BOROUGH COUNCIL. The governing
body of the Borough.
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BUILDING CODE OFFICIAL. A Borough
official certified by Labor and Industry under Section 103 of the
Pennsylvania Construction Code Act. The term includes an individual
certified in a category established under Chapter 401 of the Labor
and Industry Regulations to manage building code enforcement activities,
supervise building inspectors or plans examiners, issue building permits,
occupancy permits, notice of violations and orders to vacate, and
initiate prosecutions.
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CONSTRUCTION CODE OFFICIAL. A Borough
official or a third party agency appointed by the Borough to serve
as the Borough construction code official or a third party agency
certified by Labor and Industry under Section 103 of the Pennsylvania
Construction Code Act in an appropriate category established under
Section 701(b) of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act to perform
plan review of construction documents, inspect construction or administer
and enforce codes and regulations in that category under the Pennsylvania
Construction Code Act or related statutes which an applicant retains
to perform plan review.
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DEP. The Department of Environmental
Protection of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
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INTERMUNICIPAL AGREEMENT. The agreement
among Borough of Lititz, Elizabeth Township and Warwick Township as
of June 29, 2004, establishing the Warwick Area Appeals Board.[1]
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LABOR AND INDUSTRY. The Department
of Labor and Industries of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
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LABOR AND INDUSTRY REGULATIONS. All regulations adopted by Labor and Industry to implement the Pennsylvania
Construction Code Act.
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PENNSYLVANIA CONSTRUCTION CODE ACT. Act 45 of 1999, 35 P.S. § 7210.101 et seq., as amended.
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THIRD PARTY AGENCY. A person, firm
or corporation certified by Labor and Industry as a construction code
official and which may be contracted to perform plan review of construction
documents, inspect construction or administer and enforce codes under
the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act.
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BOROUGH. The Borough of Lititz,
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
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UNIFORM CONSTRUCTION CODE. The
Code adopted pursuant to the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act and
the Labor and Industry Regulations.
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101.2 Scope. These regulations
shall control all matters concerning the construction, alteration,
addition, repair, removal, demolition, location, occupancy and maintenance
of all buildings and structures and shall apply to existing or proposed
structures, except as such matters are otherwise provided for in other
ordinances or statutes, including, but not limited to, the Borough
Zoning Ordinance, Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance, Stormwater
Management Ordinance[1] or in the rules and regulations authorized for promulgation
under the provisions of this construction code. Whenever there is
a conflict between the provisions of this construction code and any
other Borough ordinance, including but not limited to the Zoning Ordinance,
it is the intent of the Borough Council that the more stringent requirement
shall apply. All construction which the Pennsylvania Construction
Code Act or the Labor and Industry Regulations exempt from compliance
with the Uniform Construction Code are exempt from the provisions
of this construction code. Items exempted from compliance with the
Uniform Construction Code by Sections 403.1(b) and 403.1(e) of the
Labor and Industry Regulations do not have to comply with the construction
code but shall comply with all other applicable Borough ordinances.
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SECTION 103
ADMINISTRATION
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103.1 Building Official. The Borough
Council shall appoint a person or persons to serve as a Building Code
Official and a Construction Code Official as those terms are defined
in the Labor and Industry Regulations. Both the Building Code Official
and the Construction Code Official shall be considered the Building
Official as such term is defined and used in this construction code.
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103.2 Powers and duties of building code
official and construction code official. The Building Code
Official shall have all powers set forth in the Labor and Industry
Regulations and shall have the powers and duties of the Building Official
set forth in this construction code. The Construction Code Official
shall have the powers set forth in the Labor and Industry Regulations
and may also have the powers of the Building Official set forth in
this construction code. The respective duties and responsibilities
of the Building Code Official and the Construction Code Official shall
be determined by the Borough Council and shall be within the limitations
of any certifications required or issued by Labor and Industry.
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103.2.1 The Building Code Official
shall serve at the pleasure of the Borough Council. The Building Code
Official shall provide supervision of the Construction Code Official,
receive uniform construction code permit applications, address citizen
inquiries, concerns and complaints, issuing building permits, occupancy
permits, and manage code enforcement activities, including, but not
limited to, issuing notice of violations and orders to vacate, and
initiation of prosecutions.
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103.2.2 The Construction Code Official
shall serve at the pleasure of the Borough Council. The Construction
Code Official shall perform plan review of construction documents,
issue construction code permits, inspect construction, provide the
Building Code Official with reports of inspections and recommendations
upon issuance of certificates of occupancy, and administer and enforce
this construction code. The Construction Code Official may be a third
party agency.
