[Adopted 3-13-1964 by Ord. No. 1964-3 (Ch. 5, Part 2, of the 1990 Code)]
[Amended 8-11-1967 by Ord. No. 1967-7; 4-11-1990 by Ord. No. 1990-1]
There is hereby adopted by the Board of Commissioners of the Township of Swatara for the purpose of establishing rules and regulations governing the construction of buildings and structures including the plumbing, drainage and electrical wiring systems thereof, their alteration, removal, demolition, equipment, use and occupancy, location and maintenance, and providing for permits and penalties, that certain building code known as the BOCA National Building Code, recommended by the Building Officials and Code Administrators International, Inc., being particularly the Tenth Edition, 1987, save and except such portions as are hereinafter deleted, modified or amended, of which not less than three copies have been and now are filed in the office of the Secretary of the Township of Swatara and the same are hereby adopted and incorporated as fully as if set out at length herein, and from the date on which this article shall take effect, the provisions thereof shall be controlling in the construction of buildings and structures (and signs) including the plumbing, drainage and electrical wiring systems thereof, their alteration, removal, demolition, equipment, use and occupancy, location and maintenance, within the limits of the Township of Swatara.
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
CORPORATION COUNSEL
The Solicitor for the Township of Swatara.
MUNICIPALITY
The Township of Swatara.
PERSON
Any person, partnership, firm or corporation.
A. 
All regulations established by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in any fire and panic code, building code, or safety code, shall be observed for all construction covered by such codes, and no building permit shall be issued which fails to so comply.
B. 
The plans for any new construction, remodeling, or alteration of any structure coming under the requirements of the Commonwealth's Fire and Panic Act No. 299 and/or the Commonwealth's Building Code, shall be submitted by the owner to the Division of Building Plans, Bureau of Inspection, Department of Labor and Industry, for approval prior to the issuance of a building permit.
C. 
The Building Official shall issue no building permit for which approval is required by the Building Plans Division of the Bureau of Inspection of the Department of Labor and Industry of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania without such approval having been previously given.
Nothing in this article or in the Building Code hereby adopted shall be construed to affect any suit or proceeding now pending in any court, or any rights acquired, or liability incurred, nor any cause or causes of action accrued or existing, under any act or ordinance repealed hereby. Nor shall any right or remedy of any character be lost, impaired or affected by this article.
The invalidity of any section or provision of this article or of the building code hereby adopted shall not invalidate other sections or provisions thereof.
In interpreting and applying the provisions of this code, they shall be held to be the minimum requirements for the promotion of the health, safety and general welfare. It is not intended to annul other rules, regulations or ordinances, provided that where two or more ordinances conflict, whichever code or ordinance imposes a greater restriction upon the use of a building or premises, the provisions of the ordinance or code imposing the greatest restriction shall control.
[Amended 2-10-1967 by Ord. No. 1967-1; 8-11-1967 by Ord. No. 1967-7; 7-12-1968 by Ord. No. 1968-5; 5-10-1974 by Ord. No. 1974-10; 1-8-1975 by Ord. No. 1975-1; 6-11-1975 by Ord. No. 1975-7; 4-14-1976 by Ord. No. 1976-9; 12-9-1981 by Ord. No. 1981-6; 4-11-1990 by Ord. No. 1990-1]
The following sections of the BOCA National Building Code, Tenth Edition, 1987, are hereby revised as follows:
A. 
Section 100.0, Scope, § 100.1, Title, is amended by inserting "Swatara Township."
B. 
Section 103.0, Existing Structures, § 103.4, Rehabilitation, is hereby deleted in its entirety.
C. 
Section 105.0, Demolition of Structures, is hereby deleted in its entirety.
D. 
Section 109.0, Department of Building Inspection, § 109.1, is hereby amended to read as follows:
§ 109.1 Administrative Provisions. For the purposes of this code, the Code Official shall be the Code Enforcement Officer established in the Code of Ordinances of the Township of Swatara, Chapter 128, Article I. The Code Enforcement Officer shall be responsible for the administration and enforcement of this code as set forth in the Code of Ordinances of the Township of Swatara, Chapter 128, Article I, Administration.
