Homeowners planning additions or new construction in Millburn and Short Hills will face updated rules for how much house they can build after the Planning Board unanimously endorsed a rewrite of the township's residential floor area ratio formula, Patch reported.

The board found Ordinance 2756-26 consistent with the master plan, clearing a required procedural step before the Township Committee can hold a public hearing and vote on adoption. That hearing is set for Tuesday, Aug. 11 at 7 p.m. at the Millburn Education Center, 434 Millburn Ave.

What the ordinance changes

The measure rewrites how Millburn calculates residential FAR, the ratio of a home's total floor area to its lot size. It removes an existing deduction tied to a 7-foot ceiling height standard and spells out how double-height interior spaces and upper-level floor area beneath sloping roofs count toward the total.

Township Planner Graham Petto said at the ordinance's June 18 first reading before the Township Committee that it was introduced "to align the floor area ratio definition with the Uniform Construction Code by correcting inconsistencies in the 7-foot ceiling height standard and clarifying the calculation," according to Township Committee minutes.

The resolution language states the current definition "may create ambiguity in the measurement of upper-level floor area beneath sloping roofs and in the treatment of double-height interior spaces, which can result in uncertainty in zoning administration and development review."

Why it matters locally

FAR caps determine how large a home can be relative to its lot. In practice, ambiguity in the old formula has sent homeowners to the Zoning Board of Adjustment for variance relief. In 2026 alone, owners at 3 Ridge Terrace in Short Hills sought approval for a 40.9% FAR where 36% is permitted in the R-6 zone, and a homeowner at 42 Campbell Road requested 39.6% against the same 36% cap.

The ordinance's stated goal is more consistent, objective measurements that better match existing neighborhood scale and simplify enforcement for homeowners and builders.

How it got here

Committeeman David Cosgrove introduced the ordinance on June 18 and all five Township Committee members voted in favor on first reading. The Planning Board's master plan consistency review is required under state law before the committee can adopt a zoning amendment. With that unanimous endorsement now in hand, the ordinance advances to its public hearing.

The ordinance cites the township's master plan goal of protecting "the character of established residential neighborhoods" and encouraging development "at an appropriate scale and density."

Residents can weigh in at the Tuesday, Aug. 11 public hearing, the only Township Committee meeting scheduled for August. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. at the Millburn Education Center, 434 Millburn Ave.