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

Borough of Merchantville’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction inside Merchantville borough (new construction and alterations under Chapter 15)

  • Exception only for ordinary repairs under the State UCC that do not violate any regulations.
  • Fees must be collected before the permit is issued.

  “a permit shall be required for all construction except for ordinary repairs as provided for in section 5:23-2.7 of the state uniform construction code which do not violate any of the regulations. the fees for such permits shall be as hereinafter provided and shall be collected prior to the issuance of the permit.”

• Local zoningPresent

  All land inside Merchantville borough limits; the borough adopts and administers its own zoning in Chapter 94 (Zoning) of its code

  • Chapter 94 Article IV states the borough is divided into six use districts (R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, B-1, B-2); zoning map and schedule of district regulations are attachments not reproduced in the eCode360 text.
  • Zoning map amended by Ord. No. 2015-06 and Ord. No. 20-02 per § 94-18 notes on the same page.

  “for the purpose of this chapter, the borough of merchantville is hereby divided into the following six (6) use districts”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Use districts inside Merchantville borough: R-1, R-2, R-3 residential single-family; R-4 residential multifamily; B-1 central business; B-2 neighborhood business

  • District names are published in § 94-17; the zoning map is an attachment on file with the borough clerk (§ 94-18).

  “r-1 residential single-family district r-2 residential single-family district r-3 residential single-family district r-4 residential multifamily district b-1 central business district b-2 neighborhood business district”

• Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

  Occupied buildings inside Merchantville borough whose property line is within 150 feet of a sanitary sewer line in a street

  • Owner must install a toilet and connect to the sanitary sewer within 30 days after service is made available, under the sewer utility rules.
  • Applies to existing and newly constructed or acquired occupied buildings; industrial and commercial uses have their own connection terms in § 70-9.
  • No water-connection mandate was located in the opened Chapter 70 text.

  distance from sanitary sewer line: <= 150 feet (property line of the lot contains the building within 150 feet of the sewer line) · connection deadline after service available: 30 days

  “where the property line of the lot contains such house, building or structure within one hundred fifty (150) feet of said sanitary sewer line, shall, within thirty (30) days after the date on which the service of such sewer is made available to such house, building or structure, install a toilet in such house, building or structure”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders of single-family homes inside Merchantville borough
• Inspections — Construction inside Merchantville borough
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Merchantville borough
• Lot coverage — Lot coverage inside Merchantville borough, by use district
• Building height — Building height inside Merchantville borough, by use district

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 Merchantville 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.