For the purposes of this chapter, the following words shall
have the following meanings:
NOISE DISTURBANCE
Any sound that annoys or disturbs a reasonable person with
normal sensitivities, or any sound that injures or endangers the comfort,
repose, health, hearing, peace or safety of other persons.
PERSON
An individual, or any association, partnership, corporation,
company, sole proprietorship, or other business entity, including
any officer, employee, workman or agent thereof.
It shall be unlawful for any person to cause or to permit to
occur any noise disturbance in Hatfield Township.
The following acts are declared to be noise disturbances in
violation of this chapter. Noise disturbances include, but are not
limited to, the following:
A. Operating or causing to be operated any motorized or power equipment
outdoors or inside an open garage or open shed outside the hours of
7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 8:00 a.m. and
6:00 p.m. on Sundays on property that is zoned or used for a nonresidential
purpose or on residential property where a permit for the work being
performed has been issued or is required.
B. Music or similar sounds which emanate from a social gathering which
can be heard beyond the boundaries of the property on which the event
is occurring after 10:00 p.m.
C. Intermittent yet repetitive or sustained sound which emanates from
business activity on a property which can be heard beyond the boundaries
of the property on which the business activity is occurring outside
the hours of 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
D. Using or operating any recreational gas-powered off-road vehicles,
including, but not limited to, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), snowmobiles
and dirt bikes, outside the hours of 9:00 a.m. through sunset Monday
through Saturdays, nor before 10:00 a.m. and after sunset on Sundays
and legal holidays.
The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to:
A. The emission of sound for the purpose of alerting persons to the
existence of an emergency.
B. The emission of sound in the performance of emergency work.
C. Noise generated from Township-sponsored or approved celebrations
or events.
The Board of Commissioners, or its designee, may waive the prohibitions
set forth in this chapter when compliance with any provision is shown
to the satisfaction of the Board of Commissioners or its designee
to be unreasonable or to cause undue hardship due to peculiar conditions
pertaining to the activity in question, provided that any such modification
of the provisions of this chapter can be demonstrated to provide sufficient
protection from a noise disturbance. Any waiver pursuant to this section
shall be permitted only upon written request submitted by the person
subject to the prohibitions contained herein.