Bloomfield Township Code Chapter 508 requires every in-ground private swimming pool to be enclosed by a fence at least four feet in height, with substantial gates kept securely locked when the pool is not in use. Above-ground pools are exempt from the fence requirement, but access ladders or steps must be removed when the pool is not in use. The state Uniform Construction Code adopts the International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (N.J.A.C. 5:23-3.14), which adds barrier standards including self-closing, self-latching gates opening outward away from the pool for any pool capable of holding more than 24 inches of water.
Apply for a zoning permit and a construction permit through the Bloomfield Community Development Department before installing or replacing a pool or pool fence. Submit three sets of plans showing the plot plan, pool location, fencing, gates, and topography; in-ground pool plans must be sealed by a licensed New Jersey professional engineer or architect. Plans are reviewed for compliance with Chapter 508 and the Uniform Construction Code. Inspections of the barrier and gate hardware are performed before final approval and issuance of a certificate of approval. Above-ground pools are exempt from the fence requirement under Chapter 508 if the access ladder or steps are removed when the pool is not in use. Public and semipublic pools are governed separately under Chapter 508 Article II. Existing pools installed before current code amendments may be subject to nonconforming-use review when modifications are proposed.
Violations of Chapter 508 are enforced by the Community Development Department through stop-work orders, denial of certificates of occupancy, and municipal court complaints. The general penalty under Bloomfield Code Chapter 1 allows fines up to $2,000, community service up to 90 days, and/or imprisonment up to 90 days per offense, with each day a separate violation. Construction code violations under the UCC carry separate state penalties up to $2,000 per violation.
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