[Adopted as § 2-20 (Ord. No. 269) of the 1970 Revised General Ordinances]
Pursuant to the provisions of N.J.S.A. 40:55D-1 et seq., a Planning Board consisting of nine members is established and created.
The Planning Board shall be divided into the following four classes:
A. 
Class I: the Mayor.
B. 
Class II: one of the officials of the Borough, other than a member of the Borough Council, to be appointed by the Mayor, provided that if there is an Environmental Commission, the member of the Environmental Commission who is also a member of the Planning Board, as required by N.J.S.A. 40:56A-1, shall be deemed to be the Class II Planning Board member in the event that there be among the Class IV members of the Planning Board both members of the Zoning Board of Adjustment and a member of the Board of Education.
C. 
Class III: a member of the Borough Council to be appointed by it.
D. 
Class IV: six other citizens of the Borough to be appointed by the Mayor. The members of Class IV shall hold no other municipal office, except that one member may be a member of the Zoning Board of Adjustment and one may be a member of the Board of Education. A member of the Environmental Commission, if any, who is also a member of the Planning Board, as required by N.J.S.A. 40:56A-1, shall be a Class IV Planning Board member unless there be among the Class IV members of the Planning Board both a member of the Zoning Board of Adjustment and a member of the Board of Education, in which case the member common to the Planning Board and the Environmental Commission shall be deemed to be a Class II member of the Planning Board.
A. 
The term of the member composing Class I shall correspond to his official tenure. The terms of the members composing Class II and Class III shall be for one year or terminate at the completion of the respective terms of office, whichever occurs first, except for a Class II member who is also a member of the Environmental Commission. The term of a Class II or Class IV member who is also a member of the Environmental Commission shall be for three years or terminate at the completion of his term of office as a member of the Environmental Commission, whichever occurs first. The term of a Class IV member who is also a member of the Board of Adjustment or Board of Education shall terminate whenever he is no longer a member of such other body or at the completion of his Class IV term, whichever occurs first. The terms of all Class IV members first appointed under this article shall be so determined that to the greatest practicable extent the expiration of such terms shall be distributed evenly over the first four years after their appointment, as determined by resolution of the Borough Council, provided that no term of any member shall exceed four years and further provided that nothing herein shall affect the term of any present member of the Planning Board, all of whom shall continue in office until the completion of the terms for which they were appointed. All terms shall run from January 1 of the year in which the appointment is made.
B. 
There shall also be two alternate members appointed by the Mayor with the consent of the Council who shall be designated at the time of appointment as "Alternate No. 1" and "Alternate No. 2." Of the alternates first appointed one shall be appointed for a two-year term and one shall be appointed for a one-year term. Thereafter, the term of each such alternate member shall be two years. All terms shall run from January 1 of the year in which the appointment is made.
[Added 12-16-1998 by Ord. No. 552]
C. 
Alternate members may participate in discussion of the proceedings but may not vote except in the absence or disqualification of a regular member. A vote shall not be delayed in order that a regular member may vote instead of an alternate member. In the event that a choice must be made as to which alternate member is to vote, Alternate No. 1 shall vote.
[Added 12-16-1998 by Ord. No. 552]
D. 
All regular and alternate members of the Planning Board shall be citizens of the Borough of Alpine.
[Added 12-16-1998 by Ord. No. 552]
If a vacancy in any class occurs other than by expiration of term, that vacancy shall be filled by appointment as above provided for the unexpired term.
The Planning Board shall elect a Chairman and Vice Chairman from the members of Class IV and shall select a Secretary, who may or may not be a member of the Planning Board or a municipal employee, and create and fill such other offices as established by ordinance.
There is hereby created the office of Planning Board Attorney. The Planning Board may annually appoint, fix the compensation of or agree upon the rate of compensation of the Planning Board Attorney, who shall be an attorney other than the Municipal Attorney.
The Planning Board may also employ or contract for the services of experts and other staff and services as it may deem necessary. The Board shall not however exceed, exclusive of gifts or grants, the amount appropriated by the Borough Council for its use.
[Amended by Ord. No. 304]
The Planning Board is authorized to adopt rules and regulations for the administration of its functions, powers and duties. It shall also have the following powers and duties:
A. 
To prepare, adopt or amend a Master Plan or component parts thereof to guide the use of lands within the Borough in a manner which protects the public health and safety and promotes the general welfare.
B. 
To administer the provisions of Chapter 195, Subdivision of Land, and Chapter 179, Site Plan Review, in accordance with the provisions of these ordinances and N.J.S.A. 40:55D-37.
C. 
To participate in the preparation and review of progress or plans required by state or federal law or regulations.
D. 
To assemble data on a continuing basis as part of a continuous planning process.
E. 
To consider and report to the Borough Council within 35 days after referral as to any proposed development regulation submitted to it, pursuant to the provisions of N.J.S.A. 40:55D-26(a), and also pass upon other matters specifically referred to the Planning Board by the Borough Council, pursuant to the provisions of N.J.S.A. 40:55D-26(b).
F. 
Grant of relief.
(1) 
When reviewing applications for approval of subdivision plats, site plans or conditional uses, to grant to the same extent and subject to the same restrictions as the Zoning Board of Adjustment:
(a) 
Variances, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:55D-70(c);
(b) 
Direction, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:55D-34, for issuance of a permit for building or structure in the bed of a mapped street or public drainageway, flood control basin or public area reserved, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:55D-32; and
(c) 
Direction, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:55D-36, for issuance of a permit for a building or structure not related to a street.
(2) 
Whenever relief is requested, pursuant to this subsection, notice of a hearing on the application for development shall include reference to the request for a variance or direction for issuance of a permit as the case may be.
G. 
At the request of the developer, the Planning Board shall grant an informal review of a concept plan for a development for which the developer intends to prepare and submit an application for development. The developer shall not be required to submit any fees for such an informal review. The developer shall not be bound by any concept plan for which review is requested, and the Planning Board shall not be bound by any such review.
H. 
To perform such other advisory duties as are assigned to it by ordinance or resolution of the Borough Council for the aid and assistance of the Council or other agencies or officers.
The Mayor may appoint one or more persons as a Citizens Advisory Committee to assist or collaborate with the Planning Board in its duties, but such person or persons shall have no power to vote or take other action required of the Board. Such person or persons shall serve at the pleasure of the Mayor.
Whenever the Environmental Commission has prepared and submitted to the Planning Board an index of the natural resources of the Borough the Planning Board shall make available to the Environmental Commission an informational copy of every application for development to the Planning Board. Failure of the Planning Board to make such informational copy available to the Environmental Commission shall not invalidate any hearing or proceeding.