Oradell City Zoning Code

Any subdivider of land within the Borough of Oradell shall, prior to subdividing or resubdividing land, as defined in this chapter, submit to the Administrative Official, at least 10 working days prior to the regular meeting of the applicable board, the original and 17 copies of a sketch plat of the proposed subdivision for purposes of classification and preliminary discussion. All sketch plats shall indicate all property owners and addresses within 200 feet of the proposed subdivision, and those owners shall be properly notified pursuant to statute.

If classified and approved as a minor subdivision by the applicable board, a notation to that effect will be made on the sketch plat. A public hearing shall not be required prior to classification and approval of a minor subdivision, unless the applicable Board shall determine that the classification and approval of the subdivision as minor may detrimentally affect adjacent property. The plat will then be forwarded to the applicable Board applicable Board Secretary and Borough Engineer for their signatures and returned to the subdivider within two weeks following the next regular meeting of the local board. No further local board approval shall be required. A plat requiring Zoning Board of Adjustment approval shall be processed by that Board.

Before the Administrative Official returns any approved sketch plat to the subdivider, the Official shall furnish one copy to each of the following:

Either a deed or a plat map drawn in compliance with the applicable statutes shall be recorded or filed by the subdivider with the County Recording Officer within 190 days from the date of return of the approved sketch plat. If any final plat is not filed within this period, the approval shall expire.

If the plat is classified as a major subdivision, a notation to that effect shall be made on the plat, which will be returned to the subdivider for compliance with the procedures in § 240-15.2.

At least 17 blueprints of the preliminary plat, together with 17 completed application forms for preliminary approval, shall be submitted to the Administrative Official of the appropriate Board 10 working days prior to the applicable Board meeting at which consideration is desired. At the time of filing, a fee and a deposit as specified in the Fee Ordinance, Chapter 115, for each lot in the subdivision, shall be paid the Administrative Official. A fee shall be paid to the Administrative Official to cover costs in connection with providing the names and addresses of the property owners required to be notified of the public hearing. The filing fee shall be retained and the balance of the deposit shall be applied to costs of publication, inspection, engineering and legal fees, and the updating of the Tax Map. Any balance after deducting the foregoing expense shall be returned to the subdivider, and if the amount is insufficient to cover such costs, the subdivider shall maintain an escrow balance or trust equal to that required by the Fee Ordinance, Chapter 115. Any failure to maintain the minimum escrow balance shall permit the Construction Official to issue stop-work orders. The Administrative Official shall notify the Secretary of the applicable Board of the receipt of a preliminary plat at its next regular meeting.

The subdivider shall notify, by certified mail or personal service, at least 10 working days prior to the hearing, all owners within 200 feet of the property to be subdivided, as the names of such owners appear on the municipal tax record. Said notice shall note the time and place of hearing, a brief description of the property involved, a list of maps and other documents to be considered and a summary statement of the matters to be heard. The applicant shall cause notice of the hearing to be published in the official newspaper or a newspaper of general circulation in the municipality at least 10 working days prior to the hearing.

Copies of the preliminary plat shall be forwarded by the Building Department, prior to the hearing, to the following persons and agencies:

The subdivider shall be required, at the time of the public hearing, to submit to the applicable Board an affidavit that the procedures required by the New Jersey statutes and the Subdivision of Land Ordinance of the Borough of Oradell have been fully complied with in all respects and shall include in the affidavit the following:

The applicable Board shall act on the preliminary plat within 90 days after submission to the Building Department but in no case before the expiration of the twenty-day period within which the County Planning Board may submit a report on said subdivision. In all cases, the recommendations of the County Planning Board shall be given careful consideration in the final decision of the local applicable Board. If the County Planning Board has approval authority pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:55D-37, its action shall be noted on the plat, and, if disapproved, two copies of the reasons for disapproval shall be returned with the plat. If either the applicable board or County Planning Board disapproves a plat, the reasons for disapproval shall be remedied prior to further consideration. The person submitting a plat shall be notified of the action of applicable board within 90 days of its submission. If approval is required by any other officer or public body, the same procedure as applies to submissions and approval by the County Planning Board shall apply.

