Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Borough of Midland Park, New Jersey

Borough of Midland Park’s own rules

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  Building-code enforcement inside Midland Park borough through the Borough's State Uniform Construction Code enforcing agency.

  • The agency includes a Construction Official and subcode officials; an on-site inspection agency may be retained by contract pursuant to N.J.A.C. 5:23.

  “State Uniform Construction Code enforcing agency”

• InspectionsLimited

  Housing-condition and smoke-detector compliance inspections inside Midland Park borough.

  • Upon sale of a one- or two-family residence or rental, lease, or transfer of a dwelling unit, a smoke-detector compliance certification is required.
  • The Borough official must inspect within 10 business days after application.
  • A $25 re-inspection fee applies if re-inspection is required.

  initial smoke-detector certification fee: 50 USD · inspection period: 10 business days · re-inspection fee: 25 USD

  “Upon the sale of a one (1) or two (2) family residence or the rental, lease or transfer of any dwelling unit, the seller, landlord or transferor is required to obtain from the Fire Official of the Borough of Midland Park or his designee a smoke detector compliance certification certifying that the property is in compliance with the provisions of this section.”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Midland Park borough under the Borough's zoning ordinance.

  “Zoning Regulations of the Borough of Midland Park.”

• Living in an RVProhibited

  Use of trailers, mobile homes, boats, campers, aircraft, and similar portable or wheel-based objects as residences inside Midland Park borough.

  • The code separately permits limited outdoor storage of one registered or leased object in the side or rear yard if the length does not exceed 32 feet, the object is at least the greater of five feet or its height from the property line, and it is screened from adjoining property.
  • The object must otherwise be garaged or stored inside a building.

  maximum outdoor-storage length: <= 32 feet · minimum property-line distance: greater of 5 feet or object height

  “No trailer [...] shall be used as a residence”

• Manufactured homesProhibited

  Use of mobile homes and similar portable or wheel-based objects as residences inside Midland Park borough.

  • The code requires such objects to be garaged or stored within a building except for one qualifying outdoor-stored object subject to the listed conditions.

  “No trailer, mobile home, boat, camper or other vehicle shall be used as a residence or signage.”

• Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

  Buildings used for human occupancy, employment, recreation, or another purpose inside Midland Park borough where a Borough public or sanitary sewer system is located in the abutting street or right-of-way.

  • The owner must connect at the owner's expense when the property abuts a street or right-of-way containing or later containing a Borough public or sanitary sewage system.
  • The Borough code requires a separate and independent house sewer lateral for each qualifying building or residence, subject to the stated exception for certain rear buildings.

  “To connect such facilities and all sanitary sewage facilities [...] directly with the proper public sewer”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision or resubdivision of land inside Midland Park borough.

  • The owner must submit the requisite applications and sketch plats to the Borough Clerk at least two weeks before the regular Planning Board meeting.
  • Minor-subdivision approval is by unanimous action of the Subdivision Committee; County Planning Board approval may also be required.
  • The approved plat map or permitted deed description must be filed with the Clerk of the County of Bergen.

  minimum advance submission period: >= 2 weeks

  “prior to subdividing or resubdividing land”

• Driveway accessLimited

  Driveway curb openings and driveway access for R-1 residential lots inside Midland Park borough.

  • R-1 individual-dwelling lots may have no more than one curb cut unless providing a circular driveway.
  • Two curb cuts are allowed only on lots at least 100 feet wide and must be at least 50 feet apart.
  • The plot plan submitted before a new dwelling construction permit must show proposed driveway curb-opening dimensions and locations.

  maximum curb-cut width: <= 20 feet · maximum driveway width from front lot line to front building line: <= 25 feet · minimum separation for two curb cuts: >= 50 feet (Only lots at least 100 feet wide may have two curb cuts)

  “Maximum curb cut width shall be 20 feet. Maximum driveway width. Curb cut extending to front lot line: 20 feet. Front lot line extending to front line of building (i.e., front yard): 25 feet.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Development in flood hazard areas inside Midland Park borough.

  • The applicant must apply to the Floodplain Administrator and obtain the required permit before development.
  • Depending on the nature and extent of development involving a building or structure, a floodplain development permit or approval may be required in addition to a building permit.
  • The application must identify and describe the development, locate the land, state intended use and occupancy, include required site and construction documents, state valuation, and be signed.
  • The permit becomes invalid if work does not commence within 180 days or is suspended or abandoned for 180 days; written extensions may be granted for periods not more than 180 days each.

  permit commencement period: 180 days (Written extensions may be granted for periods not more than 180 days each)

  “shall first make application to the Floodplain Administrator and shall obtain the required permit”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Construction, sewer, sewer-maintenance, and related permit fees inside Midland Park borough.

