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

Borough of Dunellen’s own rules

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Any building or premises created, located, erected, changed, converted or enlarged inside Dunellen borough.

  • A new certificate is required for every change of ownership, tenancy or use.
  • The certificate must certify compliance with the zoning chapter.

  “Certificates of occupancy. It shall be unlawful to use or permit the use of any building or premises or part thereof hereafter created, located, erected, changed, converted or enlarged wholly or partly until a certificate of occupancy has been issued by the Borough of Dunellen for the premises certifying that the structure complies with the provisions of this chapter. A new certificate of occupancy shall be required for any and all changes of ownership, tenancy or use.”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Principal buildings constructed inside Dunellen borough.

  • The lot must front on a public street improved under Borough requirements, or the improvements must be insured by a performance guaranty.
  • Residential driveways must be set back at least two feet from the side property line.

  minimum residential driveway side setback: >= 2 feet

  “A residential driveway shall be set back a minimum of two feet from the side property line.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Proposed development in designated flood hazard areas inside Dunellen borough.

  • The chapter operates together with the Uniform Construction Code flood provisions and New Jersey Flood Hazard Area Control Act rules.
  • Development in riparian zones is prohibited unless the applicant obtains the specified NJDEP permit, permit-by-rule or permit-by-certification and complies with the Borough's other floodplain provisions.

  “All development in riparian zones as described in N.J.A.C. 7:13 is prohibited by this chapter unless the applicant has received an individual or general permit or has complied with the requirements of a permit by rule or permit by certification from NJDEP Division of Land Resource Protection prior to application for a floodplain development permit and the project is compliant with all other floodplain development provisions of this chapter.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Planning, zoning, subdivision and site-plan applications inside Dunellen borough.

  • Required documents must generally be submitted electronically as prescribed by the Planning Board Secretary or designee.
  • One official hard copy, one courtesy hard copy and signed and sealed plans must also be submitted.
  • The Planning Board Secretary may require additional hard copies.

  “Unless otherwise specifically provided herein, all documents required to be submitted under the Land Development Ordinance shall be submitted electronically in the manner prescribed by the Planning Board Secretary or designee. The prescribed manner shall be set forth on the Borough's website for public dissemination.”

Rules another office applies inside Borough of Dunellen

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

• Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Building heights in Dunellen borough zoning districts.

  • The numeric district schedule was not reproduced in the reviewed webpage.
  • Accessory structures in residential districts may not exceed 15 feet to the highest point.

  maximum accessory-structure height in residential districts: <= 15 feet (highest point of structure)

  “In any residential district, no accessory structure shall exceed 15 feet in height to the highest point of the structure.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Building work inside Dunellen borough.
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders performing construction inside Dunellen borough.
• Living in an RV — Occupancy of recreational vehicles as residences inside Dunellen borough.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Dunellen borough.
• Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Dunellen 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 Dunellen 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.

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