[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Committee of the Township
of Washington 10-5-1989 by Ord. No. 1989-7; amended in its entirety
12-3-2012 by Ord. No. 2012-12. Subsequent amendments noted where applicable.]
Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 26:1A-7, as amended, Chapter XI, Public
Campgrounds, of the New Jersey State Sanitary Code, and regulations
promulgated thereunder, being N.J.A.C. 8:22 et seq., as well as N.J.A.C.
5:10A et seq., are hereby adopted by the Township of Washington, to
be known as the "Washington Township Campground Code," as a minimum
set of standards and requirements applying to all campgrounds within
the Township for the purpose of assuring that camping units as well
as their servicing facilities located in the Township of Washington
are safe, sanitary and fit for human occupants and rental.
For purposes of definition and interpretation, the following sections of Ordinance 1983-3 and any amendments thereto, commonly known as the "Land Development Ordinance of Washington Township," as previously codified, are incorporated by reference into this chapter: § 275-6, Definitions; §§ 275-59 through 275-62, Site Plan Review; and § 275-74, Prohibited uses. As expressly cited therein, campgrounds or campsites are specifically prohibited uses and activities in all zoning districts of the municipality [§ 275-74B(1)]. Accordingly, the current existing campgrounds as preexisting business entities located in Washington Township have been deemed nonconforming preexisting business entities.
The Code Enforcement Officer of the Township of Washington is
hereby designated as the officer to exercise enforcement authority
described by this chapter and the code herein adopted.
The Code Enforcement Officer is hereby authorized and directed
to make all necessary inspections to determine the conditions of campgrounds
as well as their service facilities located within the Township of
Washington in order that he may perform his duties of safeguarding
the health and safety and general welfare of the public of Washington
Township. For the purpose of making such inspections, he is hereby
authorized to enter, examine and survey, at all reasonable times,
all campsites as well as their facilities. The owner or occupant of
every campsite, or the person in charge thereof, shall give the Code
Enforcement Officer free access to any such campsite as well as its
facilities at all reasonable times for the purposes of such inspection,
examination and survey. In the case of rented sites, every occupant
of said site shall give the owner thereof, or his agent or employee,
access to any part of such campsite as well as its facilities, at
all reasonable times, for the purpose of making such repairs or alterations
as are necessary to effect compliance with the provisions of this
chapter or with any lawful rule or regulation adopted or any lawful
order issued pursuant to the provisions of this chapter or any other
Washington Township ordinance related to campgrounds.
A.
Whenever the Code Enforcement Officer determines that there are reasonable
grounds to believe that there has been a violation of any provision
of this chapter, or other campground regulation, he shall give notice
of such alleged violation to the person or persons responsible thereof
as hereinafter provided. Such notice shall:
(1)
Be put in writing;
(2)
Include a statement of the reasons why it is being issued;
(3)
Show a reasonable time for the performance of any act required;
(4)
Be served upon a campground owner or his agent or upon the owner
of a unit or his agent, or the occupant, as the case may require,
provided that such notice shall be deemed to be properly served upon
him personally, or a copy thereof is posted in a conspicuous place
in or about the camping unit or facility affected by the notice, or
he may be served such notice by any other method authorized or required
under the laws of the State of New Jersey.
B.
If the owner, agent or occupant, whichever is applicable, within
30 days shall not comply with the notice of violation issued by the
Code Enforcement Officer, the Code Enforcement Officer shall forthwith
cause a summons to issue, citing the particular violation or violations
therein, and which summons is returnable in the Municipal Court of
the Township of Washington, being the joint Court of the Township
of Washington and Township of Bass River. The Township of Washington
may also take steps to obtain injunctive relief in a court of competent
jurisdiction if it deems such action necessary for the health and
safety of its occupants.
[Amended 5-4-2021 by Ord. No. 2021-05]
No person shall occupy, as owner or occupant, or shall rent
or make available to another for occupancy, any campground unit for
residential purposes.
This prohibition shall include any temporary, seasonal or year-round
residential occupancy by any owner, manager, caretaker, or employee
of the campground. Notwithstanding anything aforegoing, however, each
campground within the Township may designate one campsite, which must
be registered with the Code Enforcement Officer, which may be occupied
on a full-time basis by one caretaker. However, this provision shall
not be deemed to create a legal residence or family dwelling within
a campground and is solely for purposes of allowing one full-time
caretaker to care for the campground.
For the calendar year 2021 only, the camping season shall run
for the period from April 1 to November 15. Commencing on April 1,
2022, and in every year thereafter, the camping season shall run for
the period from April 1 to November 1. From November 1 to April 1,
the occupancy of any one camping unit, other than the caretaker's
unit, shall prohibited.