E. 
Section 109.0, Department of Building Inspection, §§ 109.2 through 109.7, are hereby deleted in their entirety.
F. 
Sections 110.00 through 121.0 are hereby deleted in their entirety.
G. 
Section 117.0, Violations, § 117.4, is hereby amended to read as follows:
117.4 Violation Penalties: Any person who shall violate any provision of this code or who fails to comply with any of the requirements thereof, or who shall erect, construct, alter or repair, or has erected, constructed, altered or repaired, a building or structure or portion thereof, in violation of a detailed statement or plan submitted and approved thereunder, shall, upon conviction thereof, be sentenced to pay a fine of not more than $1,000 and costs of prosecution, or, in default, of payment of such fine and costs, to undergo imprisonment for not more than 30 days. Also, the owner of a building or structure or portion thereof, or of the premises where anything in violation of this code shall be placed or shall exist, and an architect, engineer, builder, contractor, agent, person or corporation employed in connection therewith and who may have assisted in the commission of such violation shall be guilty of a separate offense, and shall, upon conviction thereof, be sentenced to pay a fine not less than $30 nor more than $1,000 and costs of prosecution, or, in default of payment of such fine and costs, to undergo imprisonment for not more than 30 days. Whenever any such person shall have been notified by the Building Official of such violation, by prosecution or in any other manner, each day thereafter that such violation shall continue shall constitute a separate violation hereof and may be punishable as such hereunder.
H. 
Sections 123.0 through 124.0 are herby deleted in their entirety.
I. 
Section 502.0, Area Modifications, § 502.2, is hereby deleted in its entirety.
J. 
Section 512.0, Physically Handicapped and Aged, §§ 512.1 through 512.4.1, are hereby deleted and the following paragraph is substituted:
512.1 Where Required: Buildings and facilities required to be accessible to the physically handicapped and aged shall comply with all applicable regulations established by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
K. 
Section 625.0, Swimming Pools, §§ 625.1 through 625.9.1, are hereby deleted and the following paragraphs are substituted:
625.1 Classification of Pools: A private swimming pool shall mean one that is not open to the public, is not publicly owned or is not otherwise regulated by the State of Pennsylvania either by statute or rules or regulations of one of its administrative bodies or agencies. Any swimming pool other than a private swimming pool shall be classified as a public swimming pool.
625.2 Swimming Pool - Private: Private swimming pools shall conform to the requirements established in Chapter 257, Swimming Pools, of the Code of the Township of Swatara.
625.3 Swimming Pool - Public: Public swimming pools shall conform to the standards listed in § 625.2 as amended above as well as all applicable regulations established by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
L. 
Section 1002.0, Fire Suppression Systems, is amended by adding the following paragraph:
1002.23 Sprinkler System: Notwithstanding any provisions hereinbefore set forth, in all buildings four stories or fifty feet or more in height, whichever is greater, regardless of use group or area per floor, the fourth and all higher stories shall be sprinklered.
M. 
Section 2700.0, General, § 2700.1, is hereby amended to read as follows:
2700.1 Scope: The provisions of this article shall control the design and construction of all new installations of electrical conductors, equipment and systems in buildings or structures and all alterations to existing wiring systems therein to insure safety. All such installations shall conform to the provisions of the Electrical Code established in Chapter 128, Article V, of the Code of the Township of Swatara.
N. 
Section 2700.0, General, § 2700.3, is hereby amended to read as follows:
2700.3 Electric Installation Standards: Conformance of installation of electric conductors and equipment to the Electrical Code established in Chapter 128, Article V, of the Code of the Township of Swatara, shall be the prima facie evidence that such installations are reasonably safe for use in the service intended and in compliance with the provisions of this code.
O. 
Section 2702.0, Inspection and Tests, § 2702.1, is hereby amended to read as follows:
2702.1 During Installation: During the installation of electric systems and equipment, the electrical inspection agencies approved under the Electrical Code of the Township of Swatara shall make necessary inspections to insure compliance with the provisions of this article, except as provided in § 2704.0.
P. 