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103.2.3 An applicant for a construction
code permit shall submit two complete copies of the application to
the Building Code Official. The Building Code Official shall transmit
a complete copy of the construction code permit application to the
Construction Code Official for plan review, issuance of the construction
code permit, and inspection of construction. The Construction Code
Official shall notify the applicant when plan review has been completed,
and the applicant shall pay plan review and estimated inspection fees
to the Construction Code Official prior to issuance of the construction
code permit. The Construction Code Official shall notify the Building
Code Official when the work is complete and has successfully had its
final inspection. The Building Code Official shall issue the certificate
of occupancy after receipt of notification from the Construction Code
Official that the work has been finally inspected and all fees have
been paid.
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103.2.4 As an alternative to the
procedure set forth in Section 103.2.3 above, an applicant for a construction
code permit shall submit one complete copy of the application to the
Building Code Official together with plans which a third party agency
has reviewed and has certified to meet all requirements of this construction
code and the fee imposed by the Borough for administrative processing
of an application when the applicant has a third party agency review
the plans. If the documents are in satisfactory form, the Building
Code Official shall issue a construction code. The permit holder shall
arrange for all inspections with the Construction Code Official who
shall notify the Building Code Official when the work is complete
and has successfully had its final inspection. The Building Code Official
shall issue the certificate of occupancy after receipt of notification
from the Construction Code Official that the work has been finally
inspected and all fees have been paid.
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103.3 Organization. The Borough
Council shall appoint such other officers, technical assistants, inspectors
and other employees as shall be necessary for the administration of
this construction code.
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104.8 Liability. The Borough and
the Building Official shall have all immunities and rights granted
by the Pennsylvania Judicial Code, including, but not limited to Chapter
85.
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108.1.2 Time of payment of fees. An applicant for a permit under this construction code shall pay
the Borough's administrative fee to the Borough at the time of application.
If the applicant has not retained a third party agency for plan review,
prior to the issuance of a construction code permit, the applicant
shall pay to the Construction Code Official the plan review fee and
the estimated fee for all inspections required. If additional inspections
become necessary during the course of construction, the applicant
shall reimburse the Construction Code Official for all such costs
within 15 days after the date of an invoice for such costs. An applicant
shall pay to the Construction Code Official all fees and costs incurred
for all inspections required during the course of construction prior
to the issuance of a certificate of use and occupancy for the structure
for which a construction code permit has been issued.
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108.4 Work commencing before permit issuance. Any person who commences any work on a building, structure, electrical,
gas, mechanical or plumbing system before obtaining the necessary
construction code permits shall be subject to an additional fee for
expedited processing which shall be equal to the fee which should
have been paid at permit application. The expedited processing fee
shall be paid in full in addition to the normal application fee prior
to the issuance of a construction code permit.
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(10) A statement that the issuance of a certificate
of occupancy shall not be deemed permission to occupy the structure
or commence a use if any other ordinance requires the issuance of
a permit or certificate prior to use and occupancy.
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(9) A statement that the issuance of a certificate
of occupancy shall not be deemed permission to occupy the structure
or commence a use if any other ordinance requires the issuance of
a permit or certificate prior to use and occupancy.
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112.1 Board of Appeals. The Borough
hereby appoints the Warwick Area Appeals Board as the Board of Appeals
under the Borough of Lititz Construction Code. Members of the Warwick
Area Appeals Board shall be selected in accordance with the intermunicipal
agreement.
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112.2 Authority of Board of Appeals. The Board of Appeals shall hear and rule on appeals, requests for
variances and requests for extensions of time. An application or appeal
shall be based upon, and the board of appeals in making its decisions
shall consider, those factors set forth in the Labor and Industry
Regulations.
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112.3 Membership of Board of Appeals. A member of the Board of Appeals shall be qualified by training
and experience to pass on matters pertaining to building construction.
Members of the governing body may not serve on the Board of Appeals.
A Board of Appeals member may not cast a vote or participate in a
hearing in any appeal, request for variance or request for extension
of time in which the member has a personal, professional or financial
interest.
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112.4 Operation of board. The Board
of Appeals may establish policies and procedures necessary to carry
out its duties in accordance with the intermunicipal agreement. The
Board shall annually select one of its members to serve as Chairperson
and one of its members to serve as Vice Chairperson. The Board of
Appeals shall keep minutes of its meetings and file a written decision
on all appeals under this construction code. The Board of Appeals
shall provide notice of and conduct its meetings in accordance with
the Sunshine Act, 65 Pa. C.S.A. § 701 et seq.
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112.5 Procedures for applications and
appeals. Any person desiring to file an application or appeal
to the Board of Appeals may file such appeal with the Building Code
Official. All applications and appeals to the Board of Appeals shall
be in writing and shall specify the section of this construction code
from which relief is sought or the action of the Building Official
which is the subject of the appeal. The written application or appeal
shall state all of the grounds for the application or appeal and shall
include any necessary plans or specification to provide the Board
of Appeals with information to evaluate the application or appeal
and shall include the fee. No application appeal will be considered
complete without the necessary appeal fee. Any appeal from a determination
of the Building Official shall be filed within 20 calendar days of
the determination.
