This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the “Parks, Conservation Areas and Recreation Places Rules Ordinance of Dickinson Township.”
[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Supervisors of the Township of Dickinson 3-19-2001 by Ord. No. 1-2001. Amendments noted where applicable.]
The background of this chapter and the legislative intention of the Board of Supervisors (“Board”) in enacting it are as follows:
A.
The Township of Dickinson is a municipal township of the second class.
D.
Section 2203(b) of the Code further provides as follows:
“(b) | The Board of Supervisors may prescribe rules for the use by the public of parks and recreation grounds and the facilities and amusements connected therewith and post the rules at conspicuous places in the parks or recreation grounds. Any person who violates the rules commits a summary offense.” |
E.
The Board of Supervisors intends to adopt rules and regulations to provide for the peaceable enjoyment by the public of Township parks, conservation areas and recreation places, and further intends to prosecute any violation of such rules as a summary offense.
[Amended 6-21-2004 by Ord. No. 2004-3; 10-1-2025 by Ord. No. 2025-01]
The following rules and regulations shall govern the use of all parks, conservation areas and recreation places owned or leased by Dickinson Township and which are held open to use by the general public:
A.
Protection and preservation of property, natural resources and wildlife. No person, except those authorized by Dickinson Township shall, in Dickinson Township parks, conservation areas or recreation places:
(1)
Pursue, hunt, trap, kill or in any manner deliberately disturb any wild bird, animal or reptile.
(2)
Destroy, injure or remove any tree, flower, shrub, plant or growing thing, or any rock or other mineral.
(3)
Throw, discharge or otherwise place or cause to be placed in any stream, pond, lake, other body of water or waters, any bottles, glass, paper, boxes, cans, dirt, rubbish, waste, garbage, refuse, trash or other substance, matter or thing, liquid or solid, which may result in the pollution, obstruction or cluttering of said waters. All such items shall be placed in receptacles provided for such purpose, and where such receptacles are not provided, all such materials shall be carried from the park and properly disposed of elsewhere. No person shall bring any of such items into a park, conservation area or recreation place for the sole purpose of disposing of the same in a manner prohibited by this clause.
(4)
Destroy, deface, damage, injure, disturb or defile any part of any park or recreation place or any buildings, signs, structures, improvements, utilities or other tangible items found therein.
B.
General rules and regulations. All persons, except those authorized by the Township and conducting Township business, shall, in parks, conservation areas and recreation places, comply with the following:
(1)
Parks, conservation areas and recreation places shall be open daily from dawn to dusk. No person shall be present in such areas at other times.
(2)
All pets must be on a leash and under the control of a responsible person. No pets shall be permitted to run at large. No person shall allow any dog, cat, or other domesticated animal under his/her control or ownership to defile, befoul, corrupt or otherwise desecrate such areas,
(3)
All children under the age of six shall be accompanied by a responsible person.
(4)
Groups may reserve pavilions in park areas; however, park areas surrounding the pavilions shall remain open to the general public at all times during park hours. The Board of Supervisors shall adopt guidelines, from time to time, for the reservation of pavilions, which guidelines shall be administered by the Township Secretary. Among other matters, the guidelines shall govern the award of reservations when there are competing requests and shall promote the award of reservations in a fair manner so as to ensure equal access to all residents. The use of pavilions shall not interfere with the general use of the park by members of the public.
(5)
All motor vehicles shall be parked in areas or places provided and designated for such parking. Parking is prohibited after regular closing time.
C.
Prohibited acts. No person shall engage in any of the following prohibited acts:
(1)
There shall be no overnight camping.
(2)
It shall be unlawful for any person to carry, possess, consume, or be under the influence of alcoholic beverages or controlled substances. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the sale, service, possession, and consumption of beer and/or wine may be permitted under the following conditions:
(a)
A special event is occurring in a Public Park of Dickinson Township. For purposes of this section, a "special event" shall mean any event that is hosted by Dickinson Township that the Board of Supervisors has deemed beneficial to the community in its discretion. For purposes of this section, a "public park" shall mean any areas of the Township operated pursuant to the authority of Chapter 137 of the Code of Dickinson Township.
(b)
An entity wishing to participate in the special event makes a request to the Board of Supervisors to participate in the special event by selling or serving beer and/or wine to the public, and the Board of Supervisors subsequently approves such request in its discretion by resolution.
(c)
The entity participating in the special event provides a certificate of liability insurance to the Township which names the Township as an additional insured.
(d)
The entity selling or serving beer and/or wine shall remain compliant with all Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board ("LCB") rules and regulations, including obtaining a special occasion permit or other required approvals from the LCB.
