Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Borough of Glen Rock, New Jersey

Borough of Glen Rock’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Buildings and structures inside Glen Rock borough.

  • Permit approval is by the Building Inspector.
  • If parcel grade is altered, Borough Engineer review and approval is required before permit issuance.
  • If surface drainage changes, Planning Board review and approval is required.

  “No building or structure or part thereof shall be erected, razed, moved, extended, enlarged, altered or demolished until a permit for the same has been granted by the Building Inspector.”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Glen Rock borough; Borough Chapter 230 is its zoning ordinance.

  • The code includes multiple zone districts and district-specific use and bulk regulations.

  “Chapter 230 Zoning (§ 230-1 – § 230-139)”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zone districts inside Glen Rock borough.

  • The code lists residential, commercial, office, industrial, senior housing, affordable-housing overlay, and other districts.

  “A-1 | Residence District A-2 | Residence District A-2T | Residence District A-2MF | Residence District S-1 | Senior Housing District OT | Office Transition Zone C-1 | Neighborhood Commercial District C-2 | Central Business District C-3 | Wholesale Commercial District OB-1 | Office Building District OB-2 | Office Building District D | Industrial District AHO-1 | Affordable Housing Unmet Need Overlay District 1 AHO-2 | Affordable Housing Unmet Need Overlay District 2”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Construction or development within an area of special flood hazard inside Glen Rock borough.

  • The requirement includes placement of manufactured homes.
  • Applications may require scaled plans showing nature, location, dimensions, elevations, structures, fill, storage, and drainage facilities.
  • The Construction Code Official administers the chapter and reviews required federal, state, and local approvals.

  “A development permit shall be obtained before construction or development begins, including placement of manufactured homes, within any area of special flood hazard established in § 112-3B.”

Rules another office applies inside Borough of Glen Rock

Borough of Glen Rock does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

• Owner-builder exemptionAvailable (with conditions)

  A person constructing a new home in Glen Rock borough for the person's own personal use.

  • The exception is limited to a person who constructs a new home for his or her own personal use.
  • The source concerns builder registration; construction permits and UCC requirements still apply.

  “The only exception is a person who constructs a new home for his or her own personal use.”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  A-1 Residence District inside Glen Rock borough.

  • Two-story dwellings must have at least 1,200 square feet on the first floor.

  minimum floor area: >= 1750 square feet · minimum first-floor area for two-story dwelling: >= 1200 square feet

  “Minimum floor area. There shall be a minimum floor area of 1,750 square feet. Two-story dwellings shall have a minimum floor area on the first floor of 1,200 square feet.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  A-1 Residence District inside Glen Rock borough.

  • The measurement is limited to the area within 175 feet of the front property line.

  minimum lot area: >= 17500 square feet (Measured within 175 feet of the front property line.)

  “Minimum lot area. The minimum lot area of 17,500 square feet shall be measured within 175 feet of the front property line.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  A-1 Residence District inside Glen Rock borough.

  • Each side yard is at least 12% of lot width at the front street setback line or 10 feet, whichever is greater.
  • The combined side yards must be at least 30% of lot width measured along a line parallel to the street line.

  front yard depth: >= 50 feet · rear yard depth: >= 50 feet

  “Side yard. There shall be two side yards, and the width of each side yard shall not be less than 12% of the width of the lot at the front street setback line or 10 feet, whichever is greater. In addition, the sum of the side yard widths measured along any line parallel to the street line shall not be less than 30% of the lot width of that line.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  A-1 Residence District inside Glen Rock borough.

  • Coverage is measured within 175 feet of the front property line.

  maximum structure coverage: <= 25 percent (Total ground-floor area of all structures.)

  “Maximum structure coverage. The total ground floor area of all structures shall not exceed 25% of the total area of the lot, measured within 175 feet of the front property line.”

• Building heightSpecified

  A-1 Residence District inside Glen Rock borough.

  • Height is measured from the average grade at the four corners of the building foundation to the highest point of the roof.
  • The major roof must have a minimum pitch of five inches of rise per 12 inches of run.

  maximum building height: <= 32 feet · minimum major-roof pitch: 5:12 rise:run

  “Height. No building shall exceed a maximum height of 32 feet from the average point of grade, measured as the average of the grade at the four corners of the building's foundation to the highest point of the roof. The roof pitch on the major roof must have a minimum of five inches of rise for every 12 inches of run.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Borough of Glen Rock or Bergen County directly.

• Living in an RV — RV occupancy on land inside Glen Rock borough.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on land inside Glen Rock borough.
• Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy on land inside Glen Rock borough.
• Manufactured homes — Manufactured-home occupancy on land inside Glen Rock borough.
• Accessory dwellings — Accessory dwelling units inside Glen Rock borough.

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Borough of Glen Rock means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

• Water Crystal Quest Filter any source — well, rain, or creek — to drinking-clean.
• Power Bluetti Solar generators and home battery backup for living off the grid.
• Septic Soil percolation test kit Run your own perc test before paying an engineer — the first thing a septic office asks about.
• Water Well water test kit Bacteria, nitrates, hardness — know what the well on a parcel is really pumping.

These are affiliate links — we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Bolthole Index earns from qualifying purchases.