Document Text
--- Document: Residents & Business Guide to the Land Use Board Document ---
Residents/Business Guide to the Municipal Land Use Board
All Planning/Zoning Applicants must obtain a Letter of Denial (Non-compliance) from the
Building Department prior to completing the application and submission for consideration
and scheduling by the Land Use Board.
Upon receipt of a Letter of Denial (Non-compliance) from the Zoning Official, which outlines
the variances you will need for your application, you must complete a Planning, or Zoning
Application, if you wish to proceed with an appeal hearing before the Land Use Board.
Upon submission of the application, and payment of the applicable fees to the Borough of River
Edge via the Land Use Department, you will receive instructions, and your date for a scheduled
Completeness Review & Hearing before the Municipal Land Use Board.
You will also receive a certified list of property owners within 200’ of the subject property, and a
list of Utilities for the applicant to send Notice via certified mail regarding the application being
heard, and the scheduled hearing date. A cover letter explaining the procedure, including sample
notices, will be included.
The Municipal Land Use Law mandates that notice must be served to the property owners on the
200’ list and Utilities via certified mail, and proof of same (return receipts) must be submitted to
the Land Use Board clerk no less than 10 days in advance of the scheduled hearing date.
In essence, the applicant is required to present us with the stamped white receipts as proof of
mailing to all property owners who appear on the 200’ list, and proof of publication of the notice
in the newspaper at least 10 days in advance of the assigned hearing date.
Notice must also be timely published in the Bergen Record no less than 10 days in advance of
the assigned hearing date, and proof of publication of the notice in the newspaper must be
submitted to the Land Use Clerk, in both paper and digital copies, at least 10 days in advance of
the assigned hearing date. Proof of publication and service of the notice is required before the
Board can act on your application
Also, there are certain minimum requirements to be contained in the notice, such as the date,
time and place of the hearing; the nature of the matters to be considered and relief sought; the
identification of the property and; the location and times where the maps, plans, applications and
supporting materials may be viewed by an interested party. Samples are included with your
instructions. If no notice is given or if the notice is in some way defective, this defect affects the
jurisdiction of the board to act, and any action taken by the board in such cases is a nullity.
Page 1 of 2
The Land Use Board also requires the following documents be submitted in a timely fashion:
One digital copy, and Sixteen (16) Packets, each containing 1 copy of:
Planning/Zoning Application – all pages,
Letter of Non-compliance (Denial),
Site Plan - Plot plan and/or building plans to scale, with dimensions &
Elevations, folded 8 x 10
Survey (current & legible & prepared by a licensed land surveyor),
Signed certification of Tax payment (just 1 original),
Owner on-site inspection permission form.
Any other relevant documents (professional reports &/or analysis)
If the applicant fails to meet these minimum requirements, the Board will not have
jurisdiction, and cannot hear the application, in which case you would have to re-notice for
the next available meeting.
Additionally, applications may require an escrow deposit for professional services rendered by
the Borough.
Escrow Deposits
§ 201-1. Reimbursement for services. [Amended 5-15-2006 by Ord. No. 1537]
In addition to the application fees called for in the Code of the Borough of River Edge,
an applicant shall be responsible to reimburse the municipality or a municipal agency or
approving authority for all expenses and fees incurred by the municipality or municipal agency or approving
authority for the services of professional personnel required to process an application for development, including
review of applications for development, review and preparation of documents, inspection of improvements or other
purposes under the provisions of N.J.S.A. 40:55-D-1 et seq.
The municipality shall be entitled to be reimbursed for the review of applications both as to completeness and as to
content; for the review and preparation of documents such as but not limited to drafting resolutions, developer's
agreements and necessary correspondence with applicants or applicants' professionals. If an applicant shall request
a special meeting of the Planning Board or Zoning Board of Adjustment to hear any part of the applicant’s
application, the applicant shall be responsible for all professional services of professional personnel and for
expenses and fees incurred by the Borough for any recording secretary or stenographer appearing at any special
meeting.
Ed Alter
Municipal Land Use Clerk
Borough of River Edge
Monday - Friday 9am - 2pm
201-599-6306
Page 2 of 2