A Zoning Board of Adjustment is hereby established pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:55D-69 et seq. consisting of seven residents of the Township appointed by the Township Council to serve for terms of four years from January 1 of the year of their appointment. The terms of the members first appointed shall be so determined that to the greatest practicable extent the expiration of such terms shall be distributed evenly over the first four years after their appointment, provided that the initial term of no member shall exceed four years. Thereafter the term of each member shall be for four years. Nothing in this chapter shall, however, be construed to affect the term of any present member of the Zoning Board of Adjustment, all of whom shall continue in office until the completion of the term for which they were appointed.

No member of the Zoning Board of Adjustment may hold any elective office or position under the municipality.

A vacancy occurring otherwise than by expiration of term shall be filled for the unexpired term only.

The Zoning Board of Adjustment shall, in addition to its normal seven members, have two alternate members to be appointed by the Township Council. The term of each alternate member shall be two years. The Chairman of the Zoning Board of Adjustment shall designate these members as Alternate No. 1 and Alternate No. 2, and they shall serve in rotation during the absence or disqualification of any regular member or members.

The powers of the Zoning Board of Adjustment shall be in accordance with N.J.S.A. 40:55D-69 et seq. and amendments and supplements thereto, and with the provisions of this chapter.

It is further the intent of this chapter to confer upon the Zoning Board of Adjustment as full and complete powers as may lawfully be conferred upon such Board, including, not by way of limitation, the authority, in connection with any case, action of proceeding before the Board, to interpret and construe the provisions of the Zoning Ordinance, or any term, clause, sentence or word thereof, and the Zoning Map, in accordance with the general rules of construction, applicable to legislative enactments.

The Board may, in appropriate cases and subject to appropriate conditions and safeguards grant variances from the terms of the Zoning Ordinance in accordance with the general or specific rules contained herein, and with the general rules hereby laid down that equity shall be done in cases where the strict construction of the provisions of the Zoning Ordinance would work undue hardship. The powers and duties of the Board having been delegated to and imposed upon by statute, the Board shall in all cases follow the provisions applicable to it in said N.J.S.A. 40:55D-1 et seq., or subsequent statutes in such case made and provided, and it shall from time to time furnish to any person requesting the same a copy of its rules and information as to how appeals or applications may properly be filed with the Board for its decision thereon.

Appeals to the Board of Adjustment may be taken by any person aggrieved, or by any officer, department, board, or bureau of the municipality affected by any decision of the administrative officer. Each appeal shall be taken within the 65 days prescribed by the statute by filing a notice of appeal with the officer from whom the appeal was taken, together with two copies of said notice with the Secretary of the Board of Adjustment. Said notice of appeal shall specify the ground for said appeal. The officer from whom the appeal is taken shall forthwith transmit to the Board all the papers constituting the record upon which the action appealed from was taken.

Applications addressed to the original jurisdiction of the Board of Adjustment without prior application to an administrative officer shall be filed with the Secretary of the Zoning Board of Adjustment. Two copies of the application shall be filed. At the time of filing the appeal or application, but in no event less than 14 days prior to the date set for hearing, the applicant shall also file eight copies of all plot plans, maps or other paper required by virtue of any provision of § 188-147 of this chapter. The applicant shall obtain all necessary forms from the Secretary of the Zoning Board of Adjustment. The Secretary of the Board shall inform the applicant of the steps to be taken to initiate proceedings and of the regular meeting dates of the Board.

An appeal stays all proceedings in furtherance of the action in respect of which the decision appealed from was made, unless the officer from whom the appeal is taken certifies to the Board of Adjustment after the notice of appeal shall have been filed with him that by reason of facts stated in the certificate a stay would, in his opinion, cause imminent peril to life or property. In such case, proceedings shall not be stayed otherwise than by a restraining order which may be granted by the Board of Adjustment or by the Superior Court of New Jersey on application or notice to the officer from whom the appeal is taken and on due cause shown.

Hear and decide appeals where it is alleged by the appellant that there is error in any order, requirement, decision or refusal made by an administrative official or agency based on or made in the enforcement of the Zoning Ordinance.

Hear and decide requests for interpretation of the Zoning Map or Zoning Ordinance, or for decisions upon other special questions upon which such board is authorized by the Zoning Ordinance to pass.

Where by reason of exceptional narrowness, shallowness, or shape of a specific piece of property, or by reason of exceptional topographic conditions, or by reason of other extraordinary and exceptional situation or condition of such piece of property, the strict application of any regulation in the Zoning Ordinance would result in peculiar and exceptional practical difficulties to, or exceptional and undue hardship upon the owner of such property, to grant upon an application or an appeal relating to such property, a variance from such strict application, so as to relieve such difficulties or hardship; provided, however, that no variance shall be granted under this subsection to allow a structure or use in a district restricted against such structure or use; and further provided that the proposed development does not require approval by the Planning Board of a subdivision, site plan or conditional use in conjunction with which the Planning Board shall review a request for a variance pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:55-60(a).

Grant a variance to allow a structure or use in a district restricted against such structure or use in particular cases and for special reasons, but only by the affirmative vote of at least 2/3 of the full authorized membership of the Board.

No variance or other relief may be granted under the provisions of this section unless such variance or other relief can be granted without substantial detriment to the public good and will not substantially impair the intent and purpose of the Zone Plan and Zoning Ordinance. Any application under any subsection of this section may be referred to any appropriate person or agency, including the Planning Board, for its report, provided that such reference shall not extend the period of time within which the Zoning Board of Adjustment shall act.

No application for a variance or other relief requesting a change in density under this section prior to the submission of a site plan shall be considered unless the application for the desired variance or other relief is accompanied by an environmental impact report as prescribed by § 188-6 hereof.

The Zoning Board of Adjustment shall be in addition to the powers specified in § 188-148 of this article have power given by law to:

The Board of Adjustment shall have the power to grant to the same extent and subject to the same restrictions as the Planning Board subdivision or site plan approval pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:55D-37 et seq. or conditional use approval pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:55D-67 whenever the Board is reviewing an application for approval of a use variance pursuant to § 188-146D of this chapter.

The Board of Adjustment shall render its decision not later than 120 days after the date an appeal is taken from the decision of an administrative officer, or the submission of a complete application for development to the Board pursuant to the provisions of N.J.S.A. 40:55D-70(b).

Failure of the Board to render a decision within such one-hundred-twenty-day period or within such further time as may be consented to by the applicant shall constitute a decision favorable to the applicant.