(e)
Any individual selling or serving beer and/or wine on behalf of the entity shall be certified by the Pennsylvania Responsible Alcohol Management Program ("RAMP").
(f)
All beer and/or wine is purchased or served from an entity participating in the special event. The entity selling or serving beer and/or wine shall be responsible for complying with 47 P.S. § 4-493(1).
(g)
All beer and/or wine for consumption in the park is served or sold in open, non-breakable containers.
(h)
Any beer and/or wine sold in bottles shall not be opened or consumed in the park.
(i)
All service, sale, possession, and consumption of beer and/or wine is limited to persons of legal age.
(j)
All beer and/or wine sold or served for on-site consumption may only be consumed on-site at the special event in the Public Park of Dickinson Township.
(3)
It shall be unlawful to carry, possess or use a firearm.
(4)
It shall be unlawful to make or cause any loud or offensive noises. Any amplification used within a pavilion shall be controlled to not project sound beyond the confines of the pavilion.
(5)
It shall be unlawful to hunt or trap any animal or reptile. Activities involving the training or exercising of dogs or birds of prey for hunting, pursuit, or killing purposes are prohibited and constitute a violation of this prohibition and Subsection A(1) of this section.
(6)
It shall be unlawful to carry, possess, use or set off any fireworks.
(7)
It shall be unlawful to start any fire, except solely in confined areas clearly designated for such purposes. It shall be unlawful to allow any fire to continue burning after departing.
(8)
Entry to the Barnitz Mill shall be prohibited until such time as it is open to the general public and a sign to that effect has been erected. The prohibited area of the Barnitz Mill shall include the immediate surrounding land within the confines of any fence or other barrier erected to preclude entry.
(9)
It shall be unlawful to operate any motorized vehicle, including motorcycles, motorized dirt bikes, snowmobiles, all terrain vehicles, and similar means of conveyance, whether licensed or unlicensed, in any park, conservation area or recreation place, excepting that licensed motor vehicles are authorized to enter upon access ways to parking areas and to park in designated parking areas.
(10)
No skateboards, roller skates, or in-line skates (also known as “roller blades”) shall be used, operated or allowed on any improved surface or in any structure erected in such areas.
(11)
No person shall conduct himself within the park so as to annoy any other person using the park for recreational purposes.
(12)
No person shall hold any meeting or gathering assembled through advertisement or public notice or any gathering otherwise assembled and composed of 10 or more persons, within the limits of the park, without having first made application to the Township for a permit therefor. Such permit shall indicate the park locations in the park where such gathering or meeting shall be held, and such gathering shall not be held at any other park location within the park. Said park locations shall be established by resolution. The application for such permit shall be in the name of a person who shall be responsible for seeing that all refuse left by the group shall be placed in proper containers before leaving the park. Each permit will require a deposit and rental fee for any shelter or facility used by the group. Said rental fee shall be established from time to time by resolution.
(13)
No person shall set up any booth, table or stand for the sale of any article whatsoever within the limits of the park without the written consent of the Township, which shall have authority to refuse such consent in any instance.
(14)
No person shall climb any tree or sit, stand or walk on any park sign, park structure or park building not customarily utilized for such purposes.
(15)
No remote control and/or hobby devices are permitted to be operated within the confines of the park unless approval is obtained from the Township.
D.
It is the policy of Dickinson Township not to subject its taxpayers to payment of costs associated with any park event not sponsored by Dickinson Township. Therefore, direct costs incurred by the Township in relation to a park event not sponsored by the Township shall be borne by the applicant. Costs shall be limited to direct out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Township such as, but not limited to, wages paid to Township employees, special fire police wages, trash removal and the cost of temporary sign and barricade rentals. No approval shall be issued until all costs for prior park events approved for the applicant shall have been paid in full.
The Dickinson Township Code Enforcement Officer shall administer the provisions of this chapter and shall have authority to prosecute any violations of this chapter.
A.
Any person who violates or permits a violation of this chapter shall, upon conviction in a summary proceeding brought before a District Justice under the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure, be guilty of a summary offense and shall be punishable by a fine of not less than $50 nor more than $1,000, plus costs of prosecution. In default of payment thereof, the defendant may be sentenced to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 90 days. Each day or portion thereof that such violation continues or is permitted to continue shall constitute a separate offense, and each section of this chapter that is violated shall also constitute a separate offense.
B.
Further, in addition to any penalty, any violator shall be required to pay the cost of repair, replacement or restoration of any park, conservation area or recreation place damaged, destroyed, defaced, or defiled by such violator and for any natural tree, shrub, plant, vegetation or man-made objects removed by such violator.