Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:55D-1 et seq., there is hereby established an official map which is titled "Official Map, Borough of Somerville, Somerset County, New Jersey," dated July, 2007, now filed in the office of the Borough Clerk. The Official Map shall be deemed conclusive with respect to the location and width of public areas, whether or not such areas are improved or unimproved or are in actual physical existence.

If the Borough Master Plan or Official Map provides for the reservation of designated streets, public drainage ways, flood control basins, or public areas within the proposed development, the Board may require that such streets, ways, basins or areas be shown on the plat in locations and sizes suitable to their intended uses before approving the subdivision or site plan. The following provisions shall apply to the such reservation:

For the purpose of preserving the integrity of the Official Map of the Borough of Somerville, no permit shall be issued for any building or structure in any public area as shown on the Official Map or shown on a plat filed pursuant to this chapter before adoption of the Official Map.

No permit for the erection of any building or structure shall be issued unless the lot abuts a street giving access to such proposed building or structure. Such street shall have been duly placed on the Official Map or shall be (1) an existing State, County or Borough street or highway, or (2) a street shown upon a plat approved by the Planning Board, or (3) a street on a plat duly filed in the office of the County Recording Officer prior to the passage of this chapter or any prior law which required prior approval of plats by the Governing Body or other authorized body. Before any such permit shall be issued, (1) such street shall have been certified to be suitably improved to the satisfaction of the Governing Body or such suitable improvement shall have been assured by means of a performance guaranty in accordance with standards and specifications for road improvements approved by the Governing Body, as adequate in respect to the public health, safety and general welfare of the special circumstance of the particular street and, (2) it shall have been established that the proposed access conforms with the standards of the any access management code adopted pursuant to the State Highway Access Management Act by the Commissioner of Transportation in the case of a State highway, with the standards of any access management code adopted by the County in the case of a County road or highway, and with the standards of any Borough access management code adopted in the case of a Borough street or highway.

Relief from the decisions of any administrative officer involving the provisions of this Article may be appealed in accordance with the procedures set forth in Article VII, Appeals; provided that a developer may file an application for relief without prior application to an administrative officer, in accordance with the procedures set forth in Article VII.