The purpose and intent of this subsection is to encourage the conservation of the valuable and environmentally sensitive natural features and resources within the Township, and to prevent the long-term degradation of the environment to the common benefit of the community in conformance with the purpose of the New Jersey Municipal Land Use Law (NJ-MLUL) Section C. 40:55D-2(j); and in furtherance of the Environmental Zoning Policies established in the Land Use Plan Element of the 1984 Comprehensive Master Plan, as amended, for the Township of Union, herein incorporated by reference.

The explicit purpose of the following sections is to promote sound development practices by limiting, restricting and prohibiting development from areas of a site, parcel, tract or lot that are not appropriately suited for said development activity; and by doing so, guiding to the greatest extent practicable, said activities in other areas within the same site, parcel, tract or lot, which are intrinsically suited for site disturbance and/or development activities. This section is specifically not intended to reduce or otherwise limit gross density as defined by the NJ-MLUL and this subsection. For districts which have multiple choices for residential development, such as single-family detached, single-family detached cluster, or performance subdivision, only the residential use with the greater open space ratio requirement, such as performance subdivision, will insure that the maximum allowable gross density for a lot within the district can be achieved. To insure that the maximum gross density can be achieved for the district, for the residential use with the greatest open space ratio, in no case shall the total open space calculated due to environmental restrictions, per this section, exceed the minimum open space ratio for such residential use.

Therefore, the following paragraphs and the process contained therein is an integral component, and fundamental basis for, the planning and design of all sites, parcels, tracts and lots within the Township of Union, and shall be complied with unless otherwise provided in the Relief Waiver section of this section.