Guide the use and development of all the lands of the City of Brigantine in the appropriate manner that will promote the health, safety and welfare of the general public.

Secure safety from fire, flood, panic and other natural and man-made disasters.

Provide adequate light, air and open space.

Ensure that the residential development of the City of Brigantine does not conflict with the growth, development and general welfare of the neighboring municipalities, Atlantic County and the State of New Jersey as a whole.

Promote the establishment of appropriate population densities and concentrations that will contribute to the well-being of the citizens of Brigantine, their families, neighborhoods and social communities.

Encourage the appropriate and efficient expenditures of public funds by the coordination of public development with land use policies.

Provide sufficient space in appropriate locations for residential, recreational and commercial uses to meet the needs of the citizens of the City of Brigantine.

Encourage the location and design of transportation routes which will promote the free flow of traffic while discouraging the location of those facilities and routes which will result in congestion and degrade the quality of existing residential, commercial and recreational development in the City.

Promote a desirable and pleasing visual environment through creative development techniques and architectural consideration.

Promote the conservation of open space in the form of the existing dune and beach systems along the Atlantic Ocean at least in part by maintaining and enforcing the development restriction line.

Preserve the water's-edge environment along the back bays while recognizing the residential, commercial and recreational opportunities within this environment.

Encourage the coordination of the development review process with the capital improvements program to reduce the financial impact to both the private and public sectors while achieving more efficient land use.

Encourage the development and use of innovative stormwater management techniques to control surface water runoff, prevent flooding and reduce soil erosion and sedimentation.

Encourage the development of the City of Brigantine as a stable single-family residential community by adopting land use policies that maintain and preserve existing single-family neighborhoods by discouraging speculative multifamily investment and discouraging the subdivision of existing large residential properties into smaller lots, permitting duplexes as a conditional use within the City and encouraging the development of traditional hotels.

Promote the conservation of open space and valuable natural resources.

Prevent suburban sprawl and degradation of the coastal environment by limiting and restricting inappropriate land uses within the City of Brigantine while encouraging the concentration and expansion of retail and commercial uses in designated districts.

To continue to encourage tourism, ecotourism and economic development on the island by allowing bed-and-breakfast inns as a conditional use in certain areas and establishing the uninhabited section of the north end of the island as an environmental education area.

Expand and improve recreational uses and facilities including location and establishment of a municipal youth center, bike path and support of ongoing recreational facilities and programs such as the Brigantine C.E.R., Brigantine Rowing Club, recreation fields, parks and indoor recreation facilities.

No development shall be permitted to occur within the City of Brigantine unless preceding such development there shall have been an application for development filed, reviewed and approved in accordance with the provisions of this chapter or any other applicable codes, rules, regulations and laws of the City of Brigantine, County of Atlantic or State of New Jersey. When such approval has been granted subject to conditions or required specific performance, failure to meet such conditions or perform as specified shall cause said approval to become null and void.

All applications for projects shall first be submitted to the City of Brigantine Zoning Officer for a ruling as to whether or not said project is to be heard by the Planning Board or to issue a zoning permit to projects that require no action by said Board.

Site plan approval. Every development which includes any principal structure other than a one- or two-family dwelling located on an individual lot shall, prior to the issuance of a building permit, first be granted approval for an application for site plan approval by the Zoning Officer or Planning Board. (NOTE: All residential use developments of three or more dwelling units and other uses of 10,000 square feet or more, whether requiring variances or not, shall be reviewed for site plan approval by the Planning Board.)

Subdivision approval. Every development which includes subdivision or consolidation shall have received approval of an application for subdivision prior to issuance of any building permit or the commencement of any site improvements.

Application for variance. A variance application and approval shall be required for every development which includes any feature not in conformity with this chapter or which lacks any required improvement or feature of this chapter.

Simultaneous applications. Application for development approval should contain all approvals which may be required for the approval of the project under consideration. An applicant shall be required to show good cause why all applications for development are not submitted to the Board simultaneously. In the event that an applicant receives permission to apply for less than all approvals which may be required, the applicant shall be deemed to have accepted the jurisdiction of the Board to modify or impose conditions upon the construction of improvements or grant of permission to carry out the development sought by the earlier application. This subsection shall not apply to separate applications for preliminary and final approval. In submitting any application for variances, the Board shall require that each application for variance be separately stated upon the application and supporting reasons for such application shall be stated in the application documents. Applicants seeking variances for single-family and duplex dwellings shall provide, in addition to all other requirements, architectural elevations and preliminary floor plans.

Zoning permits. A zoning permit is required as a condition precedent to the commencement of a use or the erection, construction, reconstruction, alteration, conversion or installation of a structure or a building. All zoning permits shall be signed by the Zoning Official of the City of Brigantine. No building permit will be issued unless a zoning permit approving use and location has first been obtained. When a variance has been granted the zoning permit shall have a copy of the approval granting said variance attached thereto and maintained on file. Such copy of the approval shall be supplied by the applicant when obtaining such zoning permit. No certificate of occupancy shall issue prior to the applicant obtaining a zoning permit.