This Chapter is enacted for the following purposes: to promote the health, safety, morals and general welfare of the inhabitants of the Township of Hope, to lessen congestion in the streets; secure safety from fire, flood, panic, and other dangers; provide adequate light, air, and open space; prevent the over-crowding of land or buildings; avoid undue concentration of population; and to conserve the value of property and encourage the most appropriate use of land; to promote the establishment of appropriate population densities and concentrations that will contribute to the well being of persons, neighborhoods, communities and preservation of the environment and historic heritage of Hope; to provide sufficient space in appropriate locations for a variety of agricultural, residential, recreational and commercial 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; 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 will result in congestion or blight; to promote a desirable visual environment through creative development techniques and good civic design and arrangements; 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, and to promote the purposes of zoning set forth in N.J.S.A. 40:55D-1 et seq.

It is also the purpose of this Chapter to state as clearly and simply as possible the intended requirements to encourage wide understanding of its meaning, and to avoid costly technical and legal problems. For the purposes hereinabove mentioned, this Chapter designates, regulates and restricts the location and use of buildings and structures and land for residence, commerce, trade, historic preservation, industry and other purposes; the height and number of stories and size of buildings and other structures hereinafter erected or altered; regulates and determines the sizes of yards and other open spaces; and regulates and limits the density of population. In order to effect its purpose this Chapter divides the Township into zoning districts of such number, shape and area as deemed best to carry out the purposes of this Chapter.