All Board meetings are run by the respective Chairman/Chairwoman. The Board must have a quorum (majority) of its members present – 4 for Board of Adjustment and 4 for Planning Board – in order to have a meeting. The Boards and Board Members have the obligation to follow the Municipal Land Use Law (MLUL) and are compelled to act based on the findings of fact and proofs provided during the course of the public hearing. 

The Board of Adjustment is a quasi-judicial body which hears applications requesting relief from bulk standards in the Township Zoning Ordinance for items such as additions, pools, or patios. Other applications before the Board request relief involving a use that is not permitted within a zone, applications requesting a Certificate of Non-Conformity, and appeals related to a Zoning Office decision.

The Planning Board hears a variety of applications regarding subdivisions and property development where the use is permitted, with ‘c’ bulk variances. The Planning Board handles the adoption of a Master Plan of the Township. Recommendations as to zoning ordinances are to be reviewed through the Planning Board before final adoption by the Township Committee.

Each Board has the following professional staff members – Board Attorney, Township/Board Planner, Township/Board Engineer, Township/Board Landscape Architect and Board Traffic Consultant. These professionals do not represent any applicant before a Board.

At this time, both Boards conduct their meetings in person at the Municipal Building. Recordings of each meeting beginning late 2022 and on are published to YouTube under the Raritan Township’s Channel. 

To access the channel please CLICK HERE. 

The Board's agendas are posted on the Township Website and the Township Bulletin Board the Friday before a meeting. The agendas provide the order of events within each meeting, subject to change at the discretion of the Chairman/Chairwoman at the time of a meeting. The Board is not obligated to consider any old/new business after 10 p.m. This rule may be waived, however, by a majority vote of the Board members present.

All Board meetings are open to the public. Any person wishing to be heard by the Board must attend in person. Letters of objection and petitions relating to an application for development shall not be admissible and, if submitted, shall be returned to the author or sender, advising of this rule. Please note that such person is subject to cross-examination and questioning.

Speakers will be given the opportunity to speak when guided by the Chairman/Chairwoman.

Each speaker will be asked to step up to the microphone, identify themselves, spell their first and last name, and provide their address. 

Once the Board is satisfied that all matters of an application have been addressed, a member of the Board will make a motion to approve or deny. If the motion is seconded, the Chairman will ask for a roll call vote. If there are sufficient votes to support the motion, the application will either be approved or denied. 

An application may require multiple hearings which requires the Board to carry the application to a future date, with or without the need for further notice. An application that is carried without further notice is announced at the time of that hearing which constitutes as the notice. No further notices by mail or newspaper advertising is required by the applicant.

No. This could be a violation of the Municipal Land Use Law (MLUL) to do so. 

Please note that no members of the Governing Body, Mayor and Township Administrator can provide zoning approval/reverse a zoning denial.

The Board does not require a resident to have attorney representation. However, the Board has seen many residents unhappy and/or disappointed with the application process and/or the Board’s decision on their application.

We recommend hiring an experienced Land Use Attorney as the can advise and guide you along the application process.

Not necessarily. When you request a variance, you bear the burden of meeting a standard of proof that has been established by state statute. The Board will apply the relevant standards to your application and make a decision on the facts of your case.