A.
The owner or designated manager of every campground shall maintain
a log or other identifying registration documentation of every campground
unit which is occupied. The log shall contain:
B.
[1]Additionally, in the event any camping units are kept stored
in the designated on-site storage area as permitted in this chapter,
the log shall contain the name and address of the owner of each camping
unit so stored, together with the motor vehicle number and make and
model of such camping vehicle.
[1]
Editor’s Note: Former Subsection B, regarding the period
from November 1 to April 1, was repealed 5-4-2021 by Ord. No. 2021-05.
This ordinance also renumbered former Subsection C as Subsection B.
No campsite or camping unit shall be fewer than 50 feet from:
Recreational campfires for camping and/or cooking/warming shall
be confined entirely to fireplaces, grills and fire rings, which shall
be located in a safe, convenient location. Said campfire sites shall
be located where they will not constitute a fire hazard to vegetation,
undergrowth, trees or camping units. Ceremonial fires and bonfires
shall be permitted only subject to permits and regulations of the
New Jersey Bureau of Forest Fire Management. No fires may be utilized
for the disposal of waste or debris, including, for the sake of definition
but not limited to, paper and cardboard, garbage, waste wood and building
materials, and leaves and vegetative litter cleaned from campsites.
All recreational campfires shall be subject to the applicable permits,
regulations and restrictions of the New Jersey Bureau of Forest Fire
Management.
Water supply wells and distribution systems shall be subject
to the applicable sections of Chapter XI, Public Campgrounds, of the
New Jersey State Sanitary Code, including, but not limited to, N.J.A.C.
8:22 et seq. and N.J.A.C. 5:10 et seq. as well as any other law or
regulation pertaining to wells generally.
General camping areas for wilderness-type or group use (camping
areas without designated or established individual sites for occasional
overnight camping without permanent structures or facilities) shall
not be permitted without prior site plan review and approval from
the Township Planning Board.
Sewage disposal systems, including collector systems, disposal
fields, holding tanks and dumping stations, shall be subject to the
applicable sections of Chapter XI, Public Campgrounds, of the New
Jersey State Sanitary Code, as well as any other law or regulation
pertaining to septic systems generally.
A.
Applications for the development, enlargement or renovation of a campground shall be subject to site plan review of the Land Development Ordinance (Chapter 275, Article IX, § 275-59 et seq.). The fee requirement shall not apply to any proposed development to an existing building, facility or campsite which is situated in an existing approved campground, which development:
B.
For purpose of this section, "development" shall include, in addition to the definitions set forth in §§ 155-1 and 155-2, creation or expansion of day uses and beach, picnic and play areas which will exceed 1,500 square feet; or the creation or expansion of areas for the riding or other use of livestock, all-terrain vehicles or off-road recreational vehicles of any type; or the creation or expansion of sales or service facilities, buildings or areas, as permitted by any agency of the State of New Jersey.
A.
It shall be unlawful for any person or corporation to maintain or
operate a campground within the limits of Washington Township without
first obtaining a campground license from the Township Committee.
Each campground license shall expire December 31 of the year in which
issued. A new license may be obtained from the Township Clerk, upon
submittal of the applicable license application and fee, a review
by the Code Enforcement Official, and upon approval of the Township
Committee for each succeeding calendar year in which operation of
the campground is sought to be continued; provided, however, that
no such license shall be issued if there is outstanding and unresolved
any notice of an alleged violation issued pursuant to this chapter
or other applicable Township ordinances. In such event, the license
shall be issued conditioned upon the resolution of the violations
by the appropriate judicial authority.
B.
The annual license fee for every campground is hereby fixed at $300
for campgrounds plus $4 for each campsite. Such fee for the first
operating license, if issued after July 1 for any new campground,
or an expanded portion of an existing campground, shall be prorated
for the balance of the year from the date of the issuance of the license.
Thereafter, the annual fee shall be paid on or before January 31 of
each year. In addition to the fees listed above, a fee of $6 per stored
camping unit shall be due for each unit which is kept at a campground
for storage purposes only, in accordance with the State Code.
Mobile homes, as defined by the Washington Township Land Use
Ordinance and the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, shall
be prohibited units within campgrounds, campsites, camping areas and
storage areas. Camping vehicles may be located on campsites for recreational
uses only, or in the designated storage area for storage purposes
only. The total number of damaged, disabled, abandoned or wrecked
camping vehicles or vacant vehicles that are temporarily stored for
private sale by their individual owner that may be in the storage
area shall be no more than 5% of the total number of campsites in
the campground. Business sales of camping vehicles shall be limited
to designated sales areas and shall be subject to the applicable regulations
of the State Motor Vehicle Commission and any necessary approvals
of sales business by Washington Township and the Planning and Zoning
Board.
