Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 6, March 18, 2024
(a) This general permit authorizes the expansion, or reconstruction (with or without expansion), of a legally constructed, habitable single-family home or duplex and/or accessory development (such as garages, sheds, pools, driveways, grading, excavation, and clearing, excluding shore protection structures), provided the single-family home or duplex and accessory structures are located landward of the mean high water line, and provided the single-family home or duplex is not located on a bulkheaded lagoon lot.
(b) Development under this general permit shall not result in development of more than one single-family home or duplex either solely or in conjunction with a previous development as defined at 7:7-2.2(b)8.
(c) Development under this general permit shall comply with 7:7-9.22, Beaches; 7:7-9.25, Flood hazard areas; 7:7-9.26, Riparian zones; 7:7-9.27, Wetlands; 7:7-9.28, Wetland buffers; and 7:7-9.36, Endangered or threatened wildlife or vegetation species habitats.
(d) Development under this general permit shall comply with N.J.A.C. 7:7-9.16, Dunes, except as provided under (d)1 through 4 below:
1. Development that is located on the landward slope of a secondary or tertiary dune described at (d)1ii below, whichever is most landward, need not comply with the dunes rule, N.J.A.C. 7:7-9.16, if the site and the development meet all of the following conditions:
i. The area of the site proposed to be developed is located greater than 500 feet landward of the mean high water line of the adjacent water body;
ii. The cross-sectional area of the primary frontal dune waterward of the proposed development, as measured above the 100-year stillwater elevation and waterward of the primary frontal dune crest, is greater than 1,100 square feet. For the purpose of this subparagraph, primary frontal dune means a continuous or nearly continuous mound or ridge of sand with relatively steep waterward and landward slopes immediately landward of and adjacent to the beach, and subject to erosion and overtopping from high tides and waves during major coastal storms. Secondary and tertiary dunes means the second and third dune mound or ridge, respectively, landward from and adjacent to the primary frontal dune;
iii. The beach area adjacent to the proposed development is either naturally stable without beach nourishment or naturally accretional without beach nourishment, as determined by using the method described at 7:7-9.19, Erosion hazard areas, and the information in the Department's Geographical Information System (GIS) database as found in the Historical Shorelines coverage 1836-1986; and
iv. The site disturbance, including grading, excavation and vegetation removal, is limited to that necessary to expand or reconstruct the single family home or duplex and/or accessory structures;
2. Development that is located on a dune which is isolated from a beach and dune system by a paved public road, public seawall, or public bulkhead, existing on July 19, 1993, need not comply with the dunes rule,
N.J.A.C. 7:7-9.16, if the site and the development meet all of the following criteria:
i. The road, sea wall, or bulkhead is of sufficient size to be designated as the V zone boundary on applicable FEMA flood mapping;
ii. The road, seawall or bulkhead has eliminated the protective function of the isolated dune, by providing a significant barrier to coastal processes, including storm waves and flooding;
iii. The road, seawall or bulkhead is functional and is currently maintained by a public entity;
iv. The area of proposed construction is designated as an A zone, B zone, or C zone on applicable FEMA flood mapping;
v. The site disturbance, including grading, excavation and vegetation removal, is limited to that necessary to expand or reconstruct the single family home or duplex and/or accessory structures; and
vi. The proposed development does not include the construction of a shore protection structure.
3. Development that is located on a dune need not comply with the dunes rule, N.J.A.C. 7:7-9.16, if the development meets the following criteria:
i. The single family home or duplex legally existed on July 19, 1993;
ii. The development constructed after July 19, 1993 does not exceed a cumulative surface area of 750 square feet on the dune, excluding the area of reconstruction within the existing footprint of development and the area of development authorized under (d)4 below;
iii. The development is located within the footprint of development of the existing single family home or duplex and/or on the landward side of the existing footprint of development and within the area between lines extended landward and perpendicular to the mean high water line from the widest shore parallel points of the existing footprint of development, except as provided at (d)3iv below;
iv. For every 10 feet the footprint of development of the single family home or duplex is set back landward on the lot from the existing footprint of development of the single family home or duplex, the total area of development may be increased by 200 square feet in addition to that authorized in (d)3ii above, provided the additional square footage is constructed on the non-waterward side of the single family home or duplex;
v. The dune area waterward of the single-family home or duplex is enhanced as follows:
(1) Sand fill shall be placed as necessary to establish a uniform dune crest elevation matching the highest dune crest elevation at the site; and
(2) Native dune vegetation shall be planted as necessary to establish vegetative cover in accordance with the specifications contained in Guidelines and Recommendations for Coastal Dune Restoration and Creation Projects (DEP, 1985) and/or Restoration of Sand Dunes Along the Mid-Atlantic Coast (U.S. Soil Conservation Service, 1992). These documents are available upon request from the Department's Division of Land Use Regulation at the address set forth at 7:7-1.6; and
vi. A conservation restriction for the dune areas waterward of the existing and/or approved single-family home or duplex and/or accessory development which complies with N.J.A.C. 7:7-18 is recorded; and
4. Development that is located on a dune and entails the enclosure of an existing deck, patio, or porch need not comply with the dunes rule, N.J.A.C. 7:7-9.16, if the development meets the following criteria:
i. The development is the enclosure of a deck, patio, or porch;
ii. The deck, patio, or porch enclosure is located on the non-waterward side of the single-family home or duplex;
iii. The deck, patio, or porch legally existed on July 19, 1993;
iv. The deck, patio, or porch abuts the dwelling;
v. The enclosure does not extend beyond the limit of the existing deck, patio, or porch as it existed on July 19, 1993;
vi. The footprint of development of the deck, patio, or porch enclosure does not exceed 400 square feet; and
vii. The dune area waterward of the single-family home or duplex is enhanced as follows:
(1) Sand fill shall be placed as necessary to establish a uniform dune crest elevation matching the highest existing dune crest elevation at the site;
(2) Native dune vegetation shall be planted in accordance with the specifications contained in Guidelines and Recommendations for Coastal Dune Restoration and Creation Projects (DEP, 1985) and/or Restoration of Sand Dunes Along the Mid-Atlantic Coast (U.S. Soil Conservation Service, 1992). These documents are available upon request from the Department's Division of Land Use Regulation at the address set forth at N.J.A.C. 7:7-1.6; and
viii. A conservation restriction for the dune areas waterward of the existing and/or approved single family home or duplex and/or accessory development which complies with N.J.A.C. 7:7-18 is recorded.
