Property maintenance rules for non-residential properties: Ordinance #2603

What it does. Ord. #2603 adds Section 3-21, “Property Maintenance Excluding Residential Dwelling Unit Uses,” to the township’s police regulations. The outside of a non-residential property must be kept “in general keeping with the standards of the zoning district” and must not have a “blighting effect” on its neighbors. Construction scaffolds may stay up no more than eight weeks without the Zoning Officer’s written permission; landscaping in public view must be kept trimmed; refuse may not be stored outside more than two weeks; inoperable or unlicensed vehicles may not be kept; paint and siding must not be left deteriorating.

Enforcement. The Zoning Officer, the only enforcing officer, gives the owner 10 days’ written notice to comply, extendable to no more than 30 days. After that, a summons can be issued, with a fine of up to $2,000, each day a separate offense. As another remedy, after a hearing before the Township Committee, the township may do the work and charge the cost as a lien added to the property’s taxes. Homes of every type are exempt “in their entirety.” There is no private right to sue under it.

The votes. Introduced Aug. 11, 2026, 5-0; adopted Aug. 25, 2026, 4-0 (Asay, Hodges, Tompkins, Duarte McCarthy; McNally absent). At the hearing five residents spoke in support and one not in support, the minutes say. The record does not say what prompted the ordinance.

What residents can do. Report conditions to the township’s Zoning Officer. The explainer sets out the text. Corrections can be emailed to info@localwhy.org.