The Township of Dennis hereby exercises the option provided by N.J.S.A. 40:55D-25c, and accordingly, the Zoning Board of Adjustment is hereby terminated; provided, however, in accordance with N.J.S.A. 40:55D-72.1, that any application for development submitted to the Zoning Board of Adjustment pursuant to lawful authority before the effective date of this chapter may be continued at the option of the applicant, and the Board of Adjustment shall have every power which it possessed before the effective date of the chapter in regard to the application.

When necessary for the purposes of implementing this chapter and the election to have the Planning Board exercise, to the same extent and subject to the same restrictions, all the powers of a Board of Adjustment, the term Planning Board shall be substituted for the term Zoning Board of Adjustment or equivalent in each and every instance where Zoning Board of Adjustment or equivalent appears in any code, ordinance, resolution, rule, regulation or amendments thereto of the Township of Dennis.

Where the substitution of Planning Board for Zoning Board of Adjustment or equivalent results in an apparent duplication, redundancy, or conflict in any code, ordinance, resolution, rule or regulation, the same shall be liberally construed and interpreted in accordance with the intent and purpose of N.J.S.A. 55D-25c. as adopted herein, whereby the Planning Board replaces and to the same extent and subject to the same restrictions exercises all the powers of the Zoning Board of Adjustment.

The Class I and the Class III members shall not participate in the consideration of applications for development which involve relief pursuant to subsection d of section 57 of P.L. 1975, c. 291 (N.J.S.A. 40:55D-70).

There shall be four alternate members appointed to the newly empowered Planning Board in accordance with law.

All other provisions of this Code applicable to the Planning Board shall remain in full force and effect.

All other provisions of this Code and of general law delineating the powers and responsibilities of the Zoning Board of Adjustment are hereby deemed to refer to the Planning Board where applicable as the Planning Board exercises its zoning adjustment authority.

Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:55D-70a. and b., the Zoning Board of Adjustment shall have the power to hear appeals from determinations by the Zoning Officer and to interpret the Zoning Map or Zoning Ordinance, upon receiving a proper and complete submission by an applicant for such type of relief.

All such applications shall require a public hearing. Public notice of any such hearing shall be required as authorized by N.J.S.A. 40:55D-12a.

Meetings of both the Planning Board and Zoning Board of Adjustment shall be scheduled no less often than once a month, and any meeting so scheduled shall be held as scheduled unless cancelled for lack of applications for development to process.

Special meetings may be provided for at the call of the Chairman or on the request of any two Board members, which shall be held on notice to its members and the public in accordance with all applicable legal requirements.

No action shall be taken at any meeting without a quorum being present.

All actions shall be taken by majority vote of the members present at the meeting, except as otherwise required by a provision of N.J.S.A. 40:55D-1 et seq.

All meetings shall be open to the public. Notice of all such meetings shall be given in accordance with the requirements of the Open Public Meetings Act, Chapter 231 of the Laws of 1975.

Minutes of every regular or special meeting shall be kept and shall include the names of the persons appearing and addressing the Planning Board or Zoning Board of Adjustment and of the persons appearing by attorney, the action taken by the Planning or Zoning Board, the findings, if any, made by it and reasons therefor. The minutes shall thereafter be made available for public inspection during the normal business hours at the office of the Township Clerk. Any interested party shall have the right to compel production of the minutes for use as evidence in any legal proceedings concerning the subject matter of such minutes.

A verbatim recording shall be made of every hearing. The recording of the proceedings shall be made by either stenographer, mechanical or electronic means. The municipality shall furnish a transcript or duplicate recording in lieu thereof on request to any interested party at his expense.

A copy of the decision shall be mailed to the applicant or appellant or, if represented, then to his attorney without charge, and for a reasonable charge to any interested party who has requested it, not later than 10 days after the date of the decision.

A brief notice of the decision shall be published in the official newspaper of the municipality if there is one or in a newspaper of general circulation in the municipality. Such publication shall be arranged by and paid for by the applicant and shall be published within two weeks from the date of the decision.

A copy of the decision and all submitted documents of record shall be filed with the Township Clerk.

For decisions relating to the Pinelands Area, notice shall be given to the Pinelands Commission pursuant to Section 185-49 of this chapter.