Stafford Township, NJ Zoning Overlays & Bonuses: Density Bonus Law (2026)

Stafford Township ties its printed density bonus to Pinelands cluster development in the Forest Area Zone (FA). Section 211-10S governs clustered single-family dwelling units and sets the permitted density at one unit per 17 acres. Subsection S(2) calculates the number of residential lots allowed in the cluster from the parcel size and that base density, with a bonus applied by parcel size: zero bonus units for parcels under 50 acres, a 20% bonus for parcels between 50 and 99.99 acres, a 25% bonus between 100 and 149.99 acres, and a 30% bonus for parcels of 150 acres or more.

Clustering is required once a project reaches two units. Section 211-10B requires clustering of the permitted dwellings whenever two or more units are proposed as part of a residential development, and it starts from a minimum lot area of 17.0 acres.

The bonus comes with design and land-protection conditions. Cluster lots are one acre in size, larger only if unusual site conditions dictate, and the average lot size within a cluster cannot exceed 1.1 acres. The minimum yard and building requirements of the Pinelands Village (PV) Zone in § 211-12B apply. The development area must be located near existing roads and existing developed sites, be buffered from nonresidential land uses and conform to the minimum environmental standards of N.J.A.C. 7:50-6. Recreation amenities for residents cannot occupy more than 1/2 acre or the equivalent of one acre for every 25 residential lots, whichever is greater.

The balance of the parcel outside the cluster must be owned and managed by a homeowners' association, a nonprofit conservation organization or Stafford Township, or be incorporated into one of the cluster lots. It is permanently protected by a deed of conservation restriction that the Pinelands Commission can enforce, with no more than 5% of the land cleared and no more than 1% covered with impervious surfaces. Under § 211-10R, unclustered single-family dwellings are a conditional use only where the Planning Board finds clustering inconsistent with N.J.A.C. 7:50-6 or disruptive to forest contiguity, and the minimum lot size is 17 acres.