Wayne, NJ Accessory Structures: Garage Conversions (2026)

The garage rule sits in § 134-62.1(A) of Chapter 134, Land Development, under Article IV, Supplementary Zoning Regulations, in Wayne Township, Passaic County. It says all dwelling units, except as otherwise provided for in the ordinance, shall be equipped and maintained with at least 1 accessory garage having not less than 231 square feet in floor area. The garage can be attached to the dwelling, built into it, or separately constructed. The word maintained matters for a conversion: the code asks for the garage to stay in place, not only to exist when the house is built.

Parking is tied to the same section. Subsection C requires every dwelling unit to have a minimum of two off-street accessory parking spaces. Subsection B requires each newly erected dwelling to have a driveway improved with asphalt, paving stone, brick paver, concrete or similar surface, and it states that gravel driveways shall not be permitted. Driveway grades run from a 1% minimum to a 12% maximum, and residential driveways must sit a minimum of three feet from the side property lines.

Size caps also apply if a homeowner plans to replace a converted garage with a new one. Subsection F caps accessory garage lot coverage on a property zoned or used for single-family residential at 700 square feet. Subsection G caps the total coverage of all accessory buildings on single-family lots, including the garage, at seven percent of the lot area or 1,000 square feet, whichever is less.

Article IV opens in § 134-60 with a purpose clause: any deviation proposed from the use and bulk requirements of the article requires a variance pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:55D-70. A conversion that leaves a dwelling without the 231 square foot garage is therefore a question to put to the Zoning Officer before any work starts. Section 134-61.1(B) names the Construction Official as the officer who issues building and occupancy permits.