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

Harrison Township’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Harrison township limits, under the township's own Chapter 225 Zoning

  • Chapter 225 Zoning is listed in the township eCode360 table of contents; the district enumeration in § 225-6 was read on the eCode360 page.

  “for the purpose of regulating land development and uses, the township is hereby divided into zoning districts which shall be designated as follows”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Township-wide zoning district map designations under Harrison township Chapter 225

  • Enumeration lists rr, r-1, r-2, r-4, r-7, rcd, c-1 through c-6, c-55, c-56, msd, po, po-2, vb, pi, ins and ac districts; the zoning map itself was not opened.

  “rr rural residential r-1 residence-agricultural district r-2 residence district r-4 special residential district r-7 special residential district”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  R-1 residence-agricultural district (Chapter 225, Art. II, § 225-11) inside Harrison township

  • Minimum lot size depends on whether the lot has public sewer; a lot needs a minimum of 1/2 acre unencumbered by easements, wetlands, wetland buffers and conservation easements.
  • Maximum density is one unit per two acres of land unencumbered by wetlands or conservation easements; minor subdivisions are exempt from this density rule.
  • Lot width at building setback line is 125 feet with public sewer and 150 feet without public sewer.

  minimum lot size without sewers: >= 1 acre · minimum lot size with sewers: >= 21750 square feet · lot width at building setback line with public sewer: >= 125 feet · lot width at building setback line without public sewer: >= 150 feet

  “(2) minimum lot size. (3) without sewers: one acre. (a) with sewers: 21,750 square feet. (b) lot width at building setback line (minimum). (4) with public sewer: 125 feet. (a) without public sewer: 150 feet.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — R-2 residence district (Chapter 225, § 225-12) inside Harrison township

    “(2) minimum lot size: (a) without sewers: one acre. (b) with sewers: 18,750 square feet. (3) other regulations: the same as r-1 district.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  R-1 residence-agricultural district (Chapter 225, Art. II, § 225-11) inside Harrison township

  • Setbacks as listed apply to the R-1 district; the R-2 setback table was not separately read.

  setback from interior local road (other than private driveway serving max two units): >= 35 feet (does not apply to a private driveway serving a maximum of two units) · setback from any property line: >= 20 feet · setback from arterial road: >= 75 feet

  “(6) setbacks. (a) from any interior local road other than a private driveway serving a maximum of two units: 35 feet. (b) from any property line: 20 feet. (c) from any arterial road: 75 feet.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  R-1 residence-agricultural district (Chapter 225, Art. II, § 225-11) inside Harrison township

  • Limits are for the R-1 district only; the R-2 coverage limits were not separately read.

  maximum building coverage: <= 15 percent of lot · maximum impervious coverage: <= 35 percent of lot

  “(5) lot coverage: (a) building coverage (maximum): 15%. (b) impervious coverage (maximum): 35%.”

• Building heightSpecified

  R-1 residence-agricultural district (Chapter 225, Art. II, § 225-11) inside Harrison township

  • Height limit is for the R-1 district only; other district heights were not read.

  maximum building height: <= 35 feet (or three stories, whichever the ordinance text states as the limit)

  “(7) height (maximum): 35 feet or three stories.”

• Agricultural exemptionConditional

  Divisions of land for agricultural purposes inside Harrison township, under the subdivision definition in Chapter 225 Zoning

  • Applies only where the planning board or a subdivision committee finds the division is for agricultural purposes.
  • Applies only where no new streets are created and all resulting parcels are five acres or larger.
  • Exemption is from the definition of subdivision; it is not a use permission for farming elsewhere in the code.

  minimum resulting parcel size: >= 5 acres

  “(1) the following shall not be considered subdivisions if no new streets are created: (a) divisions of land found by the planning board of a subdivision committee thereof to be for agricultural purposes where all resulting parcels are five acres or larger in size;”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Division of land inside Harrison township, as defined in Chapter 225 Zoning

  • Divisions with no new streets are excluded only in the listed cases; subdivision review is also governed by Chapter 192 Subdivision of Land, listed in the eCode360 table of contents but not opened.

  “subdivision the division of a lot, tract or parcel of land into two or more lots, tracts, parcels or other divisions of land for sale or development.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Building permits for new homes inside Harrison township
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for homeowners building their own home inside Harrison township
• Inspections — Building inspections inside Harrison township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside Harrison township
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling floor area inside Harrison 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 Harrison 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.

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