Borough of Chatham - Chatham, NJ
Welcome to the Borough of Chatham Website
 
HOME
EMERGENCY NOTICES
AGENDAS/MINUTES
ANNUAL REPORT
BOARDS & COMM.
CALENDAR
CONTACT
DEPARTMENTS
DIRECTIONS
ELECTED OFFICIALS
LINKS
Municipal Ordinances
NEWS
PARKING
PUBLIC NOTICES
Subscribe Email
Search :
HOMELAND SECURITY ADVISORY SYSTEM
GUARDED - General Risk of Terrorist Attacks
 
 
PLANNING BOARD
 

Chairperson: H.H. Montague (973) 635-2047

Email: hmontague@telcordia.com
 
General Email: planningboard@chathamborough.org
 

WHO WE ARE

The membership is made up of the Mayor, one member of the Borough Council, one member of the Environmental Commission, a Municipal Official, and six local residents, plus up to two alternates. Most of the members are Mayor-appointed volunteers approved by the Borough Council, who serve for a three-year renewable term. The Board meets on the first and second Wednesday of each month at 7:30 PM in the Borough Municipal Building. Meetings are open to the public.

MEMBERS

Mayor V. Nelson Vaughan, III
Bruce A. Harris, Council Member

H.H. Montague, Chairman

Vince DeNave, Municipal Official
Alison P. Pignatello
John Hague

Thomas Sennett

Alan Pfeil

John Bitar, Secretary to Environmental Commission

James Mitchell (1st Alternate)

Donna Cali-Charles (2nd Alternate)

Anne Marie Rizzuto (Attorney)

WHAT WE DO

The New Jersey Municipal Land Use Law (MLUL) states that a planning board may “exercise its powers” in regard to:

*The town’s Master Plan
*Subdivision control and site plan review
*The Zoning ordinance
*Appeals for variance (along with the Board of Adjustment)
*Environmental considerations

The MLUL permits boards to adopt and maintain a Master Plan unique to each community. Our Master Plan reflects the town’s physical character in basic stated objectives with respect to its land use, zoning and housing, historic preservation, recreation and conservation. To achieve these broad objectives, the Board writes and updates regulations for the Borough Council to adopt or amend. These regulations make up the town’s Land Development Regulations, also referred to as the Land Development Ordinance (LDO).
Since no regulation can be applicable to all situations, an appeal process is in place wherein the landowner may make their case to the appropriate board for variance relief. The Planning Board stays aware of environmental concerns through its members who serve on the Environmental Commission and the Open Space Advisory Committee.
The overall objective of planning and zoning is to maintain a reasonable balance between the particular needs and intentions of the property owner and the general welfare and character of the community.

Click here to view more on the Independent Forum by Alan Robertson discussing Chatham Borough's Master Plan and Implementation of its Land Use Section.

Click here to view the Goals and Objectives for the 2005 Reexamination of the Chatham Borough Master Plan.

Click here to view the MASTER PLAN REPORT 4th DRAFT ISSUED APRIL 2006

PROGRAMS

1. Holding hearings and deciding upon land subdivisions and certain site plan applications.
2. Reviewing and updating the Land Development Regulations.
3. Coordination with the Board of Adjustment, the Construction Department and other Borough agencies.
4. Maintaining and regularly updating the Master Plan.
5. Reviewing and updating the Borough zoning map from time to time.
6. Reviewing State Development Plans and participating in the Cross-Acceptance process.
7. Developing plans to assure compliance with the State Affordable Housing Laws and Council on Affordable Housing (COAH) decisions.
8. Training Board members through attendance at seminars.
 
RECENT EVENTS
 

RESIDENTIAL SIDE YARDS

The Chatham Borough Planning Board has been discussing an amendment to the residential side yard requirements. This results from questions arising out of the nearness to the side lines of new and expanded dwellings, and the resulting appearance of crowding in some neighborhoods in the Borough.  The following language would clarify the definition of a side yard and what parts of a house can be permitted in the minimum side yard, and it also provides for an increase in the minimum side yard requirements for wider lots.

The Planning Board has scheduled a segment of its Wednesday, April 4, 2007 meeting for public input and discussion of this proposal, and all interested residents are urged to attend. The meeting begins at 7:30 p.m., and the side yard discussion should occur at or near the beginning of the meeting.

Here are the proposed revised Land Development Ordinance provisions:

    In Chapter 165 of the Code of the Borough of Chatham, 165-10, the definition of a side yard is hereby amended to read as follows:

    Yard, Side- A space extending from the front yard to the rear yard and lying between each side lot line and the closest point of the principal building on the lot.  No part of a building, including a bay window, a cantilevered portion of the building, or the like, may extend into the minimum side yard permitted by this Chapter except steps and a landing for distance of not more than four feet, eaves for a distance of not more than two feet, rain water leaders, window sills and other such fixtures.  When the building is on a lot with a width of 50 feet or less, however, these exceptions shall not be permitted.

   In Chapter 165 of the Code of the Borough of Chatham, 165-14E.(1)(a), concerning side, front and rear yards, is hereby amended to read as follows:

    (a) There shall be two side yards, each at least 12 feet wide or 15 percent of the lot width, whichever is greater; except that on a corner lot the exterior side yard shall be at least 30 feet in width.  However, on lots less than 80 feet wide, a one-story, ground floor addition, attached to a dwelling lawfully existing on or before May 1, 2007, may be permitted to extend into an interior side yard, provided that such extension shall be set back at least nine feet from the side property line. For churches and schools and other permitted uses, there shall be two side yards, each at least two feet in least dimension for each one foot of height of such a building, provided that each side yard shall not be less than thirty feet.

 

 
 
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------