The purpose of this chapter is to provide for
both the present and future designation of certain township-owned
areas as parks or recreation areas and to provide for the establishment
of rules and regulations for the use thereof by the public.
[Amended 9-10-1996 by Ord. No. 9-1996]
The following rules and regulations are hereby
established for the management and protection of the township's public
parks and recreation areas (collectively referred to herein as the
"parks"). These regulations apply to all real property, including
land, waters, structures, buildings and all other facilities, owned
by West Goshen Township and used, operated and maintained by it for
park and recreation purposes.
A. Hours of operation. The parks shall be open daily
to the public from sunrise to sundown. At sundown, all activities
in the parks, with the exception of those activities under the direct
supervision of the Park and Recreation Board or by those persons issued
validly existing permits or other written authorization by the township
as hereinafter provided, shall cease; and all unauthorized persons
in the parks shall promptly leave. Except as above provided, no person,
other than authorized township employees, shall be in the parks between
the hours of sundown and sunrise.
B. Protection of park property. No person shall injure,
deface, remove, cut, dig or damage any of the trees, plants, shrubs,
turf, earth, sand, buildings, structures, fixtures or other park facilities.
C. Removal of park equipment. No person shall remove
any bench, seat or table or other recreational equipment or facility
from the parks or change the location thereof without the written
permission of the Parks' Superintendent or other authorized representative
of the Board or at his direct instruction in his presence.
D. Disorderly conduct prohibited. No person shall conduct
himself within the parks by making or causing to be made any loud,
boisterous or unseemly noise or disturbance which annoys or has the
consequence of annoying any other person lawfully in the parks. Any
person violating this provision or who violates any provision of the
Pennsylvania Crimes Code or any township ordinance proscribing disorderly
conduct, harassment, disturbance of the peace or other crime against
persons or property may be immediately expelled from the parks by
the Superintendent of Parks or his designee or a police officer.
E. Permits required.
(1) No person and no group or organization composed of
25 or more persons shall hold any meeting, gathering or activity (hereafter
"activity") assembled through public or private advertisement or notice,
whether written, oral or electronic, within the parks without first
having made written application to and having been issued a valid
permit by the Township Manager or his designee. The permit application
shall specify the sponsoring person or organization, the approximate
number of persons attending the activity, the hours for which the
activity is scheduled, the nature of any equipment which the permittee
intends to bring to the park in connection with the activity, the
park facilities requested to be used and and such other pertinent
information as the Township Manager may require. The application for
such permit shall be made at least 72 hours prior to the time of the
planned activity for which the permit is being requested.
(2) Such permit shall specify location or locations within
the park where such gathering, meeting or activity will be held, which
limitation shall circumscribe the only permitted location thereof.
Use of any park facilities or areas not authorized by the permit shall
constitute sufficient grounds for expulsion of the activity from the
parks. The application for such permit shall be in the name of a person
who shall be responsible for the collection and immediate removal
by the permittee from the park following the activity of all refuse
and other material utilized in connection with such activity. In the
event that containers have been provided by the township within the
park, they may be utilized for disposal of such refuse if they are
sufficiently empty to accommodate the amount of refuse produced by
the activity. In no event shall refuse be allowed to spill from township-provided
containers or left in and around the containers or at other locations
in the park.
F. Police security required. For all activity for which
police security is deemed necessary by the township, such security
shall be supplied and paid for by the sponsor(s) of the activity and
shall be a condition of the issuance of the permit. The township may
require a security deposit to insure payment of the police security.
G. Vehicular restrictions. Except in designated parking
areas, with the exception of motorized wheelchairs, motor vehicles
or motorized equipment of any kind shall not be allowed on park grounds
or waters without prior written permission of the township, provided
that this preclusion shall not apply to township vehicles used for
park maintenance or other necessary activity approved by the township.
H. Sound equipment. Sound-amplification equipment shall
be permitted in the parks only by prior written permission of the
township.
I. Sales and structures prohibited. No person shall set
up any booth, table, stand, vehicle or other structure whatsoever
within the parks without the prior written consent of the Park and
Recreation Board, which shall have authority and discretion to refuse
such consent in any instance. No person shall sell or offer for sale
any object or merchandise or any other object of value, whether corporeal
or incorporeal, in the park, unless so specified by a permit which
is first obtained for such purpose from the Township Manager.
J. Disposal of waste materials. No person shall dispose
of any organic or inorganic waste, garbage, hazardous substances or
other refuse (hereafter "waste materials") in the parks, except in
the township-supplied receptacles designated for that purpose, provided
that no such waste materials shall be disposed of in such receptacles
unless resulting from activities by persons lawfully using the parks
for their intended purpose. All persons using the parks shall dispose
of all such waste materials left by them in such township-supplied
receptacles. No person shall bring into, leave in or throw, cast,
lay, drop or cause to be discharged into or on the parks or their
waters any waste materials or sick, diseased or dead animals.