(e) Development under this general permit shall comply with 7:7-9.29, Coastal bluffs, if the site is located on the Atlantic Ocean, Delaware Bay, Raritan Bay, or Sandy Hook Bay. Coastal bluffs are defined at 7:7-9.29(a). If the site is not located on one of the four water bodies listed above, the development shall comply with the setback requirements at (l)1 below, unless the development meets either (e)1 or 2 below:
1. The development is located in the "developed bluff area." For the purposes of this paragraph, a "developed bluff area" is an area delineated by the limit of existing buildings, in-ground pool or tennis court that existed on July 19, 1993; or
2. The development on the coastal bluff is located landward of the developed bluff area as defined at (e)1 above, and does not exceed the cumulative surface area of the developed bluff area on the site. If all or part of the proposed development on the coastal bluff is located landward of the existing developed bluff area, an equivalent area of the existing developed bluff area shall be restored through the planting of native woody vegetation species.
(f) Development under this general permit shall comply with 7:7-9.18, Coastal high hazard areas, and 7:7-9.19, Erosion hazard areas, except as excluded under (f)1 below;
1. Development under this general permit that is located on a site partially or completely within an erosion hazard area or coastal high hazard area need not comply with the coastal high hazard areas rule, N.J.A.C. 7:7-9.18, and the erosion hazard areas rule, N.J.A.C. 7:7-9.19, if:
i. The lot was shown as a subdivided lot prior to July 19, 1993;
ii. The lot is served by a municipal sewer system; and
iii. A house or commercial building is located within 100 feet of each of the lot lines that run roughly perpendicular to the mean high water line. The 100 feet shall be measured outward from each lot line, along a line generally parallel to the mean high water line.
(g) Public access shall be provided in accordance with the public trust rights rule, 7:7-9.48, and the public access rule, 7:7-16.9.
(h) The use of plastic under landscaped or gravel areas is prohibited. All sub-gravel liners shall be made of filter cloth or other permeable material.
(i) Any driveway shall be covered with a permeable material or else shall be pitched to drain all runoff onto permeable areas of the site.
(j) For a wooded site, site clearing shall be limited to an area no more than 20 feet from the footprint of the single family home or duplex and the area necessary for driveway, septic, and utility line installations.
(k) For a site adjacent to or including surface water bodies or wetlands, a silt fence with a 10-foot landward return shall be erected at the limit of disturbance along the waterward and wetland sides of the development before construction begins. This fence shall be maintained and remain in place until all construction and landscaping is completed.
(l) Development under this general permit shall comply with the following setbacks:
1. On a site with coastal bluffs that are not located on the Atlantic Ocean, Delaware Bay, Raritan Bay or Sandy Hook Bay, the single family home or duplex and/or accessory structures shall be set back a minimum of 10 feet from the crest of the bluff provided that the development will not result in a loss of stability of the bluff or vegetation on the bluff face. Any structure that requires excavation shall be set back one foot beyond the 10 foot setback for every foot of excavation below existing grade;
2. On an oceanfront site with existing or proposed shore protection structures, the single family home or duplex and/or accessory structures (except decks) shall be set back at least 25 feet from existing or proposed oceanfront shore protection structures. This distance shall be measured from the waterward face of a bulkhead or seawall and from the top of slope on the waterward face of the revetment. This setback shall not apply to other below grade structures; and
3. On a non-oceanfront site with existing or proposed shore protection structures, the single-family home or duplex and/or accessory structures (except decks) shall be set back at least 15 feet from existing or proposed shore protection structures. If the single-family home or duplex and/or accessory structures cannot be located at least 15 feet landward of the shore protection structure, the Department shall reduce the required setback if an engineering certification is submitted demonstrating that, after the proposed development has been constructed, the shore protection structure can be replaced within 18 inches of the existing shore protection structure and a conservation restriction that complies with N.J.A.C. 7:7-18 is recorded for the property which states that any reconstruction of a shore protection structure shall be within 18 inches of the existing shore protection structure. A site with coastal bluffs shall instead comply with (l)1 above.
(m) This general permit does not authorize any activities regulated under the Wetlands Act of 1970, 13:9A-1 et seq.