If the applicable board acts favorably on a preliminary plat, a notation to that effect shall be made on the plat, signed by the applicable board chairman, and shall be returned to the subdivider for compliance with final approval requirements.

Preliminary approval shall confer upon the applicant these following rights for a three-year period from the date of approval:

The final plat shall be submitted to the Construction Official for forwarding to the applicable board for final approval within three years from the date of preliminary approval. The Construction Official shall immediately notify the secretary of the applicable board upon receipt of a final plat, and the applicable Board shall act upon the final plat within 45 days after the date of submission for final approval to the Construction Official or within such further time as the subdivider shall agree to.

The original tracing, one sepia copy, 17 blueprints and 17 of the application forms for final approval shall be submitted to the Administrative Officer at least 10 working days prior to the date of a regular applicable board meeting. Unless the preliminary plat is approved without changes, the final plat shall have incorporated all changes or modifications required by the applicable board.

The final plat shall be accompanied by:

Any plat which requires County Planning Board approval pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:55D-37 shall be forwarded to the County Planning Board for its action prior to final approval.

Upon final approval, the applicable Board shall file copies of the approved site plan with the Borough Clerk, Borough Engineer and Building Official, and copies of the final plat shall be filed with the following:

The final plat, after final approval, shall be filed by the subdivider with the County Recording Officer within the time required by the Municipal Land Use Law. If any final plat is not filed within this period, the approval shall expire.

No plat shall be accepted for filing by the County Recording Officer unless it has been duly approved and signed by the officials of the Borough of Oradell and the county as required by the Municipal Land Use Law.

The location of that portion which is to be subdivided in relation to the entire tract.

All existing structures within the portion to be subdivided and all existing structures within 200 feet of the portion to be subdivided.

The names of all adjoining property owners within 200 feet from the property to be subdivided, as disclosed by the most recent municipal tax records.

The Tax Map sheet, block and lot numbers.

A key map showing the entire subdivision and its relation to surrounding areas.

The tract name, the Tax Map sheet, block and lot number, the date, reference meridian, graphic scale and the following names and addresses:

The acreage of the tract to be subdivided to the nearest tenth of an acre.

Sufficient elevations or contours to determine the general slope and natural drainage of the land and the high and low points and tentative cross-sections and center-line profiles for all proposed new streets.

The location of existing and proposed property lines; also the location of existing streets, buildings, watercourses, railroads, bridges, culverts, drainpipes, any natural features, such as wooded areas and rock formations, and all streets, roads, streams and wooded areas within 200 feet of the subdivision.

Plans of proposed utility layouts (sewers, storm drains, communication, data, water, gas and electricity) showing feasible connections to existing or any proposed utility systems. When an individual water supply and/or sewage disposal system is proposed, the plan for such system must be approved by the appropriate local, county or state health agency. When a public sewage disposal system is not available, the developer shall have percolation tests made and shall submit the results with the preliminary plat. Any subdivision or part thereof which does not meet with the established requirements of this chapter or other applicable regulations shall not be approved. Any remedy proposed to overcome such a situation shall first be approved by the appropriate local, county or state health agency.

A copy of any protective covenants or deed restrictions applying to the land being subdivided shall be submitted with the preliminary plat.

The date, name and location of the subdivision, name of the owner, graphic scale and reference meridian.

The tract boundary lines, right-of-way lines of streets, street names, easements and other rights-of-way, land to be reserved or dedicated to public use, all lot lines and other site lines, with accurate dimensions, bearings or deflection angles and radii, arcs and central angles of all curves.

The purpose of any easement or land reserved or dedicated to public use shall be designated, and the proposed use of sites other than residential shall be noted.

Each block shall be numbered, and the lots within each block shall be numbered consecutively beginning with No. 1.

The minimum building setback line on all lots and other sites.

The location and description of all monuments.

The names of the owners of adjoining unsubdivided land.

Certification by an engineer or surveyor as to the accuracy of the details of the plat.

Certification that the applicant is the agent or owner of the land or that the owner has given consent under an option agreement.

When approval of a plat is required by any officer or body of such a municipality, county or state, approval shall be certified on the plat.

Cross-sections and profiles of streets, approved by the Borough Engineer, shall be required to accompany the final plat.

