Old Bridge, NJ Building Safety: Childcare Center Rules (2026)

Old Bridge Township Code § 250-41A lists day-care centers and nursery schools as conditional uses in the R-30, R-20, R-15, R-12, R-9, R-7, R-6, R-5 and A-F Zones, meaning an operator needs conditional-use approval from the Planning Board rather than a by-right zoning permit. The minimum lot size is one acre. Parking areas, driveways and dropoff areas must be screened from adjoining residential land with a landscaped or natural buffer at least 35 feet wide, and on-site traffic circulation must let parents drop children off safely without grid-locking or blocking the street serving the site.

Facilities must also meet Subchapter 5, Physical Facility Requirements, of the state Manual of Standards for Childcare Facilities issued by the New Jersey Department of Human Services, Division of Youth and Family Services. Signage is capped at one freestanding sign no larger than eight square feet: no facade signs, and none of the mobile, flashing or neon types associated with commercial retail. The center must also sit on a local or collector roadway rather than an arterial route. Applications run through the Department of Community Development and the Planning Board as part of site plan review, where the buffer width, traffic circulation plan and sign package are measured against these numeric standards before a conditional-use permit is granted.