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112.5.1 Hearings. An applicant
or appellant who desires to present testimony to the Board of Appeals
shall request a hearing in the application or appeal. If the applicant
or appellant does not request a hearing, it will be assumed that the
Board of Appeals may render its determination based on the written
information submitted with the application or appeal and any additional
information available to members of the Board of Appeals.
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112.5.2 Parties. The Borough shall
be considered a party to all appeals or applications filed with the
Board of Appeals. Other persons affected by the appeal or application
who have made timely appearances of record may also be recognized
as parties to the appeal or application.
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112.5.3 Decision. The Board of
Appeals shall render its decision in writing within any time periods
imposed in state laws or Labor and Industry Regulations. The Board
of Appeals shall provide the applicant or appellant, the Building
Official and the Borough with copies of the appeal.
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113.1 Unlawful acts. It shall be
unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to erect, construct,
alter, extend, repair, remove, demolish, use or occupy, or to permit
the erection, construction, alteration, extension, repair, removal,
demolition, use or occupancy of, any building or structure or equipment
regulated by this construction code, or cause same to be done, in
conflict with or in violation of this construction code. It shall
also be unlawful for any person to place inaccurate or misleading
information on an application or plan or to omit relevant information
from an application or a plan submitted to the Borough.
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113.2 Notice of violation. The
Building Official may serve a notice of violation on any person responsible
for the erection, construction, alteration, extension, repair, removal,
demolition, use, permission to use, occupancy, or permission for occupancy
of a building or structure or equipment in violation of the provisions
of this construction code, or in violation of a detailed statement
or a plan approved thereunder, or in violation of a permit or certificate
issued under the provisions of this construction code. Such notice
shall order discontinuance of the illegal action or condition and
the abatement of the violation. Notwithstanding the foregoing, it
shall not be a defense to an enforcement action that the building
official did not serve or that the defendant did not receive a written
notice of violation prior to the institution of the enforcement action.
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113.2.1 If an inspection reveals
a violation of this construction code, the Construction Code official
shall discuss the inspection results with the permit holder at the
completion of the inspection.
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113.2.2 When a violation relates
to an unsafe building, structure, or equipment, the Building Official
shall proceed in accordance with Section 403.84 of the Labor and Industry
Regulations.
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113.3 Prosecution of violation. If the Building Code Official has served a notice of violation and
the notice of violation is not complied with within the time specified
by the Building Official, or if the Building Code Official determines
that there is insufficient time to serve a notice of violation or
that such notice of violation will have no practical or beneficial
effect, the Building Code Official shall notify the Borough Council
of the violation and shall request the Borough Council to authorize
institution of enforcement proceedings against the violator and/or
authorize the Borough Solicitor to institute the appropriate proceedings
at law or in equity to restrain, correct or abate such violation or
to require the removal or termination of the unlawful use of the building
or structure in violation of the provisions of this construction code
or of the order or direction made pursuant thereto. Notwithstanding
the foregoing, the Building Code Official may institute summary enforcement
proceedings without prior authorization of the Borough Council.
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113.4 Violation penalties. Any
person who shall violate a provision of this construction code or
who shall fail to comply with any of the requirements thereof or who
shall erect, construct, alter, extend, repair, remove, demolish, use
or occupy, or permit the use or occupancy of, any building or structure
or equipment regulated by this construction code in violation of the
provisions of this construction code or of an approved plan or of
a directive of the Building Official or of a permit or certificate
issued under the provisions of this construction code or who shall
permit the use, occupancy, erection, construction, alteration, extension,
removal, demolition or repair of the building or structure or equipment
in violation thereof, shall, upon being found guilty in an enforcement
proceeding commenced by the Borough, pay a penalty of not less than
$200 and not more than $1,000 for each violation, plus all costs of
prosecution, which fines and penalties may be collected as provided
by law. Each day that a violation continues shall be deemed a separate
offense, and each section of this construction code which is violated
shall be deemed a separate offense. The Building Official may request
the Police Department to make arrests for any offense against this
construction code or orders of the Building Official affecting the
immediate safety of the public.
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113.5 Abatement of violation. The
imposition of the penalties herein prescribed shall not preclude the
Borough Solicitor or the Building Official from instituting appropriate
action to prevent the unlawful construction or to restrain, correct,
or abate a violation, or to prevent illegal occupancy of a building,
structure or premises or to stop an illegal act, conduct, business,
or use of a building or structure on or about any premises.