Plans and profiles of storm and sanitary sewers and water mains.

A certificate from the Borough Tax Collector that all taxes are paid to date.

Prior to the granting of final approval, the subdivider shall have installed or shall have furnished performance guaranties for the ultimate installation of the following:

All such installations shall be properly connected with an approved system and shall be adequate to handle all present and probable future development.

All improvements required by the Borough Council and applicable Board shall be subject to inspection and approval by the Borough Engineer. The developer shall notify the Borough Engineer at least 24 hours prior to the commencement of any construction. No underground installation shall be covered until inspected and approved.

The subdivision plat shall conform to design standards that will encourage good development patterns within the municipality. Where either or both an Official Map or Master Plan has or have been adopted, the subdivision shall conform to the proposals and conditions shown thereon.

The streets, drainage rights-of-way, school sites, public parks and playgrounds shown on an officially adopted Master Plan or Official Map shall be considered in approval of subdivision plats. Where no Master Plan or Official Map exists, streets and drainage rights-of-way shall be shown on the final plat in accordance with N.J.S.A. 40:55D-38 and shall be such as to lend themselves to the harmonious development of the municipality and enhance the public welfare in accordance with the following design standards.

The arrangements of streets not shown on the Master Plan or Official Map shall be such as to provide for the appropriate extension of existing streets.

The right-of-way width shall be measured from lot line to lot line and shall not be less than 50 feet.

Grades of streets shall not exceed 10%. No street shall have a minimum grade of less than 1/2 of 1%.

Street intersections shall be as nearly at right angles as is possible and in no case shall be less than 60°.

The block corners at intersections shall be rounded at the curbline with a curve having a radius of not less than 25 feet.

Street jogs with center-line offsets of less than 125 feet shall be prohibited.

A tangent at least 100 feet long shall be introduced between reverse curves on streets.

When connecting street lines deflect from each other at any one point by more than 100 and not more than 45°, they shall be connected by a curve with a radius of not less than 100 feet.

All changes in grade shall be connected by vertical curves of sufficient radius to provide a smooth transition and proper sight distance.

Dead-end streets (culs-de-sac) shall not be longer than 600 feet and shall provide a turnaround at the end with a radius of not less than 50 feet and tangent whenever possible to the right side of the street.

If a dead-end street is of a temporary nature, a similar turnaround shall be provided and provisions made for future extension of the street and reversion of the excess right-of-way to the adjoining properties.

No street shall have a name which will duplicate or so nearly duplicate as to be confused with the names of existing streets. The continuation of an existing street shall have the same name.

Block length and width or acreage within bounding roads shall be such as to accommodate the size of lot required in the area by the Zoning Ordinance and to provide for a convenient access, circulation control and safety of street traffic.

In blocks over 1,000 feet long, pedestrian crosswalks may be required in locations deemed necessary by the applicable board. Such walkway shall be 10 feet wide and shall be straight from street to street.

For commercial, group housing or industrial use, block size shall be sufficient to meet all area and yard requirements for such use.

Lot dimensions and area shall not be less than the requirements of the Zoning Ordinance.

Insofar as is practical, side lot lines shall be at right angles to straight streets and radial to curved streets.

Each lot must front upon an approved street at least 50 feet in width.

Where extra width has been dedicated for widening of existing streets, lots shall begin at such extra width line and all setbacks shall be measured from such line.

Where there is a question as to the suitability of a lot or lots for their intended use due to factors such as rock formations, flood conditions or similar circumstances, the applicable Board may, after adequate investigation, withhold approval of such lots.

Maintenance of easements.

Natural features, such as streams, brooks, hilltops and views, shall be preserved whenever possible in designing any subdivision containing such features.

If the streets in the subdivision are not such that a structure on said land in the subdivision would meet requirements for a building permit under N.J.S.A. 40:55D-32 et seq., the municipality may institute and maintain a civil action:

In any such action, the transferee, purchaser or grantee shall be entitled to a lien upon the portion of the land from which the subdivision was made that remains in the possession of the subdivider or his assigns or successors, to secure the return of any deposit made or purchase price paid and also a reasonable search fee, survey expense and title closing expense, if any.