Planning Board

Meetings

7 pm
Third Wednesday of each month, unless otherwise noted

Scheduled Applications

The applications scheduled to be heard at the upcoming meeting are available for public view 10 days prior to the scheduled meeting date.

Agendas & Minutes

Agendas are available prior to the meetings.

Most Recent Agenda | View All

Minutes are also available following approval.

Most Recent Minutes | View All

Members

The Planning Board has nine members and four alternate members. Three of the Board members who participate on a regular basis are municipal officials; Mayor, Council representative and Town Manager.

Responsibilities

Newton’s land use practices are guided by the decisions and recommendations of the Planning Board. The Planning Board is regulated by the New Jersey Municipal Land Use Law and guided by Newton’s Land Use Ordinance.

The Planning Board is responsible for evaluating and rendering decisions on applications for development such as site plans, subdivisions, and variances. The Planning Board has reviewed a wide array of applications ranging from high-tech industrial development to the establishment of retail, commercial, and residential properties.

With the elimination of the Zoning Board of Adjustment at the end of 2010, the Planning Board is now also responsible for use variances. An application for a use variance is submitted when a use is not permitted in the zone, e.g. if a property is in a residential district and the owner wants to create a retail store on the property, then the owner would need to apply for a use variance. The retail use is not permitted in the residential zone and would require use variance approval.

The Planning Board also accepts all applications for a Waiver of Site Plan; however, the Secretary of the Planning Board can issue these waivers. A Waiver of Site Plan can be issued on a property when the use is permitted in the zone. A letter is required to be provided to the Planning Board Secretary with the hours of operation, number of employees, location of the business, and the type of business. A Waiver of Site Plan, if issued by the Planning Board Secretary, does not require a fee. A Waiver of Site Plan, if issued by the Planning Board, requires $500 for escrow. Please note that these fees are current as of the printing of this brochure but may be changed by the town. Please check with the Planning Office for the most current list of fees.

All regular and special meetings are open to the public. Notice of hearing is provided by the applicant and can be found in the New Jersey Herald or the Sunday New Jersey Herald, the official newspapers of record.

Forms

Prior to the occupancy of any commercial property, a review by the Zoning Officer is required. In some cases, Planning Board approval is required. Please review the Site Plan Waiver Requirements and submit the required information along with the applicable fee to the Zoning Department located on the 2nd floor of the Municipal Building. Questions should be directed to the Zoning Officer/Planning Board Administrator, Kerry Brown at (973) 383-3521 ext. 227 or via at kbrown@newtontownhall.com.

Planning Board Application

Land Use Ordinance

On April 9, 2012 the Newton Town Council adopted Ordinance 2012-12 "An Ordinance to Amend the Code of the Town of Newton by Deletion and Repeal of: Chapter 162, Land Subdivision; Chapter 320, Zoning; and Chapter 139, Historic Preservation; and by Adoption of the Following Chapters: Chapter 240, Land Subdivision & Site Plan; Chapter 320, Form Based Code; and Chapter 139 Historic Preservation"