Section 2702.0, Inspection and Tests, § 2702.2, is hereby amended to read as follows:
2702.2 Concealing Work: Work in connection with an electrical system shall not be covered or concealed until it has been inspected and permission to do so has been granted by the approved electrical inspection agency or the Code Enforcement Officer.
Q. 
Section 2702.0, Inspection and Test, § 2702.3, is hereby amended to read as follows:
2702.3 Final Inspection and Test: On completion of the work, the approved electrical inspection agency shall inspect the work and cause tests to be made of the operation of the entire system to insure compliance with all requirements.
R. 
Section 2703.0, Temporary Use, § 2703.1, is hereby amended to read as follows:
2703.1 Permission: The Code Official may give temporary permission for a reasonable time to supply and use current in part of an electric installation before such installation has been fully completed and the final certificate of approval has been issued. The part covered by the temporary certificate shall comply with all the requirements specified for temporary lighting, heat or power in the Electrical Code of the Township of Swatara.
S. 
Section 2704.0, Permit and Certificate of Inspection, § 2704.1, is hereby amended to read as follows:
2704.1 General: Electrical wiring or equipment shall not be installed within or on any building, structure or premises, nor shall any alteration be made in any such existing installations, without first securing approval and a permit from the building official except as provided in § 2704.2. It shall be unlawful to use or allow the use of, or to supply current for an electrical system in a building or structure, unless the required permit has been issued by the building official and the required certificate of inspection has been issued by an approved electrical inspection agency.
T. 
Section 2704.0, Permit and Certificate of Inspection, §§ 2704.3 and 2704.4 are hereby deleted in their entirety.
U. 
Section 2705.0, Existing Installations, § 2705.3, is hereby amended to read as follows:
2705.3 Additional Loads: When additional electrical loads are to be connected to existing service in buildings or structures in other than buildings of Use Group R, the building official may permit actual maximum demand figures to be used to establish the existing load. New loads shall be computed in accordance with the requirements of the Electrical Code of the Township of Swatara.
V. 
Section 2706.0, Emergency Electrical Systems, § 2706.1, is hereby amended to read as follows:
2706.1 General: Emergency electrical systems are those systems required to automatically supply power for illumination and equipment in the event of failure of the normal power supply. The emergency electrical system shall conform to the Electrical Code of the Township of Swatara, except as otherwise provided herein. The systems shall pick up their connected loads within 10 seconds after failure of the normal power supply and shall operate under all weather conditions.
W. 
Section 2707.0, Standby Power Systems, § 2707.1, is hereby amended to read as follows:
2707.1 General: Standby power systems are those intended to automatically supply power to selected loads required by this code, other than those classified as emergency systems, in the event of failure of the normal power source. Standby power systems shall conform to the Electrical Code of the Township of Swatara, except as otherwise provided herein. The systems shall pick up their connected loads within 60 seconds of failure of the normal power supply and shall operate under all weather conditions.
X. 
Section 2807.0, Private Sewage Disposal, § 2807.1, is hereby amended to read as follows:
2807.1 General: Private or individual sewage disposal systems shall comply with the Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act, Act 537, as amended, approved January 24, 1966, and all amendments and supplements thereto, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, Title 25, Pennsylvania Code, Chapters 71, 72, and 73.
Y. 
Section 2901.0, Plans, Specifications, and Permits, § 2901.2, is hereby amended to read as follows:
2901.2 New Signs: A new sign shall not hereafter be erected, constructed, altered or maintained except as herein provided, and until after a permit has been issued by the building official.
Z. 
Section 2902.0 is hereby deleted in its entirety.
AA. 
Section 2906.0 is hereby deleted in its entirety.
BB. 
Section 2907.0, General Requirements for All Signs, § 2907.5, is hereby deleted in its entirety.
CC. 
Section 2908.0, Ground Signs, § 2908.2, is hereby deleted in its entirety.
DD. 
Section 2909.0, Roof Signs, is hereby deleted in its entirety.
EE. 
Section 2910.0, Wall Signs, is hereby deleted in its entirety.
FF. 
Article 31, Energy Conservation, is hereby deleted in its entirety.