Manchester Township
City Zoning Code

Application of regulations to structures, yards and open space. No building shall hereafter be erected and no existing building shall be moved, structurally altered, added to or enlarged, or rebuilt, nor shall any land be designed, used or intended to be used for any purpose other than those included among the uses listed as permitted uses for each zone by this chapter and meeting the requirements as set forth by the Schedules A through D included herein and constituting a part of Article IV, Zoning, of this chapter. Nor shall any open space contiguous to any building be encroached upon or reduced in any manner, except in conformity to the yard, lot area, building location, percentage of lot coverage, off-street parking space, and such other regulations designated in said schedules and this chapter for the zone in which such building or space is located. In the event of any such unlawful encroachment or reduction, such building shall be deemed to be in violation of the provisions of this chapter.

Frontage required on an improved street. Every principal building shall be built upon a lot with frontage upon an improved street.

Off-street parking required. Off-street parking space shall be provided as specified in § 245-28A, Off-street parking spaces. All such space shall be deemed to be required space on the lot on which the same is situated unless otherwise stated and shall not thereafter be encroached upon or reduced in any manner.

Accessory building attached to main building. An accessory building attached to the principal building shall comply in all respects with the requirements for principal buildings of this chapter.

Corner lots. Each corner lot shall provide the minimum front yard setback requirements for the respective zone for both intersecting streets that provide frontage to the lot. Rear yard shall be designated as those yards which provide access to the rear of the principle structure, opposite the front entranceway, and shall provide the minimum rear yard setback requirements for the respective zone. Any other yard or yards shall be considered side yards and provide the minimum conforming side yard setback requirements for the respective zone.

Yard requirements. No yard or other open space provided about any buildings for the purpose of complying with the provisions of this chapter shall be considered as providing a yard or other open space for any other building.

Recycling areas in new multifamily dwellings.

Outside display or sale of goods. Business structures or similar uses shall not display or maintain goods for sale outside of the structure, except as otherwise provided in this chapter.

Height limitation exceptions.

Public utility distribution and transmission facilities. Nothing in this chapter shall preclude the construction, operation and maintenance of public utility distribution and transmission or collection systems. Such distribution and transmission or collection systems may include systems of poles, wires, underground pipes, conduits, appurtenances for the transmission and/or distribution of the commodity or service pertaining to the public utility. Buildings or structures permitted by this subsection shall be necessary and accessory to the distribution and transmission or collection systems and shall be aesthetically compatible as much as possible with the uses permitted in the zone where said building or structure is located.

Illumination of buildings. Buildings and areas may be illuminated; however, the actual source of illumination shall be shielded from public view so that no direct glare is visible from a public right-of-way or from adjacent properties in accordance with § 245-86, Streetlighting.

Junkyards prohibited. Junkyards as defined in this chapter shall be prohibited in all zones.

Motor vehicle storage and display of sales items on residential lots.

Storage prohibited in the open, in trailers or in vehicles. Other than permitted storage yards in the industrial zones, accessory storage in conjunction with building supply, house and garden centers, outdoor display and storage of motor vehicles in car lots, no material whatsoever shall be permitted to be stored in the open, in trailers or other vehicles whether registered or unregistered, operable or inoperable, temporarily or permanently for more than 30 days.

Temporary uses.

Temporary use of trailers for scientific or experimental purposes. The use of trailers for scientific or experimental purposes operated by the State of New Jersey, its institutions and agencies, the Township of Manchester, or the County of Ocean is permitted on a temporary basis.

Conditional uses. In the case of conditional uses, the terms of the conditional use regulations contained in Article VIII, Conditional Use Permits, Procedures and Requirements, shall apply.

Churches and/or places of worship: minimum four acres required. Notwithstanding any other provision, churches and/or places of worship may be permitted on lots not less than four acres in size. The front yard setback shall be equal to the greater of the front setback of the zone where the site is located or 50 feet. The site shall be located on a state, county, or major collector road.

Poultry, farm animals and wildlife: limitations and requirements.

Nonconforming structures and uses in existence as of March 4, 1961. Any single-family dwelling unit which was existing as of March 4, 1961, and conformed to the requirements of the Zoning Ordinance adopted March 4, 1961, and any single-family dwelling unit which was built subsequent to March 4, 1961, and which was conforming to the ordinances in effect at the time of construction of such dwelling unit, may be continued upon the lot so occupied and such structure may be restored or repaired in the event of partial destruction. Furthermore, additions or accessory structures may be built upon a lot where such single-family dwelling unit exists without the necessity of obtaining a variance, provided that the addition or accessory structure meets the setback requirements in effect at the time of application for a building permit for said construction.

Nonconforming lots created by governmental action. Whenever a nonconformity is created by or exists solely by reason of the exercise of a governmental right of eminent domain to a lot that was conforming or would have been conforming prior to the date of the exercise of eminent domain, no bulk variance(s), i.e., lot area, side yard setback, front yard setback, etc., shall be required to use the property as though it were conforming in that respect. The "exercise of governmental right of eminent domain," for purposes of this subsection, shall be evidenced by the filing of an eminent domain complaint by a governmental entity in a court of competent jurisdiction, which complaint shall set forth the taking of property which results in the nonconformity from which relief is sought. In the absence of the filing of such a complaint or if the eminent domain proceeding was subsequently abandoned by the governmental entity, there shall exist a presumption that the nonconformity was not created by or exists solely by reason of the exercise of a governmental right of eminent domain unless the governmental entity has properly authorized and executed a written instrument recorded in the Ocean County Clerk's Office within 30 days of its execution, evidencing the fact that a particular conveyance of property was made to it, or to a third party at its request, which conveyance results in the conformity from which relief is sought.

Eating places and eating places (with liquor license). The following requirements shall apply to eating places and eating places (with liquor license). Eating places and eating places (with liquor license) may be freestanding facilities or facilities within shopping plazas, shopping centers and neighborhood shopping centers as follows:

The following uses shall be prohibited with the exception of medically related cannabis distribution: all classes of cannabis establishments or cannabis distributors or cannabis delivery services as said terms are defined in Section 3 of P.L. 2021, c. 16, but not the delivery of cannabis items and related supplies by a delivery service.