDOOR WOOD FURNACE or OUTDOOR HYDRONIC HEATERS or OUTDOOR
WOOD-FIRED BOILERS
A structure or fuel-burning device designed to burn wood
or other approved solid fuels in an outdoor installation, which heats
building space and/or water via the distribution, typically through
pipes, of a fluid heated in the device, typically water or a water/antifreeze
mixture. It may also be a wood or approved solid-fuel-fired water-jacketed
stove that provides heat and/or hot water to new or existing stoves.
This does not include fireplaces, firepits, barbecues, or similar
structures not designed to heat a structure.
B. Permit
and inspection required. A zoning permit application and a building
permit application shall be required prior to the installation of
the furnace. An inspection from the Township Fire Prevention Office
must be obtained.
C. All
installations and users shall comply with all state laws, New Jersey
Department of Environmental Protection regulations, New Jersey Department
of Community Affairs, and New Jersey State health regulations, as
well as local and County Board of Health ordinances and regulations.
Outdoor wood burning furnaces must comply with N.J.A.C. 7:27-3, "Control
and Prohibition of Smoke from Combustion of Fuel." This regulation
mandates that stationary outdoor wood burning furnaces produce no
smoke, except for three minutes in any thirty-minute period.