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

Borough of Highland Park’s own rules

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Buildings or portions of buildings created, changed, converted, altered, or enlarged in Highland Park borough.

  • The land, building, and use must comply with Chapter 230.
  • Approved subdivision or site-plan matters must be completed and certified by the Municipal Engineer.
  • Building and Health Codes must be complied with.

  “It shall be unlawful to use or permit the use of any building or part thereof hereafter created, changed, converted, altered or enlarged, wholly or in part, until a certificate of occupancy shall have been issued by the Building Inspector”

• Local zoningPresent

  Highland Park borough land under Chapter 230, Land Development, including zoning regulations.

  • The zoning code contains multiple residential, commercial, industrial, conservation/recreation, and overlay districts.

  “The following regulations shall apply in the RA Residential Zone. Permitted principal uses. (1) Single-family detached dwellings.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts inside Highland Park borough.

  • The code publishes district-specific regulations and a zoning bulk schedule.

  “§ 230-132 RA Single-Family Residential Zone. § 230-133 RB Two-Family Residential Zone. § 230-134 RA-E Single-Family Residential — Ecological Preservation Zone.”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  Premises with plumbing fixtures inside Highland Park borough.

  • Public sewer connection is required when available.
  • A public sewer is deemed available when a property line is within 200 feet.
  • All connections must be watertight.
  • A written borough permit and, where applicable, a street-opening permit are required.

  public sewer availability distance: <= 200 feet (A public sewer is deemed available if a property line is within 200 feet.)

  “The building drain of any premises in which plumbing fixtures are installed shall be connected to a public sewer system if available. A public sewer system shall be deemed available to a premises if a property line of such premises is within 200 feet. All connections must be watertight.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision and resubdivision of land inside Highland Park borough.

  • Reviewing-board approval is required before filing subdivision plats with the County Recording Officer.
  • Detached one- or two-dwelling-unit subdivision or individual-lot applications are exempt from site-plan review and approval.

  “Prior to the subdivision or resubdivision of land within the municipality and as a condition of the filing of subdivision plats with the County Recording Officer, a resolution of approval of the reviewing board is required”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Highland Park development applications, zoning permits, subdivisions, site plans, variances, and related approvals.

  • Fees are nonrefundable application fees plus preliminary escrow deposits.
  • Additional escrow may be required before an application is deemed complete.
  • The fee schedule may be amended by Borough Council resolution.

  minor subdivision application fee: 250 USD (plus $500 per lot escrow, $1,000 minimum) · residential zoning permit fee: 75 USD

  “Every application for development shall be accompanied by a nonrefundable application fee and a separate preliminary escrow account deposit, each payable to the Borough of Highland Park in accordance with the Schedule of Application Fees and Preliminary Escrow Account Deposits set forth in Schedule A attached hereto.”

• Permit processPartial

  Development applications inside Highland Park borough.

  • Applications must include required fees and escrow deposits.
  • An application is not complete until required fees and deposits are paid in full.
  • Professional-review costs must be paid before permits or certificates are issued.

  “No application for development shall be deemed complete unless and until all required application fees, preliminary escrow account deposits and further initial escrow account deposits are paid in full.”

Rules another office applies inside Borough of Highland Park

Borough of Highland 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

  Single-family detached dwellings in the RA Residential Zone.

  • The bulk schedule applies district-specific dimensional standards.

  minimum gross floor area per dwelling unit: >= 1500 square feet

  “Minimum GFA/DU (square feet) 1,500 1,500 1,500 1,000 ___1 ___1 1,000”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Single-family detached dwellings in the RA Residential Zone.

  minimum lot area: >= 5000 square feet

  “Minimum lot area (square feet) 5,000 12,000 5,000 7,500 2 acres 3 acres 3 acres”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Single-family detached dwellings in the RA Residential Zone.

  minimum front yard: >= 20 feet · minimum one side yard: >= 10 feet · minimum two side yards: >= 20 feet · minimum rear yard: >= 20 feet

  “Minimum front yard (feet) 20 20 20 20 ___1 ___1 50 Minimum 1 side yard (feet) 10 20 5 10 ___1 ___1 50 Minimum 2 side yards (feet) 20 30 5 20 ___1 ___1 100 Minimum rear yard (feet) 20 30 20 30 ___1 ___1 50”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Single-family detached dwellings in the RA Residential Zone.

  maximum lot coverage: <= 30 percent

  “Maximum lot coverage 30% 25% 35% 35% 30% 35% 25%”

• Building heightSpecified

  Single-family detached dwellings in the RA Residential Zone.

  maximum height: 2.5 stories / 35 feet

  “Maximum height (stories/feet) 2.5/35 2.5/35 2.5/35 2.5/35 2/35 2.5/35 4/48”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemptions from construction permits inside Highland Park borough.
• Building code adopted — Building-code adoption and administration inside Highland Park borough.
• Inspections — Building inspections inside Highland Park borough.
• Living in an RV — RV occupancy on private land inside Highland Park borough.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Highland 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 Highland 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.

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