Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Frankford Township, New Jersey

Frankford Township’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Frankford township limits, where the township administers its own Chapter 30 zoning article (Article X) and zoning map.

  • Article X is titled Zoning and was adopted by Ordinance No. 2007-04 per the eCode360 heading; later amendments are listed in the section histories.
  • Any use not specifically permitted in a zoning district is expressly prohibited in that district (section 30-1002 a.).
  • Schedules of limitations are attachments to the chapter and are not reproduced on the eCode360 page.

  “this article is adopted pursuant to n.j.s.a. 40:55d-62 and in order to effectuate the frankford township master plans.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts for land inside Frankford township limits.

  • The district list is in section 30-1003.1; district provisions follow in sections 30-1003.3 through 30-1003.16.
  • District boundaries are shown on the zoning map linked from the township zoning page (not opened).

  “the township of frankford shall be and is hereby divided into the following zoning districts: ar single family residential and agriculture”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Agricultural/Residential (AR) district, the main single-family residential district, traditional development option, inside Frankford township.

  • Traditional development option only; gross density is one housing unit per five acres.
  • Five-acre minimum applies without environmental sensitive area calculations.
  • Other AR options and the Schedule B bulk table (attachment) were not reviewed.

  minimum lot size: >= 5 acres (traditional development option; environmental sensitive area calculations not applied)

  “(a) minimum lot size: five acres without environmental sensitive area calculations.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Agricultural/Residential (AR) district, the main single-family residential district, traditional development option, inside Frankford township.

  • Traditional development option only.
  • Schedule C governs accessory structure setbacks and was not reviewed.

  front yard setback: >= 75 feet · side yard setback: >= 60 feet · rear yard setback: >= 75 feet

  “(c) front yard setback: 75 feet. (d) side yard setback: 60 feet. (e) rear yard setback: 75 feet.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Agricultural/Residential (AR) district, traditional development option; the cap is on impervious coverage, not building coverage, inside Frankford township.

  • Traditional development option only.
  • Limit is a percentage of lot area; building-coverage and floor-area limits in Schedule B were not reviewed.

  maximum impervious coverage: <= 10 percent of lot area

  “(h) maximum impervious coverage: 10% of lot area.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Agricultural/Residential (AR) district, the main single-family residential district, traditional development option, inside Frankford township.

  • Traditional development option only; the Schedule B bulk table may set other limits and was not reviewed.

  maximum building height: <= 35 feet

  “(i) maximum building height (feet): 35. (j) minimum lot width at setback line: 300 feet.”

• Accessory dwellingsAllowed

  Accessory apartments in the Frankford Center Neighborhood Services (FCNS) zone text, inside Frankford township. Not stated for the AR district.

  • Sentence appears in the FCNS district provisions (section 30-1003.13 per the eCode360 index); section boundary and any schedule limits were not verified.
  • Schedules of limitations were not reproduced on the page.

  “accessory apartments are also a permitted use.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Frankford Township or Sussex County directly.

• Building permit — Building permits for new construction inside Frankford township.
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Frankford township.
• Building code adopted — Building code adoption for land inside Frankford township.
• Inspections — Building inspections inside Frankford township.
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy for new homes inside Frankford township.

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 Frankford Township 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.