No owner or designated manager of a campground shall rent, lease
or allow the occupancy of a mobile unit, mobile home, trailer or camping
vehicle in a campground, campsite or camping area, if such unit is
owned by the campground. This does not include cabin structures, if
permitted by the Washington Township Planning and Zoning Board and
were approved by the Construction Code Official.
Dogs kept by the occupant of a campsite shall be licensed, collared
and tagged in accordance with the applicable ordinances and regulations
of either Washington Township or the jurisdiction of permanent residence
of the occupant. All dogs shall be subject to the control and leash
requirements of the Township of Washington.
No accessory construction of cabins, lodges, other structures, foundations, lean-tos, storage sheds, decks, platforms, additional rooms, pads or similar appurtenant construction shall be allowed unless the development is in conformance with zoning regulations, construction permits, applicable state codes, and any other applicable codes, regulations, and ordinances, except as provided in § 155-24E. Applications and permits, and the construction and/or development as approved, may be done only by the owner of the campground or his manager or agent.
A.
The right-of-way width for internal roads and driveways shall meet the requirements of § 275-92, Roadway construction standards, of the Land Development Ordinance, and § 275-86, Fire hazard management standards, Subsection C(1), (2) and (3), for emergency access. All such driveways shall be maintained to a width and height clearance to permit and not impede access for emergency service vehicles in the event of a fire, accident or other public emergency, during such times that the campsite area or general camping area in question is open for occupancy or use on a daytime and/or overnight basis.
B.
It shall be the responsibility of the owner to provide to local emergency
service agencies, including the local fire company and ambulance squad,
a current map of the campground, indicating, at a minimum, the access
roads, general camping/campsite areas (by number) and any other pertinent
major facilities and features.
C.
Road signs shall be installed and maintained to indicate the location
of campsite areas and general camping areas. In the event that the
primary access road to a campsite area or general camping area is
blocked by a gate, cable or similar security/access device, it shall
be the responsibility of the campground owner or manager to assure
that reasonable unimpeded access is provided for emergency service
vehicles in the event of a fire, accident or other public emergency,
during such times that the campsite area or general camping area in
question is open for occupancy or use on a daytime and/or overnight
basis.
D.
The following information shall be printed on waterproof material
and prominently posted at the campground office and at all public
telephone areas:
(1)
The names of the campground owner and caretaker;
(2)
The telephone numbers at which the owner and caretaker may be reached;
(3)
The 9-1-1 locatable street address and municipality of the campground
or, if the telephone is at a different location than the campground
office, the 9-1-1 locatable street address of that telephone unit
(including any applicable indication of the associated campground
section, area, site, building or other facility); and
(4)
The locations and telephone numbers of the local emergency medical
service, the local Fire Department, the local police, and the nearest
acute-care hospital.
E.
Address and directional signs.
(1)
All sites are to be identified by signs with four-inch-high contrasting
numbers. Said signs should be posted between approximately three feet
and eight feet high, shall not be obstructed by vegetation, and shall
conform with the 9-1-1 Addressing Ordinance.[1]
(2)
Reflector "Exit" and pointed-arrow signs shall be posted at all intersections.
A.
Camping vehicles occupying either a campsite or storage area shall be registered, over-the-road motor vehicles and trailers and shall be licensed in New Jersey or the state of residence of the unit owner. For purposes of this section, "camping vehicle" shall include, in addition to the definitions set forth in §§ 155-1 and 155-2, vehicles which may be legally driven or towed by a passenger motor vehicle on a highway and are registered by the State Department of Motor Vehicles as a recreational vehicle or identified permanently as "travel trailer" or "recreational vehicle" by the manufacturer.
B.
Further, camping vehicles shall remain equipped with axles and wheels
and may be stabilized temporarily with jacks, stands or other devices
which are normal camping or motor vehicle equipment. The construction
of permanent foundations, columns, pillars and similar structures
shall be prohibited.
Any person, firm, or corporation who shall violate the provisions
of this chapter shall, upon conviction, be punished by a fine not
exceeding $500 or be imprisoned in the Burlington County Jail for
a period not to exceed 90 days, or shall suffer both fine and such
imprisonment, and each illegally occupied campsite shall be deemed
to constitute a separate and distinct offense for each day during
any part of which such violation is permitted to exist.
If any word, phrase, clause, section or provision of this chapter
shall be found by any court of competent jurisdiction to be unenforceable,
illegal or unconstitutional, such word, phrase, clause, section or
provision shall be severable from the balance of the chapter, and
the remainder of the chapter shall remain in full force and effect.
A.
Each campsite shall consist of a minimum of 900 square feet, including
the parking place.
