[Adopted 12-29-1998 by Ord. No. O-22-98[1]]
[1]
Editor’s Note: This ordinance was readopted and reimplemented 4-10-2012 by Ord. No. O-7-12 and 9-13-2022 by Ord. No. O-20-22.
A. 
Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:21-7, all improvements as defined in N.J.S.A. 40A:21-3, Subdivision n, to commercial or industrial structures being used as provided in § 346-14B below shall be exempt from real property taxes, on the improved portion only, for a period of five years if, after proper timely application has been made, the Tax Assessor determines that the improvement meets the intent and criteria established by the statute without compromising the equity of the tax structure.
B. 
Applicants must apply for tax exemption(s) on improvements within 60 days of completion of construction of the improvement.
C. 
No applications will be approved for fit-outs to structures which were not previously fully completed and occupied.
D. 
No applications will be approved for changing a structure from one construction code use group to another.
A. 
Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:21-9, to be considered for tax abatement, applicants shall provide the township with an application setting forth:
(1) 
A general description of the project for which abatement is sought;
(2) 
A legal description of all real estate necessary for the project;
(3) 
Plans and drawings and other documents as may be required by the governing body to demonstrate the structure and design of the project;
(4) 
A description of the number, classes and types of employees to be employed at the project site within two years of the completion of the project;
(5) 
A statement of the reasons for seeking tax abatement on the project, and a description of the benefits to be realized by the applicant if tax abatement is granted;
(6) 
Estimates of the cost of completing such project;
(7) 
A statement showing the real property taxes currently being assessed at the project site; estimated tax payments that would be made annually by the applicant on the project during the period of tax abatement; and estimated tax payments that would be made by the applicant on the project during the first full year following the termination of the tax abatement agreement.
(8) 
A description of any lease agreements between the applicant and proposed users of the project, and a history and description of the user's business;
(9) 
Proof of payment of taxes through the current quarter; and
(10) 
Such other pertinent information as the Tax Abatement Committee or governing body may require.
B. 
Tax abatement applications will be considered for approval for uses such as (This list is not complete or all inclusive, but is representative of the types of projects the governing body may encourage and consider.):
(1) 
Electronics and small parts assembly and/or manufacture.
(2) 
Scientific or industrial research engineering laboratory, testing or experimental laboratory or similar establishments for research or product development.
(3) 
Warehouse facilities.
(4) 
Administrative activities and offices.
(5) 
Manufacturing and/or processing or assembling of material or manufactured products.
(6) 
Restaurants.
(7) 
(Reserved)
(8) 
Wholesale business establishment.
(9) 
Contractors equipment storage yard or building or rental of equipment commonly used by contractors.
(10) 
Lumberyards for retail and wholesale and similar establishments.
(11) 
Transportation and trucking terminals, terminal facilities for passengers and/or freight for trucks, railroads and taxi and bus lines, including maintenance and service facilities.
(12) 
Frozen-food lockers and indoor food storage.
(13) 
(Reserved)
(14) 
(Reserved)
(15) 
Milk or soft-drink distribution station or storage house.
(16) 
Carpet or rug cleaning; laundry, dry-cleaning and dyeing plant.
(17) 
Metal processing such as cleaning, finishing, grinding, cutting, heat treating, plating, polishing, rustproofing and sharpening; metal stamping and extrusion of small products.
(18) 
Job printing and newspaper or book publishing.
(19) 
Baking and food and dairy processing.
(20) 
(Reserved)
(21) 
(Reserved)
(22) 
Corporate and professional offices.
(23) 
Recreational facilities, including but not limited to theaters, batting cages, bowling alleys, golf courses and golf driving ranges.
(24) 
Artists' and photographers' studios.
(25) 
Motel-hotels and related facilities such as restaurants, meeting rooms and auditorium spaces and swimming pools.
(26) 
General service and repair shops, including carpenter, cabinetmaking, furniture repair, plumbing or similar shop.
(27) 
(Reserved)
(28) 
(Reserved)
(29) 
Veterinary hospital.
(30) 
Dental and medical laboratory.
(31) 
Catering establishment.
(32) 
Business and instructional school, including trade school.
(33) 
Nursing homes, rest home or home for the aged.
(34) 
(Reserved)
(35) 
(Reserved)
(36) 
Retail uses.
(37) 
Accessory uses on the same lot with and customarily incidental to any of the above-permitted uses.
C. 
The following procedures, conditions and interpretations will apply to all applications for tax abatement:
(1) 
All applications shall be filed with the Office of the Tax Assessor. When the Tax Assessor deems the application complete, it shall be forwarded to the Tax Abatement Committee which, in turn, shall forward its recommendations to the governing body within 60 days of the Assessor deeming the application complete.
(2) 
All applications for abatement shall be filed prior to the township issuing a building permit.
(3) 
For multiuser projects such as rental or condominium ownership, the entire concept should be approved at the beginning and not on a per unit basis.
(4) 
The agreement for abatement may permit multiuser projects to be developed in phases. The five-year time period commences with the occupancy of the first tenant or condominium owner in each phase.
D. 
Upon approval of an ordinance authorizing an agreement for tax abatement for a particular project or projects, the governing body may enter into written agreements with the applicants for abatement of real property taxes. The agreement shall provide for the applicants to pay to the municipality, in lieu of full property tax payments, an amount to be computed pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:21-10, Subdivision c, Tax phase-in basis. Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:21-21, the township shall provide timely reports, as required therein, to the Department of Community Affairs and the Department of Treasury.
E. 
Any agreement for tax abatement adopted pursuant to Township Ordinance No. O-2-91, adopted 2-26-1991, now repealed by this article and state statute, shall be retroactively adopted and approved and shall continue in effect as if previously adopted pursuant to this article.