K. Restriction of animals. No person shall allow any
animal owned by him, in his custody or under his control to run at
large in any park, provided that a duly licensed dog, when restrained
by a leash not exceeding eight feet in length, may be brought into
the parks when in the custody or control of its owner or another.
Any animal not leashed as aforesaid and found within any park may
be seized and taken into custody for disposition pursuant to the Pennsylvania
Dog Law. All persons exercising control of animals in the parks
shall be responsible for immediately cleaning up and disposing of
any animal waste resulting from their presence in the parks.
L. Posted rules and regulations. All persons shall adhere
to the rules and regulations established by the township's Park and
Recreation Board and approved by the Township Supervisors, which are
posted by the township in the parks and which govern and restrict
conduct therein. No person shall injure, deface or destroy any notice,
rule or regulation posted at any place within the parks. Any person
violating this subsection shall be subject to expulsion from the parks
and to prosecution, if warranted under the law.
M. Distributing or displaying advertising materials prohibited.
No person shall distribute advertising materials in the parks or post,
place or distribute any handbill, sign, notice, placard or other device
on any tree, fountain, post, railing, fence, building or any other
structure in or surrounding the parks nor display any advertising
material of any kind on any vehicle within the parks.
N. Water facility restrictions. No basin, pool, lake
or fountain in any park shall be fouled by stone, wood or any other
substance or waste materials nor shall any such waters or facilities
be used for swimming, bathing, wading, boating or other similar activity,
provided that nothing herein shall preclude the township from designating
any body of water as suitable for swimming or unmotorized boating,
subject to its being posted by the township as approved for such use.
O. Setting of fires prohibited. No person shall ignite,
start, set or maintain any fire or perform or conduct any cooking
activities in the parks except in stoves, grills or fireplaces provided
and maintained by the township for that purpose.
P. Certain fireworks prohibited. No person shall fire, discharge or
set off any fireworks or firecrackers of any nature whatsoever; provided,
however, that special fireworks displays may be given under the auspices
and direction of the Township or upon issuance of a special permit
by the Township Manager to a person authorized by state law to conduct
such display, under and subject to such rules and regulations as the
Park and Recreation Board shall attach to any such activity.
[Amended 3-11-2015 by Ord. No. 3-2015]
Q. Intoxicating beverages prohibited. Intoxicating, beverages
are prohibited in the parks. No person shall bring any intoxicating
beverages into the parks, either for his own use or for the use of
any other person. Violation of this provision shall subject the violator
to expulsion from the parks.
R. Recreational activities. Activities, such as baseball,
football, soccer, tennis, volleyball and other games and recreational
activities, may be played in the parks in locations designated by
the township and posted for such purposes and subject to such rules
and regulations as may be prescribed by the Park and Recreation Board
from time to time.
S. Smoking and vaping shall be prohibited in the parks.
Violation of this provision shall subject the violator to expulsion
from the parks.
[Added 8-9-2006 by Ord. No. 10-2006; amended 3-21-2023 by Ord. No. 4-2023]
T. Rules and regulations for the use of the Robert E Lambert skatepark. All persons using the skatepark shall adhere to the rules and regulations which are set forth on
Exhibit A which is attached hereto.
[Added 8-9-2006 by Ord. No. 10-2006; 3-21-2023 by Ord. No. 4-2023]
U. Rules and regulations for the use of the dog park at the Robert E Lambert Park. All persons using the dog park shall adhere to the rules and regulations which are set forth on
Exhibit B which is attached hereto.
[Added 8-9-2006 by Ord. No. 10-2006;
amended 3-21-2023 by Ord. No. 4-2023]
V. Additional regulations. The township's Park and Recreation
Board shall have the authority to establish such additional rules
and regulations, from time to time, as approved by the Supervisors,
necessary in its opinion for the proper governance of the parks. Such
regulations shall become effective when approved by resolution duly
adopted by the Supervisors, without the necessity of inclusion in
this chapter.
[Amended 6-23-1993 by Ord. No. 9-1992; 7-24-1996 by Ord. No. 7-1996]
Any person who violates or permits the violation
of any provision of this chapter shall, upon being found liable therefor
in a civil enforcement proceeding commenced by the township before
a District Justice, pay a fine for each such violation in an amount
not less than $100 and not more than $600 plus all court costs, including
reasonable attorney fees, incurred by the township. No judgment shall
be imposed until the date of the determination of a violation by the
District Justice. If the defendant neither pays nor timely appeals
the judgment, the township may enforce the judgment pursuant to the
applicable rules of civil procedure.