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114.3 Unlawful Continuance. Any
person who shall continue any work in or about the structure after
having been served with a stop-work order, except such work as that
person is directed to perform to remove a violation or unsafe condition,
shall commit a violation of this construction code and shall be subject
to penalties or fines as provided in Section 113.4 and remedies as
provided in Section 113.5.
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PM-107.3.4 Service Fees for Reoccurring
Violations. When a property has been declared a "public nuisance"
due to refuse accumulation, insect, vermin or rodent infestation,
lack of required utilities, facilities, equipment or other property
maintenance violations, deemed a detriment to the occupants of a property
or the public-at-large and/or cause a blighting condition, the Borough
Code Official will notify the responsible party. In the event of a
reoccurrence of the violation within a twelve-month period, the following
service charges will be assessed against the responsible party:
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(1)
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First reoccurrence: $100
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(2)
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Second reoccurrence: $150.
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(3)
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Third through sixth reoccurrence: $200 per occurrence.
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(4)
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Seventh or subsequent reoccurrence: $300 per
occurrence.
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Repeat offender service fees shall be payable
to the Borough within 15 days of receipt of the Borough invoice setting
forth the service fee. Failure to timely pay said fee will result
in the Borough instituting appropriate action against the offender
to recover both the service fee and any related administrative fees.
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PM-107.3.5 Public Safety Official Notice
and Quick Ticket Citation Procedures. In addition to other
enforcement mechanisms available to the Borough under this chapter,
the Borough Code Official is authorized to issue public safety official
notices for Property Maintenance Code violations and quick ticket
citations for code violations regarding high weeds and grass, garbage
and rubbish, animal waste and health code violations. The fines for
the above-referenced violations shall be payable within 15 days. Repeat
offenders shall be subject to additional penalties. Failure to pay
the citation within 15 days may result in a summary citation being
issued through the local district judge's office. The forms of the
Public Safety Official Notice and Quick Ticket Citation are attached
to this article.[2] The forms of the Public Safety Official Notice and the
Quick Ticket Citation may be changed by resolution by Borough Council
from time to time.
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Blighted Property/Public Nuisance. Blighted property/public nuisance is defined as any one of the following:
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(1)
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Any premises which because of physical condition
or use is regarded as a public nuisance and has been declared as a
public nuisance in accordance with the local housing, building, plumbing,
fire or related codes;
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(2)
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Any premises which because of physical condition,
use or occupancy is considered an attractive nuisance to children,
including, but not limited to, abandoned wells, shafts, basement,
excavations, unsafe fences or structures;
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(3)
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Any dwelling which because it is dilapidated,
unsanitary, unsafe, insect or vermin infested or lacking in the facilities
and equipment required by this chapter, and has been designated by
the Borough Code Official as unfit for human habitation or occupancy;
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(4)
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Any structure which is a fire hazard, or is
otherwise dangerous to the safety of person or property;
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(5)
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Any structure from which the utility, plumbing,
heating, sewage or other facilities have been disconnected, destroyed,
removed, or rendered ineffective so that the property is unfit for
its intended use;
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(6)
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Any vacant or unimproved lot or parcel of ground
in a predominantly built-out neighborhood, which by reason of neglect
or lack of maintenance, has become a place of accumulation of trash
and debris or a haven for rodents and other vermin;
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(7)
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Any unoccupied property which has been tax delinquent
for a period of two years prior to the effective date of this article,
and those in future having a two-year tax delinquency; and
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(8)
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Any property which is vacant but is not tax
delinquent, which as not been rehabilitated within one year of the
receipt of notice to rehabilitate from either the Borough Code Official
of Borough Council.
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PM-303.8.2 Unlicensed or uninspected vehicles. Only one currently unregistered or uninspected motor vehicle shall
be parked, kept or stored on any premises in the Borough and in no
event, for more than 10 days. Motor vehicles that do not have current
license, current inspection or current registration must be stored
within a completely enclosed structure, unless a vehicle storage permit
is issued by the Code Official. A vehicle storage permit may be issued
only after an inspection is conducted by the Code Official. A vehicle
storage permit shall be valid for 90 days and may be extended by the
Code Official for an additional 90 days if special circumstances exist.
The permit fee for a vehicle storage permit shall be $75 and such
fee may be adjusted from time to time by resolution of the Borough
Council. However, no motor vehicle shall at any time be in a state
of major disassembly, disrepair or in the process of being stripped
or dismantled.
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This provisions of this section shall not apply
to the storage of motor vehicles on premises which otherwise comply
with applicable zoning regulations, such as automobile repair garages
or motor vehicles towing establishments. Such establishments shall
be permitted to store unlicensed or uninspected motor vehicles for
a period of not more than 60 days.
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