[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Supervisors
of the Township of East Bradford 8-10-1999 by Ord. No. 2-1999.
Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Peace and good order — See Ch. 80.
The purpose of this chapter is to protect property
owners from noise emanating from adjoining properties which is of
such a nature and during such times that it interferes with the reasonable
use and enjoyment of their properties.
As used in this chapter, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
Any natural person, corporation, partnership, joint venture,
sole proprietorship, firm, association and any other entity of whatever
type.
A.
Within all residentially zoned areas and commercial
and industrial uses adjacent to residentially zoned districts the
following standards shall apply between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and
6:00 a.m.
(1)
There shall be no nonresidential off-street loading
operation.
(2)
There shall be neither operation or idling of a vehicle
in excess of 8,600 pounds gross vehicle weight (GVW) on the property.
(3)
There shall be no outside operation for nonresidential
purposes of any power equipment, mobile refrigeration unit, powered
handtool, forklift, tractor or other similar vehicle except for snow
removal, emergency services or emergency repairs.
(4)
Other than police, fire, public service or ambulance
operator, no person shall sound any horn, bell, gong, siren, whistle
or make other unnecessarily loud noises except when reasonably required
to prevent accidents.
(5)
There shall be no outdoor loudspeakers or similar
amplification which may be heard beyond the property line.
B.
Between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., noise
emanating from any use in the township shall not exceed the level
of ordinary conversation at the lot boundaries. Short intermittent
noise peaks may be permitted if they do not exceed normal traffic
noise peaks at any point on the lot boundary.
C.
It shall be unlawful for any person to own, possess, control or harbor
any animal which makes noise continuously or repeatedly for a period
of at least 15 minutes or makes noise intermittently for 1/2 hour
or more to the disturbance of any person any time of the day or night,
regardless of whether the animal is physically situated in or upon
private property. Notwithstanding the foregoing, animal noise shall
not be considered a violation of this chapter if one of the following
exceptions apply:
[Added 6-12-2018 by Ord.
No. 01-2018]
(1)
Noise made by animals kept as part of a normal farming operation
as defined pursuant to the Pennsylvania Right to Farm Act, 3 P.S.
§ 951 et seq., or any similar legislation to protect normal
farming operations from legal actions, including nuisance actions,
which may have the effect of restricting lawful agricultural operations.
[Amended 6-12-2018 by Ord. No. 01-2018]
Any person violating or permitting the violation
of this chapter shall, upon being found liable therefor in a criminal
enforcement proceeding in the form of a summary offense under the
Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure, pay a fine of not more than
$1,000 nor less than $25, together with court costs and reasonable
attorneys' fees, and may be incarcerated for a period not exceeding
90 days. Such fine, costs, attorneys' fees and incarceration,
after being reduced to a final, unappealed judgment, shall be enforced
by the Township pursuant to the applicable rules of criminal procedure.
Each day or portion of a day of violation and each section of this
chapter violated shall constitute a separate violation.
