Planning and Zoning

Understanding the Role of Ewing’s Planning and Zoning Boards

A Guide to Development Applications in Ewing Township

Who decides what gets built in Ewing?

Short answer: It's not that simple. Generally, the Planning Board with public input sets the vision through the Master Plan, the Council sets the Zoning ordinances, developers propose the specific projects.

The overwhelming majority of development applications—proposals to construct a building, reconfigure a site, or subdivide property—are submitted by private individuals or companies, not by Ewing Township officials.

Once submitted, if an application meets the requirements of the New Jersey Municipal Land Use Law and Ewing Township’s Land Use Ordinance (Zoning), with reference to the Master Plan, the Planning or Zoning Board is legally obligated to review it, conduct a public hearing, and decide based on the law—not personal opinions, not public pressure, and certainly not politics.

Wait—so the Township doesn’t endorse every project that goes to a hearing?

Correct. The mere fact that something appears before the Planning or Zoning Board does not mean that the Township supports it. Hearings are not endorsements. They are required legal proceedings.
The boards are obligated to consider all compliant applications and vote based on objective criteria—not popularity.

What’s the difference between the Planning Board and the Zoning Board?

Here’s a quick breakdown of each:

Ewing Planning Board

• Who they are: A volunteer board of residents – 9 regular members and 2 alternates
• What they do:
  • Oversee and update Ewing’s Master Plan (every 10 years)
  • Review major subdivision and site plan applications
  • Decide on “bulk” variance requests (things like building height, lot size, setbacks)

In short: they deal with what’s allowed to be built and how it’s laid out.

Ewing Zoning Board of Adjustment

• Who they are: A separate volunteer board appointed by the governing body – 7 regular members and 2 alternates
• What they do:
  • Hear applications for use variances (proposals that don’t conform to a property’s permitted use or land use standards)

Example: Someone wants to build a gas station in an area zoned for residential homes. That’s a “use variance.” Zoning Board territory.

But can’t the boards just say no if residents object?

It’s not that simple.

Board members are sworn to uphold state law, and that means they can’t deny an application just because it’s unpopular. If the applicant has met the legal standards, the board is legally compelled to approve it -- even if that decision disappoints a room full of concerned neighbors.

A denial without solid legal justification can (and usually does) result in the applicant appealing to New Jersey Superior Court. The judge will look at the law -- not the turnout at the meeting -- and may overturn the decision, costing taxpayers both time and money.

The Board can impose reasonable conditions on an application that are specifically designed to ameliorate potential negative impacts.

What does the board consider when making decisions?

Board members must evaluate:

• State and local land use laws
• Ewing’s zoning code and land use design standards
• Testimony from fact witnesses and licensed professionals
• Public comments offered during the hearing

They’re not there to pass judgment based on who shouts the loudest. They’re there to apply the law.

Who serves on the boards?

Just like the Recreation Commission and the Green Team, these boards are made up of volunteer Ewing residents. They do receive some basic training as required by the State, but they are our neighbors.  They receive applications that are often dense, technical, and controversial. They read thousands of pages of testimony. They attend long meetings. They get little thanks.

And they take an oath to follow the law, even when it’s hard.

The bottom line

If you see an application posted online or on a meeting agenda and assume “the Township wants this to happen,” please think again. The boards exist to weigh facts, not feelings. They follow laws written by the State of New Jersey and implemented locally.

And if you disagree with what’s allowed under those laws? That’s fair. But the place to raise those concerns is with the State Legislature, not the Planning or Zoning Board.

Want to get involved?

• Attend a board meeting - especially when it involves Master Plan or ordinance amendments. 
• Speak during public comment
• Apply to serve as a board member
• Stay informed on proposed developments in your neighborhood
• Read the Township’s Master Plan and Township of Ewing, NJ Land Development and submit constructive comments that ask the Board and Council to consider amendments.

Questions?

Visit ewingnj.org/boards-committees or contact ?