A.
No landowner, tenant nor lessee shall use or allow to be used any
land or structures in a way that results or threatens to result in
any of the following conditions:
(1)
Transmission of communicable disease, including conditions that may
encourage the breeding of insects or rodents.
(2)
A physical hazard to the public or a physical hazard that could be
an attractive nuisance that would be accessible by children.
(3)
Pollution to groundwater or surface waters, other than as authorized
by a state or federal permit.
(4)
Risks to public health and safety, such as but not limited to explosion,
fire or biological hazards.
B.
Additional information. If the Zoning Officer has reason to believe
that the proposed use may have difficulty complying with the standards
of this chapter, then the Zoning Officer may require an applicant
to provide written descriptions of proposed machinery, hazardous substances,
operations and safeguards.
A.
No principal or accessory use, or operations or activities on its
lot, shall generate a sound level exceeding the limits established
in the table below, when measured at the specified locations:
|
Sound-Level Limits by Receiving Land Use/District
| ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Land Use or Zoning District Receiving Noise
|
Hours/Days
|
Maximum Sound Level
| ||||
|
(1) At a lot line of a residential use in a residential district
|
6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., other than Sundays, Christmas Day, Thanksgiving
Day, New Years Day, Labor Day and Memorial Day
|
62 dBA
| ||||
|
9:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m., plus all of the following days: Sundays,
Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Years, Easter Sunday, Labor Day and Memorial
Day
|
55 dBA
| |||||
|
(2) Lot line of a principal residential use that is not in a
residential district
|
6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., other than Sundays, Christmas Day, Thanksgiving
Day, New Years Day, Labor Day and Memorial Day
|
65 dBA
| ||||
|
9:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m., plus all of the following days: Sundays,
Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Years, Easter Sunday, Labor Day and Memorial
Day
|
62 dBA
| |||||
|
(3) Any lot line other than (1) or (2)
|
All times and days
|
70 dBA
| ||||
|
NOTE: dBA means A-weighted decibel.
|
B.
The maximum permissible sound-level limits set forth in the above
table shall not apply to any of the following noise sources:
(1)
Sound needed to alert people about an emergency.
(2)
Repair or installation of utilities or construction of structures,
sidewalks or streets between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.,
except for clearly emergency repairs, which are not restricted by
time.
(3)
Lawn mowers, snowblowers, leaf blowers, and household power
tools between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.
(4)
Agricultural activities, livestock and other animals.
(5)
Public celebrations specifically authorized by the Township
Board of Commissioners or a county, state or federal government agency
or body.
(6)
Unamplified human voices.
(7)
Routine ringing of bells and chimes by a place of worship or
municipal clock.
(8)
Vehicles lawfully operating on a public street, railroads and
aircraft.
No use shall generate odors or dust that are offensive to persons
of average sensitivities beyond the boundaries of the subject lot.
This provision shall not apply to normal farming activities that are
exempted under the Pennsylvania Right to Farm Act.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See 3 P.S. § 951 et seq.
This section shall only regulate exterior lighting that spills
across lot lines or onto public streets.
A.
Streetlighting exempted. This section shall not apply to streetlighting
that is owned, financed or maintained by the Township or the state
or by a homeowner association; or an individual porch light of less
than six feet total height in a front yard (not including a spotlight).
B.
Height of lights. No luminaire, spotlight or other light source that
is within 200 feet of a lot line of an existing dwelling or approved
residential lot shall be placed at a height exceeding 35 feet above
the average surrounding ground level. This limitation shall not apply
to lights needed for air safety, nor lights intended solely to illuminate
an architectural feature of a building, nor lighting of outdoor public
recreation facilities or a ski resort.
C.
Diffused. All light sources, including signs, but other than LED
lighting, shall be properly diffused as needed with a translucent
or similar cover to prevent exposed bulbs from being directly visible
from streets, public sidewalks, dwellings or adjacent lots.
D.
Shielding. All light sources, including signs, shall be shielded
around the light source and carefully directed and placed to prevent
the lighting from creating a nuisance to reasonable persons in adjacent
dwellings and to prevent the lighting from shining into the eyes of
passing motorists.
E.
Flickering. Flashing, flickering or strobe lighting are prohibited,
except for nonadvertising seasonal lights between October 25 and January
10.
F.
Spillover. Exterior lighting on an institutional, commercial or industrial
property shall not cause a spillover of light onto a residential lot
that exceeds 0.5 horizontal footcandle at a distance 10 feet inside
the residential lot line.
G.
Gasoline sales canopies. Any canopy over gasoline pumps shall have
light fixtures recessed into the canopy or screened by an extension
around the bottom of the canopy so that lighting elements are not
visible from another lot or street.
H.
Lighting of horizontal surfaces. For the lighting of predominantly horizontal surfaces, such as parking areas and vehicle sales areas, lighting fixtures shall be aimed downward and shall include full cutoff measures as needed to properly direct the light and to meet the maximum spillover requirements of Subsection F and to prevent glare onto streets. The Township may require that light fixtures for nonresidential uses be placed along the street and be aimed away from the street in a manner that also minimizes light shining onto residential lots.
I.
Lighting of nonhorizontal surfaces. For lighting of predominantly
nonhorizontal surfaces, such building walls and wall signs, lighting
fixtures shall be fully shielded and shall be aimed so as to not project
light towards neighboring residences or past the object being illuminated
or skyward. Any lighting of a flag shall use a beam no wider than
necessary to illuminate the flag. Lighting of a billboard should be
attached to the top of the billboard and project downward. However,
lighting shall be allowed of the United States flag from dusk to dawn.
J.
FULL CUTOFF
FULLY SHIELDED
GLARE
Definitions. As used in this section, the following terms shall have
the meanings indicated:
Attribute of a light fixture from which:
Attribute of a light fixture that is provided with internal
devices and/or external shields or louvers to prevent brightness from
the luminaire from causing glare at normal viewing angles.
Excessive brightness in the field of view that is sufficiently
greater than the brightness to which eyes are adapted, which causes
annoyance or loss in visual performance and visibility so as to jeopardize
health, safety or public welfare.