  • Construction permit fees are charged pursuant to the State Uniform Construction Code and the Borough's fee schedule.
  • A $0.0014-per-cubic-foot surcharge applies to new construction.
  • Sewer capital recovery is established by resolution each year.
  • The listed sewer fees and Board of Health fees are separate from other plumbing-code or Board of Health fees.

  State Uniform Construction Code surcharge: 0.0014 USD per cubic foot of new construction · sewer capital recovery: 2664.28 USD (Contracted by the property owner; established by resolution each year) · sewer maintenance permit fee: 35 USD · sewer maintenance permit nonrefundable fee: 25 USD

  “For maintenance and clean out of sewer laterals, permit fee | $35”

Rules another office applies inside Borough of Midland Park

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

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Every residence in the R-1 Residence District inside Midland Park borough.

  • For dwellings with more than one story, the first floor must have at least 700 square feet and the second floor at least 500 square feet.
  • The ordinance also states a maximum of one bedroom per 2,500 square feet of lot area.

  minimum floor area: >= 1000 square feet · minimum first-floor area for dwellings over one story: >= 700 square feet · minimum second-floor area for dwellings over one story: >= 500 square feet

  “Every residence shall have a minimum floor area of 1,000 square feet. Dwellings having more than one story shall have a minimum floor area of 700 square feet on the first floor and a minimum floor area of 500 square feet on the second floor. Maximum one bedroom per 2,500 square feet of lot area.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Lots in the R-1 Residence District inside Midland Park borough.

  • The minimum lot area is measured within 125 feet of the front street property line.
  • Street-line width must be at least 60 feet and setback-line width at least 100 feet.

  minimum lot area: >= 12500 square feet · minimum street-line width: >= 60 feet · minimum setback-line width: >= 100 feet · measurement depth from front street property line: 125 feet

  “There shall be a minimum lot area of 12,500 square feet which shall be measured within 125 feet of the front street property line; provided, however, that the lot width at the street line shall not be less than 60 feet and the lot width at the setback line shall not be less than 100 feet.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Principal buildings in the R-1 Residence District inside Midland Park borough.

  • If existing buildings on the same side of the street, in the same block, or within 200 feet establish a setback line less than 25 feet, new buildings must conform to that line, but may not project closer than 15 feet to the front street property line.
  • The ordinance also requires every lot to provide front, rear, and side yards required by its zone district.

  minimum front yard: >= 25 feet (Established setback exception, but never closer than 15 feet) · minimum rear yard: >= 25 feet · minimum side yard each: >= 12 feet

  “There shall be a minimum front yard of 25 feet; provided, however, that where existing buildings on the same side of the street, in the same block or within 200 feet form an established setback line less than 25 feet, new buildings shall conform to such established line, provided no new building may project closer than 15 feet to the front street property.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  R-1 Residence District lots inside Midland Park borough.

  • Engineering review is required for all improved-lot-coverage increases of more than 300 square feet.
  • Accessory buildings, garages, and sheds are subject to a separate footprint limit.

  maximum total building coverage: <= 30 percent of lot area · maximum improved lot coverage: <= 45 percent of lot area · maximum accessory-building footprint: 75% of principal-building footprint or 840 square feet, whichever is less

  “Total buildings: shall not exceed 30% of the lot area. Improved lot: shall not exceed 45% of the lot area. Total footprint of the accessory buildings, garages and sheds shall not exceed 75% of the footprint of the principle building or 840 square feet (e.g., 24 feet by 35 feet), whichever is less.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Principal buildings in the R-1 Residence District inside Midland Park borough.

  • The lesser of the two maximums controls.

  maximum principal-building height: 2.5 stories or 32 feet, whichever is less

  “The maximum height of a principal building shall be 2 1/2 stories or 32 feet, whichever is the lesser.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption from construction permits inside Midland Park borough.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping inside Midland Park borough.
• Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Midland Park borough.
• Accessory dwellings — Accessory dwelling units inside Midland Park borough.
• Who permits septic — Septic-system authority for land inside Midland Park 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 Midland Park 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.