Dennis Township City Zoning Code
ARTICLE I
General Provisions
[Amended 7-15-13 by Ord. No. 2013-03]
§ 185-1 Title.
A.
The title of this chapter is as follows: "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, Courts and Other Open Spaces; Regulating and Restricting the Density of Population; Dividing the Township of Dennis into Districts for such Purposes; Adopting a Map of said Township Showing Boundaries and the Classification of such Districts; Establishing a Board of Adjustment; and Prescribing Penalties for the Violation of its Provisions."
B.
Short title. The short form by which this chapter may be known shall be the "Zoning Ordinance of the Township of Dennis."
§ 185-2 Purpose.
The purpose of this chapter is to establish a pattern for the use of land and buildings in the Township of Dennis, based on the latest updated Master Plan for the Township of Dennis and enacted in order to promote and to protect the public health, safety, comfort, convenience, and general welfare of the people. This chapter is intended to:
A.
Regulate the use and development of land within zoning districts.
B.
Secure safety from fire and other dangers.
C.
Provide adequate light, air and open space.
D.
Promote orderly development.
E.
Avoid undue concentration of population.
F.
Prevent the overcrowding of land or buildings by regulating the intensity of uses and the location of buildings.
G.
Establish standards of development.
H.
Limit congestion in the street.
I.
Prohibit incompatible uses.
J.
Regulate the alteration of existing buildings.
K.
Protect against hazards.
L.
Conserve the taxable value of land and preserve open space and natural features.
M.
Promote orderly development of the Pinelands Area so as to preserve and protect the significant and unique natural, ecological, agricultural, archaeological, historic, scenic, cultural and recreational resources of the Pinelands.
N.
Implement the goals and objectives of the Pinelands Comprehensive Management Plan.
O.
Preserve the historical resources of the township and preserve the environmental resources of the township.
P.
Preserve and protect the potable water supply of the community.
§ 185-3 Interpretation.
The provisions of this chapter shall be held to be minimum requirements. Where this chapter imposes a greater restriction that is imposed or required by other provisions of law or by other rules or regulations or resolutions, the provisions of this chapter shall control. Where other laws, rules, regulations or resolutions require greater restrictions than are imposed or required by this chapter, the provisions of such other laws, rules, regulations or restrictions shall control.
§ 185-4 Prohibited uses.
[Amended 6-4-07 by Ord. No. 2007-09; 6-8-2021 by Ord. No. 2021-03; 12-30-2025 by Ord. No. 2025-09]
A.
All uses not expressly permitted in this chapter are prohibited.
B.
In addition, the following uses are specifically prohibited in all districts:
(1)
Trailer parks.
(2)
Incinerators.
(3)
Landfills.
(4)
Junkyards.
(5)
The use of land for the dumping or disposal of toxic or hazardous wastes or sludge materials.
(6)
Commercial resource extraction, specifically including sand mining and commercial water removal. The following activities are not prohibited:
(a)
The excavation, stockpiling and moving of soils as may be permitted activities on commercial farms pursuant to the Right to Farm Act provided for in N.J.S.A. 4:1C-1 and regulations promulgated thereunder.
(b)
The extraction, use, movement and removal of soils and earth materials as may be necessary pursuant to approved and validly existing construction permit and/or valid site plan approval subject to the requirements of the Cape-Atlantic Conservation District.
(c)
Excavations and grading for yards, sidewalks, drainage ditches, sewage disposal systems or other minor yard improvements.
(d)
All existing approved sanitary landfill operations which are in conformance with all applicable federal, state and local statutes, regulations and ordinances.
(e)
New streets, roadways or driveways where regulated by other ordinances.
(f)
Excavations made by Dennis Township, the County of Cape May or the State of New Jersey or by their agents, servants and/or employees as part of construction of public improvements, such as streets, highways, drainage, sewers, water lines or other similar projects.
(g)
Underground utility lines within the bounds of the public streets and roadways.
(h)
Valid/Preexisting Resource Extraction as defined in § 185-7.
(7)
The manufacture of explosives, volatile chemicals, or any use which significantly presents a similar risk, hazard, or nuisance as the manufacture of explosives or volatile chemicals. Uses believed to significantly present a similar risk, hazard or nuisance include, but are not limited to, the following:
(a)
Acetylene gas manufacture and/or storage of more than one cylinder of 10 cubic feet.
(b)
Acid manufacture (hydrochloric, nitric, acrid, sulfuric, sulfonic, carbolic).
(c)
Ammonia, bleaching powder or chlorine manufacture.
(d)
Arsenal.
(e)
Asphalt manufacture.
(f)
Oil refining.
(8)
The following classes of Cannabis licenses, enumerated in P. L. 2021, c. 16, are prohibited in all zoning districts of Dennis Township, except for the delivery of cannabis items and related supplies by a delivery service.
(a)
Class 1 – Cannabis Grower, for facilities involved in growing and cultivating cannabis;
(b)
Class 2 – Cannabis Processor, for facilities involved in the manufacturing, preparation, and packaging of cannabis items;
(c)
Class 3 – Cannabis Wholesaler license, for facilities involved in obtaining and selling cannabis items for later resale by other licensees;
(d)
Class 4 – Cannabis Distributor license, for businesses involved in transporting cannabis items in bulk intrastate, from one licensed cannabis establishment to another;
(e)
Class 5 – Cannabis Retailer license, for locations at which cannabis items and paraphernalia are sold to consumers;
(f)
Class 6 – Cannabis Delivery license, for business providing courier services for a licensed cannabis retailer in order to make deliveries of cannabis items and related supplies to a consumer.
§ 185-5 Time of compliance.
All requirements shall be met at the time of erection, enlargement, alteration, moving or change in use of the principal use 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.