B.
Each camping unit may be placed on the campsite without regard to
the prospective site boundary lines as long as there is maintained
a ten-foot separation between the camping unit and any roofed structure
in excess of 100 square feet or such separation between units as may
be imposed by the State of the New Jersey.
C.
Each campground owner shall submit, with its application for a license for the year 2013, a campground plan drawn by the owner or the owner's agent. The campground plan shall show the dimensions of each campsite and each deck or shed and show the fifty-foot setback line from any public streets, community streets or rights-of-way and/or adjacent private property lines. Any new development pursuant to the prototype plans hereinbelow identified in § 155-24E must maintain the fifty-foot required setback. Existing campsites intruding into the required fifty-foot setback may be continued as prior nonconfirming uses. Campground owners shall submit annually, with their application for license renewal, a certification of compliance of the campground with applicable DCA rules and regulations. These certifications shall be submitted annually after the initial submission required by this subsection. No new campsite or new accessory development shall encroach into wetlands and associated buffer areas as regulated by the Department of Environmental Protection of the State of New Jersey.
D.
The Township Code Enforcement Officer shall make annual inspections
and shall be permitted to make other inspections at any reasonable
time. The campground will comply with all rules and regulations as
required by DCA guidelines and Township ordinances. The inspection
going forward will be of all campsites, and the inspection of all
sites shall maintain the minimum separation distance of 10 feet between
units, with or without decks adjacent or attached to such units, and
a roofed structure in excess of 100 square feet. Isolated freestanding
open decks without railings, that are less than 24 inches off the
ground, shall, however, maintain a five-foot separation between any
unit, or decks adjacent to or attached to such unit, or roofed structure
in excess of 100 square feet. All sheds placed on the site shall be
constructed of metal or nonflammable material and shall not exceed
100 square feet and shall be limited to one shed per campsite unless
approved by the Planning and Zoning Board. Movement of a park model
from one site to another, or any modification to an existing site,
including but not limited to decks and accessory buildings, shall
not be subject to Township Planning and Zoning Board approval. The
campground owner shall pay all fees necessary to obtain the required
permits from the Township and New Jersey DCA. For any accessory structure
to be placed on a campground site, the campground owner will present
to the Building Inspector a sketch of what is to be constructed, fill
out a form prepared by the Building Inspector for the issuance of
a building permit, pay the established fee, which is based on a percentage
of the construction cost, and obtain a zoning permit by filling out
a form prescribed by the Township for local development review and
zoning certification and submit a zoning permit fee as established
by Township ordinance. The application of this section applies only
to units requiring a permit as determined by the DCA or Township ordinances.
E.
The Township shall not require an application or appearance before the Municipal Planning/Zoning Board, provided that the campsite is in accordance with one of the typical prototype plans submitted to the Township (attached to this chapter as Exhibit A-1, A-2, A-3 and A-4).[1] Nothing shall prohibit a campground from seeking approval
of additional prototype plans before the Washington Township Planning
and Zoning Board, or approved by resolution of the governing body
of the Township of Washington. The DCA guidelines also provide that
preexisting/unpermitted construction additions and enclosures (including
Florida rooms) that are accessory to either park models or RV units
are subject to inspection and permitting by the Building Inspector.
Premanufactured Florida rooms and enclosures and additions shall not
require Planning and Zoning Board review, provided they are not "stick
built" and conform to the prototypes.
[1]
Editor's Note: See Prototype Campsite Plans A-1 through A-4,
included in this chapter as Attachment 1.
F.
No utility services (including but not limited to electricity, water
supply and/or wastewater disposal) may be extended to, expanded within
or otherwise modified for either preexisting or new prototype accessory
constructions on campsites (including but not limited to decks, rooms
and/or sheds) without first obtaining the necessary approvals and
permits from the Construction Code Official.
Campground owners shall supply the Township with existing approvals
and copies of all certificates, permits and approvals on an annual
basis which may be issued by any state or county agency with respect
to sanitary sewers, including the approximate location of the individual
campsite septic system, and have existing approval.
The campground owner shall reserve and limit 20% of the available
campsites to nonpark models. Accordingly, park models of any dimension
shall not exceed 80% of the total number of campsites.
All preexisting decks, rooms, Florida rooms, additions, sheds,
and isolated decks of individual campsites, as shown on the campground's
diagram, shall be considered and treated as a preexisting and nonconforming
condition and shall not be required to comply with spacing requirements
as set forth herein, provided that they are certified in the initial
one-time zoning permit.
This chapter shall become effective upon final adoption and
publication in the manner prescribed by law.
Any ordinance inconsistent herewith is hereby repealed to the
extent of such inconsistency.
