It is the purpose of the Township of Sparta in adopting this Comprehensive Land Management Code pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:55D-1 et seq. to promote and protect the public health, safety, morals and general welfare and the furtherance of the following related and more specific objectives.

To encourage municipal action to guide the appropriate use or development of all land in the Township in a manner which will promote public health, safety, morals and general welfare;

To secure safety from flood, fire, panic or other natural or man-made disasters;

To provide adequate light, air and open space;

To ensure that the development of individual neighborhoods does not conflict with the development of the general welfare of the municipality or of neighboring municipalities, the County of Sussex and the State of New Jersey as a whole;

To promote the establishment of appropriate population densities in concentrations that will contribute to the well-being of persons, neighborhoods, communities and regions and the preservation of the environment;

To encourage the appropriate and efficient expenditure of public funds by the coordination of public development with land use policies;

To provide sufficient space in appropriate locations for a variety of agricultural, residential, recreational, commercial and industrial 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 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;

To encourage an appropriate housing mix according to the needs of the municipality and region and in an appropriate scale and pace which will not impinge upon the ability of the Township to properly service the needs of its citizens;

To encourage coordination of the various public and private procedures and activities shaping land development with the view of lessening the cost of development while maintaining the quality of development through more efficient use of land;

To promote the conservation of energy through the use of planning practices designed to reduce energy consumption and to provide for maximum utilization of renewable energy sources.