This chapter shall be known as the "Land Use
Code of the Township of Alexandria."
The purpose of this chapter is the implementation
of the Comprehensive Master Plan for Alexandria Township, exercising
the authority delegated to municipalities under the Municipal Land
Use Law P.L. 1975, c. 291,[1] to regulate development in conformance with said law and
to:
A.
Identify and respond to existing and potential residential
growth pressures in the Township while maintaining its rural character
in an effort to promote current statewide objectives for agricultural
land retention and open space preservation.
B.
Make certain that development which occurs in Alexandria
Township takes place in areas which are appropriate for it considering
environmental factors, such as potential ground water supply, septic
suitability of soils, steep slopes, floodplains and prime agricultural
soils, as well as roadway access and the efficient provision of public
services.
C.
Encourage residential development in certain areas
of the Township, leaving other areas relatively free for agricultural
and open space use and in that manner helping to serve the agricultural,
recreational and conservation needs within the region.
D.
Recognize that landowners have the right to benefit
from the development potential of their land while at the same time
promoting the local, regional and statewide interest in retaining
land for agricultural use or reserving environmentally sensitive areas
from development.
E.
Find innovative ways to allow the development of large
tracts of land while reserving significant portions for agricultural
use or conservation purposes.
F.
Establish a positive agricultural business climate
in order to promote agricultural production, the primary industry
in Alexandria Township.
G.
Require sufficient buffering between new residential
development and prime agricultural land to protect farmers from nuisance
complaints and actions which tend to discourage the continuation of
farming as an industry.
H.
Provide realistic opportunities for meeting the indigenous
low and moderate-income housing needs within Alexandria Township based
on a responsible analysis of the extent of that need.
I.
Maintain zoning policies which are compatible with
the State Development Guide Plan's designation of Alexandria Township
as an agricultural area while protecting the opportunity for a balance
of residential and nonresidential development to occur in the future,
should development pressures increase to a point where portions of
the Township warrant redesignation as a growth area.
J.
Establish criteria for the development of small neighborhood
commercial areas at such time in the future as residential development
reaches the point where it becomes desirable and reasonable to provide
convenient shopping facilities to meet local needs and help conserve
time and energy.
K.
Promote compatible development within the vicinity
of the Township's two airports to promote public safety.
L.
Take specific steps to preserve and enhance the Township's
small villages for their scenic, historic and social value, recognizing
that both the type and scale of new development in the vicinity of
the villages will affect them.
M.
Make certain that the availability of public services
and roadway improvements keeps pace with growth in the municipality.
N.
Make certain that the subdivision improvements required
of developers match the long range goals for the development of various
areas within the Township.
O.
Focus on preserving the value of residential properties
and maximizing the efficiency with which necessary public services
are provided, keeping governmental costs as low as possible while
recognizing that, while it would be desirable to broaden the municipal
tax base, Alexandria Township will, for the time being, probably continue
to have a predominantly residential rather than nonresidential tax
base.
P.
Promote the conservation of energy and the use of
renewable energy sources by providing opportunities for the establishment
of alternative energy generating systems, including but not limited
to solar, wind, and biomass systems, under appropriate conditions
and in accordance with design standards to protect the Township's
agricultural and rural character.
[Amended 12-12-2012 by Ord. No. 2012-10-24]
[1]
Editor's Note: See N.J.S.A. 40:55D-1 et seq.
