The Zoning Officer is the first Brick Township official with whom the typical property owner meets in the process of making an application to develop vacant land or upgrade existing properties for minor activities including adding a shed or fence to more complicated projects such as the construction of a new shopping mall.
Zoning Officers are certified through two educational certificate programs in cooperation with the New Jersey Association of Planning and Zoning Administrators and the Centers for Government Services at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Students must successfully complete seven (7) courses relative to the New Jersey Municipal Land Use Law and must accrue twenty (2) hours of continuing education annually to maintain their certificate.
The intent and purpose of zoning is to promote public health, safety, morals and general welfare through appropriate land use. Zoning Officers work in collaboration with the Township Administrator and Mayor’s Office, Municipal Planner, Engineer, Construction Code Official, Traffic Safety Office and a variety of other departments to ensure orderly and compliant development and activities within the Township of Brick. The Zoning Officer is the municipal employee charged with enforcing the Zoning Code, maintaining the Zoning Ordinance and drafting revisions or changes to the Zoning Code in collaboration with the governing body. The Zoning Officer also serves as staff to the Zoning Board of Adjustment, reviews applications for “C” or bulk variances, issues development review reports and attends all Board Hearings.
The Township of Brick (Land Use Code Section 245) is administered and enforced by the Zoning Officer. The Zoning Officer reviews and approves applications for zoning permits. The Zoning Officer also investigates complaints of zoning violations and takes appropriate enforcement action. In order to prevent violations and assist in compliance, the Zoning Officer also meets with property owners, business managers and land use professionals to provide information.
Zoning permits are required for many projects including but not limited to:
- New home
- Garage
- Additions
- Pools
- Sheds
- Fences
- Decks
- Change of Use in Commercial Building
- Commercial Construction
The Zoning Office falls within the Township’s Organizational Structure within the Department of Administration under the Division of Land Use & Planning. The Township of Brick Zoning Officer is staffed with two full-time employees.
Christopher Romano
Zoning Officer
Chris earned his bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Stockton University and has been an employee of the Township of Brick since 2009