Springfield Township
City Zoning Code
City Zoning Code
ARTICLE II
Purpose and Scope
§ 35-3 PURPOSE.
[Ord. No. 2003-18]
This Land Use Ordinance is adopted in order to promote and protect the public health, safety, general welfare, and in furtherance of the following related and more specific objectives:
a.
To encourage municipal action to guide the appropriate use or development of all lands in the Township, in a manner which will promote the public health, safety, morals, and general welfare;
b.
To secure safety from fire, flood, panic and other natural and man-made disasters;
c.
To provide adequate light, air and open space;
d.
To ensure that the development of the Township of Springfield does not conflict with the development and general welfare of neighboring municipalities, the County of Union and the State as a whole;
e.
To promote the establishment of appropriate population densities and concentrations that will contribute to the well-being of persons, neighborhoods, communities and regions and preservation of the environment;
f.
To encourage the appropriate and efficient expenditure of public funds by the coordination of public development with land use policies;
g.
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;
h.
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;
i.
To promote a desirable visual environment through creative development techniques and good civic design and arrangements;
j.
To promote the conservation of historic sites and districts, open space, energy resources and valuable natural resources in the Township and to prevent urban sprawl and degradation of the environment through improper use of land;
k.
To encourage planned unit developments which incorporate the best features of design and relate the type, design and layout of residential, commercial, industrial and recreational development of the particular site;
l.
To encourage senior citizen community housing construction;
m.
To encourage coordination of the various public and private procedures and activities shaping land development with a view of lessening the cost of such development and to the more efficient use of land;
n.
To promote utilization of renewable energy sources;
o.
To promote the maximum practicable recovery and recycling of recyclable materials from municipal solid waste through the use of planning practices designed to incorporate the State Recycling Plan goals and to compliment municipal recycling programs; and
p.
To further the goals and policies of the Township of Springfield.
§ 35-4.1 Applicability.
[Ord. No. 2003-18]
Except as hereinafter provided, no lot or land or part thereof shall be used and no building or structure or part thereof shall be erected, structurally altered, enlarged, rebuilt or used except in conformity with the lot dimension, yard, coverage, height, spacing and use regulations herein prescribed. Where a lot is formed from part of a lot already occupied by a building, such subdivision shall be effected in such a manner as not to impair any of the requirements of this chapter with respect to the existing building and all yards and other open space in connection therewith and so that all resulting lots have adequate dimensions consistent with the requirements of the zoning district in which they are located and so that all lots have frontage on a street.
§ 35-4.2 Interpretation of Standards.
[Ord. No. 2003-18]
In their interpretation and application, the provisions of this chapter shall be held to be minimum requirements for the protection of the public health, safety and welfare of the citizens of the Township. Any deviation from the provisions of this chapter shall require a variance pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:55D-70 c or d or N.J.S.A. 40:55D-60 a., except that if an applicant can clearly demonstrate that, because of peculiar conditions pertaining to his land, the literal enforcement of one or more of the site plan or subdivision design or submission regulations, as established by Articles VI and IX of this chapter, is impracticable or will exact undue hardship, the appropriate municipal agency may permit such exception or waivers from the aforementioned requirements for site plan or subdivision review only as may be reasonable and within the general purpose and intent of the rules, regulations and standards established by this chapter. Where this chapter imposes a greater restriction than is imposed or required by other provisions of law or by other rules or regulations or resolutions, the provisions of this chapter shall control. Where other laws, rules, regulations or resolutions require greater restrictions than are imposed or required by this chapter, the provisions of such laws, rules, regulations or restrictions shall control.
§ 35-4.3 Compliance.
[Ord. No. 2003-18]
All applicable requirements of this chapter shall be met at the time of application, construction, expansion, alteration or change in use of the principal or accessory use and shall apply to the entire structure or structures whether or not the entire structure or structures were involved in the construction, expansion, alteration, moving or change in tenancy or use. In all instances the Planning Board or Zoning Board of Adjustment, as the case may be, shall apply the requirements of the Ordinance in a reasonable manner, considering both the existing and proposed development of the subject site. In the case of legally permitted nonconforming uses, structures or lots, the requirements of § 35-43 shall apply.
§ 35-4.4 Prohibited Uses.
[Ord. No. 2003-18]
a.
Any use not expressly permitted in this chapter is prohibited. The following uses are specifically prohibited in all zones:
1.
Narcotics clinics and the sale or display of narcotics paraphernalia.
2.
Flea Markets (outdoor or indoor) other than temporary.
3.
Ammonia, chlorine or bleaching powder manufacture.
4.
Disinfectant, insecticide or poison manufacture.
5.
Fertilizer manufacture.
6.
Commercial incineration, reduction, compaction storage, private or commercial dumps, sanitary landfill depots or depositories for disposal of solid or liquid wastes material.
7.
Acids similar to sulfurous, sulfuric, nitric, picric, carbolic, flouric or hydrochloric acid manufacture.
8.
Vinegar manufacture.
9.
Dog kennels and pigeon coops.
10.
Stockyards.
11.
Slaughtering of animals.
12.
Animal black, lamp black or bone black manufacture.
13.
Rawhide or skin storage, cleaning curing or tanning.
14.
Soap manufacture from animal fat.
15.
Glue, size or gelatin manufacture, where the processes include the refining or recovering of products from fish, animal refuse or offal.
16.
Grease, lard, fat or tallow rendering or refining.
17.
Wool pulling or scouring.
18.
Automobile junkyards, and storage of unlicensed vehicles.
19.
Explosives manufacture or storage.
20.
Pyroxylin plastic and all flammable plastic manufacture or the manufacture of articles therefrom.
21.
Rubber or gutta percha manufacture or treatment.
22.
Smelting of iron, copper, tin, zinc or lead from ore.
23.
Sand, gravel or clay pits and the washing or processing of sand, gravel or clay.
24.
Monument works.
25.
Tattoo parlors and establishments of any nature whatsoever which utilize needles for the purpose of making indelible markings upon the body by the insertion of pigment under the skin or by production of scars.
26.
Any other trade or use that is noxious or offensive or extremely hazardous by reason of the emission of odor, dust, smoke or gas or explosive potential.
27.
The storage of merchandise, materials, or supplies in trailers out of doors.
28.
The keeping of livestock.
29.
Adult book store and/or adult gift store, and adult entertainment, if located within 1,000 feet of any residence, residential zone, school or house of worship.
30.
Outdoor sales and storage of goods within a parking lot, except by temporary license.
§ 35-4.5 Principal Buildings Per Lot
[Added 4-28-2020 by Ord. No. 2020-08]
Unless otherwise permitted by this Ordinance, no more than one principal building or structure, other than an accessory building to the principal building, shall be permitted on any one lot in the Township of Springfield. Multiple principal buildings are permitted in the M-R, PUD and AH zones pursuant to §§ 35-15.2, 35-15.3 and 35-15.7.