No person shall land, discharge, load or take off in a helicopter
in any place within the Township, other than at a heliport, except
for which a permit, issued by the Township as hereinafter provided,
is in force, unless such landing or takeoff is done:
A. In conjunction with a special event, such as an athletic contest,
a holiday celebration, parade or similar activity, after at least
two working days' advance notice has been given to the Zoning Officer
of the Township and permission has been obtained to make such landings
or takeoffs.
B. When necessary for law enforcement purposes and for emergencies.
C. In connection with a construction project where a helicopter is to
be used to lift equipment or materials in connection with such project.
Heliports are prohibited in A-O Apartment Office, A Apartment
and C-1 Commercial Districts. In all other districts, personal use
heliports may be permitted as a conditional use. Public use heliports
are prohibited in the Township. All heliports shall be subject to
the following provisions:
A. A use permit be obtained from the Township authorizing the same.
B. The size of the property upon which the heliport is to be constructed
is adequate to provide for safe operation of the helicopter and shall
not be detrimental to the health, safety and welfare of the Township
residents and their property.
C. There shall be a three-foot fence around the heliport, except for
those heliports on a rooftop. The fence shall be located so as to
not be hazardous to helicopter operations.
D. The edge of the takeoff and landing area may not be closer than 200
feet to any property line.
E. Heliports in residence districts shall be used only by executive-type
helicopters under 5,000 pounds maximum gross weight.
F. Permits for heliports shall be issued for a period of one year and
may be renewed annually. Permits shall be deemed automatically revoked
if:
(1)
The Pennsylvania Bureau of Aviation revokes or refuses to relicense
the heliport after one of its periodic inspections;
(2)
The Federal Aviation Administration withdraws or revokes its
approval or clearance; or
(3)
The heliport is not in compliance 30 days after the Zoning Officer
has notified the permit holder at its last known address, in writing,
that the heliport is no longer in compliance with the requirements
of the Township.
G. Heliport standards. No land, water or building in the Township shall
be used as a location for landing, takeoffs, storage, servicing or
fueling of any helicopter until the following standards have been
adhered to:
(1)
The proposed heliport shall be constructed, operated and maintained
in accordance with the published rules and regulations of the Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA), the Pennsylvania Bureau of Aviation
and the National Fire Protection Association governing the use of
heliports.
(2)
Each application for a heliport shall include:
(a)
A copy of the Federal Aviation Administration Form 7480-1, Notice
of Landing Area Proposal.
(b)
A copy of a letter of no objections from the FAA.
(c)
A copy of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania application for approval
of landing area site and the letter of site approval from the Bureau
of Aviation.
(d)
An aerial photograph or drawing of a scale no less than one
inch equals 200 feet indicating the approach and departure routes
and the location of all residences, schools, churches, hospitals and
areas used for the outdoor assembly of people, as well as other noise-sensitive
areas within a radius of 1/2 mile of the proposed heliport site.
(e)
A statement of property ownership for authorization of the owner
for the property proposed to be used as a heliport.
(f)
A description of the purpose for which the heliport is being
established and a schedule of proposed activities, including:
[1]
Number of monthly operations.
[3]
Support activities, such as storage, maintenance and refueling.
(g)
A site plan, which shall contain the following information:
[1]
The location, nature and height of proposed security fences,
berms, landscaping and other security and noise attenuation structures.
[2]
The location and type of fire-fighting equipment and materials.
[3]
The location and type of fuel-storage facilities, if applicable.
[4]
The location of all existing and proposed buildings.
[5]
The location of the helicopter takeoff and landing areas, parking
areas and the method of surface preparation or stabilization.
Where heliports are located on rooftops or other elevated structures, the following conditions shall apply in addition to provisions in §
172-145:
A. Fuel basins and fuel spillage drainage lines shall be provided.
B. Two fire escapes shall be provided.
C. Standard heliport markings shall be provided.
D. There shall be a fence or restraining wall at least four feet in
height around that portion of the roof structure, exclusive of the
landing pad, designed for human occupancy. No other obstruction above
the landing level shall be permitted in the flight path.
E. Heliports shall comply with the standards of the current Township
Building Code.
F. A certification of structural compliance attested to by a registered
professional engineer or architect shall be furnished with each application
for a rooftop or other elevated heliport.
No landings shall be made between 12:00 midnight and 6:00 a.m.,
unless permitted by conditional use.
Any heliport licensed in accordance with the Pennsylvania Bureau
of Aviation of the Department of Transportation before February 13,
1978, is hereby exempt from the provisions herein relating to heliports.