The title of the ordinance appearing in this
chapter is "A Comprehensive Ordinance Regulating and Limiting the
Uses of Land and the Uses and Locations of Buildings and Structures;
Regulating and Restricting the Height and Bulk of Buildings and Structures
and Determining the Area of Yards and Other Open Spaces; Regulating
and Restricting the Density of Population; Dividing the Township of
Bethlehem into Districts for Such Purposes; Adopting a Map of Said
Township Showing Boundaries and the Classification of Such Districts;
Establishing Rules, Regulations and Standards Governing the Subdivision
and Development of Land within the Township; Establishing a Planning
Board and a Zoning Board of Adjustment; and Prescribing Penalties
for the Violation of its Provisions."
The short form by which this chapter may be
known shall be the "Land Development Ordinance of the Township of
Bethlehem."
The chapter is adopted pursuant to N.J.S.A.
40:55D-1 et seq., in order to promote and protect the public health,
safety, morals and general welfare, and in the furtherance of the
following related and more specific objectives:
A.
To secure safety from fire, flood, panic and other
natural and man-made disasters.
B.
To provide adequate light, air and open space.
C.
To ensure that the development of individual municipalities
does not conflict with the development and general welfare of neighboring
municipalities, the county and the state as a whole.
D.
To promote the establishment of appropriate population
densities and concentrations that will contribute to the well-being
of persons, neighborhoods, communities and regions and to preservation
of the environment.
E.
To encourage an appropriate and efficient expenditure
of public funds by the coordination of public development with land
use policies.
F.
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 New Jersey citizens.
G.
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 would result in congestion
or blight.
H.
To promote a desirable visual environment through
creative development techniques and good civic design and arrangements.
I.
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.
K.
To encourage senior citizen community housing construction.
L.
To encourage coordination of the various public and
private procedures and activities shaping land development with a
view of lessening the cost of such development and to the more efficient
use of land.
M.
To promote the conservation of energy through the
use of planning practices designed to reduce energy consumption, and
to provide for maximum utilization of renewable energy sources.
The provisions of this chapter shall be held
to be minimum requirements. Where this chapter imposes a greater restriction
than is imposed and required by other provisions of law or by other
rules, regulations or resolutions, the provisions of this chapter
shall control. Where other laws, rules, regulations or resolutions
require greater restrictions than are imposed by this chapter, the
provisions of such other laws, rules, regulations or restrictions
shall control.
All uses not expressly permitted in this chapter
are prohibited, including but not limited to:
A.
Any billboards, signboards, advertising signs or devices
not expressly related to the business being conducted on the premises
or otherwise specifically permitted by this chapter.
B.
Junkyards, automobile wrecking or disassembly yards
and the sorting or bailing of scrap metal, paper, rags or other scrap
or waste materials.
C.
This subsection is hereby intentionally left blank.
[Amended 11-18-2021 by Ord. No. 470.2021]
D.
Privately operated dumps for the disposal of garbage,
trash, junk, refuse and/or similar materials.
E.
Open-air drive-in motion-picture theaters.
F.
Adult bookstores, live entertainment centers and/or
theaters which are characterized or distinguished by their emphasis
on matters depicting, describing or relating to sexual activities.
G.
All classes
of cannabis establishments or cannabis distributors or cannabis delivery
services as said terms are defined in section 3 of P.L. 2021, c. 16,
excepting the delivery of cannabis items and related supplies by a
delivery service be and hereby are prohibited in all districts.
[Added 7-15-2021 by Ord. No. 468.2021]
All applicable requirements shall be met at
the first time of erection, enlargement, alteration, moving or change
in use of a structure and shall apply to the entire structure or structures,
whether or not the entire structure or structures were involved in
the erection, enlargement, alteration, moving or change in use.
