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

Borough of Pitman’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Pitman borough limits; the borough's own Chapter 35 Zoning ordinance governs use, area and height in its districts.

  • Only the borough's own chapter 35 is recorded here; county or state rules are not substituted for it.
  • Park-conservation, R-A, R-1, R-2, R-3, TRO, C-1, C-2, PI and R-H district sections are all listed in chapter 35.

  “chapter 35 zoning (§ 35-1 – § 35-45.2)”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Land inside Pitman borough limits

  • Chapter 35 lists the district sections in its table of contents and includes Attachment 1, the zoning map.
  • Only the section headings were read; the § 35-2 classification and zoning map were not opened.

  “for the purposes of this chapter, the borough of pitman is hereby divided in 11 classes of districts which shall be designated as follows: p park-conservation district r-a residence district r-1 residence district”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Dwellings built or occupied inside Pitman borough

  • The captured text does not limit this minimum to a particular district.
  • Only the ground-floor area minimums are stated; total floor area and other requirements were not read.

  minimum ground floor area, one-story or 1½-story dwelling: >= 750 square feet · minimum ground floor area, two-story dwelling: >= 600 square feet

  “the minimum ground floor area to be occupied by a one story or a one and one-half-story (1 1/2) dwelling shall not be less than 750 square feet, and the minimum ground floor area to be occupied by a two story dwelling shall be not less than 600 square feet.”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Principal buildings on lots in the R-A residence district inside Pitman borough (rear and corner-lot side yards)

  • Captured from the end of the R-A area section (§ 35-4.2); the front yard and the aggregate side-yard requirement were not captured.
  • The corner-lot side-yard figure is taken from the same R-A section text and should be checked against the full § 35-4.2 before relying on it.
  • Park-conservation setbacks (§ 35-3.2) are a different district and do not apply here.

  minimum rear yard depth, R-A district: >= 30 feet · minimum street-abutting (corner-lot) side yard width, R-A district: >= 25 feet (partially captured text; verify against full § 35-4.2)

  “2. side yards. two yards, not less than 30 feet in aggregate width and neither less than 12 feet, except that in the case of a corner lot, any yard which abuts a street shall not be less than 25 feet in width. 3. rear yard. one yard, not less than 30 feet in depth.”

• Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Buildings in the R-A residence district inside Pitman borough

  • Captured from § 35-4.3 (R-A height regulations).
  • Heights for R-1, R-2 and R-3 (§§ 35-5.3, 35-6.3, 35-7.4) were not read; the park-conservation district (§ 35-3.3) also sets 35 feet but is not R-A.

  maximum building height, R-A district: <= 35 feet

  “§ 35-4.3 height regulations. [1967 code § 15-4.3] no building shall exceed 35 feet in height.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Land divisions inside Pitman borough

  • The code lists Chapter 33, Land Subdivision; its approval thresholds and procedures were not read.

  “chapter 33 land subdivision (§ 33-1 &ndash; § 33-11)”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Building permit for a new home inside Pitman borough
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for a homeowner building on their own land inside Pitman borough
• Building code adopted — Building code applicable to construction inside Pitman borough
• Inspections — Construction inspections for a new home inside Pitman borough
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for a new home inside Pitman 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 Pitman 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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